I only started mountain biking three or four years ago, coming from a touring background. I ran clipless for the first two years, but then got a nagging knee pain that seemed to come from the lack of float or the foot positioning or something. Now all my bikes have flats, my knees feel great, and I don't miss clipless one bit. I don't buy there's a difference in power, run whatever works for you.
It's worth it for the confused looks when I roll out of a 250-mile ride on flats, too - like it's some kind of superhuman feat to keep your feet on the pedals for that long.
I also enjoy the comically large [Pedaling Innovations Catalysts](https://pedalinginnovations.com/); I've got those on my mountain/fat & gravel bikes, and Race Face Chesters on the commuter.
Sept. 13, 2021, 4:53 a.m. - TristanC
I only started mountain biking three or four years ago, coming from a touring background. I ran clipless for the first two years, but then got a nagging knee pain that seemed to come from the lack of float or the foot positioning or something. Now all my bikes have flats, my knees feel great, and I don't miss clipless one bit. I don't buy there's a difference in power, run whatever works for you. It's worth it for the confused looks when I roll out of a 250-mile ride on flats, too - like it's some kind of superhuman feat to keep your feet on the pedals for that long. I also enjoy the comically large [Pedaling Innovations Catalysts](https://pedalinginnovations.com/); I've got those on my mountain/fat & gravel bikes, and Race Face Chesters on the commuter.