After a posting a few of my own threads plus reading everything I can, I scored some new SPD pedals (from Wellgo) and I pair of Forte (Performance Bike) shoes that the seller never wore. $50 total just to see if I like clipless. If the shoes don't fit, I am not out a lot. We shall see how this all goes.

Have fun and good luck! Practice clipping in/out leaning against something and set your tension fairly loose. I have only fallen once since going clipless ~3 years ago.

I use them for my commute and road riding but still can't ride clipless mountain biking.

I will use them on my commuter but I also have a SS/FG that may become a commuter as well. So I may end up buying another pair of pedals!!

[h=2]Well folks.... took the plunge to clipless!![/h]
So sometime soon, you should take your plunge to the pavement. This is a rite of passage, and just about everyone does it once. You'll come up to a corner, and stop to let pedestrians across, having forgotten to release one foot, and after some panicked foot twisting, and teetering will fall to the pavement. Usually the only thing that suffers is your pride, and Murphy's Law dictates that you'll have a good sized audience,.

Thanks for the encouragement! I've been practicing riding my FG in the back yard. Just using toe clips. Fell a few times before I got it.

I had my first couldn't-unclip-in-time fall at the end of RAGBRAI this year. The literal end. I was 20 yards from the Mississippi River.

Big audience, right?

I got $50 in this. I've been using a good-n-grippy BMX peddle for the past 4 years on all my bikes. Those pedals are $25 or more. The clipless stuff I can at least resell on ebay. So its no big loss on my part.

Hey, in for $50 sounds like a good deal for pedals and shoes! As said above, practice, practice, practice. Before long it will become automatic. Also consider tightening or loosening the pedals' retention springs to a resistance you feel comfortable with. In the beginning maybe light so it's easy to get in/out of, later on maybe tighten it up for more secure retention.

If you watch 1nterceptor's videos, you can see how he gives a slight twist to one foot as he approaches people or a stop light, so that he's ready to put a foot down if the need arises. (If it doesn't, reclipping is quick.) I've adopted this habit, and it makes the whole thing a lot less stressful since it's automatic.

Sorry, didn't quite catch that part in the linked video, but good advice all the same. Also, make sure you are as comfortable clipping in and unclipping for both your dominant foot and your non-dominant foot. Even for road-riding there will be those times when you'll need to unclip from the side that you weren't planning on. Unless there's reason otherwise, I'll try to alternate with every intersection I stop at.

I linked to his channel, but here's an example. You see it in the first 30 seconds:

Yep, good example, thanks. I'm glad it was demonstrated at the beginning of the video. I was beginning to get a headache watching that spinning crank arm right in front of me.