Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
As in so many other cases, doing it halfway is not serving you well. Clip both feet in every single time you ride for the entire ride. When you always do something, it is not hard to remember you are doing it. Your problem is your lack of commitment. Besides, falling over due to the rare inability to unclip is essentially a non-issue. It is hard to hurt yourself that way. Believe me I know.
Ride with the clip as loose as possible until you are confident. Practice unclipping from various positions on the crank circle. Also try moving the ankle both in and out. One combination of position and direction will be just right for you. Do it that way every time.
Hey, I am the clumsiest cyclist known to man...and the worst bike handler. If I can do it, you can do it.
Exactly my experience. I started out on a hybrid and eventually went from platforms to Shimano double-sided pedals. I tended to keep one foot loose because the thought of being clipped in on both sides was unnerving (I hadn't been riding very long). I figured I'd gradually go to being clipped in on both feet as I gained confidence and felt more secure. It never happened: I gained confidence but retained the habit of keeping one foot unclipped, or else frequently clipping and unclipping it to feel safe. I ultimately realized I wasn't going to change the habit because I'd come to rely on my crutch, so-to-speak. So I bought a set of Shimano road pedals (figured I might as well go all in and get rid of the double-sides as well), and within a day being clipped in felt completely natural, to the point that even an emergency dismount was just a reflex reaction.