ever approach a red light at snail pace just so that you don't have to clip out? i had one of those moments today except that i rode all the way up front until i realized last minute that i HAD to clip out since the light wasn't changing anytime soon. i knew i was gonna fall over, and the whole thing took place in slo mo... worst part was that after tipping over, i spent 20 seconds trying to get the one foot out of the clip... ended up slipping my foot out of the shoe to get free... how embarassing... got up and hoped that no one saw me...

Crawl at a snail's pace & practice clicking out at the very last second, only when you intend to put your foot down. It's only when people panic that they're unable to click out and take a fall.

What The Fixer said, plus this: when you are new to clipless, clip in and out a LOT, especially when you don't need to. You have to get it to the point where it is a totally automatic, unthinking action.

Funny, when I switched from clipless to MKS Touring pedals, for several days I continued to clip out even though I wasn't clipped in. ;-)

20 seconds is a long time. Perhaps the release needs adjusting.

For SPD pedals...Try turning each screw counterclockwise 1/4 of a turn (same amount on both pedals) and see if they release a little smoother. Keep adjusting 1/4 a turn until you can unclip smoothly. BUT don't take the screw out completely, because it'll be next to impossible to put the thing back together.

I had to unscrew mine 1.5 turns.

Never had that feeling while riding by myself. I ride right up, unclip, and put my foot down. On club rides, I get that feeling if I'm not in the front, as others like to creep up to the light without unclipping. I've noticed that almost all of them have "road" cleats.

I always find it a little better to rock up to lights a little faster and pop into a track stand before unclipping. I can hold a track stand for the five seconds I might have save with a slow roll.

What is the big deal with clipping and unclipping?

My "biggest" problem is when i unclip and go to put my right foot down and for some stupid reason I begin to lean left. Then I do the "holy *****" dance and pry my foot out of the clip.

point well taken, but it's a personal choice. for one, i hate fumbling to get my foot into the clip especially when i'm riding through an intersection where the roads are not so great condition and worrying about traffic; multitasking is not my forte apparently... also, i don't like the idea of being sandwiched between a straight lane and turn-only lane lest the latter miraculously becomes a straight one at the discretion of a four wheeler; i just want to get out of those scenarios as fast as i can or at least be in the rhythm when i have more confidence in my handling ability... of course, being clipped in doesn't necessarily mean that i'll be faster as i've clearly shown.

LOL...I was doing the same thing yesterday at a stop sign. A guy coming towards me had his left turn signal on. So I slowed down to let him get there first, stop and make his turn. But the more that I slowed, the more that he slowed. I started twitching the front wheel a bit to hold my line and balance, making eye contact with him and even nodding my head to the right to tell him that he should go. He just sat there looking at me. After a couple more seconds it finally dawned on me that he was just going to sit there watching me track stand. So I grinned and nodded forward like I was going to move out. As soon as I did, he made his turn. I guess he was mesmerized.

Technique = are you regular or goofy? This is like the setup for skateboarding or snowboarding. Once you find out what is your leading foot, keep that sucker clipped in at all times
My SPD's clip and unclip with ease, and trust me that they do not unclip unless I need to. I can even unclip both of them at the same time - usefull skill on a fixedgear - to reclip them at mad speeds.
Practice a little more, and adjust your clips so unclipping becomes natural and instinctive. It is also advisable to practice pedaling from a start with only one foot, another usefull skill that pays off in traffic.

Ya know, sometimes the oddest things crack me up! But your 'mesmerized' comment just reminded SO MUCH of people at Wal-Mart, standing in the middle of the isle & staring at all the pretty, plastic colors. Ooohhhhh - Aaawwwww! LoL

Practice. I am generally un coordinated and can't multitask physically, but after a few months of commuting I am able to aways clip in the moment the second foot hits the pedal (the other one I never unclip). I don't even think about it anymore (physical memory I guess), instead just watch the road and cars.

Al

He's not joking- I watched him do it.

There I am freewheeling behind him at 20mph or something, and huhenio clips back in while his pedals are spinning 2 revolutions per second or so.

I don't consider myself very cordinated but i noticed the other day that I can also accomplish this task on my fixie. I was actually surprised. The other day I was pedaling in the 70-80 rpm range when I heard some noises coming from my bike so I unclipped one foot to try to isolate the problem, then I clipped back in without thinking. Afterwards I realized I had clipped in at a speed, a few months ago it would have required me to nearly come to a complete stop before I could clip in.
Still I occasionally have the panic unclip when the car infront of me does not move on a green. I can't yet trackstand but I can roll pretty slowly.
Craig