OMG - that's a total revelation MissLiz!!

That would totally explain why I found LOOKS a complete nightmare. My feet are pretty small and I just couldn't muster enough strenght to flick me foot out of the cleet - especially after a long ride. Infact, I had to use so much force I was actually worried about injurying my knee!

Many thanks to Adam for explaining this. It just makes you realise that despite all the advances in kit, smaller frame sizes and smaller handle bars , so much of it is still geared towards the male body.