This is when you should wish I had a video camera. If there was an America’s Funniest Home videos for YouTube, I’d certainly have won with my pedal clipping antics yesterday.
Here’s what not to do:
1. Do not proceed outside if you have not yet mastered the pedals indoors. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
2. Do not think ripping your knee & ankle joints apart to get your shoe off the pedal is normal.
3. Do not get stuck in your pedals when there’s no one to rescue you.
And above all else:
4. Never, ever, ever trust the instructions.
See, my mistake was trusting the directions. They said they pedals came automatically set at the lowest tension (read: easy to get out of). Did I think to double check this little statement? Oh no.
After almost dislocating most of the joints in my lower half, I decided to double check. They were at the max setting.
Oops.
Once that was taken care of it was smooth sailing. I mastered them indoors, and even bumped the tension back up. Then I hit the grass. I perhaps had 2 minor tumbles, but I graduated to riding in the street without catastrophe. (Knock on wood.)
So don’t be scared of the pedals. 
Here’s how to use them:
To clip in: point your foot downward, toe first. Catch the front of the cleat on the pedal. Stomp Press your heel down to lock the cleat in. Easy peasy.
To get out: Twist your heel out (away from the bike) to unclip. You can adjust the setting on your pedal to make this tighter or looser (aka harder or easier). Go with easier. Trust me.
Tips:
Practice on a trainer, in a doorway, or with someone holding the bike still.
Graduate to grass. You’re going to fall. Grass hurts less than asphalt. Again, trust me.
Get cleat covers (if you have Look style pedals)
Since I don’t have much real life experience yet, for more practical tips see Savvy Julie’s post. The golden rule seems to be unclip early!
{ 6 comments… read them below or chime in }
You will ABSOLUTELY take a few tumbles when you first learn! I have never met someone who just hops on and has no problems. And just when you think you’ve got it mastered, you’ll come to a stop sign and just wipe out. BUT once you have it figured out, you’ll wonder how you ever rode without them!
HAA, this is the most amusing tutorial, I love watching you learn.
I think of those pesky pedals as little bottle openers:)
I am really scared of clipless pedals and don’t bike a lot right now. I know if I start biking more I will have to suck it up and learn how to use them though!
Ahhh, to be honest I still haven’t mastered clipless pedals, and I’ve spent a whole cycling season with them. For some reason, I was mostly worried about getting IN to them, which is apparently the easiest part. I hit the road without much practice getting OUT of them. I’ve fallen manymany times trying to quickly stop at unexpected street lights. Falling sideways into traffic is not fun. Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend experimenting on gravel shoulders either :\ On the bright side, I’ve powered up a lot of hills because I was too scared to unclip to walk my bike up!
I’m lucky…my boyfriend is an awesome cyclist and an expert at bike “stuff.” I can defer to him for help. I have the clips for my bike–just not the shoes yet. That will be my winter project. Buy shoes, practice inside on the bike trainer how to clip in and out.
I have a massive fear of riding clipped in. It’s my goal for October to finally switch out my peddles but riding in a big city doesn’t allow for much error, or grassy space to learn. Everyone I’ve talked to has said that you fall the most learning to unclip in time. Nerve racking!