For what it's worth, six weeks into clipless, I haven't had any of the "obligatory falls." Not even when I dropped my chain one day on a hill.

I try to see ahead a bit -- if I'm coming to an intersection, as I slow down, I clip my "ground foot" out so that if there's traffic and I need to stop, I'm ready for it. Clipping back in is pretty quick and easy, and that extra moment is well worth the joy of staying upright!

I've noticed reading that it seems like most of those falls are people who clip out with the wrong foot. If you're a left foot down person, it does you no good to clip out of the right pedal. Another thing that I've seen is what sounds like people trying to balance while stopped with their butts on the saddle and barely a toe on the ground. Off the seat, foot flat (and for me, making sure it's a little out from the bike) gives you a "three point" stance, which is usually pretty stable (one foot, two wheels, three points!)

Neat thing about this knowledge was figuring out before I did clipless pedals which foot wants to land on the ground first, and, well, since my foot doesn't reach the ground anyway, getting off the saddle every time I stop was an easy one to practice before the pedals!

Karen in Boise