I've been thinking about this while i was riding today. I have a hybrid bike with flat pedals and road bike clipless. As you know, you are applying maybe 4 different types of force with clipless pedals. Pressing, lifting, pushing (forward) and pulling (back). Well but in the same time you are wasting, let's say consuming more energy for your extra efforts. In the end you are getting exhausted quicker. Maybe it sounds bullish but i gave a thought about it. What would you say?

yes

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Well it is said that clipless won't make you faster.
Then again a slipping foot is wasted effort and also clipless is safer.

You may save your life if you can have your feet free from the pedals in a very urgent and unexpected case. (here we go!)

Yeees.... how does that have anything to do with clipless?

I'd like to see who said that... If you're applying more energy in areas that a flat pedal won't allow, then you're getting more energy to the rear wheel. Will it be using more energy and making you more exhausted? Not really. I think you'll be bringing in more muscles to do this work resulting in less fatigue on only a couple muscles to propel you.

I would disagree. I believe your motor is much more efficient when clipped in. Don't ask me to explain the math- I'm a Psychology major- but my experience tells me so. I was originally set up like you- clipless on the road, flat pedal on the hybrid- and upon changing my hybrid over to clipless I've gotten faster and stronger on the hybrid, with no noticeable fatigue difference. Besides, fatigue is good... means you're doing something right.

No, I did not spend the night at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Us recreational rides shouldn't have pedals so tight that we can't pull out of them in an emergency situation. Racers may have a problem with this because they want them as tight as possible for sprints and such, but everyone else shouldn't have this issue.

After riding since I was a kid, I got a searing pain in my knee after a long ride one day. Hurt for most of a week. Twisting at the knee to get into my car would make me scream. Didn't ride the bike for a week or two after that to let it settle down. Next long ride, it came back. Very frustrating. Anyway, I got clipless pedals and the pain went away, never to return even after several years.

Mine are cheap set and i need at least 50 meters to get my feet off of them. That's my problem though. Actually they have an adjustment screw but my allen keys are not fit for them. That is also a problem of mine.

With a flat pedal, how do you manage to keep your rear foot in contact with the pedal?

You press down on it.

Shouldn't this thread be called "Speculation about clipless pedals?"

And it may also save your life to keep your feet firmly attached to the pedals when they might otherwise slip off.

The 41 is chock full of experts and experts don't speculate, they have facts.

I don't think that i have a rear foot. If i understand your point right, it doesn't press down on it, it stays on it and it travels with it.

After trying many different types of pedals, I ended up with Speedplay Frog pedals since they are easy to clip in and easy to clip out of. MTB pedals, but I'd rather wear shoes I can walk around in if needed. I wouldn't recommend them for any type of road racing because they are fairly easy to accidentally unclip, but that's what makes them such a nice pedal for recreational riding also.

50 meters? At what speed?

I like them cause I can just pedal and dont have to keep putting my foot back on the pedal if its slipping off etc. Plus I feel like climbing is a win in clipless.

I would say you are full of crap. Clipless is better. There is no if, and, or buts.

If you place an object on a flat surface:
1. It's weight + gravity will hold it in place.
2. It will float away
3. You have to tie it down somehow.

Your foot on the rear, rising bicycle pedal is the same. If you don't tie it down in some manner, you have to push on the upward rising pedal and you're working against yourself.

Pretty much. I. Additionally, cycling shoes are stiffer, so power is better transmitted to the pedals.

depends

Well, that's a problem. Fix it. I get mine out in 1/10th of a second.

Dude, the question wasn't how you avoid bathroom breaks.