Havin raced with clip style and know others who raced clip style, and I still ride clip (and clipless) style-you CAN pull the pedals with the clip style just as you can with the clipless. The reason most people think you can't pull the pedal is because they don't wear the proper shoe for a clip pedal! The proper shoe had a cleat (plastic cleat was better then the metal cleats) with a grove or slot about 3/16th of inch deep that allowed the rear cage of the pedal to go into; then you tightened down the strap. Most people also assume that in order to keep your foot from coming out you had to crank the strap down so tight your feet turned blue after just 5 miles-again all myth. IF that were true then why didn't the older racers who used clips complain about their feet being numb or cold from lack of circulation especially after long century rides? And when they are properly adjusted you can pull your feet out of the pedals as fast as a clipless design without even having to reach down and loosen the straps first. In fact the clipless design is not even as strong as the clip style; why do you think track racers still use the clip style? Because they were breaking the clipless style. Even with the clip style they have to use a double strap for added strength that the road racer never had to bother with.
The PowerGrip thing in the photo is not a true clip style, that's just an attempt to make a quill style pedal strap any kind of shoe on it.
I'm not saying that clip style are the best; what I am saying is that most people today either never tried the clip style or did not have the proper foot wear to make it work the way it was intended, because the proper foot wear has been increasely impossible to find at majority of the LBS's since the clipless style arrived back in the early 80's. Also the clip style allows you to go riding in any shoe you want without first having to attach a special platform...of course once you attached the platform you loose all and any advantage clipless design has; whereas with a clip style your not going to clip into the cage but at least you still have the toestrap on.
And John 5211; you just got your first road bike back in September so how would you know how the true road bike clip style pedals and shoes were like back before the early 80's?
And Lufty back in July you admitted your not a very experienced rider so how can you answer this question with anykind of knowledge? And it sounds like most of your riding was on MTB's. And then you say you rode clips and straps 20 years ago (back in the early 80's I assume), so which is it for you-inexperience or experienced? Assuming the later you probably didn't use the proper shoes-a lot of casual riders never did.
And D2Create; spinning on a gym bike with clips provided by the gym is not even closely related to road biking so that's just a poor example we don't need to explore further.
And Jayroc you sound too young according to your bio to have had experience much in the way of proper clip style pedals and shoes.
I'm just saying that unless you've raced in them and used the proper equippment then you guys really don't have the right information to give out which is more then obvious by the negativity displayed about the clip style. If I was to upgrade-which will happen when I get a new bike-I will go clipless, but not because it's far superior.