Way to perservere, Carm! It's sooooo worth it to nail this clipless thing! You've gotten lots of good, hard-earned advice about overcoming the initial difficulty. I first rode clipless on my mtb, spent a good part of 28 miles doing the Artie Johnson Laugh-In routine. I was cracking up the whole time, knowing how ridiculous I looked ! I was fortunate to be falling in grass and flowers, and it ate up the time while I waited for my slower companion. I knew the tension screw was there, but didn't fully understand how far I needed to back it off to get results. Eventually, muscle memory takes over (the driving analogy is excellent). I have since been amazed many times at how automatic unclipping has become. I may be lying in the dust, but at least I didn't pull my bike and all it's sharp bits over on top of myself !! I've even unclipped while my bike was over my head