 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I've been riding flats recently and in a lot of ways prefer them over SPDs - feel more in control of the bike and use my feet a lot more - in corners and for manualling etc. Generally feel like I'm riding the bike with more input rather than being a passenger.
But I miss the easy spin of climbing and am still trying to get used to jumping with flats and dealing with the lack of being attached.
Does anyone find platform SPDs give the benefits of both flats and SPDs or are they basically just big and heavy SPDs?
they're still SPD's just give you a bit more confidence when pedaling off not clipped in (out of a corner for instance). Also you don't feel as perched. But to compare them to flats is butter to flora, they're different things.
After decades on spd's I've gone back to flats this year. Absolute revelation, can't see how I'd go back. Platform spd's (shimano) didn't appear to offer any additional benefits over cageless IMHO except, the option to unclip but ride on the platform where a dab was likely (necessary to avoid a nasty off). The problem is riding on the platform isn't anywhere near as secure as proper flats. You can spin on flats with nice sticky soles.
the option to unclip but ride on the platform where a dab was likely (necessary to avoid a nasty off
The cause of many nasty offs
[img] 
?1334800257[/img]
what Iainfp said is true ^^^. You've still got the cleat underneath your foot so you get metal on metal contact which is a lot more slippy than a normal flat.
There are times when you can plan ahead and ride the pedal like a flat to allow a dab, say on a slow switchback.
But at any sort of speed its difficult to keep your unclipped foot on the pedal without good grip, so it's a lot more sketchy than both flats or being clipped in.
Ride flats and SPD's but find the 'platform' type SPD easier to clip back into and you [i]can[/i] put a couple of pedal strokes down when you're unclipped which is pretty much impossible on [i]proper[/i] SPD's
But yeah - I think I prefer riding flats now. There's one particular trail I do (on the XC/AM/SPD bike) with a long climb that's as techy as f@ck - plenty of slow twisty, steep bits with rocky, slippery streams to cross and I always wish I had flats on the bike for that