Time for me to go clipless...what to look for?

It's pretty easy to get used to, shouldn't take more than a couple of rides.  Recommended routine:

1. Stand over the bike and practice clipping in and clipping out one foot at a time while stationary.  If it seems difficult to unclip, most pedals have a tension adjustment that you can loosen.  You shouldn't have to crank your leg too awfully hard to get the cleat to disengage.
2. Practice riding with just one cycling shoe.  Wear a sneaker on the other foot, as the soles of cycling shoes can be very slippery and hard to pedal in if you're not clipped in.  Practice clipping in and out a few times, then switch feet.
3. Practice riding with both feet clipped in.  Start with fairly short rides over familiar routes, and remind yourself at every stop to clip out.  Start out by clipping out very early, with both feet.
4. Figure out which way you usually lean when you stop, and practice clipping out just that foot when stopping.

If you can do all that, you're pretty much there.  I'm still very conservative about clipping out--if there's any chance I'm going to have to dab a foot (pedestrian traffic, busy parking lots, sharp turns, crossing street, etc.) I'll clip out at least one foot.

I also put some nonskid tape on the bottom of my cycling shoes, so it's not quite so slippery.

Understand, though, that you will have a stupid, slow-speed fall due to failure to unclip.  Every single person using clipless pedals has a story... 

I got it at the hardware store--they have it on rolls and sell it by the foot.  It's the kind of stuff that you put on stair treads and stuff.  Bathtub nonskid stickers would probably also work.  6 inches (about 2 inches wide) was plenty to do both shoes.  I cut it to shape a bit so it didn't overlap the sole, and covered from just behind the cleat to the raised area at the heel.

It does get kind of scarred up from the pedal and should probably be replaced periodically, but it's cheap and easy to do.

I stopped by the LBS on Sunday and got a pair of Louis Garneau Carbon Air shoes and some Look Keo Classic pedals.  That was more expensive than I intended...so much for my "cheap" bike. 

Anyhow, I was talking to a local roadie last week, and he said I could definitely put them on after 8/2 and race w/ them in September.  The LBS guy said he sees no reason why I can't put them on now and race w/ them on 8/2.  Hmmm....

B/w now and my 8/2 race I'll be: riding the course tomorrow night, doing one more hard ride over the weekend, and going out once or twice next week for easy rides.  (And, if I put them on today, tooling around my neighborhood tonight.)

What do you think?  Put them on and give it a try for 8/2?  I guess I can always switch the pedals back if I'm not comfortable by next weekend, right?

I put my pedals on yesterday!

First I put my bike in a doorway, held onto the door jambs and spent a few minutes getting the feel for how to clip in and out.  Then I progressed to going up and down my street, stopping and clipping out each time I got to the end of the block. 

I was about to move on to taking a quick cruise around the neighborhood when I had my fall.  It is a tough stop sign b/c it is hard to see oncoming traffic, which does not stop.  I stopped, clipped out, then decided to go, clipped back in, then changed my mind about continuing to go b/c I saw a car approaching, didn't have time to clip out b/c I was barely moving since I had just clipped in, and toppled over. 

I got my first little patch of road rash on my knee...only about 2 inches in diameter.  I'm a little pround of it, actually!  But man did it hurt trying to clean it out!

I did a few laps around the neighborhood, and went off to do a real ride.  I only had one other close call w/ falling when I dropped my chain and was concentrating on that so much I forgot to lean in the right direction when stopping...I saved it though!

The only thing I'm having a little trouble with is clipping my foot back in after a stop...which is kind of a pain b/c to get to where I ride, I have to ride through about 2 miles of stoplights on nearly every block.  For a race, though, I'll be totally fine, b/c I won't have to clip in and out constantly. 

I'm so glad I went ahead and put them on now instead of after this next race!

One thing that helps me at stops signs is to unclip the back of one pedal before I get to the stop sign but keep the front still engaged. If you have to stop just pull your foot out. If you don't just clip back in on the push down. Haven't fell yet. "Knock on wood"