Advanced Driving Hub

Recently, I read the ex-Stig's 'How to Drive' book.

One of the things he suggests is to pivot your left foot on the heel when changing gear. I can't do this, I have to lift my foot off the floor if it releasing the clutch is to be anywhere near smooth. Any thoughts?


It was a surprisingly good book too.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Drive-Ulti ... 1447272838

I have got the book, so will have to have a look...
surely it must depend on the car and how the pedals are set?

Alasdair

Certainly for my pedal / foot combo, I can't pivot from the ankle while maintaining heel contact with the floor. If I try, the sole contact patch slides on the pedal. It's an Ibiza, so nothing out of the ordinary.

Is he driving a TVR?

I've never had a car where I could do that. Perhaps he has big long feet.

I wear size 46 size shoes (UK 11) and my feet are wide so most cars are awkward and there always seems to be something to catch my feet on - a bit of the steering column on the MX5; our Citroen Berlingo van however seems better built for shoes more like boats

I've never been able to do this. In classic 911s, it'd be a real advantage, but my ankles aren't supple enough.

I'm afraid I sent Ben's book straight to the nearest Oxfam shop as soon as I'd waded through it. If it hadn't been so big and glossy I'd probably have done so earlier.

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:I'm afraid I sent Ben's book straight to the nearest Oxfam shop as soon as I'd waded through it. If it hadn't been so big and glossy I'd probably have done so earlier.

I read it, then returned it to its rightful owner. I enjoyed it, in the context of knowing what he was writing about - but TBH don't think anyone would learn anything from it 'from scratch'.

I think it very much depends on the car .

With cars where the pedals come up out of the floor ( examples I’ve had include VW Beetles and my Ponton Mercedes ) it would probably be quite comfortable since the pedal would follow the ball of your foot when pivoted that way .

Since the majority of cars these days have pedals which are suspended from above and pivot in an arc which goes the other way , with these it would probably be quite awkward.

Our 'family' car has a pivot-from-the-floor throttle. Before driving it, I would have expected it to be ergonomically superior, but actually I find a top hung pedal to be more comfortable.