Practice daily in the dry, that way when it's wet or snowy it becomes second nature. Best place to practice is on side streets near your house. Lower speed practicing will make it easier to recover if your foot slips off the brake pedal.
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Re: Shifting before a turn.
Practice daily in the dry, that way when it's wet or snowy it becomes second nature. Best place to practice is on side streets near your house. Lower speed practicing will make it easier to recover if your foot slips off the brake pedal.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
On the street, I just remove my foot from the gas pedal (coast) Push the clutch with my left foot, shift to the gear I want to take the corner in with my right hand, and, while still holding the clutch with my left foot, I use my right foot to raise the revs for the gear I'm about to engage. Then let off the clutch, and once the transition to the lower gear is complete, remove my foot from the gas pedal and over to the brake to supplement the moderate engine braking now taking place.
It's basically heel toe-ing without the toe part. (simple rev-matching) When I approach a corner during street driving, I usually allow myself enough time so that I don't have to combine braking and shifting in the same moment.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
I feel like I failed to communicate or let this thread get off track or something. I know you're not supposed to shift in a turn. I know how and why to rev match. If heel-toe is not an option for some reason, the only other methods I can see are to shift before braking, shift before turning, or shift after turning. I'm just wondering which method is best/least risky/smoothest/the one "they" say you should use...
I'm approaching a corner. I gotta brake. I gotta shift. I can figure out some compromised, slow way of accomplishing these things at different times, or combine them. Mazda didn't build the car, nor did I buy it, to gingerly coast through corners after a leisurely period of light braking and unhurried shifting. I've never had my foot slip from the brake, I always have my foot on the brake up until the corner entry, and I'm always in the proper gear to have the most control and easiest exit from the corner. Is it really such a terrible thing if it's something I'm good at and it makes my driving smoother and more pleasurable? It's never caused an accident or even a close call, and I'm sure the people behind me appreciate my efficient manner of turning and getting out of their way.Originally Posted by Paperlantern
So you just shift, then brake? (I just assume rev-matching, it's not a proper shift without it) I can see how that would work, unless you need to do something like go from fifth to second to turn from a fast road to a driveway.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
Why cant you brake and shift at the same time? Why do you have to brake THEN shift?
Shift WHILE you are braking and you don't need the engine or transmission for anything anyway, then move foot from brake to gas with clutch still in, revmatch and accelerate out of the turn.
Last edited by Paperlantern; 11-28-2010 at 07:52 AM.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
That counts as "shifting before turning," which, as I explained in my original post, is what I first had the idea to try and wasn't very good at because I'm used to being able to make fine adjustments to my speed the whole way up to the corner. However, my current technique required some practice before I was good at it, so I suppose any other would as well.
What you explained is what I already do when I'm not in a hurry, like for just having to slow down for traffic.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
I bolded the rev matching part in my post. As for 5th to 2nd shifting for a turn, the gear you are in isn't really an issue. It's The relationship between the gear you want (2nd in this case) and the road speed you approach the turn with.So you just shift, then brake? (I just assume rev-matching, it's not a proper shift without it) I can see how that would work, unless you need to do something like go from fifth to second to turn from a fast road to a driveway.
If you are putting along in 5th gear at 40 mph, it will just require more rev's before engaging second. (In my car, that's approximately 4-5k rpm's) Then, after the shift is complete, letting off the gas will cause some engine braking that will work with the brakes to bring the car down to 15-ish MPH for the driveway.
If you are traveling at a speed that's outside of the range of the gear you want to take the turn in, (2nd in my car does a little over 60mph) Then you are driving in a rather spirited manner, and would probably want to do so in a vehicle other than a CR-V.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
lol. You addressed exactly what I was wondering with a pretty sensible solution. Second in my car goes to, I think, about 55 MPH, with the poor hamsters furiously spinning away at nearly 7,000 RPM, which is probably why I developed the heel-toe habit in it.
I suppose the real answer to my original question is that there is no "one true" method. The decision of which technique to use just depends on the situation. Sometimes it's important to slow down and get the hell off the road quick, and sometimes you have all the time in the world. Sometimes you're going too fast for the gear you want, and sometimes it's no problem. This judgment is something I'll try to develop in my personal car so I'm not lost when I have to drive something else.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
When I drive my parents' 250 PS, I just slow down, and shift mid turn then accelerate out when taking turns at lights, or clutch + brake, release brake and select gear (usually 2nd) and release clutch as I'm exiting turn (for when I turn on to streets.) Never really bother with rev matching, though.
Never tried it, but pretty sure that thing is not set up to heel-toeing.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
To be fair I haven't driven paddles too much in the horrible weather, only the usual "winter weather" here... but I like clutches more, just for the fact that you can control the transition from the power-train to the ground, whereas with paddles you cannot... for me that is huge plus in the worst of the worst winter weather... far superior for control.On ice everything sucks!!! The only thing different I see is having to press on the clutch, which I don't miss. I would rather have the paddles, your hands never leave the wheel and that's where they need to be.(Manual) Clutches+sticks beat paddles for control every-time though, paddles have the speed and precision which cannot be afforded with (manual) clutches. Its a trade off IMHO, and neither solves the problem.
For example I live where we actually get harsh winter weather (Ice covered by a foot of snow, with freezing rain on-top of that) and all my friends with paddle-shifters wish they had a pedal-clutch and stick... but on the track in beautiful weather... they love it.
Guess it's personal preference, whatever makes you comfortable behind the wheel is best for you.
Re: Shifting before a turn.
NOT rev matching isn't necessarily wrong, but it does wear out the clutch faster. That's all.
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