I've ridden a bike most of my life although got more serious when I turned 56. Up to that time, pretty much just the platform pedals. When I bought my first fairly expensive road bike, I started with the toe straps and went with those for the first year and into the second year with that bike. Then, at around 58, I got the SPD clipless. I'm generally a klutz, but I adjusted fine and using them became second nature (I'm turning 65 soon). Probably everyone takes a spill or two at the start - and maybe even later if we're not paying attention, but a good sense of humor about myself took the stress away from that.

When I first bought the clipless, btw, my LBS set me up on a trainer and had me practice clipping and unclipping until I felt I could ride home without completely embarrassing myself . I did try to find the route with the fewest lights an timed things to minimize any stops. But, it all worked out soon and I'm happily clipless now.