I'm asking because I will be in a similar situation. I tried clipless pedals about 20 years ago and never got past the creepy feeling I had about wanting to get my feet out fast. Half the time I rode with one foot out, which was dumb because it made my other leg work harder. Having not ridden in at least a decade I decided to buy a bike and try again so I know the pedal issue will come up again. Surely these things work better than what I had 20years ago, but I want to try the best/easiest to start with. The SPD that you described sounds good, but are there others I should consider?