Always a hot topic! Like Fender or Gibson over in my other obsession (I split the difference and go PRS).
I was always a clipless SPD guy in my 20 plus riding years on various touring and road bikes back in the dawn of time. Five years off the bike when I came back into it, the only thing that had changed was my old SPD shoes were too small, I made the jump to ebikes fairly quickly after realizing that the years had removed a lot of the fun from it. Once on the ebike I also realized that my old reflexes were different and maybe flat pedals were a safer and smarter bet.
I mean, I’ve worshipped at the alter of “Pedal In Circles, Not Squares”... had earned lots of war wounds from tipping over before unclipping, most spectacularly on a four lane road when my road bike‘s front tire went into a seam in the concrete and stayed there, putting me on the ground at 15 miles per hour in heavy traffic.
Now in this new era, late 60s on blood thinners, maybe it ain’t such a good idea. I run very large flat pedals and usually sandals with very firm soles. Small, short pins on the pedals. I still sort of miss the solid feel of being attached to the bike sometimes, but I also do enough rough ground riding that I want to be able to disengage without thinking about it also.
But like with the guitars, everyone has their own views and it’s all good. Except that I can never understand how anyone stood on a stage for three hours with a damn Les Paul pulling them down into hell at 9 or 10 pounds!