I don't know if I should be worried about going to a clipless, but you gotta start somewhere. I heard that as a beginner I should just prop up my bike in a hallway and practice for a good while until I get a hang of it before I go out. Also that unclipping earlier than I think will help and to lower the tension setting. Any other pointers for me? Also as far as shoes go, do I just get any pair of road shoes and then get cleats after to fit my clipless pedals? Are the cleats "pedal specific"??

Different pedals have different cleats. Different shoes fit different cleats. For instance, you can't fit road cleats on mountain shoes.

1.) Find the pedals you want to get. Sometimes the cleats come with the pedals. Other times, they don't. If not, buy the cleats as well.
2.) Find shoes that will fit the cleats.

I suppose you can do it backwards too.

I already know what pedals I will be getting, Shimano R540 Clipless. So this means I need to find a shoe that is SPD compatible. Is that it?

Cleats should come with the pedals if you are buying them new. You should make sure that the shoes are compatible with the cleats. As for starting out, I propped up the bike, clipped in, clipped out, and figured that was easy enough. Went out for my first ride (with stop signs and traffic lights) and had no problem I've only run into trouble a few times. Mostly because I slow down to wait for a traffic light and hope it turns green before I stop. Some quick unclipping has stopped my falls so far. Of course I could just stop and unclip and have no problem. My biggest problem is stopping on hills (going up) when in traffic. I try to quickly get clipped back in to start up, but when I miss the clip-in, it's a little ugly.

However, 99% of the time, it really is no big deal.

The R540 pedals use SPD-SL cleats, which require a three-bolt Look pattern on your shoe. Almost all road shoes will be compatible with these pedals, but you won't be able to use MTB shoes with them.


These are the cleats:

You might want to go to the park or schoolyard and practice clipping in and out in the grass before you take to the pavement.

The clipping in and out part is really easy, especially as you mention,start with your pedal spring tension pretty low. Just get into the habit of unclipping early ,most beginners get distracted and forget to unclip then fall over at a traffic light in front of a very amused audience. after your first ride our two its no sweat.

I plan on clipping in and out 20-30 times inside my place before I head out. Nice to do it inside so I don't make a fool of myself.

+1 to the tune of "It's not nearly as hard as you might think if you don't make it out to be." If you can move your foot, you can unclip. The SPD-SL style pedals are big enough that if you miss the "clip-in" on the first try you just can step on the pedal and pedal around once and re-aim.

Don't sweat it, really. It's as easy as riding a bike.

Thanks for the encouragement.

don't forget to post your hilarious stories when you fall!! and you WILL fall

Hahahaha, I will. Hopefully none of you see it happen.

tranz..good topic and timely for me. I have been using toe clips for years and want to try SPD's or Look type on my new Bianchi Eros. Is one easier or more comfortable than another? I am a size 12 shoe if a concern and comfort is very important as I am upping my mileage for my first century in May. Thanks Tranzformer for the post and appreciate any input.

Practicing on a grass is a good idea of you're feeling skittish.

As others mention, it's not that hard. You'll figure it out in no time.

I have great visions of you in your hallway, clipped in slowly falling over to the side.

Yes, cleats and shoes and pedals are all very specific. And everybody has an opinion of which is right. Most road shoes can support pretty much every cleat, so as suggested above I would worry about that last.

SPD, something in between, and SPD-SL are very different. Just keep that in mind.

I have the SPD-SL cleats. They're great.

When you put the pedals on the bike, get out your allen wrench and turn down the tension to make it easier to clip out of them.

Your big risks are:

1) Forgetting to clip out.

2) Overbalancing after you're stopped.

The first one is just a habit that you need to get into. It's not that bad. The second... Well, I've fallen twice that way, once in a left turn lane looking over my head, and once in gravel at a water stop in a century.

Oh, and you need to monitor how your knees feel. There's a fair amount of float on those pedals, but it's possible to get them misaligned and have your knees hurt. You also may need to move them fore/aft to get them in the right position. I let my bike fit guy do it after I got to IT band pain.

Hope that helps.

Another +1 from me. Last summer my right knee was killing me on longer rides. I "felt" like I was pushing away from the bike on the right foot while riding to stay "comfortable." Even though the red cleats have a little more float, you will definitely feel it if they aren't on the shoes in a position that is natural for your feet. I recently changed out the cleats on my road shoes, attempted to place as close to the old cleat position as possible. First ride out with the new cleats I knew adjustments needed to be made. Forward/back position was pretty easy for me to find, but "angle of attack" for the foot definitely took the "feel" test.

VW

Dont practice in a hallway, when you fall you will bash your head on the opposite wall. Dont practice next to a plate glass window (you can do a search for the results of that mistake).
Find a grassy knoll, preferably with a lampost to grab hold of. Wear gloves, helmet and long sleeves.

If you are a complete newbie rider, I would advise against clippng in until you are confident on the bike.

Many road riders use MTB shoes and pedals, you can walk more easily. Racers use singlesided pedals with unwalkable cleats.

I'm selling a new pair of the same pedals tranzformer just bought if you're interested...

Aren't these the kinds of questions best asked and answered at your local bike shop?Along with ones like 'how does this whole gear shift thing work?' and 'is it easier going UPhill or DOWNhill?'....

If you have a trainer, hook the bike up to the trainer to practice clipping and unclipping. No need to hold on to a lamp, the wall, or whatever you were planning on holding onto when practicing.

Another point, just as with regular pedals, the bike is easier to balance when in forward motion, so trying to clip in and out while in place can be awkward, where as doing it when actually riding will give you the proper feel for balancing when unclipping.

Don't worry... 98% of us have done the slow-motion fall when forgetting to unclip. Hurts the ego more than anything else. Just get back up and start riding.