some pedals have tension adjustment, but some don't. What kind do you have? I ride Spd's from my mountain bike. I like them so much, I decided to just stick wit those for my road bike too. I use to have speed plays but I had a lot of learning curve issues with those. The SPD's were a hit for me though! I was able to make them really loose while I got my instincts use to the movement (like you mentioned) - then tightened them once I was comfortable.