>>1071088>I just don't see the point of buying special clip on bike shoesThat's because you don't ride very far or very fast.
Not even bullying you, just stating the obvious.
The point of clipless pedals (and what goes along with them) is safety and efficiency when riding hard. Try spinning at 150rpm with sneakers and platform pedals and no toe cages; it's damned hard, and chances are that your feet will slip off the pedals and you'll crash. You can't properly stand up on the pedals and do an all-out sprint on platform pedals with regular shoes, either, for the same reason (and you'd end up getting hurt worse). Also, my own personal observation: it takes more overall effort to ride with platform pedals, because you're having to always keep pressure on the pedal that's on the way up, so your foot stays on it. With clipless pedals you can exert some upward force when the pedal is rising, which means the opposing pedal, on the way down, doesn't need as much force. The result is you're less tired over distance because you're using less energy.
If all you use a bike for is short commutes and playing around close to home then don't worry about clipless pedals, but if you want to take it up a notch or two then consider getting them.
