Originally Posted by
rnothog
Thanks for your input, all.
Might try the spd types out on a trainer to see how instinctive they feel to me.
That’s as far as I’m going, for now.
On the trainer is a great place to start, that's how I got my wife get started with clipless pedals, she's never fallen. I advise her and other 'mature' riders starting with clipless pedals to release your 'down' foot long before a stop or possibly stop and don't clip in until you're well under way (not first pedal stroke).
For my part, I started using old-school clips in the '80s and got into clipless pedals about 15 years ago, I'm 50 and been riding daily for decades ... so I'm an experienced and fit rider. I still fall from time-to-time; however, the vast majority of the falls I take are at speed and involve me 'pushing it', basically, I'd fall with or without clipless pedals - I do not take the low-speed-tip-over falls and haven't in many years.