Bill63

and I could care less how someone else chooses to ride as it does not have any affect on my riding

Skimax

I just built my new bike, a single speed, and I decided that I was going to put platforms on it so that I can ride it around town easier and with my kids etc... without having to worry about changing my shoes. A few 20+ mile rides in my feet were killing me and I switched out the platforms for the SPD-SL pedals from my other road bike and all was right in the world again. I think the biggest advantage to me is having a carbon-soled shoe that will not bend and that contributes so much to comfort and power transfer.

dkatz1

I have no idea what is most efficient. I've never worn clipless pedals. I can't.
Got some issues....two reasons...I was in a car wreck, many years ago....broke and shattered my right femur in three places, and after 65 days in traction, that leg was 1 1/4" shorter than the other....the other thing is, my feet are both very wide and weirdly shaped...all of my shoes are built up an inch. Cycling shoes can't be built up, and it doesn't matter, as: I have tried and tried: no cycling shoes will fit. Problem is, very wide front of my foot, very narrow heel...and I don't want to ride with one pedal that much further away than the other.
Found a place on in that would make cycling shoes custom molded to your foot. $750. I asked them if they could make built up...they could offer a half an inch extra. Didn't sound like a good deal to me.
So, first I took up toe clips. With an extra inch on sole of shoe that was a drag, a toe masher. Clever guy at my local bike store took a pair of metal toe clips, cut them, and added some tubing and then soldered it all back together. Still wasn't all that great.
I got straps instead of clips. Power grips. Had to get both sizes they make to get one funcional set. That kind of worked.
Then I discovered other kinds of straps, the best kind I found are made by Wynot....
Last summer, I went on a bike tour for a week. Last day it rained a lot, I came home with a gunk all over everything.
Next day it was really hot, high 90's. As opposed to cleaning those straps (which only work on flat pedals with an appropriate slot) I took them off. And discovered I felt fine that way....after a couple of days I was totally used to it (after riding nearly 20 years with feet attached somehow). Maybe they aren't as efficient, i don't know and I don't care, I'm happier this way. Plus I will sometimes commit a cycling crime and wear sandals. The straps always caused problems.
I also always wore cycling gloves (mainly, hoping that the padding would help my arthritic hands, but they dont' really seem to) and abandonded those, too.

CliffordK

Look up the studies.

Your body uses carbohydrates + oxygen to make energy.

Energy efficiency is independent of pulling up, and to a large extent standing, sitting, or cadence.

The body is very good and pushing down (same as one does with walking or carrying a load). And, while one can pull up with some force, not as much as pushing down, and perhaps even less efficient overall.

However, what is clear is that cycling is far more complex than short-term pure mechanical efficiency.

Take cadence, for example, a low cadence may be just fine at slower speeds, perhaps up to 15 to 20 MPH. But, the increase in power necessary to maintain higher speeds, say 25 to 30 MPH on the level generally requires adaptations including higher cadence as there is a limit to one's downward force.

As mentioned, sprints and hill climbing take different physical requirements than simply riding on the level. Even MTB riding may benefit from different skills than road riding.

boilermaker1

My wife and I ride trikes; I find mountain bike pedals with metal studs to provide secure footing, even on big bumps. My wife used pedals with heel straps and then tried clipless but went back to the straps.

velojym

On my 'planned ride' bikes, I have SPD pedals. On my Montague and Cannondale, which are ready for rides of opportunity, I have flats, which work just fine.
One thing I won't budge on... our tandem. I offered the use of the stoker position to a sight impaired guy, but he wanted flat pedals back there, and didn't want to give on the subject.
A foot coming off one of those pedals, while I'm kronking on it up front, can make things quite painful for him, and depending on his reaction to getting whacked with a pedal under power... could cause a crash.
He may come around eventually, we'll see. I'd be fine with toe cages, but some form of retention is required to ride with me.

roskobosko

Clipless pedals make certain aspects of riding easier for me (climbing, acceleration, keeping my feet from slipping or bouncing off the pedals), mostly due to my skill level. As a Mtn bike newb, I like the flats.

comfort rider

TRUE: It's only on a very rough surface that low pressure, wide tires have a lower rolling resistance compared to a hard skinny tire. On a perfectly smooth surface, the hardest, skinniest tire will have the lowest rolling resistance.

retiredguru

To each their own, but for me, toe clips and straps are my current choice, and only because an accident a few years back trashed my right heel and ankle, and I can't remove my right foot from a clipless pedal without swinging my whole right leg out at the hips, and even then it's not a sure bet my shoe will come out every time. And it hurts. And this is with the tension set at its lowest, which leaves my feet rotating every which with each pedal stroke. I started out with toe clips and straps in early 70s. I can pull up hills and I wouldn't sprint without them--and yes, regardless of what the so called experts say the pros do or don't do now, in the 'old days' we were taught ankling, and I learned and use clips and straps (or clipless pedals when I could use them) on the up stroke.

By the way, in answer to those who have fallen over at a stop because they couldn't get their foot dismounted in time, I hear ya. Here's one for you: try coming to a quick stop as the light turns red on you at a high traffic, major intersection, and you realize as you are going down you forgot to unlock your Cinelli Model 71 pedals, then struggle like you are having an epileptic fit trying to reach each lock while traffic is honking and people are saying all sorts of not nice things at you. The things we do when we are young, immortal, indomitable of will, and utterly invincible in our minds.

RustedRoot

Reminds me of the Flat Earthers.

mtessmer

I've been biking year around here in Minnesota over 38 years. I commuted to work, toured and leisure cruised and always used clipless pedals (well, since they came out, toe clips before that). Now that I'm retired and still riding regularly I've gone to platform pedals on a few of my bikes. It helps me to ride more regularly running errands, restaurants, and joy rides. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. That said, I'm happy with my choice. I'm still racking up the miles. it does help on recumbents which I have a few. I own 8 bikes.

ridesoldtrek

Ever notice how many styles of pedals are on the market? Supports the fact that there is no single right answer. Commute or race? Cyclocross or Track? Group Ride or Solo? Going to the market 1 mile away or Solo Unsupported World Tour?

I'm 63 and I commute almost 2,000 miles per year, in a dense urban environment. I like platforms riding in traffic in the city (downtown Minneapolis). Now working from home I do 16 miles every morning on paved trails. Clip-in would be better, but I'm not complaining. I ride a touring/commuting/all-purpose bike. I've probably ridden my last 5,000 miles on platforms. Some platform pins are slippery when wet, depends on the shoes I'm wearing. I'm sure I'll go back to clipless sometime. I think.

We all have different needs, wants, preferences. Ride what works for you.

79pmooney

Yup. Actually in sprints, you don't think about it, you just use what you've got. But I've favored my big thigh muscles and concentrated on the rest of the stroke (back, up and across the top) while not much was happening in races.

I've also ridden many times in recent years with my knee issues flaring and "deleting" the down stroke. With platforms, those would be long days!

As I've said before, I always chuckle when experts tell me what I've been doing for years is not possible. My take on clipless/toeclips and straps - like any good tool, they only work if you learn how to use 'em and even then, only if you actually do.

Ben

rosefarts

I used to work as a pedicab rider. Like 3 years.

These are trikes at slow speed and low gearing and lots of stops. Maybe my second day, I swapped to clipless. With 6-10 hours on the bike, comfort was key. Funny thing, everyone else did too, even those who didn't have clipless on their regular bikes. An entire fleet of very hard workers must have been wrong.

When was the last time someone rode the tdf unrestrained? I bet in the 50's. Fwiw, I have Dura Ace toeclips and slotted cleats. It's more restrained than clipless, so way earlier than Sean Kelly.

I used to work at a place 3 miles from home. I put flats on to commute. Drove me insane. I don't know that I was slower but I never got comfortable.

I certainly did some serious mountain biking on flats in the 90s. It was a fun diversion. I had no problems handling myself on the pedals, I just didn't care for it.

Leinster

The '50s? You're not even back to the days of nailing wooden soles to the pedals when you go back that far. Maurice Garin had clips (but no straps) on his 1903 race-winning bike, and I bet most of the field did.

Miele Man

I tried clipless MTB pedals but fell over a number of times after panic stopping. I went back to toe-clips and straps. I don't tighten the straps when riding in heavy traffic.I also have and like the original Look clipless road pedals and some later ones branded Shimano or Campagnolo. For some reason I don't have trouble unclipping from any of those.

I like my toe-clips and straps since I can wear nearly any shoe with them.

Cheers

rossiny

I will throw my 2 cents in. As a rider that rode in the early 80s with the original cleats and clips. My first road race bike . I noticed better transfer of power . I had never ridden a bike other than a Schwinn continental and a schwinn Typhoon. .
So maybe was the bike. Later I ride newer style clip in pedals. Personally I find some clip in methods silly, like the the ones onmy Crank brothers. Weird to clip in and if you pull up hard enough you can actually pull out of the pedal accidentally , , not safe. I don't use them any more.
So I guess for me it depends on the brand. On my Casati bike I like the system is much better and more solid clip in and can spin better I think. So in conclusion ,, do what floats your boat 🤥😅

jack pot 

one ass buster with clips turned me into a dedicated flat peddler

Road Fan

So every few months I again realize my toe-clip pedals where the straps are not tight and I have no cleats, should have caused my death at least once a year since I startedi riding road bikes back in 1970. Strange, I had already been riding bicycles for 10 years at that point in dress shoes or sneakers (US Keds ftw!) on rubber block pedals. So is that a 50 year span of statistically incredible results, ie. a charmed life? Or is the claimed superiority of clipless over toeclips just a lot of bull?

woodcraft

Looks like you will never know.

plittle2005

Efficiency is increased by:

1. Keeping your foot in the correct ball-over-pedal-axle position

2. preventing your foot from moving out of position when unloading the weight of the upstroke leg

Toe clips, mini-clips or clipless all accomplish this, and mini's are the easiest to escape from when going down.

All lashed-in and going hell-for-TT is great but who rides like that regularly? Climbing, pedaling hard and then your foot slips while unloading the upstroke is a bummer to correct, so......I just use simple mini-cliips and can focus on a smooth cadence, and not having to use my downstroke leg to lift that ungrateful heavy upstroke leg.....what's not to like?

Road Fan

In that case, I again don't feel motivated to change to clipless!

Road Fan

In that case, I again don't feel motivated to change to clipless!

79pmooney

1950s? If it's never been done, it wouldn't surprise me. Look at the photos of Major Taylor. He was riding toeclips, straps and slotted cleats 120 years ago. Plus those early Tour de France riders didn't have low gears. Anybody who has done much fix gear or single speed riding in steep hills knows well that after a certain grade, all your weight on the pedal isn't enough to keep going uphill. It's foot retention or walking. My guess is that good foot retention started soon after people started racing bicycles, so what? 1880?

Ironfish653

I’ve heard hair shirts get really itchy when they get wet, too. Care to elaborate?

Seriously; it’s a tool. It only works if you know how to use it, and then only if you actually do. (use it)