Originally Posted by
robow
Yea, I saw a very nice study on power output and it disproved the myth that you gain that much on the upstroke, most all power and torque is created on the down stroke.
Still love my clipless though.
Citation? "I saw as study" doesn't cut it.
Originally Posted by
Paul Barnard
I don't think that paper says what you think it says. Yes, during submaximal efforts, there is little difference. The money quote
However, wearing clipless pedals could be advantageous in other cases, where the link between the foot and the pedal provided by the fixation could be necessary, e.g., during maximal cycling, cycling up hills, or any condition where maximal power is required. Indeed, Capmal and Vandewalle [2] have shown a greater power output during all-out sprints with toe-clips than
without, while Hintzy et al. [8] reported a significant increase of the maximal values of force, velocity and power output when clipless pedals were used during all-out ergometer sprints. The cycling intensity chosen in the present study, corresponding to 60% of PMA, ensured that subjects remained in aerobic conditions. However, at this power output, it might be that cyclists did not need to use a possible pedalling technique related to the pull-up action when pedalling with clipless pedals.
(The whole paper can be found
here)
There are numerous opportunities where a touring cyclist might need to use "maximal" effort. We may not sprint to a finish line but climbing hills on a loaded touring bike is solidly in the category of "maximal" effort and a place where having your foot solidly attached to the pedal is advantageous.