I think the improvements in efficiency and spinning with clipless do make you faster.

And I am in the minority in these discussions, but for performance road riding (as opposed to leisurely rides or commutes), I think road pedals are better as the engagement is more secure and less likely to release if your form is slightly off.

So he didn't win, but he beat some of his friends

https://marcofanelli.blogspot.com/200...g-musings.html

What would be a good first shoe and clipless pedal? I want something that'll be decent in walking in too

I'm curious about this as well. I have been a pretty active commuter for a couple years and recently decided to get into road cycling.

I'm picking up a Cannondale CAAD8 this weekend and was looking into clipless shoes and pedals. The first set of pedals I was going to buy were probably the Performance Forte campus pedals because of the dual use.

If there are any road cyclists that just use platforms, what kind of shoes do you use?

I use Shimano A530 pedals with Mavic Razors on my commuter/tourer/grocery getter. It's a great combination. The shoes are walkable over short distances (much more tolerable on dirt/grass than concrete), and the dual-purpose pedals come in very handy when I want to wear regular shoes.

On my road bike I use Time i-Clics with Sidi Ergo 2's.

I've been using Lake MX 101 shoes for years on my commuter bike and this year I used them on my road bike. These shoes are comfortable to walk in and are available in a wide width. For pedals I use Wellgo WPD-95B Half and Half one side is SPD and the other side is platform on my commuter and on my road bike I used the Wellgo WPD-823 which is a two sided SPD pedal. For my road bike I have just recently moved to SIDI Genius 5.5 Mega and for pedals Speedplay Zero but because of the snow up here I haven't had a chance to try them out, I'm looking forward to spring.

Hey guys
I just got my clipless pedals and shoes yesterday and i have already tried them.
Yesterday i did just 20 km to see how it works and stuff. Today i did 80 km and i really liked it, i feel that i'am using much more power and it helps a bit in climbs. I just to put more tension in it and it will be perfect
It's easy to clip out but not that easy to clip in xD

pedals i bought were Look classic neo and specialized shoes

It's not difficult to find expensive carbon-soled mountain bike shoes.
1. Go to any bike shoe manufacturers website - let's take Specialized.com:
https://www.specialized.com/ec/en/bc/...019&pscid=1009
2. Go through their menus to mountain bike shoes -
https://www.specialized.com/ec/en/bc/...1009&scid=1019
3. If you find the most expensive one, it's always carbon -
https://www.specialized.com/ec/en/bc/...jsp?spid=56864
4. Usually the midrange model has a carbon sole as well -
https://www.specialized.com/ec/en/bc/...jsp?spid=56688

You could be right that the "super super stiff' carbon models only in in 3 hole road shoes. But there's certainly plenty of stiff mountain shoes out there.

I have a set of Shimano XTR clipless pedals and love them.And no I have not fell as of yet I have had them for about 6 month's.The only thing I don't like is the cost of shoes that part suck's.Clipping in and out is easy I think I had no trouble using them at all.But I went back to my toe clips.The reason was my feet was killing me with my shoes I use three different pair and all hurt like crap.With my toe clips I wear my reg shoes and no pain for me.

Yeah, I went through a number of shoes and insoles in order to find a pair that fit well (actually, my mountain shoes are good but my road shoes are still "ok, but there's pain after a while"). I have to admit, I like being able to bike faster (which I do think I do now that I've started using better pedalling technique), but I've entertained the idea of going back to regular shoes many times.

For me, it's the opposite, but just because I can relieve my "pushing" muscles a bit by concentrating on pulling for a few strokes. In other words, I can last longer using foot retention (preferably clipless pedals and good shoes) than plain platforms.

I also think that clipless is a better option than toeclips. To get similar retention with toeclips, you'll need to cinch down the straps, which won't be able to release as quickly (and not without reaching down with one hand, either).

What to buy? That depends on which shoes you want to wear, IMO.

Yup. Once riding, there isn't much effective difference between my Sidi MTB and road shoes. Yeah, the models I got have different straps and, of course, use different pedal systems, but my point is that they feel the same stiffness under my foot.