the first time i went clipless:
i decided to ride my normal after work route. usually, it's no big deal - around an hour or so. just enough to clear the cobwebs from the day. my ride starts with a hill, i start pedaling, no problem. i'm going up a little faster than normal, because i finally realized how to pull. "this is great. why didn't i buy these things earlier?", i thought. i approach the top of the hill and i decide to stop before the downhill section to catch my breath. as i stop, i try to put my foot down, but for some reason, my foot is stuck on the pedal! i fell right over. of course, there was a chick right there who saw the whole sad episode. so, my bruised ego and i get up, dust ourselves off and proceed downhill. i repeated that sorry scene about 10 times that ride. towards the end, my confidence was totally shaken. i was walking more than riding at that point. i approached the final hill on my bike as another rider was coming down. Afraid of falling, i got off my bike and waited on the side of the trail. at that moment, i thought about selling my bike. i was nearly sick from my fear of falling. i must have had this look of total disguist on may face because the downhill rider stopped and said, "are you ok?". i told him it was my first time riding clipless and i was just frustrated. he burst out laughing. then he said, "i'm sorry, i don't mean to laugh, but i remember my first time. you'll get used to it. just keep riding." just keep riding. that's exactly what i did. now, 2 years later, i still fall, but it doesn't bother me as much. it's part of the sport. you ride, you fall, you get up and ride again.