need help going clipless

No real advice, except to practise in a passage way or corridor. 

I was told that I could not call myself a cyclist unless I had fallen 3 times.  This was while I was lying on the ground at a stop street. 

I can now apprently call myself a cyclist.....

When I was learning, I would clip in my right foot, then just place my left on top of the prdel and start riding. Once I had a few pedal turns and enough speed to move, then I would find the clip. If I still copuld ot find it, I would just turn a few more pedal strokes and try again.

Never try to put both in intil you have enough speed to keep moving.

 Agreed...a trainer is good place to get a feeling for the petals.  As with everything else practice and keep at it.  It is will worth the time once you get used to them.

After falling several times in front of my kind expert rider brother in law, he suggested I try the above and I have not fallen getting started again. Stopping and hitting curbs, yes, starting, no.

I agree -- I'm always pedaling when I clip in.  A couple people I ride with try to clip in when taking off from a stop w/o pedaling much and they wobble like crazy and start really slow every time.  I'd rather get thru the light 1st, then worry about clipping in.

I'm with you. I've had my pedals all of 2wks and am still learning. I leaned in a doorway and practiced clipping in/out until I felt comfortable with it.

I still have issues starting from stop signs and red lights too. I leave my power leg clipped and use it to take off, and generally let the other foot "go for a ride" until I'm up to speed and can clip in. Sometimes I can get it in just a rotation or two, but other times, it take a bit. Still a learning process.

I've developed a habit of leaving the same leg clipped in always, and am working on mixing it up. I need to be able to get in/out regardless of the leg.

Just takes practice.

And as the bike shop put it, if you're going down, go left to protect the gears. If there's a car behind you, well, go down to the right.

Practice, practice, practice.

And fall over anyway

I fell too - within minutes of getting my new bike home.  Unclipped left, fell right - bully! 

Bear's trainer idea is the good, or the hallway/refrigerator/fence post/something to lean on and clip in and out a bunch of times.  You'll get the hang of it (I think eventually - I am still transitioning).

First time I tried clipless I fell, second time I uclipped the left and fell right so you won't be on your own if you fall, just kind of roll over as you go and you won't be too bad!

Since then I have practiced a lot on the trainer, clipping in and out. 

What I do now to get out is, unclip the left have the right at the bottom of the stroke (6 o clock) stand up on the right leg and scoot forward off the seat so I can place my whole left foot on the floor, not just my toes. Also I unclip very early and at any sign that I may have to stop.

As for clipping in and struggling to find the clip I would recommend learning to ride reasonably well with one leg, do one leg drills on the trainer for strength and form. Then when you are starting off you can ride with just the right leg until you are up to a safe and balanced rolling speed to spend time clipping the left.

Hope this helps and good luck, it is worth it in the end

J

I do the clip in with one foot, then push off and pedal a couple spins with one foot on top of the clip and the other clipped in.  Works like a charm.

We have some hills in my area, and I have had one occation where my chain came off the bike while down shifting.  I realized it came off, when I tried to get some speed only to have the pedals just spin.  I made a really nice turtle on the back pose, with the bike still clipped onto my feet.  When I finally unclipped and put the chain back on, it was heck getting clipped in going uphill.

The chain coming off is one of my big worries while in clips

J