King of the Hill

The secret is to learn to use the hand brake...

-=-=- ... All models are wrong. Some models are useful.

True.

Over time you'll get used to knowing by feel w/o thinking about it where the clutch engages so you can let it up fast to that point and then as the car grabs let it up slower and rev it a little. The only way to really learn that though is to just feel it. You'll get there over time.

Having grown up in the mountains, I learned how to do that early on. Keep your foot on the brake, keep the clutch pedal down with the transmission in first gear. Then when you are ready to roll, slowly ease off the clutch and slowly ease off the brake while at the same time giving it some gas - which means you will simultaneously be using your right foot for both the brake and the gas. If you do it that way your car shouldn't roll back at all. Takes a little getting used to, but it works.

As you learn:

Foot on the brake, hold in the release button of the hand brake and pull it up. Hand brake holds the car, foot off the brake and on the clutch, put car in first gear with clutch depressed. When the light goes green, slip the ctutch and when it starts to grab, release the hand brake as you engage the clutch and give fuel. The car won't move backwards at all.

When you get good enough you won't need the hand brake, you'll be fast enough that the car only moves back a foot or so.

it up. Hand brake holds the car, foot off the brake and on

goes green, slip the ctutch and when it starts to grab,

won't move backwards at all.

This is how I learned, and it's what I've taught all of my kids. And if there's something really close down hill, or I'm backing up the hill, it's still what I'll do.

enough that the car only moves back a foot or so.

And in most cases, yes.

For quite a few years now, though, on any car where I can manage it, I do something else.

When the brake and gas pedals are close enough together, and at the right height relative to each other, I put my foot on both, then while holding the brake pivot my foot to increase the gas as the clutch is brought up. When I've got the car pulling forward, slide off the brake and go. It helps to have big feet, of course. :)

- Bill

"It helps to have big feet, of course" Hahahaha, Thanks everyone for all your help. I'm going to practice practice all the methods tonight at my friends street, it has alot of lil hills and practically no traffic at all. Thanks again!

Truly, the hand brake assist is the first one to learn. Not only because it's the easiest (foot for clutch, foot for gas, hand for brake) but because it can be used in any circumstance, and will work in ones where you must NOT roll back (or forward, if backing up).

I used a back road to teach my kids. Little traffic on mid-day afternoons, and many small and a few steep hills.

- Bill

Actually I second this. The handbrake way is probably the easiest way to go. Eventually you won't need it anymore except for the worst of hills.

The method using the right foot for both brake and gas is tricky. Not sure I could even do that well myself (been driving stick for over 20 years) with that one and for a newbie it might be pretty tough.

"Matt B." schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:4Ra2f.12416$fE5.895@fed1read06...

I read this thread with great delight. I wasn't aware that people drive cars with manual shift in the US when they can have automatic transmission. :-)

Question to those who suggested to use the hand brake. Aren't there cars which don't have a "hand" brake but something else which functions as a hand brake? I think I have heard about certain Mercedes Benz models. But I might be wrong. What would you recommend then? I think it's all about knowing the clutch and gas pedals of your car. When I was in driving school my instructor taught me how to stand still at a hill just by using these pedals. I did not use the brake, neither the pedal nor the hand brake. And I did not roll back when accelerating. It's possible to learn this but it needs a lot of practicing. Be glad if you don't have to pay for driving lessons but are allowed to learn this on your own.

~T., hates manual shifting, even if many consider this "unmanly" around here

Europeans are all so self-centered, and ignorant about the rest of the world. Stick around here, Thomas, you've got a lot to learn. ;-)

Alright guys, progress report. thanks to everyone for your great suggestions and your wiseness. to be honest i wasn't comfertable with the handbreak but learning how to use that helped me feel where's that catch point on the clutch which eventually lead me to learn how to do it without the handbreak. i still use the hbreak when im stuck in tight traffic, but im really loving this no handbreak just foot deal. hahahaaha, thanks again. oh and Matt about the right foot for both break & gas, yeah you're right about the big feet being a plus, my feet are small :(

thanks again every one!

Small feet = small penis Allegedly

I will now drive the car using my penis.

" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" emitted :

You just need to learn the biting point of your clutch and accelerator and just give it a little more 'umph' when going uphill to counteract gravity. Handbrake on, clutch to the floor... find the bite where the car lurches forward slightly. Release the brake when you want to move!

Most large American cars and mini vans have foot operated emergency brakes. Most are released by hand, but some are released by foot in which case it would not work for this.

As you state below, it just takes practice to coordinate letting out the clutch with the left foot while moving the right foot quickly from the brake to the accelerator pedal. From his last post it looks like the original poster has figured this out.

This works but is hard on the clutch.

I though you said you had small feet?