Clipless = no toe clip. Originally, people used these cages that attached to their pedals that were called toe-clips. Some clipless pedals have a tension adjustment (Shimanos, for example), and you can make them easier or harder to get in and out of. I practiced in my living room leaned up against the wall. It took me all of 2 minutes to figure out. It's really not as hard an adjustment as people make it sound. The hardest thing is if you screw up and have to restart and clip-in going up a steep hill. That's not to say I'd trust myself to get out of them if I were jumping or something, but 99% of the time, if I eat **** with clipless, I would have eaten **** with platforms too.

I have clipless on one bike and platforms on the others. Can't decide which one I like better. Clipless is easier for all the reasons chelboed mentioned, but it's easy to cheat, and with platforms, I'm more confident doing stuff at the limit of my ability.

Well took her on the shakedown run today! It did awesome! I need to fix the front brake. For some reason it doesnt seem to work. Like the cable isnt moving inside the plastic outer shell. The clipless pedals scare the **** out of me haha. It makes me such a nervous rider, and the fact that they have me putting my weight on the front of my feet makes me not feel one with the bike. I am putting on some platforms tonight