You're full of opinions, aren't you? We've been favoured with a bunch of them in the last couple of weeks. What a shame that they tend to be uninformed.

Funny. I crossed the country with two guys using platforms with clips and straps and wearing regular old sneakers. Both were strong riders. One had done other long tours, including ACA's North Star tour (You know what that is?), that way.

Were clipless pedals around back when ACA was running their North Star tours? Heck, for that matter, had they rounded off the old square bike wheels? :)

On a slightly more serious tack, platforms might have the advantage on long stretches of gravel, because there'd be no chance for the gravel to jam up the cleats.

I am the OP on Platform pedals VS. SPD pedals

your just picking a fight on pedals!

I will accept opinionated, but uninformed nothing could be further from the truth. How about you?

Well, someone asked what platform pedals are, and I think in another thread asked what brifters are.

so I'm not current with the current termilogy that does not mean I don't about bicycles. What about you???

ooh, thank you ever so for correcting me! after all this time, at least 250,000 miles(*)
touring on platforms with clips & straps (**)....and i've been doing it wrong!

or perhaps i only dreamt i crossed americaland, circled australia, criss-crossed
europe, and cycled through most of southeast asia?

oh, wrong, wrong, WRONG! :crash:

i hereby renounce cycling, and will purchase a toy BMX. and then i shall
limit myself to posing at the skater park with the skater boys and the
fixie riders.

the shame, the shame............


(*) prolly closer to 500k, but i like to round down.
(**) 3/4 of miles done on 7-speed megarange freewheel.

I've ridden 1,000's of kms with flip-flops, wouldn't really recommend it safety-wise but never had a major incident. Once was hopping off a curb & flip-flop slipped & I hit the top-tube a bit. I think clipping adds a bit of safety but overall depends more on rider, bike, shoes/pedals, road surface etc. & of course clips have their own safety issues when stopping. I like clips mostly for the efficiency of using more muscles, esp for climbing. Clips help rider to hop over bumps easier but OTOH trials riders don't clip, right? BTW I read that BMX trend is to clips.

You are massively uninformed if you think using platforms is a safety issue for a touring cyclist. In case you haven't noticed, you're coming across as rather foolish. That's what happens when you decide that your prejudices are more valuable than other people's experience.

AOK, did not realize English was not your preferred language. Carry on.

Lots of pedals where you've a cleat on one side and a standard platfor on the other - used them for years and only occasionally use the platform, but it works well especially if you break a clip or have split a shoe and have to use trainers - most will even take a clip and strap if you're stuck.

Never been interested in doing even half that mileage in a day on any of the bikes I've toured on.

As for for BMX bikes being toys.... I can't agree with that.
I think for their owners they would be as valid as any other type of bike.
Next you'll be suggesting that theres no such thing as a touring bike with 20' (406) wheels

I think its fine to state your preference but you need to be careful before stating something as fact.

I've been rolling with Shimano PD-T780 XT Trekking pedals for the last couple of years and pretty happy with them due to being platform on one side and spd on the other.

http://www.jensonusa.com/!Pk3aQO6To6...ore-XT-Pedals?

I'm clipped in when on the tarmac but prefer to be unclipped when the surface is in any way technical where its easy to stall a laden touring bike and there might be the need to quickly put a foot down.

Missin out!

On what for me would be a whole lot of discomfort the next day.

I prefer to meander when I tour, stopping regularly to take in the sights, snap a few pics.
Distance isn't a big part of the daily equation for me.
I've done more on occasion, but 45 miles is pretty much it for me and I'm perfectly happy doing a lot less if the mood takes me.
I pulled a couple of 75 milers last big tour but each time was too sore to get back on the bike for a couple of days.
I didn't enjoy the bigger mileage or my bodies reaction to it.

I'll stick to what I enjoy.
YMMV

I've put the A530 on a couple of bikes that may someday need to be used w/o bike shoes and cleats. They aren't too heavy, they are inexpensive, and I don't really notice the platform side when I'm riding.