Downshifting

In article .com>,
Carbon > wrote:

> On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 00:01:08 +0000, CR wrote:
>
> > Downshifting: yes or no?
>
> I love getting a downshift just right. Say you have a hill coming up and
> you want to go from fifth to fourth, you give the throttle a little nudge
> and you're doing exactly the same speed, only at higher revs. It's one of
> those satisfying little things that never fails to put a smile on my face.
>
> I've been trying to do the heel-and-toe thing, but I think my feet are the
> wrong size for the pedals.

Don't think "heel-toe" so much as
ball-of-big-toe-on-brake-edge-of-foot-towards-heel-on-accelerator

>
> > Double-clutching: necessary or not?
>
> No.
>
> > Comments and suggestions welcome...
> >
> > Since there are fewer 5/6-speed manual transmission autos sold in the
> > U.S. these days, perhaps it is a lost skill?
>
> I read that in Europe it's 80/20 in favor of standards, and 20/80 here. I
> don't understand why this is.

--
'It is Mac OS X, not BSD.' -- 'From Mac OS to BSD Unix.'
"It's BSD Unix with Apple's APIs and GUI on top of it' -- 'nothing but BSD Unix'
(Edwin on Mac OS X)

'[The IBM PC] could boot multiple OS, such as DOS, C/PM, GEM, etc.' --
'I claimed nothing about GEM other than it was available software for the
IBM PC. (Edwin on GEM)

In article .com>,
Carbon > wrote:

> On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 00:01:08 +0000, CR wrote:
>
> > Downshifting: yes or no?
>
> I love getting a downshift just right. Say you have a hill coming up and
> you want to go from fifth to fourth, you give the throttle a little nudge
> and you're doing exactly the same speed, only at higher revs. It's one of
> those satisfying little things that never fails to put a smile on my face.
>
> I've been trying to do the heel-and-toe thing, but I think my feet are the
> wrong size for the pedals.

Same here. Every car I've tried it in I have the same problem: The
pedals are too close together, so I can't actually mash "just one or the
other" - Trying to mash one invariably mashes the other, no matter how I
position my foot.

>
> > Double-clutching: necessary or not?
>
> No.
>
> > Comments and suggestions welcome...
> >
> > Since there are fewer 5/6-speed manual transmission autos sold in the
> > U.S. these days, perhaps it is a lost skill?
>
> I read that in Europe it's 80/20 in favor of standards, and 20/80 here. I
> don't understand why this is.

Americans are lazy. (says an American)

Personally, if I've got the option, I'll take a stick over a slushbox
EVERY time. Just something about the added level of power control
available when you're the one choosing the gear/rev/groundspeed
combination. (Yeah, yeah, I know... modern automatics are supposedly
more efficient, do it better, yadda-yadda-yadda. You think so? That's
nice. You drive 'em. I'm the brains of the operation.)

Then there's the "fun" of coming up to a stop sign in a borrowed
automatic, forgetting it IS an automatic, and out of 20-odd years of
stick-driving habit, coming off the gas and mashing the clutch pedal
(which is, of course, actually the left end of the triple-sized brake
pedal) to the floor as you reach for the nonexistent stick for the
downshift... <SQUAWK!> AUGH!!! No matter how loudly I tell myself
"remember it isn't a stick, stupid!" it happens to me at least once
every friggin' time I get in an automatic.

--
Don Bruder - - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info

On Sat, 04 Nov 2006 00:48:52 GMT, Lanny Chambers > wrote:

>> > I wasn't going to, but the voices in my head toed me that if I didn't,
>> > my sole would be in danger.
>>
>> I would try to step this conversation up, but it is clear to me that I
>> have been defeeted....
>
>By your arch rival? Perhaps you should approach it from a different
>ankle.

It may seem callus, but I've toed you guys a dozen times that he's a heel. He's
so corny it's like he was from a different pronation. If it bothers you that
much, call a flatfoot.

-- Larry

On 2006-11-04, Don Bruder > wrote:

> Then there's the "fun" of coming up to a stop sign in a borrowed
> automatic, forgetting it IS an automatic, and out of 20-odd years of
> stick-driving habit, coming off the gas and mashing the clutch pedal
> (which is, of course, actually the left end of the triple-sized brake
> pedal) to the floor as you reach for the nonexistent stick for the
> downshift... <SQUAWK!> AUGH!!!

For some reason I don't often try to step on the clutch pedal
that isn't there when driving an auto, but I often reach for
the stick that isn't there as I come to a stop.

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! But was he mature
at enough last night at the
visi.com lesbian masquerade?

In article >,
Don Bruder > wrote:

> In article .com>,
> Carbon > wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 00:01:08 +0000, CR wrote:
> >
> > > Downshifting: yes or no?
> >
> > I love getting a downshift just right. Say you have a hill coming up and
> > you want to go from fifth to fourth, you give the throttle a little nudge
> > and you're doing exactly the same speed, only at higher revs. It's one of
> > those satisfying little things that never fails to put a smile on my face.
> >
> > I've been trying to do the heel-and-toe thing, but I think my feet are the
> > wrong size for the pedals.
>
> Same here. Every car I've tried it in I have the same problem: The
> pedals are too close together, so I can't actually mash "just one or the
> other" - Trying to mash one invariably mashes the other, no matter how I
> position my foot.

Obviously, you can operate the brake pedal without hitting the
accelerator for normal braking operations, yes?

So...

Place your foot so that it is on the brake pedal as you would for normal
use. Now, move it slightly to the right and rotate it counter clockwise,
so that you end up with the ball of your foot still on the brake pedal,
but the right edge of your foot just over the accelerator (near the
heel, but you're not actually trying to get the heel squarely over it).

You should now be able to apply all the necessary force to the brake
pedal and by "rolling" your foot, use the edge of your foot to blip the
accelerator.

--
'It is Mac OS X, not BSD.' -- 'From Mac OS to BSD Unix.'
"It's BSD Unix with Apple's APIs and GUI on top of it' -- 'nothing but BSD Unix'
(Edwin on Mac OS X)

'[The IBM PC] could boot multiple OS, such as DOS, C/PM, GEM, etc.' --
'I claimed nothing about GEM other than it was available software for the
IBM PC. (Edwin on GEM)

pltrgyst wrote:

> It may seem callus, but I've toed you guys a dozen times that he's a heel. He's
> so corny it's like he was from a different pronation. If it bothers you that
> much, call a flatfoot.
>
> -- Larry

Holy crap! I am sidling out of this thread right now. You win Larry.

Pat

"Doug Wilson" > wrote in message
...
>
> "pws" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Don Bruder wrote:
>>> In article >,
>>> pws > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Don Bruder wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I wasn't going to, but the voices in my head toed me that if I didn't,
>>>>> my sole would be in danger.
>>>>
>>>> I would try to step this conversation up, but it is clear to me that I
>>>> have been defeeted....
>>>>
>>>> Pat
>>>
>>> Try coming at it from another ankle... You're bound toenail it.
>>>
>>
>>
>> I'll give a try, I am just afraid that someone is going to sock it to us
>> if we don't stop.....
>>
>> Pat
>
> You guys just might get booted... ;-)

Well, how would you like it if the shoe was on the other foot?!

"pws" > wrote in message
...
> pltrgyst wrote:
>
>> It may seem callus, but I've toed you guys a dozen times that he's a
>> heel. He's
>> so corny it's like he was from a different pronation. If it bothers you
>> that
>> much, call a flatfoot.
>>
>> -- Larry
>
> Holy crap! I am sidling out of this thread right now. You win Larry.

Ready to stand on the shoulders of giants then, Pat?

In article >,
pltrgyst > wrote:

> On Sat, 04 Nov 2006 00:48:52 GMT, Lanny Chambers >
> wrote:
>
> >> > I wasn't going to, but the voices in my head toed me that if I didn't,
> >> > my sole would be in danger.
> >>
> >> I would try to step this conversation up, but it is clear to me that I
> >> have been defeeted....
> >
> >By your arch rival? Perhaps you should approach it from a different
> >ankle.
>
> It may seem callus, but I've toed you guys a dozen times that he's a heel.
> He's
> so corny it's like he was from a different pronation. If it bothers you that
> much, call a flatfoot.
>
> -- Larry

Yeesh... talk about kicking a guy when he's down...

--
Don Bruder - - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info

pws > wrote in
:

> Holy crap! I am sidling out of this thread right now. You win
> Larry.

Good move, in the words of the great philosopher, Lt. Harry Calahan, "A
man's gotta know his limitations."