Quote Originally Posted by gabriellesca View Post
I did my training and century back in 2008 in my sneakers and cages. But last summer I switched to clipless and every single time I ride I feel an underlying constant fear. Fear of not being able to unclip, fear of falling, crashing, dogs, flat, dropped chain, a car hitting me. You name it. Embarrassing to admit, but I actually ride around the town I grew up in, which is beautiful and a tiny bit hilly, just because I know the roads so well.

I think it all stems from going clipless - but just wondering if anyone else has gone through this and is it just a matter of confidence and riding more often? I rode every week last summer and that fear still isn't going away. And I don't even have anything that spurred it other than falling over in an empty parking lot when I was trying out the new pedals.

Any advice?
Knot's right, you are free to ditch the clipless pedals if you want to.

If you don't want to or are determined to master them...practice. Find some grassy (dry!) area to practice in so you won't get hurt if you fall. Practice clipping out in the event you have to stop suddenly.

I hate to admit this on here, but every time I ride, I have some of the same fears, especially if I ride on the road. You can't control what drivers, dogs, or the road will throw at you. What you can control is your reaction to it. I'm sure you know this already, but ride predictably and with caution, know how to fix that flat or that dropped chain (I'm sure you know how to do that, so maybe practice?), read up on what to do if you encounter a loose dog, and practice clipping out in an emergency. (If you decide to keep them, that is.)