Jtmav

I am a relative newbie here especially with many of you posting great distances and pace. I was out yesterday for a ride and another cyclist passed me but stopped and commented that I was going quite fast given my sneakers and unclipped state. It made me wonder what the difference would be in speed between clipped or not clipped. As I approach my 72 birthday, with only 3 years or so cycling regularly and my fear of falling because of being clipped in, the gains, if any, probably would not convince me to change my routine. At this point in life it’s qualitative more than quantitative experiences. Just curious if anyone in the group has any data about how much faster being clipped in? I understand there are a lot of factors that can skew the difference but just an overall guess would be interesting to me.
Thanks

skidder

I could never come up with a good reason to go clipless. Maybe I could get a little more speed, but being in my mid-60s what's the use? I'm comfortable with my current set-up of flat pedals and tennis court-style shoes. I used to do short tours using this set-up and it allowed convenience of movement when I stopped (no need to change footwear or awkwardly walk around in cleated shoes), I get a good workout when out on a ride, and not being connected to the bike's pedals allows some freedom of movement of my foot on the pedals during long rides. When considering all that I see no need to spend the money to change to the latest set-up. I don't have any desire to enter races either.

shelbyfv

My Strava records indicate that I'm 1.75 mph faster over a 40 mile ride.

freeranger

I tried riding "clipless. Just wasn't for me. Never felt comfortable clipped in. I now ride with BMX pedals (flats with pins) and tennis shoes with a "trail" sole that does not slip on the pins at all. I'm a "recreational" rider. Ride for fitness and enjoyment, not a speed demon by anyone's definition!

Oakman

I've been riding road bikes clipped since 1971, mostly for the same reason you cite; ease of walking when off the bike. Like you, I don't race, but even without cleats, I always felt my pedaling is more efficient with clips. I snug up the straps just enough to slip a foot out when needed. This still allows me small foot adjustments that help on long rides.
However, there are no clips on my hybrid as I tend not to ride as hard and don't feel the need.
Just know that there is a learning curve with clips or clipless. You will fall at least once. And we all know the older we get, the harder we fall. Or it feels so any way.

bikemig 

Ride whatever makes you happy. There are trade offs to whichever pedals you use. Clipless help you go fast since your feet aren't going to slip off the pedal. Unlike old school toe clips and straps (which I still use sometimes), you don't have to worry about getting your feet off the pedals as they just twist out. Still you may find that a bit dicey. When I was racing, going from toe clips and straps was a no brainer as they were that much better.

That said, I've been gravitating towards bmx style pedals and shoes with a softer sole designed for that style of pedals. They are super comfortable because of the wide platform and provide a fair amount of grip. Plus you can use them with any shoe that you like which is, in my book, a big plus. They work great, for example, with insulated winter boots.

Chuck Naill

When I rode in rural areas, I learned to ride clipped in. Now that I ride in the city, I prefer to use touring type pedals. I have the cages/clips for when I might be out of traffic.

PeteHski

Being clipped in will not make you significantly faster. But you may or may not prefer riding with clipless pedals. It’s something you would have to try for yourself.

FWIW I ride my road bike with clipless pedals, but slightly prefer pinned flat pedals on my mountain bike. In the latter case I prefer stiffer soled cycling shoes over ordinary trainers/sneakers, which I find too squishy Tennis shoes are not bad at a push as they are usually quite similar to mountain bike shoes, with relatively flat/stiff soles. Running shoes are usually way too floppy.

John E

I started using old-fashioned toeclips and straps in 1968, when I was a UCLA freshman. As others suggested above, I keep my straps just loose enough to allow me to yank either foot backward and off of the pedal. I normally wear shoes with walkable rubber soles with internal stiffeners. I really like the toeclips to keep my feet from sliding forward into the front wheel, and I do get a small advantage from being able to pull a bit on the upstroke. I am not interested in either snapping in with a modern retention system or riding on flat pedals with no retention system whatsoever.

My favorite shoes were the old Avocet Touring I and II, which featured transverse ridges and grooves that acted like "soft" cleats, but for now my blue suede Giro Rumbles or my Diadora mountain biking shoes are about as good as it gets.

DiabloScott

It's not that you're faster with clips, but if you go too fast without clips you're more likely to have your foot slip off the pedal for a scary result.

Iride01 

If you aren't having issues keeping your feet on the pedals, there really isn't a need to go clipless or even use toe clips.

But if you are wanting to ride at speed with your buds in the cycling club or the group rides from the nearby LBS shop, then you are going to have to spin a high cadence regularly. So clipless will help you keep your feet on the pedals.

shelbyfv

^^^Yep, just one less thing to think about when you are working hard.

davester

I have two mountain bikes with flat studded pedals, one road bike with SPD "clipless" pedals and two road bikes with toe clips and straps. Frankly, I find no performance or comfort difference between any of them. However, way back at the beginning of time when I was racing and would use toeclips and tightly fastened straps with cleats on my shoes I could not ride too long in that state before my foot got uncomfortable due to strap tightness. If I raced today I would go with "clipless" pedals both to keep my feet on the pedals while spinning and to allow pulling up on brief uphill sprints. However, since I don't race, there is absolutely zero reason IMHO to use anything but either flat pedals or toeclips with loosely tightened straps.

bluemule 

Get yourself a pair of Power Grips. I hated clips, especially dealing with the hassle of unclipping when stopping. Toppled over clipped in and landed bang right on my hip bone enough times to be thoroughly disgusted. Then I discovered Power Grips! Fantastic. Super easy to slip in and out of, even for my size 11 W pedal extremities. Been happily riding all over with 'em for years.

MinnMan

I like power grips for winter cycling, though in recent years I've moved to winter cycling boots with MTB pedals. Personally, I prefer a cleated system for road cycling (more about that i a moment), but I agree that Power Grips are an under-appreciated alternative.

MinnMan

Personally, riding with a cleated system makes me feel better connected to the mechanics of the bike and helps with my pedaling form. Yes, it's possible to pedal circles (rather than mashing) with other pedal set-ups (and I've tried them all, but it comes most naturally to me with a cleated system.

To the OP, going to a cleated system takes some investment - both the cost of the pedals and shoes, but also the practice in getting used to them. Many of us love them b/c for us it's the best set up, both a little faster (maybe not a huge facto) but also better ergonomics and a better overall feeling. If you don't try them, you won't find out if that's true for you, but as many here have said, over and over again, the important thing is to get out and ride, however it is that you prefer.

rsbob 

I have been riding clipped in since the 80s and doubt I will change because I like the connected feel to the bike and whatever marginal gain it might provide. However, I would not recommend them to someone 4 years my senior to start with. Yes you will inevitably fall getting used to them, and older bones tend to break more easily and healing takes longer. Unless you have excellent balance, a good memory and are somewhat athletic, I would recommend against them.

Velo Mule

There have been studies that show that there little performance difference between being clipped in and not. Most serious cyclist like the feel of being attached to the bike and there are benefits beyond the incremental increase in performance. The comment about being in a tight group of riders is a valid one. You cannot afford a slight slip or your foot coming off the pedal because there will be consequences. But that should not be a concern for you.

Dylan Johnson Clipped in vs. Flat Pedals

I always rode with good old fashioned toe clips with leather straps. But in the last few years I am down to only one bike that has toe clips. Yes, it feels good to me too when I have my toeclips on. I use Mountain bike shoes that have a stiffer sole than tennis shoes. Not too stiff, there is no problem with walking. I cannot feel the nubbies on the pedals.

If I were you Jtmav , I would just get a pair of Mountain bike shoes. I got a steal of a deal on canvas 5 Ten shoes at 365 Cycles. It may not get you to the next level as a racer, but it works great for recreational riding.

365 Cycles 5 Ten Shoes

They also have other brands if the style or sizes aren't matching up for you.

Besides when someone comes along side and complements you for being so able to ride so fast just enjoy the complement and know that there will be no problems with having a harder fall than you need to because your foot wouldn't come out.

canklecat

GCN has done demonstrations almost every year for the past several years, comparing non-restrained pedaling vs clipless/other foot retention. The differences are always negligible. Very little measurable advantage to clipless.

Even the presenters will admit that the slightly slower speeds with platform pedals can be attributed to lack of experience by the presenters, who almost always wear clipless, and lack of shoes optimized for non-restrained platform pedals. IOW, if they worked on familiarity and experience with platform pedals, chances are their tests would show no speed advantage to foot retention.

I've ridden bikes for commuting, racing and recreation for more than 50 years. I've been through the toe clips era as well, with metal cleats in Detto Pietro shoes.

In my own riding data there is no evidence that foot retention is better than unrestrained platform pedals. Some of my consistently fastest efforts have been with platform pedals on road bikes on paved routes, and on gravel with my hybrid and fatter, softer tires.

The only reason I still usually ride with clipless pedals and shoes/cleats is for foot support. Nothing more. I've always had persnickety feet, very bony, long and narrow with high arches. I generally ride faster more consistently with fairly rigid soled shoes. That usually means clipless nowadays, or, as I mentioned in the top paragraph, minimalist Detto Pietros with metal cleats and pedals with toe clips and straps. If my shoes, insoles, etc., aren't darned near perfect, I'm likely to develop sudden painful spasms in my arches. More than once I've had to pull off from a fast group ride when foot spasms hit. That doesn't go well with a fast, competitive group.

But with age, chronic pain from injuries and arthritis, I no longer join fast club rides. My reflexes aren't good enough anymore, my neck is good for only 60-90 minutes before pain from cervical spine arthritis forces me to sit up, and I've lost significant speed and power just in the past 2-3 years.

I dislike using foot retention in traffic and often switched to my hybrid with platform pedals for most casual group rides. If I can find shoes with enough arch support and rigidity to avoid foot spasms, I'll probably switch most or all of my bikes to platform pedals. I really like the iSSi Thump pedals on my hybrid -- big platform, plenty of grip, a slightly concave surface that reduces foot problems. I usually wear casual sneakers like the Adidas Daily 2.0, which has almost as much sole support as the Five-Ten, but the Adidas fit my narrow feet better. But I'd like to find lighter weight shoes as well. I've tried my Atreyu running shoes and they work pretty well, with much less weight -- Atreyu makes the lightest running shoes I've worn, around 6-7 oz, compared with 11-12 oz for most sneakers or sports shoes with thick, fairly rigid soles.

I might miss being able to pull up on the pedals with clipless, to relieve some muscle fatigue during a prolong hard effort. But a grippy platform pedal and shoe can come close to that technique, although it's more of a backward-sweeping motion than pulling up. It still offers a bit of relief for the quads on long hard efforts, sprints and climbs. Usually just switching from mashing a big gear to spinning an easier gear will relieve enough fatigue to keep me going.

Jtmav

Well I knew I would get a lot of feedback from this more experienced group, many of you addressed me directly which I appreciate. As to one of the comments, I wouldn’t say I have excellent balance but I have been an athlete of some sort most of my life, running then rowing and now finally cycling. At almost 72 I have become very accepting of where I am at right now. I love being outdoors and I restrict my riding to MUPs which there are several close to where I live, especially down here on Cape Cod. I ride for health and peace of mind which leads me to believe that my current setup, Trek AL Domane 5 with flat small spike pedals seems to keep me moving forward and upright. Thanks again for all the sage advice and, if you ride today, enjoy!

PeteHski

Sounds like you are riding fine. I would stick with the flat pedals, but invest in some proper flat mtb shoes to replace your sneakers. FiveTen Pros are a good starting point. Their soles are ultra grippy and stiffer than regular sneakers. Also very hard wearing and easy to use off the bike

UnCruel 

I make much use of cleats, putting torque into more of my pedal stroke. I was eager to develop this habit when I switched to clipless pedals. Spot checking a couple recent rides, it looks like my normal "power phase" is about 195°, but briefly spiking as high as 290°. I do this the most on climbs, and I end up doing very little standing.

That said, I doubt it makes me much faster, if at all. My performance bottlenecks are about glycogen and cardiovascular capacity.

noglider 

Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not fast enough. Don’t let anyone tell you that you need a certain kind of pedal system. Figure out what you like. That’s it. You can try cleats, and you may like them, but some try them and don’t like them. I started wearing toe clips in 1975. You may not have seen them. They are stirrups attached to the pedals, and you stick the front of your foot in. I switched to the snap-in type of cleat in 1987. I still occasionally ride without any foot retention. I prefer to have it, but I won’t claim they make me faster. I just like it. That’s all.

cram501

I started riding again in the early spring after a 25 year hiatus. I originally started with flat pedals to gain confidence and to ensure my balance was good. They worked pretty well. I did find when I started getting tired, my foot position on the flat pedals started to vary. I did move to SPD pedals for the consistency of my foot position.

Fredo76

I used toe-clips and straps almost everywhere as a racer in the '70s, usually with old-fashioned slotted cleats. When I started riding again three years ago, it was on flat pedals, and I went a year before trying modern SPD clipless, which I did not like on my old racing bike with its diamond frame, now that I have hip replacements. But later I built myself a drop-bar bike with a step-through frame, with brifters and clipless pedals, and am getting used to riding clipped in again. It's an acquired taste I suppose, but I've re-acquired it.