I watched my first Tri on TV a couple weeks ago, and I felt the same way about the feet outside the shoes thing. I was watching people take their feet out of the shoes in preparation for the transition to running, a long time before they were to actually start running. There were crashes while going, I imagine about 25+ MPH. Not to mention the power you lose, while not being clipped in. It seems to me, you should keep your feet inside the shoes, go as fast as you can, and worry about the transition when you get there. It really doesn't take much time to open velcro and slide your foot into a new shoe. But, what do I know? I don't do Tri's and I never will!