Road Cycling - My first clipless pedals....

Sort of embarrassed to dive into this forum but would be greatful for advice. I just purchased my first decent bike and it has clipless pedals. I tried it out at the store without shoes or cleats. I think the guys there thought I knew what I was doing and I never asked about proper shoes etc. Yeah I can go back there and ask them on Monday but thought I'd just get some info here.

The bike: Fuji Royale
The pedals: Ritchey M919

I bought a pair of shoes at my local shop...not the place I bought the bike which is an hour away.

I have no clue how to use these things. There was a small bag of pedal hardware clipped to the seat of my bike when I picked it up. I believe these parts attach to the bottom of my shoes...two slots w/ holes for something to be screwed into...and then I can "clip" into the pedal.

I know there are tons of pedals and shoes and this is stupid question. I'm pretty mechanical and thought setting this up would be kind of intuitive. Alas, I apparently lack the intuition.

I get the feeling there is something really simple that I'm missing.

AIYDKA, I'm not a serious bike guy, I just play one in my mind.

Thanks for any guidance....

you are right... just screw the cleats on the shoe.. adjust the spring tension as desired... You should be able to unclip it easily..

Is this the bike you bought?

Nice bike.. Congratulations!

And welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, that's the bike. What I have is a metal piece that seems to fit into the pedal but it doesn't seem to screw into the shoe. There are hex screws and some other pieces but fitting them together seems like a puzzle. I do appreciate your help though. Just as I was trying to put the things on my shoes, it seemed like there was something easy I was missing. I will figure it out eventually...Thanks again.

If there's two bolts, then I assume you have SPD-style pedals. There ought to be a rectangular metal piece with two holes in it that fits over the cleat, and you put the two hex screws through that into the cleat and then into the shoe. Depending on the shoe, it may already have a place to screw the hex bolts into or you may need to lift up the insole and put the cleat nut in place first.
http://bike.shimano.com/product_images/PD/si_images/PD_M515_SI.pdf

The bike shop should set you up with no problem.

yes id recommend going back to the shop if you've never used them. call before hand to let them know your coming. maybe they can set up a trainer so you can try the peddles a bit. they are a bit tricky to get used to and a few minutes on a trianer will atleast let you get the feel of them a bit with out falling over.
when you first use them you may want to do it in grass, a bit less painful if you fall. when you first start i wouldnt clip in till you get moving a bit, wait 100 feet or so. and unclip a good ways before you have to. like when coming to a stop sign, dont wait till the absolute last minute.
if you fall over a few times dont feel bad, it happens to a lot of us :) but you get the hang of it pretty quick.

To all-

You guys are awsome! Thanks for all the help. Got the cleats installed and all is well. Haven't fallen off...yet.

Thanks again.

...yet...

yes... yet LOL