First off, "break in" your pedals. If you aren't getting easy release, try riding them on a trainer with lots of clip outs. For immediately putting on your bike for the road, screw them to lightest clip-in and clip-out release, then gradually tighten the screws. For Spedplays, the tension is not adjustable. For Zeros, release angle is. SPD, Looks, Shimano SLs et al have have adjustable spring-tensions for clip-ins and clip-outs.
What you want is, It clips in and out fast. If you are on the open road for long stretches, go lightest weight. If you have to do stop and go a lot, go for something that clips in easily, or something that gives you a pedaling platform to cross intersections not being clipped in. Or watch your lights ahead so you can semi-track stand if you don't want to unclip. A true 2-3 minute track stand requires, for most riders, the ability to make forward-and-backward micro-travel, or windless absolute stationariness, or astonishing skill in gusting cross-wind on a free-wheel bike to be totally motionless except balancing yourself against crosswind gusts.
Crosswing gusts suck. I was doing 40+ crosweind gust today, NWS said they were over 50. F**k. The worst ones aren' the gusts per se, it is when you get microcyclonic winds, I'm getting hit from the left, okay I lean, I got it, then 5 seconds later they're coming from the right. These quick shifting cyclonic winds can really make your ride uncomfortable. Scary actually. Which is why CA is the best place to ride. When the wind comes up, you know where it's coming from. It's not winds that are, "I wanna be a tornado when I grow up." s**t.
Last edited by Eclectus; 04-29-10 at 08:24 PM.