Chrali, I have been riding road bikes for quite a while. The coach at my bike shop suggested that I change over to clipless pedals because now I'm getting more involved in the sport and riding 50 km rides on Saturdays. He is clever and fits people for their bikes properly so that everything about rider and bike works well. To date, I have always used toeclips on my pedals and they are so easy. He said that if I had clipless pedals, then I would have more power on the upstroke and downstrokes by 8 - 10 %. I am not in the habit of falling off my bike and I hate pain!

So yesterday, I had to get my saddle changed over and did the clipless pedals and shoes at the same time. He put me on the wind trainer to practise and it was easy as. Then I went around the car park several times and I was doing well. Then I pulled up at the door of the shop and forgot that I didn't have my toeclips and fell off because my brain didn't make the new connection. This happened twice more that day. My knee and elbow hurt a lot.

I felt really apprehensive and tempted to get him to put the toeclips back on again. Then I remembered the hassle I had when I first had a road bike and I was getting used to the toeclips. It took about a week.

My coach wrote me out a drill and I memorised it last night, feeling frightened but determined in bed. If other people learn to use them successfully, then so can I.

This morning I went for my usual 21 km ride and followed the drill. My other skills have taken a nosedive, but are slowly coming back and I am learning to release my foot. I just have to tell my brain "in" not "out' like I did with the toe clips. It is getting easier after one day and I didn't fall this morning. When I come to a tricky part, I release my foot before the tricky bit and pput my foot on top of the pedal.

The coach wrote out this drill and it works.

1. Tip your bike to the right (assuming that you are right handed)
2. Put your right leg over the bar and raise the bike up.
3. Hold the right hand brake lever and raise the right foot with the pedal to a 1 o'clock position so that you can take off with power and lock on.
4.