Originally Posted by
doug59
I guess one of my concerns is damaging the bike ...or breaking a wrist trying to save the bike as I go to the ground.
If you fall, keep your hands on the bars and roll onto your hip. Neither you nor the bike will be hurt.
A couple falls when you first start using clipless is common, but this problem goes away with experience. Frankly, I hate riding without clipless because it strikes me as much less safe. You might try adjusting the tension on your pedals to the minimum while you get used to them.