Improving gear changes

[RedRobin]

....Yep, Don Palmer is the one I thought you were referring to

You never ever stop learning and the ever changing dynamics of circumstances while driving forms so much of the reason why I love driving so much. Although the Jelly Mould Toyota Yaris loaner I've got for a couple of days doesn't exactly make you feel you can't wait to go out for a drive! However, I did notice this morning when I automatically held back an appropriate distance from the back of a truck and positioned myself for an overtake from there that the Jelly Mould simply wouldn't have the power and so I hung back even more and to the left side to allow others in higher performance cars to make their progress. The trouble is that your average Jelly Mould driver has never had any performance car training nor experience and just tucks up dangerously and blindly slipstreaming and forming a train of cars behind.

Only yesterday I witnessed a very close miss of what would have been a very nasty and possibly fatal head-on. The small Fiat three cars ahead of me was tucked up close behind an artic (A35) and kept popping out to overtake but had to very sharply keep popping back in due to oncoming traffic on what is a fast stretch. I could see that he/she was becoming more and more impatient and I decided to hold back even further but position myself defensively to discourage anyone overtaking me into the gap I created. As I feared, the Fiat decided to go for it with a blind bend ahead - From that location I wouldn't even have done that in my car! Sure enough, a Saab appeared, but the Fiat because it had been following the artic so closely had completely failed to see that not only was there another truck ahead but there were two more cars sandwiched in the gap between trucks! The Fiat had nowhere to go and the Saab had to go over the white lined verge to avoid a head-on collision. At that moment I wished I was a Police car because I'm sure it would have been my duty to chase that Fiat driver down after this event. Needless to say, on the dual carriageway a mile further on I was doing no more than about 75 and that Fiat was hammering away into the distance much faster. What's the betting he didn't slow down enough for the 30 through the next village.

Remapping your brain (as well as your car) is something I'm often advising others to do.

Am I wrong in thinking that Don Palmer's courses are more track than road orientated?

[Pirelli_P]

I totally agree with lots of whats said here!

On a basic level, since i have not mastered heel-toe myself, i tend to really try to think about the line in which i enter and exit the corner. In addition, one of the biggest things I think sets someone apart from more novice drivers is the amount someone brakes. Really if you're paying attention to the road you should be able to control the engine and car speed by changing down (as everyone knows) so that there isn't actually any need to brake before the corner itself, this allows full control through the corner and the ability to accelerate out of it afterwards. Obviously if your driving at silly speeds then your going to need to brake but anything upto 60 is usually controlled like this. Im sure we've all been stuck behind that annoying driver who travels about 47mph on a 60mph A-road, and brakes noticably at the slightest hint of a bend. Terribly frustrating!

So for anyone like me who can't do fancy heel-toe, thinking about speed, gear choice and corning line can make a huge impact on your journey. The only thing i sometimes find is it does take a lot more thought and concentration and so sometimes if i am feeling lazy or not in the mood ill be a little more 'relaxed' but its nice to know i have it in the locker as and when! Dunno if anyone else does this too! 

[ChrisBuer]

Ahh.. overtaking…there is a bit of an art to it

Well advanced driving is about planning, and never more so when you’re talking about overtaking. A lot of drivers don’t actually position very well for an overtake and from the sounds of things, you were doing exactly the right thing. Holding back, opening the view up and making a decision if it was clear to go or not.

The correct advanced driving method for an overtake is as follows:

The overtaking postion should be entered into...which on a NSL road depends really on the speed of the vehicle in front....however, it's closer than a normal 'following position'...Then you need to move over the white lines and (if safe to do so)...sit in the opposite lane looking down the offside of the road and down the line of cars...

Here's the secret; DON'T ACCELERATE ..instead keep at the same speed as the car you are following....then if you see an oncoming vehicle in the distance....you can simply move back across onto your side of the road and your braking distance from the vehicle in front hasn't changed. When the oncoming car has passed by, repeat the action, back onto the opposite side of the road...for another look. Imagine it like water skiing....where the bloke on the skis never gains or drops back from the boat..the length of the road remains the same...

This will allow you a full view of the road ahead, the cars in the line and also for any other dangers; lay-bys, junctions etc and allow you to decide if the overtake is ON or OFF.

The associate problems with this are two fold. One...oncoming cars in the distance might assume that you're overtaking...(when you're not)....and the car that you were following might assume the same and slow down....
You have to be mindful of this and adapt accordingly.

Overtaking can be one of the most satisfying aspects of advanced driving, but at the same time has the potential to be the most dangerous. It's all about planning, anticipation and restraint....

Anyway, when you mentioned the Toyota Yaris, it did make me think about another comment Mr Palmer made about one of his courses. The particular course costs £1500 for two days so it isn’t cheap, but one of the guys I know who went on it stated the following:

With the course costing £1,500 plus VAT for the two days, you’d be forgiven for expecting to be able to drive some fairly fancy cars. So it is good that Don and Mark prepared us in advance for the fact that we would be driving a BMW 325i (E90) and a Toyota Avensis! Their rationale is simple – you want to be driving a car where it is easier to feel the response of the vehicle and tyres to a given input, and that means not having a fire breathing, ultra grippy monster! As it turned out, we pretty much all preferred driving the Avensis once we realised how much harder it was to master (the BMW was just so competent), proving Don and Mark entirely right! As I understand it, Rob Wilson, who trains a number of Formula 1 drivers at Bruntingthorpe, adopts the same philosophy and can generally be found tooling around in a VW Passat.

Interesting

You are also right that Don’s courses are more track than road orientated nowadays and there’s a reason for this. Don is a limit handling guru and as such, he cannot really teach or apply this on the road. His view is that is that, whereas 20 years ago you could get away with it, these days it’s socially unacceptable to do the sorts of speeds he’d need to do to achieve his goals. These days, modern cars have so much grip that you need to be going pretty damn quickly to actually get anything to happen…well in the dry anyway! Therefore his focus is on the track with the emphasis to improve a drivers “on the limit” ability. It’s all about car sympathy, feeling and the understanding of what the car is doing at the limit.

For me personally, I find it fascinating to learn about limit handling, but I combine this with decent road driver training which can be achieved through following the IAM, RoADA and HPC route. Technically speaking, the use of trial braking, heel and toe, etc don’t actually need to be used on the road because you rarely get the chance to utilise this level of performance. Especially with all the numpties that roam the roads lol!!

The IAM would never endorse the use of techniques such as Heel and Toe, but the feeling within the HPC seems to be that this is a very naïve view to take. A good road driver doesn’t make a good track driver and visa versa. However, I like to have “all the tools in the box” and for someone who has a real interest in cars and driving, that’s why I strive to learn it 

[ChrisBuer]

...The only thing i sometimes find is it does take a lot more thought and concentration and so sometimes if i am feeling lazy or not in the mood ill be a little more 'relaxed' but its nice to know i have it in the locker as and when! Dunno if anyone else does this too! 

It does take more concentration to start with, but if you do it all the time, it becomes second nature and you'll start to do it without thinking. When I first started my training, I'd get home totally knackered! Now, I don't feel tired at all. It's like anything, if you practice at it, it becomes second nature to you after a while.

Also, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should use Heel and Toe on the roads because like you quite rightly point out, preparing for a bend is more about getting the right speed and gear before getting to the corner. So many people I follow seem to be doing all of the work right on the bend, leaving it to the last minute. When I get to a bend all I want to do is steer! Heel and Toe is useful if you get it a bit late and need to break and gear change. Again it's a useful tool to have in the box.

When you next go out and drive, try this:

- Get yourself set up for the bend (you're technique sounds spot on), in terms of speed and gear.
- When you're on the bend, apply a tiny amount of throttle. Not so that you're on the power and pulling out of the corner, but just a touch so that you're still applying a bit of gas.

What will happen is that the car will all of a sudden feel planted. There will be less roll and lean in the car and you'll feel as if you're cornering really flat.

I also know that following the types of drivers who brake on every corner or when another car passes them (I had one of those the other day) can be really annoying, but you've got to tell yourself that they probably haven't had any other form of instruction or tried to learn about improving their driving since they passed their test.

I generally hold back from them, wait for the right moment and just bimble past them. I've had people flash me in the past as I've trundled by, probably because they don't like being overtaken or because they think it's dangerous. Problem is, they're just not looking ahead. If you can catch a good cross view on a road and you know it's clear, it's very easy to overtake and you don't even need a fast car to do it. Like I said before, it's the drivers whose vision ends at the end of their bonnets who are the real dangers on the road!

Finally I always drive with my lights on. I find that people are more aware when they see be coming up behind them and this normally works in my advantage because once they know I'm there, they don't get a surprise when I nip past them

[Pirelli_P]

...The only thing i sometimes find is it does take a lot more thought and concentration and so sometimes if i am feeling lazy or not in the mood ill be a little more 'relaxed' but its nice to know i have it in the locker as and when! Dunno if anyone else does this too! 

It does take more concentration to start with, but if you do it all the time, it becomes second nature and you'll start to do it without thinking. When I first started my training, I'd get home totally knackered! Now, I don't feel tired at all. It's like anything, if you practice at it, it becomes second nature to you after a while.

Also, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should use Heel and Toe on the roads because like you quite rightly point out, preparing for a bend is more about getting the right speed and gear before getting to the corner. So many people I follow seem to be doing all of the work right on the bend, leaving it to the last minute. When I get to a bend all I want to do is steer! Heel and Toe is useful if you get it a bit late and need to break and gear change. Again it's a useful tool to have in the box.

When you next go out and drive, try this:

- Get yourself set up for the bend (you're technique sounds spot on), in terms of speed and gear.
- When you're on the bend, apply a tiny amount of throttle. Not so that you're on the power and pulling out of the corner, but just a touch so that you're still applying a bit of gas.

What will happen is that the car will all of a sudden feel planted. There will be less roll and lean in the car and you'll feel as if you're cornering really flat.

I also know that following the types of drivers who brake on every corner or when another car passes them (I had one of those the other day) can be really annoying, but you've got to tell yourself that they probably haven't had any other form of instruction or tried to learn about improving their driving since they passed their test.

I generally hold back from them, wait for the right moment and just bimble past them. I've had people flash me in the past as I've trundled by, probably because they don't like being overtaken or because they think it's dangerous. Problem is, they're just not looking ahead. If you can catch a good cross view on a road and you know it's clear, it's very easy to overtake and you don't even need a fast car to do it. Like I said before, it's the drivers whose vision ends at the end of their bonnets who are the real dangers on the road!

Finally I always drive with my lights on. I find that people are more aware when they see be coming up behind them and this normally works in my advantage because once they know I'm there, they don't get a surprise when I nip past them

Yeh totally! Thing is i will wait until my GTI arrives, since I use my mums mk4 1.4 and it understeers more than anything and has about 15hp so it makes little difference trying to drive like that all the time since the car isn't really capable. But in a couple of weeks when iv actually got a car that is up for it i intend to be doing lots and lots of practice! 

[RedRobin]

The correct advanced driving method for an overtake is as follows:

The overtaking postion should be entered into...which on a NSL road depends really on the speed of the vehicle in front....however, it's closer than a normal 'following position'...Then you need to move over the white lines and (if safe to do so)...sit in the opposite lane looking down the offside of the road and down the line of cars...

Here's the secret; DON'T ACCELERATE ..instead keep at the same speed as the car you are following....then if you see an oncoming vehicle in the distance....you can simply move back across onto your side of the road and your braking distance from the vehicle in front hasn't changed. When the oncoming car has passed by, repeat the action, back onto the opposite side of the road...for another look. Imagine it like water skiing....where the bloke on the skis never gains or drops back from the boat..the length of the road remains the same...

This will allow you a full view of the road ahead, the cars in the line and also for any other dangers; lay-bys, junctions etc and allow you to decide if the overtake is ON or OFF.

The associate problems with this are two fold. One...oncoming cars in the distance might assume that you're overtaking...(when you're not)....and the car that you were following might assume the same and slow down....
You have to be mindful of this and adapt accordingly.

....That's exactly what I've been taught to do (when safe and practical). I have noticed that most drivers behind me usually drop waaaay back when I cruise in the opposite lane to have a better look before making a decision. It's almost as if they are expecting to see a major head-on incident!!

Having my aftermarket SatNav display in the upper DIN is also useful for extra info about side roads ahead. Many drivers restrict themselves to only checking out their side of the road and not the whole road environment, especially when exiting laybys.

[RedRobin]

Finally I always drive with my lights on. I find that people are more aware when they see be coming up behind them and this normally works in my advantage because once they know I'm there, they don't get a surprise when I nip past them

....Ah!! You won't believe the amount of flak I've had on another car forum (a bit too 'grown-up') about my LED Daylight Running Lights!! I discovered how they contributed to awareness while travelling at +100mph speeds on the German autobahns with faster Audi RS6 Avants etc bearing down on me at much higher speeds.

Hella Germany helped me out and I've substituted them for my fogs according to Euro rulings, so they are automatically on with the ignition, and off when other lights are switched on. Every bit helps!



^I'm the passenger in this pic!

[john_o]

supreme thread guys 

may I also interject that reducing engine movement (ECS dog bone mount) and other factors may also improve feel/speed.
I have always felt that the excessive engine movement (imho) and long gear lever movement contributes vastly to a poor change.

John

[ChrisBuer]

They look great Red  

It's surprising the difference it makes when you have your lights on isn't it! My Elise is black and being so low, most drivers just don't see me. That's why I always pop my lights on now because then they don't get a shock when I nip past.

The people giving you flack for the driving lights obviously don't see them as a safety feature but more as another mod. Not only are they a good idea though, but they do look the business!!

[ChrisBuer]

supreme thread guys 

may I also interject that reducing engine movement (ECS dog bone mount) and other factors may also improve feel/speed.
I have always felt that the excessive engine movement (imho) and long gear lever movement contributes vastly to a poor change.

John

Absolutely agree