Suzie: I promise you - you will get it! The getting out of pedals trick that is. Yes, you can pedal when you are not clipped in. SPD's are hard for me to pedal in not clipped in because they really are very easy to slip into. you have to be very light on the pedal - don't push down very much and move the cleat forward of the place where your foot will go into the cleat. I agree, try it on a trainer. And, if you have a trainer, get on there and get in and out and in and out. Just keep practicing that when you can't fall over.

Here's the last little tidbit I can give you other than practicing. Learn to jerk your foot out; I remember when I first started using spd's and thought I was a dweeb cause I was having a hard time getting out and realized (it was kind of an AHA) that I just needed to jerk harder when I was in danger of falling over. Kick that heel out and kick it out hard. When you first start using the pedals with cleats you are tentative and you don't use your ability to get out. Just kick out hard! I know this kind of sounds stupid, but once I realized that I really wasn't trying hard enough to get out, I was fine.