I see quite a few race CX on BMX platforms.

I've never seen anyone race road in them, though. Racing crits on BMX platforms would suck. Pedals strikes all day, 'til you go down hard in a corner.

Thanks for all your responses! I really do appreciate the advice.

Maybe a narrower double sided pedal like MKS makes will do?

remember to put the inside pedal up , & shift your weight to the outside foot. while you do a fast corner..

I raced my first half season of CX on platform pedals. I was not the only one doing so. Seriously no one cares in the beginner or cat 5 class. Go out there and have a good time. Road may be a different story but in Cat 5 it should not be. However in road you stand a great chance of getting dropped right away if you are just looking for fitness but you can still have fun and challenge yourself.

It really should. It isn't about what anybody thinks, it's about being safe. There can be plenty of contact in the lowest category races.

The least experienced racing categories are where pedal strike crashes (and every other possible variety of wreck as well) occur with some inevitability. Eliminating a probable cause by running only pedals designed for use in competition is common sense if not actually required. A Cat 5 race isn't a trip to the grocery store and a wreck in that class doesn't hurt any less, equip your bike and your mindset for racing if you want to race.

-Bandera

If it was about safety there should be a rule about it. Safe is riders not carelessly bumping into each other. Sure it happens. Not having clipless pedals does not cause the accident poor manners and bike handling does.

From what I have seen racing in all cats has plenty of crashes for many reasons. I am not disagreeing that a rider should use clipless pedals, there are good reasons to do so. However for a race or two not required.

Manners? You think in a road race people are saying, "please excuse me, after you?" "Bumping into each other" may be careless. Leaning on another rider who is trying to take your line in a turn is not.

Of course using platforms will not cause a crash, unless (as is perfectly possible) the rider loses a pedal under hard acceleration. But **** happens in races, and being properly secured to your pedals may be the difference between the rider surviving it and carrying on, or hitting the deck and breaking their collarbone. It's irresponsible to advise a newbie to use platforms in a road race, and if I were the official, as I said earlier, I'd probably exclude them on the grounds that their equipment was unsafe.

at least crashing in a corner on a Muddy CX course will not take off the top layer of skin , like crashing on pavement does..

Downhill mt bikers race on them all the time. Get some good flat pedal with steel pins and some firm soled grippy shoes, try chrome, 661 or vans. Cx races are all about dismounting, stairs, and must dismount barriers.

I will definitely go clipless if I race road.
I have not made up my mind on the subject of clipless pedals for cx.

Thanks for all the help, guys!