Picking out Pedals!!

[Catrin]

SO.. I dress my wounds, recover my ego, and off I go. Riding was GREAT! Stopping ... Needs work LOL. I fell one more time (this time with witnesses ) before I figured out that I need to unclip both shoes before I stop, not just one. For some reason, if I do one, when I put my foot down, the bike goes the other way, I loose balance and ... It isn't pretty LOL. I'll get it.

Beautiful bike, and congratulations! You will get it, it just take practice to expand your muscle memory. Empty parking lots or park roads and grass fields are good places to practice. As Indy suggested, try very hard to not learn by unclipping both feet. I had the same problem when I learned how to clip in, for some reason I didn't want to lean or counter-steer my bike I unclipped/stopped which made it much easier to fall to the clipped in side. It helped me to keep a running mental loop going when I stopped, "slowing, unclip, stand & lean the bike to the side I am unclipping at the same time". This helped me a lot and my body did get it after a time. It just takes practice. Others here may have other suggestions on how they learned.

Also make certain you are applying your brakes enough so that you are stopped by the time your foot hits the ground. I still sometimes am not quite stopped when my foot hits the ground which can cause...less than graceful stopping

[Owlie]

Pretty bike! Congratulations!

Personally, I wouldn't have started off with clipless on a new road bike (unless you've ridden one before, which you may have mentioned and I'm not awake enough to catch it). Anyway. You don't need to unclip both feet when stopping. It delays getting moving again, because you've got two feet you've got to get into the pedals. Yes, you will unclip one foot and then lean the bike in the wrong direction. It happens. You will eventually learn not to. Like Catrin, I had to make a mental list of what to do to stop smoothly: "Back brake, unclip, front brake, get out of saddle, lean bike, foot down." Eventually, it became second nature, and the pauses between these got shorter...and now it's become "back brake, front brake, unclip." I second Catrin's suggestion--go out in a parking lot or a field. Pick a foot (I'm right-footed), and try to consistently stop and unclip only that foot.

[Crankin]

Yes, practice unclipping with one foot. There is no need ever to unclip with both feet. In fact, if I tried t do that, I would crash, for sure. With practice, the motion of unclip, lean, put foot down is one motion and intuitive.
When I started using clipless pedals, I spent about 2 weeks riding around some neighborhoods with one foot clipped and the other leg dangling down, just resting on the pedal. Then, I felt silly when pedaling along like that, and started clipping in with both feet, but making sure I unclipped one foot way before I needed to.

[jyyanks]

Wow - I never thought to unclip with one foot! Will start doing tat now. I learn something new everyday on this forum!

[Catrin]

I still unclip my right foot a bit early. I do think it is a signal to a driver behind me that I am getting ready to do SOMETHING a bit in advance, if they are paying attention. Perhaps they don't notice, but that has become my habit. I CAN unclip/stop quickly, I just prefer to do it that way.

[zoom-zoom]

I still unclip my right foot a bit early. I do think it is a signal to a driver behind me that I am getting ready to do SOMETHING a bit in advance, if they are paying attention. Perhaps they don't notice, but that has become my habit. I CAN unclip/stop quickly, I just prefer to do it that way.

I tend to do this, too...for the same reason.

[Owlie]

I still unclip my right foot a bit early. I do think it is a signal to a driver behind me that I am getting ready to do SOMETHING a bit in advance, if they are paying attention. Perhaps they don't notice, but that has become my habit. I CAN unclip/stop quickly, I just prefer to do it that way.

I absolutely still do this if I'm riding with others (who may have unusual interpretations of stop signs), am on the road, or if I anticipate needing to stop otherwise. If I'm out on empty roads or the bike trail by myself, well, see my post above.