Reg's Youtube Channel

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true blue
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby true blue » Thu Nov 19, 2015 7:06 pm

Carbon Based wrote:
ChristianAB wrote:You will definitely have material for a dvd soon.


What's a dvd? ;)



It's like a Laserdisc, but smaller.

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Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Thu Nov 19, 2015 7:11 pm

I was going to say like a DVD, but smaller :D
Nick

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ChristianAB
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby ChristianAB » Thu Nov 19, 2015 7:55 pm

R_U_LOCAL wrote:The next video is now online - changing gear in a car with a manual gearbox:

https://youtu.be/A4rs09AKBc8

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome.


Do you plan to add a demonstration on changing gears whilst going uphill or downhill? In fact, I am thinking specifically about downshifting whilst going downhill, since it's possibly the most dangerous one.

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Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Thu Nov 19, 2015 9:18 pm

(cough) Heel and toe ...
Nick

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R_U_LOCAL
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby R_U_LOCAL » Fri Nov 20, 2015 12:50 pm

ChristianAB wrote:
R_U_LOCAL wrote:The next video is now online - changing gear in a car with a manual gearbox:

https://youtu.be/A4rs09AKBc8

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome.


Do you plan to add a demonstration on changing gears whilst going uphill or downhill? In fact, I am thinking specifically about downshifting whilst going downhill, since it's possibly the most dangerous one.


I wouldn't say that changing gear whilst travelling downhill is dangerous - I presume you mean that seperation of braking and gearchanging when slowing on a downhill road is more difficult, but it's always fine to sacrifice a little smoothness in favour of safety, so occasionally, it's fine to change down without rev matching.

Heel & toe is always an option of course, if you're competent. I'm competent at h&t, but only when I'm pressing on and using a very firm brake pressure. I struggle at normal road speeds with light to moderate braking, so I don't bother, and it's not something I generally teach for road driving.

I might do another video this weekend & system will be next, so I'll include some stuff on when / when not to overlap.
Reg Local - author of "Advanced & Performance Driving" http://tinyurl.com/qbxwocx

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ChristianAB
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby ChristianAB » Fri Nov 20, 2015 5:23 pm

Actually, that's along the lines of what I had in mind: if you separate braking and gear changing, you might pick up too much speed. However, if you don't rev match, you might lock the rear axle (happened to me once, scary). So then you could heel & toe but if the initial speed isn't too high, heel & toe might be hard to perform (also depends on how the pedals are set up) and h&t may not be available to most people anyway.
I guess there is always the following solution: brake, more than you need to, and use the momentum to change gear quickly.

true blue
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby true blue » Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:20 pm

If you're going to overlap the change without rev-matching, may I suggest not doing so at high revs?

Before I could H&T, it was put to me that downchanging from 2k revs or so without rev matching would be acceptable. Doing so in a 911 didn't appear to cause any instability, and certainly didn't cause any hairy moments. Changing down from 4k revs in 3rd without rev matching might have been rather less pleasant.

At road driving pace, you really shouldn't need that extra touch of retardation that engine braking would give you. If you do, it's probably an emergency you're probably f**ked anyway!

(But yes, as Mr C-W rightly says, H&T is an entirely appropriate technique for the road here).

WhoseGeneration
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby WhoseGeneration » Sat Nov 21, 2015 1:21 am

R_U_LOCAL wrote:Heel & toe is always an option of course, if you're competent. I'm competent at h&t, but only when I'm pressing on and using a very firm brake pressure. I struggle at normal road speeds with light to moderate braking, so I don't bother, and it's not something I generally teach for road driving.


Interesting, I tend to use H&T, on public roads, in a lazy way, for downhill turns off.
I'd agree that, for most, making normal progress H&T is probably not relevant.
As always though, provide the skills and the appreciation of when to use.

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Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:37 am

true blue wrote:Before I could H&T, it was put to me that downchanging from 2k revs or so without rev matching would be acceptable.

Hardly sympathetic, though, and wearing on the clutch.
true blue wrote:At road driving pace, you really shouldn't need that extra touch of retardation that engine braking would give you.

I remember discussing this years ago in another place. I live part way up a reasonably steep hill which is a side street off another hill. So to enter my road, you come downhill, turn sharp left with almost no visibility up the side road, then start a steep climb uphill. There are some alternatives to brake / gear management as you make the turn:

1. Slow well before the turn (people go quite fast down this section, despite the fact that there's a zebra crossing 70 yards before my turning), and change down into 2nd with a big boost of revs, then turn in and hope nothing's coming down the hill (it's narrow and people tend to be on the offside and travelling quite quickly as they approach the junction at the bottom). Danger from behind, high. Danger from in front, moderate.
2. Arrive at the junction in 3rd, brake, declutch, coast round the corner under braking, and take a gear once off the main road. This is my wife's preferred method. Because you're still on the brakes owing to the poor visibility and the danger of oncoming traffic, you tend to come to an almost complete stop just into the mouth of the junction (remember it's uphill again from this point), and you need 1st to get going again. I don't like the lack of control this gives. Danger from behind, low. Danger from in front, high - no control.
3. Drive the previous downhill section entirely in 2nd, but it's about 300 yards downhill past other turnings and houses, and it seems rather antisocial. Danger from behind, low. Danger from in front, moderate.
4. Use heel and toe to change down into 2nd close to the turning, and simply drive up the hill in 2nd (possible providing you bring a little bit of momentum with you - maybe 5 mph). This is my preferred method nowadays, and has the advantages that a) it clears the impatient traffic behind more quickly, b) provides that bit of momentum to continue uphill if clear and c) provides control and no coasting. Danger from behind, low. Danger from in front, moderate.
5. Yuk! Do what Joe Public does. Drive down the hill, brake, change into 2nd without rev-matching (Vrooooooom! from the engine as it gets speeded up by the wheels), then drive blindly into the junction off the brakes and accelerate firmly up the hill - oops! there's someone coming down. Braaaake!! :shock:

I also posted about the occasion that made me go out and practise H&T until it was natural - I was in a fast car with another very rapid driver and a driving coach. Peer pressure (self-imposed) made me try to emulate my co-driver and I wasn't good at it. My system was getting compressed and we were going uncomfortably fast into bends. The coach asked me if I could H&T to get over the compression of the phases. I said I could, tried to, and proved that actually, I couldn't. So for the next year, I practised it everywhere in my Italian family saloon. Everywhere. Now I can't be without it. I have to practise separation every now and then so I don't forget how to do that :mrgreen:
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fengpo
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Re: Reg's Youtube Channel

Postby fengpo » Sat Nov 21, 2015 5:09 pm

Brake gear overlap in the given scenario could be another tool. I would like to add heel and toe to my tool box (more like lack of tools in the box) Audi don't allow it. Brain wave try it in the BMW, I'll watch the late great Senna doing h & t in the NSX first ;)


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