I went clipless last winter. SPD, reversible pedals (platform on one side, clipless on the other). That's actually a bit of a nuisance, since you sometimes have to kick the pedal around to the right side before clipping in, but since I sometimes ride to and from the woods in hiking boots it had to be that way. First day with cleats in my shoes, I went to spin class and practiced clipping in and out. Then toodled a slow ride around town, clipping in and out at every opportunity. It soon became automatic. I don't think I'd been riding clipless more than a couple of weeks when I unclipped in a split second when my chain fell off the back cogs, or when I dodged a lunging labrador retriever. I have yet to crash (touch wood), probably because I assiduously follow my sister Trek420's advice: "when in doubt, clip out". I also followed her advice by setting the clip springs as loose as possible -- just tight enough to give a click when clipping in and to hold when pedalling, but so loose that even a slight jerk of the foot clicks the shoe free. That's really all there is to it. The other day I had to ride my old bike with platform pedals and discovered that now THAT feels unsafe. When I try spinning in a low gear to get up a hill, my shoes slip off the pedals .

My 2c: Go ahead and give em a try . Maybe a bike shop will let you borrow some shoes and try clipping in and out on a trainer. I bet you'll find you like it, one system or another. And once you're used to it, you'll never look back.