Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.

During the short time that I had the SPD-SL pedals, I did go through the slow motion keel-over. The timing could not have been worse. I had only just bought my bike and had taken it back to the Soecialized store that I bought it from to have the ‘health check’ done on it after a few weeks of ownership.

As I cycled away from the shop to join the main road - a distance of about 30yards - I had to slow down as there were a few cars going by. I was expecting to just merge onto the road but a couple of more cars came by and I had slowed down to a virtual stop by then. I was focussing on joining the road and suddenly realised that I would have to stop completely. By then it was too late and the slow motion fall had already started. Worse still I landed on the drive side.

This was in full view of Saturday shoppers on a busy shopping street. I got a slight bruise on my shoulder and leg and the right pedal was slightly scraped.

That put me off clipless pedals and I had switched to flats a few weeks after that fall. However, a couple of years on, I’m now ready to try it again.