Hi guys,

Try braking gently from about 40 mph and notice what speed the car starts to labour. Once you know this speed, I think you will find you can now slot it straight into 2nd, without coasting. As long as the car is rolling, you can pull away in second.

Using this method as long as you know what gear you can change into and at which speed, you are now able to select the correct gear in one shot if the circumstances change, like 4 cars suddenly getting out of the junction.

All without the added hassle of comming down the gearbox. I have found it takes a lot of practice to hit the correct gear unless I am comming right down into second.

I also block change up which is paticularly usefull if I am gently acellerating up the range as at 40mph on a flat road you can change into both 5th or 6th.

Here is an interesting article on the use of gears from a company that do advanced driver training.

http://www.ridedrive.co.uk/tipoffs06.htm

Cheers

Lee

Interesting points, and I hadn't even considered the implications of only braking the driven wheels! Trying to analyse what I do on the way to work this morning and discovered on the approach I leave it in the current gear, brake, put the clutch down just before the engine stalls and then select the appropriate gear to pull out of the junction with (usually 2nd or 3rd). What surprised me is this is how I was taught 10 or so years back and I haven't hit anything yet so it seems to work.....

Chris