Originally Posted by
freeranger
I come from a mtn.biking background, and always used flat pedals with pins. When I started riding a road bike, I tried "clipless" pedals. Didn't ever get used to them and went back to flats with pins on the road bike also. Never had a problem with my foot slipping off-but I'm not a speed demon by any means. From what I understand, the advantage of clipless is that you can pull on as well as push down while pedaling. For my pace, probably wouldn't make much difference, but others may benefit from being able to pull up.
I use flats on MTB too, but clipless on the road. The pulling up thing gets mentioned a lot, but I think it’s a red herring. Nobody really pulls on their pedals unless they want to injure themselves. Track sprinters are an exception.
I have “pinned” myself a few times on the mountain bike but I prefer not to be clipped in off road. On road I like the security and precision of clipless pedals.