Reg's Youtube thread
Discussion
gdaybruce said:
I once attended a one day course with the late, great Pentti Airikkala on left foot braking. Pentti was mostly concerned with balancing the car and practising with him on a disused airfiled was great fun. However, he also emphasised the additional margin of safety if you are covering the brake pedal with your left foot when approaching a hazard. In fact not long after this I was doing exactly that when approaching a blind corner and found a Panda car (of all things!) coming towards me on the wrong side of the road, overtaking a bicycle. My speed was probably about 20mph but with my left foot covering the brake pedal, my stop felt instantaneous. The fact that the engine stalled (I was in a manual) was irrelevant in the circumstances.
These days I like to use left foot braking every now and then to make sure I still can and I will still cover the brake pedal with my left foot if approaching a limited visibility hazard. One more tool in the box!
I distinctly remember reading an article about that Pentti Airikkala course. I think it was in Car magazine around 1988 or 1989. These days I like to use left foot braking every now and then to make sure I still can and I will still cover the brake pedal with my left foot if approaching a limited visibility hazard. One more tool in the box!
One line stuck with me. The journalist asked Pentti about the difficulties of changing gear whilst left foot braking. The reply was “It is better to be here” (pointing to the road) “than here, but in the right gear” (pointing to the ditch).
Reg Local said:
gdaybruce said:
I once attended a one day course with the late, great Pentti Airikkala on left foot braking. Pentti was mostly concerned with balancing the car and practising with him on a disused airfiled was great fun. However, he also emphasised the additional margin of safety if you are covering the brake pedal with your left foot when approaching a hazard. In fact not long after this I was doing exactly that when approaching a blind corner and found a Panda car (of all things!) coming towards me on the wrong side of the road, overtaking a bicycle. My speed was probably about 20mph but with my left foot covering the brake pedal, my stop felt instantaneous. The fact that the engine stalled (I was in a manual) was irrelevant in the circumstances.
These days I like to use left foot braking every now and then to make sure I still can and I will still cover the brake pedal with my left foot if approaching a limited visibility hazard. One more tool in the box!
I distinctly remember reading an article about that Pentti Airikkala course. I think it was in Car magazine around 1988 or 1989. These days I like to use left foot braking every now and then to make sure I still can and I will still cover the brake pedal with my left foot if approaching a limited visibility hazard. One more tool in the box!
One line stuck with me. The journalist asked Pentti about the difficulties of changing gear whilst left foot braking. The reply was “It is better to be here” (pointing to the road) “than here, but in the right gear” (pointing to the ditch).
I also did the Pentti one day session (at disused Oakley airfield, on loose surfaces). One very effective use of LFB which we learnt from him was to adjust cornering radius in a front wheel drive car - by applying brakes at the same time as power effectively you were locking the rear wheels and getting them to slide so tightening cornering radius. Shortly afterwards I attended an ice driving course in Sweden and discussed this. The instructors said they did not like LFB, I then went out with an instructor who was a well known race driver (so well known that I have forgotten his name) and demonstrated the Pentti technique and he was impressed - said he could see how well it worked when done properly.
I agree that being able to cover the footbrake when approaching hazards is an advantage but I don't LFB in a manual car - I cannot get past the reduction in comfort and balance from moving the left foot to cover a small pedal, nor the prospect of stalling. I have never understood why BMW M use a small brake pedal in dual clutch M cars. I do LFB in a two pedal car with an auto style brake pedal and find it has advantages - I look forward to finding whether Reg see it the same way I do.
There aren't many people who can combine LFB with gear changing in a manual car. This is a wonderful demo from rally legend Walter Rohrl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdy8CG09rSU
I have used LFB in a manual, specifically a Mazda MX5, on a twisty road where I decided that I was likely to stay in the same gear for a while. Thus able to ignore the clutch pedal for the duration I found LFB to be a very effective technique (I did learn to do it in an automatic though).
Reg talks about having to teach your left foot to brake and my experience was the same in that respect. I also found that while I was teaching my Left Foot to brake it was taking more of my concentration and therefore detracting from other aspects of my driving. So don't learn while also trying to achieve your maximum pace!
The first time I used my left foot on the brake when I had to brake unexpectedly and firmly I realised that now I was using the technique naturally.
The first time I used my left foot on the brake when I had to brake unexpectedly and firmly I realised that now I was using the technique naturally.
This is what started me on left foot braking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUbmf_jegQE&sa... in particular from 1min 35 onwards where Timo Makinen demonstrates the technique in a works Mini.
As an 18 years old student with a Mini who fancied himself as a rally driver, this was irresistible! In the years before videos, let alone YouTube, the University motor club would hire these 16mm films from the Castrol Film Library to show at club nights. I remember watching this and then heading out on the road around the edge of the Bristol Downs to try it out, only to discover that it wan't as easy as it looked! Note Timo's clutchless gear changes but then remember that a) his Mini probably had a straight cut gearbox and b) he had a works team on hand to change it!
As an 18 years old student with a Mini who fancied himself as a rally driver, this was irresistible! In the years before videos, let alone YouTube, the University motor club would hire these 16mm films from the Castrol Film Library to show at club nights. I remember watching this and then heading out on the road around the edge of the Bristol Downs to try it out, only to discover that it wan't as easy as it looked! Note Timo's clutchless gear changes but then remember that a) his Mini probably had a straight cut gearbox and b) he had a works team on hand to change it!
Reg, good to see you doing these videos again. It has always been interesting for me to see someone explain some of these concepts on video. I've never really had time to read any of the comments people post on your Youtube channel but I imagine there can be some misunderstandings. What and how you explain certain things is perhaps a testament to this.
I hope your videos will make at least some people think about their driving, and perhaps even think about some form of training/coaching, though unfortunately I suspect this number is not very high. Reaching a high level of driving requires lots of practice, critique, coaching and a mindset to continuously improve.
I hope your videos will make at least some people think about their driving, and perhaps even think about some form of training/coaching, though unfortunately I suspect this number is not very high. Reaching a high level of driving requires lots of practice, critique, coaching and a mindset to continuously improve.
5 Tips for the Best Seating Position:
https://youtu.be/VK2bEC1eqBc
I've invested in a new PC which allows for 4K editing for the first time. I've attempted to upload this one in 4K (but it might be an hour or so before the full quality is available on YT), so let me know if you think there's been an improvement in image quality.
https://youtu.be/VK2bEC1eqBc
I've invested in a new PC which allows for 4K editing for the first time. I've attempted to upload this one in 4K (but it might be an hour or so before the full quality is available on YT), so let me know if you think there's been an improvement in image quality.
Reg Local said:
5 Tips for the Best Seating Position:
https://youtu.be/VK2bEC1eqBc
I've invested in a new PC which allows for 4K editing for the first time. I've attempted to upload this one in 4K (but it might be an hour or so before the full quality is available on YT), so let me know if you think there's been an improvement in image quality.
Looks good, sir!https://youtu.be/VK2bEC1eqBc
I've invested in a new PC which allows for 4K editing for the first time. I've attempted to upload this one in 4K (but it might be an hour or so before the full quality is available on YT), so let me know if you think there's been an improvement in image quality.
Reg Local said:
Prefect conditions too. 
66mpg said:
Ah yes: the Scotsburgring. I added this into the return journey from my anti-clockwise trip on the NC500 in 2016. I was sorely tempted to turn around at the end and drive back along it as well.
I always include it if I'm heading up/back down the west coast.If my destination is north of Inverness though I'l pick the A93/B976/A939 every time.
94 miles versus 16.
- https://goo.gl/maps/Uj1gVkXVGe5bycw39Reg Local said:
Thank you for posting this- another interesting one. I always learn something from your videos.Two things struck me while watching it: apart from the obvious-
The level of concentration needed, - I bet a lot of people think they can just drive fast without that effort, and
the value of a really clean windscreen which helped make it possible to see into the shadows for possible cyclists etc.
Sadly though I would question whether posting this sort of driving on You Tube is wise given the general attitude of '50 mph in the dark and heavy rain- OK, 70 mph in perfect conditions- instant death'
Not to mention those out there working out speeds from passing objects.
And apart from that, if there is enough You Tube coverage of these wonderful roads, there is the danger of them going the way of the Evo Triangle- attracting the dangerous, followed by camera enforcement.
Sorry to be a spreader of gloom!
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