My clipless experience!

[Jolt]

Yikes! Sorry to hear you had such a bad ride. Like others have already said, you don't have to use clipless if you don't want to right now (or ever). Do whatever works for you and your riding style, and makes you want to ride. I've never used them either, partly because I don't want to be worried about tipping over at stoplights or not being able to get my feet off the pedals quickly enough in an emergency but probably even more because I just dislike the idea of having to wear special shoes (that often aren't good to walk in once off the bike). That said, having your feet come off the pedals when you don't want them to isn't great either. I've heard good things about the MKS Lambda flat pedals and just ordered a pair to put on the Surly once it gets here. Maybe you could look into something like those...I can post more info once I've used them for a bit. They're supposed to have good grip and also have a larger platform for your foot, which sounds particularly good to me b/c I generally wear thin/flexible-soled shoes.

[shootingstar]

You must always feel safe. Falling isn't going to get easier later in life.

I've cycling last 23 yrs. We don't have a car. I've never gone clipless. I have toeclips.

My partner has done several cross country solo rides and all over the place...hasn't gone clipless and never will. We're talking about someone who logs in 7,000 km.annually.....

If it works for you, great. If it doesn't, nothing lost. You still love cycling. The latter point is key....if you want to do it for life.

[lph]

Ouch, that sounds like a harsh experience, helene! Like everyone has said, you don't have to go clipless at all. But I will say that once I got used to it I loved it and there was no going back. I unclip completely without thinking now, it's just a part of the same movement as putting my foot down.

I taught myself by riding on a long, safe road where I wouldn't have to stop, and clipping and unclipping a million times along that road. Then I rode on my regular commute, unclipping both feet way before I even started to brake for a stop. I only had one or two falls, that came from having to suddenly stop, and (classic) falling over the wrong way. Yeah, feels dumb :-)