Came 4th in class during yesterday’s muddy XC race – with flats (& my trusted camelback).

I was considering going back to spd’s for my racing, but with a result like that, why bother ??? (Or perhaps spd’s would have got me a podium place??)

Nah. Clip in and style it out!

Great pics both old and new

Yeah you probably would have won.

If it was really slippy and technical, requiring you to often put your foot down, then flats might have been an advantage, though I doubt it, as I imagine there will have been equal amounts of slow/slogging drags through mud, and being able to pull up on SPD pedals would be a big advantage.

Maybe you just felt more confident to ride over tricky stuff without being clipped in ?