If you couldn't have clipless pedals...

[Markymark]

That's because you don't ride fast or hard enough. If you had to travel at race pace, 25mph or so with occasional bursts at 35 plus, jump hard out of corners and go from cruising up a climb to powering flat out in an instant you'd find that flats were both useless and dangerous. That's why you never see a racing cyclist without their feet secured at any level, not everything is just about fashion.

Now if you prefer flat pedals for your type of riding, fair enough. But implying that clipless pedals or toe clips and straps have no benefits is just rubbish.

I do not doubt that but I would suggest that for 98% of riders on here it would make no difference.

 

[vickster]

I clip in for comfort not performance reasons

 

[youngoldbloke]

Even if I and many others are sad, deluded souls, slaves to fashion, being taken for a ride (!) by the evil, immoral marketeers of the bicycle industry, what does it matter anyway?

 

[Alan O]

I'll rephrase more succinctly: if you could not have any kind of feet-attached-to-bike arrangement, what type of flat pedals would you use? And I'm assuming you don't need them for all-out racing.

DMR or similar.

I was astounded to have one of my long-term illusions shattered last year, when I got a 2nd-hand MTB with DMR-12 pedals. I always knew I pulled up on the upstroke too, and that pedals without attachments (in my case clips and straps) would not work and that I'd need to at least add half-clips...

But I rode out on them first, and I was shocked to find I was badly wrong. They do work, beautifully, and I clearly do not pull up on the upstroke! And now I love them.

Don't you just love empiricism?

 

[Smokin Joe]

I do not doubt that but I would suggest that for 98% of riders on here it would make no difference.

It's an individual preference, whether I would go slower or maintain the same speed being secured to the pedals is irrelevant, I just feel safer and more comfortable when I'm clipped in. I can understand how others feel differently, we're not all the same.

 

[the snail]

It's an individual preference, whether I would go slower or maintain the same speed being secured to the pedals is irrelevant, I just feel safer and more comfortable when I'm clipped in. I can understand how others feel differently, we're not all the same.

This. I've never had any delusions about getting a performance benefit from clipless (or clips), I just prefer having my feet secure on the pedals without having to think about it.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I do not doubt that but I would suggest that for 98% of riders on here it would make no difference.

Very true dat.

 

[Markymark]

Very true dat.

Yet 98% of road bike cyclists use them (give or take).

 

[MacB]

Even if I and many others are sad, deluded souls, slaves to fashion, being taken for a ride (!) by the evil, immoral marketeers of the bicycle industry, what does it matter anyway?

It only matters due to the amount of nonsense, pretending to be scientific fact, that is trotted out about the benefits of clipless. The most egregious is the oft repeated 'clipless moment' that's just embarrassing rather than painful/dangerous. You don't have to search hard to find examples where it was far from benign.

I did the same as Markymark, flats to clipless and back, I had a clipless moment and it was the awareness of the driver behind me that saved me from more serious injury. I have achieved, and still do, everything I want from cycling via flats - I have never fallen or lost a pedal on flats or cut up my legs on the pins. Long rides I use FiveTen but shorter stuff pretty much whatever I'm wearing though I did find flip flops challenging.

Trotting out what professionals do/use is pointless as they are so many levels beyond us that it's laughable.

 

[Goofball]

Take any straps off and use the normal trainers or shoes I wear at the moment.

 

[S-Express]

This is very true. You simply can't maintain high power, on variable terrain, without bindings. If your rides are billiard table flat, or big descents on to long flat bits, then sure, flats are fine. Your power will be cack, but your average speeds will flatter you. You need clipless to get a high, consistent power output, and to get a nice quick Cadence acceleration, and maintain that Cadence. The most efficient way of producing big power, being Cadence biasing your pedalling, owing to the fact that it's easier and quicker, to ramp your Cadence up, and maintain it, than it is to ramp the Torque up.

Cadence biasing sounds like something you just made up. Anyway, all of these guys below say that you are talking nonsense. Go have a read, then come back..

• Coyle et al., 1991 Physiological and biomechanical factors associated with elite cycling performance
• Korff et al., 2007 Pedaling technique and efficiency
• Martin et al., 2001 Learning to produce max power

And please don't just respond with insults, like normal. Respond with something meaningful after reading the studies mentioned above.

 

[Bazzer]

I already switch between clipless and toe clips and straps; road bike for the former and hybrid the latter. I do find the soft soles of my trainers a little "weird" to begin with, but soon get used to it.

 

[Brandane]

I wear clipless (apart from on my MTB) because I find that over longer distance rides it saves me from Achilles tendon pain which I get with flats. That is no doubt down to the stiff sole rather than any attachment to the pedal. I am under no illusions about increases in performance at my level. If I could find a pair of stiff soled shoes that I could use on flats, AND that would prevent the dreaded painful Achilles, then that would be my preference. However any such shoes I have seen advertised are quite expensive and it then becomes a costly gamble with no guaranteed results. For that reason I am sticking with clipless - for now.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

DMR V8 or V12 flat pinned pedals.
Used them for a few years now.

Same here, though I prefer the V12 over the V8 as they seem to last longer.

I've never clipped in and have no intention of doing so.

 

[MacB]

Cadence biasing sounds like something you just made up. Anyway, all of these guys below say that you are talking nonsense. Go have a read, then come back..

• Coyle et al., 1991 Physiological and biomechanical factors associated with elite cycling performance
• Korff et al., 2007 Pedaling technique and efficiency
• Martin et al., 2001 Learning to produce max power

And please don't just respond with insults, like normal. Respond with something meaningful after reading the studies mentioned above.

and here are a couple of video test from youtube, not especially scientific but more so than most of the 'wisdom' on here:-

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNedIJBZpgM

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkMCYYNTWUY