Can You Forget How To Drive?

[RunningInPleasePass]

The other day I had reason to drive a normal manual car after over a year of driving automatics, I had no problems.

What I was wondering was, can you loss the technique of driving a manual car after prolonged use of automatics?

By the way after having had an automatic now I see no way that I would buy a manual model again.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Not really.

Maybe once or twice for the first few minutes. It's just like riding a bike. You never forget. You might wobble around for minute or two but you never forget.

[Cyker]

Yeah, might take a bit to get used to it but the muscle memory should kick in. May be a bit trickier going from an auto to a manual if you've lost the feel for clutch finesse but even when going from a manual to an auto I find have to adjust my style for slow speed manoeuvring (I really hate doing slow manoeuvres in certain types of auto as you're using the brake to hold the car back and I can feel the spring tension winding up in the axle and I'm always a bit scared that if I release the brake a little too much it'll jump forward )

The clever thing with cars' control layouts is that they are (usually!) fairly intuitive and even if you did forget you should be able to figure it out pretty quick, even with only a vague recollection as a starting point!

[cootuk]

It's really a case of remembering to dip the clutch when you roll to a stop, or you might think the stop/start has kicked in roughly as it judders to a halt. You also remember just how much hard work your left leg does in crawling traffic.

[Sagitar]

Yes, but it depends upon the extent that the alternative actions serve to destroy previous reflex and muscle memory.

In the 1960s I built a bicycle that required the handlebars to be turned in the wrong direction in order to steer it.

It took me a long time to learn to ride it, but once I had done so, I found that I could no longer ride a "normal" bike.

It took a long time and much practice to restore my "normal" reflexes.

Driving a normal automatic does nothing to destroy the memory and reflexes used in driving a manual so I see no reason why it should cause drivers to forget "manual" skills, but I guess that lack of practice might make you a bit rusty.

[Chris Dance]

I do not think you forget how to drive a manual car. I had to have a hire car not so long ago. I stalled it getting used to the clutch but then it all came back. I do not think I would have a manual car again.

[RunningInPleasePass]

Yes, but it depends upon the extent that the alternative actions serve to destroy previous reflex and muscle memory.

In the 1960s I built a bicycle that required the handlebars to be turned in the wrong direction in order to steer it.

I've got to ask this Chris, why do you want a bike with reversed steering?

[Sagitar]

Yes, but it depends upon the extent that the alternative actions serve to destroy previous reflex and muscle memory.

In the 1960s I built a bicycle that required the handlebars to be turned in the wrong direction in order to steer it.

I've got to ask this Chris, why do you want a bike with reversed steering?

We used it at Scout fund raising events, where we challenged people to ride it for a short distance. In the time that I was involved, no-one, except me, ever succeeded in riding it.

[Cyker]

How did you even make that work?!

Shoulda made it so you had to pedal backwards to go forwards as well... oooh, and remove the free-running ratchet

My first bike had a fixed sprocket; We used to take it in turns seeing how far we could cycle it backwards

[Ancient Nerd]

In the 1960s I built a bicycle that required the handlebars to be turned in the wrong direction in order to steer it.

It took me a long time to learn to ride it, but once I had done so, I found that I could no longer ride a "normal" bike.

It took a long time and much practice to restore my "normal" reflexes.

If you are used to riding a bike, you can get the same effect if you try riding a full size trike. I spent a lot of time luring unsuspecting cyclists into the saddle. The best one was a postman at Christmas, who travelled about two feet before panicking. He put his foot down to stop himself falling(!), ran over his own foot and ended upside down with the trike on top.

I learned to ride the thing by crossing my hands. Left hand on right handlebar, right hand on left handlebar. Once you realised what was happening, it was mostly OK.