clipless??

[Kitsune06]

TAKE IT SLOW!!!

I haven't fallen over yet *knock on wood* but what I do-

*practice clipping in/out/in/out/in/out until you can do so fairly reliably (i.e. w/o looking) and get a decent feel for the action. You can do this on a trainer, or... the hard way, with your seat lowered, leaning against a wall w/ your shoulder for balance, clipping in/out on the wall side. The latter is sorta dangerous, but if you don't have a trainer, it's my best suggestion.

Then take it outside to a nice, open place w/ long straightaways and generous bike lanes.
Clip in and out continuously as you ride. Get used to the feel. Also get used to the feeling of unclipping and pedaling for a little bit, just as you slow and stop, without being clipped in.

*Unclip long before you have to. Delay leads to a time crunch which can lead to a panic which can lead to overcorrecting and tipping over.

*Unclip with both feet just in case you tip your weight one way or the other when stopping. Not everyone does this... maybe I'm just 'special'...

*At first, clip back in once you've gotten good momentum. As you get more experienced, you may want to clip the foot that's still on a pedal at a stop, or leave it clipped in, and just park it with one foot. Do what feels right to you.

Above all, be careful and patient with yourself. Everyone has their own learning curve.
Hope this helps
There are other threads on this topic- just go to the 'search' and search for 'clipless'

[TsPoet]

A friend of mine recommends picking the foot that you stop on (i.e. usually put down one foot or the other at lights) and putting the clipless pedal (which you clip into, I assume you know the confusing semantics) on the other pedal only for a few weeks. Get used to clipping in/out on the one leg before adding the second.
Also, go to a big parking lot and ride around in circles doing practice quick stop scenarios.
I love clipless pedals, now that I'm used to them.
I also really like my eggbeaters over my old SPDs, they are easier to get in and out of, IMHO.

[F8th637]

Boy, did I need this thread!!! Great suggestions, ladies! I just put the clipless pedals on my bike last night and played around with it in a spare bedroom much like Kitsune06 described and eventually I fell over and gave myself some nasty bruises on my knees. It is a bit scary having my feet locked to the bike. You are truly one with the bike. I am undeterred however. I may have to don some kneepads temporarily though.

[eclectic]

I went clipless last year and LOVE it. But I can relate. When I took my bike in to have them put on I was terrified and had nightmares that I would hate riding and not go anymore (didn't occur to me I could just put my old pedals back on)

I went on my trainer to practice then I hauled my bike to the park and as they said just went round and round and round clipping in and clipping out.
The next day I did a 48 mile ride :P

One thing that helped me; was on my long "real" ride the guys I was riding w/ would remind me to clip out as we approached different things.

A riding partner just went clipless and I do this w/ her too now (ex we were riding across a narrower bridge in the park and some little kids were coming towards us. I reminded her to clip one foot out and pedal w/ the other in case the kids did something unexpected and we had to stop quickly.)

EVERYONE I have seen fall has done so at 1mph or less. It is more of a "tommy tip over" than any semblance of a crash. Now I figure, if I am going to crash big time, it would happen whether I am clipped in or not. In fact I had more falls BEFORE I was clipped in then I have had since being clipped in. Go figure

Good luck and go for it - you will love them

[RolliePollie]

I've only been clipless a couple of weeks and I've tipped over a few times now

But, that being said, I think tipping over a time or two is actually a good thing. I am much LESS afraid of being clipped in now that I've fallen over. I think the anticipation of your first fall turns out to be worse than the actual fall. And for some strange reason, I'm kind of proud of my bruised up legs!

I had a near crash before I went clipless because my feet flew off the pedals. I can't believe I was able to regain my balance. That would've been a bad crash because I was going pretty fast. But being clipped in makes me feel more confident in my bike's handling. And I can feel a real difference in my pedal stroke too.

I've read this in several posts from lots of different people, but I'm going to say it again: If I can do it, ANYONE can!

[RolliePollie]

p.s. I just can't say enough about my Crankbrothers Quattros. I would give them a big thumbs-up for great clipless pedals to learn on. Because of the way the cleats are recessed on the sole of your shoe, you can pedal very easily even if you're not clipped in. I'm finding this very helpful in potentially scary situations where I do not feel comfortable clipped in with both feet. I'm still training my left foot to clip in more easily, but other than that, I just love 'em!

[Zen]

I recently got a pair of Forte Campus pedals, clipless on one side, platform on the other. They are so easy to release. Love 'em