PepeM

The study involved both elite cyclists and non-cyclists, all of them pedaling at 60% of their own aerobic threshold.

StanSeven

I wonder if you read or just act dense to argue? Elite and non-elite pedaled at 60% of max

Edit: whoops. Didn't see Pepe's comment at top of the next page.

BoSoxYacht

I doubt they actually used the best professional cyclists in the world for this test. I doubt top professionals would waste their time with it.

Wolololo

Oh boy, after reading 5 pages I feel so bias right now. I only ride in city area so I have to stop a lot. But in the other hand, I really want to improve my speed and form in general, should I invest in clipless pedals?

PepeM

Is that commuting? I wouldn't bother for commuting tbh (and I actually don't, my daily beater has flat pedals.)

OnyxTiger

I'm kind of in the same boat. I commute ~7 miles each way, with about 5 stoplights along the way. Not much for such distance, but enough to make one question the value of it. For me, I wanted a system that would be easy for setup, and get me the balance of versatility - could clip in for weekend rides, and clipped out for my shortish commute. I looked up the Shimano PD-A530 dual platforms, but I didn't like the idea of it in the end.

Eventually, I settled on Bikedabs take on it... an adaptor piece to plug into your existing clipless pedals. Just change to regular shoes and snap on the adaptor for shorter rides... snap off the adaptor and throw on the road shoes for the other.

Works for me. After having taken the shoes out on it's first 40 mile ride last weekend, and comparing it with my commute today, I can only say... I can't wait for the weekend to roll around again.

Wolololo

It's commuting but 15miles one way.

Dan333SP

No, but you should invest in disc brakes.

Wolololo

Nice! My commute has flat and hill which is very nice to train. I really want to know how much clipless pedal helps me compare to flat.

Wolololo

Why? Does it improve my speed?

OnyxTiger

Helps you be faster, for starters. The stiffness of the sole on cycling shoes ensure that your power transfer to the pedals is maxed. I could definitely tell the difference in how, when I pedal with sneakers, how the flexibility and softness of it just didn't feel quite as powerful. If you'd like to sprint out of the saddle, I'd take clipless all day. There's not one bit of worry of losing your footing.

The only challenge you'll have with clipless is all the stops you have in your commute. This seems to be one of the biggest factors for commuters regarding this system. (That, and the ability to wear any shoes/sandals you want on a commute... walkability, etc.)

At the end of the day, you'll have to decide when/if you'll make that jump. I know I'm glad that I did. Again, I ride with regular shoes on my commute. That could change, or not. But between the two ways of cycling, I'm in love with clipless. And that's after 1 week. And a fall.

Wolololo

I've got lots of scars from the pedal hitting to my shins. So I think switching to clipless will resolve that. Seems like I cannot avoid to fall in the first week so I already prepare for that,lol.

OnyxTiger

Well good luck man. Practice and keep alert and try and react quick and ahead of time. If you can sense that you'll fall to the clipped side, you might have that fraction of a second to snatch your feet off the pedals in time to save you. Cheers

spoiledrotten

I'm not a seasoned cyclist (after the teenage years) but I've been doing clipless for about a year, now. I started with the clips and went to the clipless because with nothing, I didn't trust my feet to stay gripped to the pedals. I would rather fall at <3mph than my feet slip off and crash at over 20mph. Might be more than hips break, then.

I'm editing to add a little more after reading through the whole thread. I've fallen about 3 times in the past year. Nothing happened more than bruised thigh and ego, and I'm 57 (almost). I had my foot slip off of the pedals about that same number of times before going with any form of shoe anchoring system. Even when I commute 15 miles one way, it's totally worth it for me to wear my cycling clothes, as well as my clipless shoes. I take my work clothes with me or plan ahead and take them, previously. I have a number of stops along the way, but the security of the shoes attached to my pedals makes my ride more enjoyable.

I'm not really sure why all of the back and forth, and running in circles chasing tails when it's all a matter of personal choice. There are things I believe in, and you'll never change my mind about those things, but there are also issues that are really important to the betterment of mankind, that I will listen to and weigh out with open mind. Something as insignificant as a shoe with a rubber sole or a flat shoe with a clip on the bottom, is not one of those.

Cheers!

cafzali

Lots of people don't fall in the beginning. In fact, if you lighten up on your pedal tension while you're learning, there's a good chance you won't fall either. I've only fallen 2 times and neither were a result of forgetting to unclip. In one case, I'd gotten a new bike and got new pedals since I was keeping my old one and didn't want to constantly be switching. The tension was set tighter on the pedals with the new bike and since they didn't cause me trouble most of the time, I didn't adjust them. But once after a much longer than usual ride, I couldn't manage to get out in time despite trying.

The other "fall" involved a crash with a car, although the pedals worked exactly as they should have and my foot was released once I hit the ground. Thankfully, my only souvenir was a week's worth of road rash.

Dan333SP

Yes, generally 1-2 mph but that can depend on whether you're using the discs in conjunction with bike shoes or not.

Paul Barnard

I started riding with platform pedals. I then went to clips and straps, then switched all my bikes to clipless. Now I am back to platform pedals on the bikes I ride the most. I don't ride for ragged edge performance and I don't miss my clipless pedals at all. I don't see a performance difference. I love the convenience of riding in shoes that I can drive in and walk in. Since switching back to platform, I haven't arrived at my riding destination only to discover I had forgotten my shoes. That counts for a lot. It is unlikely that recreational riders will gain measurably from going clipless. I'll leave the argument about the benefits of racers using clipless to the racers.

woodcraft

Well, there is that.

Maybe also giving up cycling shorts would help with that awkward problem

of arriving at one's destination having forgotten one's pants.

BoSoxYacht

I was going to point out how foolish his way of thinking is, but I didn't want him to think I was saying he's a fool.

Phil_gretz

Doesn't the thickness of the plug/platform change the effective crank-to-saddle distance? Are we talking more than a few millimeters thickness?

Shuffleman

This seems like the only time that I fall by not clipping out or leaning to the wrong side. It has only happened a few times but it is always good for a laugh.
My buddy came over the other day with his son to show me their new mtbs. He stopped in my yard and went down. Luckily for him my dog was there to greet him and lick his face as he was on the ground.

Paul Barnard

I guess I left myself open for that one. In the off chance someone didn't really get my point, I'll spell it out more clearly. I don't drive in cleated shoes. I am assuming most people don't. More than once I have arrived at my ride start point only to realize I had forgotten my cleated shoes. I do drive in my padded shorts.

growlerdinky

What would Lebron James do?