Teamwork wrote:MH86 wrote:I just wanted to give an update:
Today I started to get the hang of revving the engine before I let out the clutch. While I did stall today, it was in bumper-to-bumper traffic at a point where I had no business moving forward but decided to attempt a no-gas launch anyway. My drive home today had more traffic than usual, which gave me lots of practice in waiting till the car in front of me moved enough, shifting into first, and revving the engine while letting out the clutch. I'm still not perfectly smooth with it, but I finally don't feel like I'm being passed by soccer moms in minivans.
I also parallel parked on a hill (considering I live in Forest Hills, that scenario was bound to happen sooner or later) and rather quickly figured out how to use the handbrake to keep me from rolling back into the car behind me (for some reason, hill start assist didn't really help in that situation).
I have a ways to go before I can even remotely be considered proficient, but my nerves are starting to ease and I'm starting to have fun going through the gears and revving the engine away from stops.
Oh wow you're from Forest Hills? Well I have to give you points and kudos... I have a best friend from LI who recently moved out there. It's really a nightmare for driving. That means you most likely frequent the Belt and the your road conditions are even in worse conditions then eastern LI.
Haha, thanks. I'm originally from Brooklyn, so I'm used to traffic. I must say, though, that eastern LI isn't always that perfect either. I used to work at a job that was just over the Suffolk County border, and traffic there wasn't better by much.
Obviously in Forest Hills there's a ton of hills so you're going to get really acquainted really early on I feel like. Aside from that you're most likely driving really brutal stretches of jam packed, over congested areas... I couldn't even imagine. Do you work a normal hour job where the roads turn into parking lots out there? I really do have to applaud you and hope you stay committed.
Thanks for your encouragement. I work a normal 9-5, but I tend to get to work around 8 to beat traffic (I did that even when I drove an automatic). The past few days, I've been leaving work around 4:50, but that didn't lessen traffic by much. Speaking of hills, I'm renting a driveway spot a few blocks from my place that I park in when I can't find a spot on my block. To get out of that driveway, I have to go up a slight incline. So far, converting my no-gas launch to a gas-assisted launch has worked fine.
I'm a little intrigued that adding gas to the equation makes you stall. I'm thinking that your left foot and right foot aren't cooperating together if that is the case. Only speculating and not saying for fact but I'd assume that when you focus on no gas launches you can divert full attention on your left foot and making precise and guided movements but when you add your right foot with your left that something is getting thrown off (maybe your left moves quicker when trying to balance with the right?).
You hit the nail on the head there. As I was saying, yesterday I made myself do some gas launches, and my left foot is starting to understand that even with some revs, I need to pause on the friction point momentarily.
I just got stuck in some bad crawling traffic and really used the time to practice no gas launches again and pulsing and gliding. Think of bad traffic in the beginning as a learning opportunity as it forces you to do a ton of 1st gear "launches".
Very much so. Yesterday I was stuck in crazy traffic on the Northern State Parkway heading back home. It helped alleviate my fears that I was leaving too much space in front of me (nobody really tried to cut into the half a car length I left in front of me).
I forgot to mention also and really just completely forgot that during my first week of driving I relied on the hand brake for this hill that I encounter pretty much 5 times a week. I was nervous so I just "tried it out" and it ended up working. Honestly, just randomly over time I stopped using it and just used the hill assist. It was pretty impulsively done but in the beginning I did guide the hand brake down- kind of made me feel secure in a way. I haven't done that in probably 10 months at this point though.
For now, I'm purposely avoiding a part of my commute that's rather hilly (near North Shore LIJ - those steep hills near the LIE), but I don't typically take that route anyway. At some point, I'll force myself to drive that way.
That's really another reason why I'm curious and intrigued about your take on "no gas launches". If you have to frequently encounter hills you surely have to use some sort of gas to guide yourself and pull yourself up an inline.
Weirdly enough, I've been OK with adding some gas at the friction point on inclines. Yesterday, though, I became slightly more comfortable with the idea that I might roll back a tiny amount while I'm revving/letting the clutch up. I mean, my previous car (a Nissan Rogue) rolled back on hills, and that was a CVT. My biggest problem with adding gas before lifting the clutch was that I wasn't waiting long enough for the cars in front of me to move, so of course I'd be afraid of accelerating into them.
Interestingly enough, I've been seeing a lot of manual cars in my neighborhood parked on the streets. Whenever I see those, it reminds me that I can do it too. I also keep reminding myself that in other parts of the world, people of all ages daily drive manual cars with not much of a thought to it.