Used flats for the first time yesterday and omg i can say i felt like a whole new rider. Didnt dab once and I cleared 2 techy sections that i havnt even thought about riding before. I think my xtrs are going to be seeing a lot of dust from here on out and not the kind that comes from the trail. It was really nice being able to try new lines and not have in the back of my head "if i eat it and cant get unclipped this is gonna hurt... alot"

Clipless ain't for everybody, myself included. I'm very happy with some nice grippy platforms.
If the bike starts to slide in a turn I need to be able to drop the inside foot quick - even 1/4 second delay and I'd be eating some tree.
Of course if I were actually any good...

I don't understand riding clipped in for much of anything beyond fairly smooth XC. On my road bike, sure, but I'd bet there's always at least one time per MTB ride that I'd be panicked, and quite possible eating **** due to being clipped if I used them for MTBing. Also, once in a while I like to try a section/obstacle multiple times, so I'll do the section and then hop off and go back to try it again. That would be kind of annoying have to clip and unclip constantly rather than just hoping on and riding without even thinking about it.

I need pedals and shoes that would allow me to clip in for ascending and then turn them into platforms for descending. I just have a way easier time getting up stuff with clips, but descending is so much more fun with platforms.

And no one link me to those crappy campus pedals that have clips on one side and beartrap-style platforms on the other.

^+1. It's a constant dilemma choosing between clipless for the uphill & platform for the downhill. And those Campus pedals, aside from being generally cheap, still don't solve the problem of loosing grip on the platforms due to the metal on the cleats hitting the pedals.

Only solution I can think of is a DH/BMX style platform pedal with a clip on one side, & then pair it with shoes that have a sort of dugout for the shoe clip, so that the clip doesn't protrude out from the sole. But as far as I can tell, no such products exist.

Sinz Experts - - and remove the binding from one side:

That and they're still crappy beartraps. I want concavity and pins! I hear ya about the dugout for the cleats, but put it in too far and you'll never be able to clip in. I think that, aside from getting a Camelbak big enough to fit platforms and Impacts, the solution is just suck it up on the uphill!

I've gone down some really bumpy DH sections that I was really happy to have clipless pedals on. I had some beartraps growing up and I still have scars from the shin shredders. Different strokes.

I just tried flats last weekend and the biggest thing I've noticed is loss of pedal clearance. It is really nice being able to hop on and pedal instead of worrying about clipping in.

the thing I don't like about my flats,,,,,,,,,,, There is no float for my knees! I suppose that sounds stupid but if i'm spinning on the flats for any length of time I become very aware that my feet can't readily move. Any one else?

That's true actually...my feet get "stuck" on my platforms, which also means if I accidentally end up with the wrong part of my shoe on the pedal, I actually have to lift it to move it rather than just shift it, and I end up positioned on platforms wrong more often than I miss a clip-in. I don't run platforms when I think I'm going to be doing a ton of pedaling though.

welcome to the club, they make riding so much more fun and convenient (at least for me). enjoy!

sort of, but i'm so used to it i pick up and move my foot without thinking too much. the cool thing with flats is, it only takes a second to adjust.