Years ago, I attempted to teach my wife (then girlfriend) to drive stick... a very bad experience, and she never learned. Years later, I bought her a motorcycle and repeated nearly the same bad experience (tears & all). Then I enrolled her in a state-run motorcycle training course, and it changed her life! (And it saved my marriage)

After getting pushed around the training area on the bike with the engine off (and in neutral), they let you start it, engage the clutch, shift to first, and FEEL the 'friction zone'. On these small bikes (125's to 250's), you put both feet on the ground, roll to your heels, and ease out the clutch/roll on the throttle and feel the friction zone as power goes to the back wheel. You rock back & forth and literally get a feel for it.

You don't want to do that with your Mini, you'd toast the clutch (most small bikes that come to mind have wet clutches (bathed in oil), these all did) and first gear is too high; but if you know someone with a little bike, they might be able to help you gain that 'feel'. It worked for my wife, she'd ridden bikes ever since, had a couple of Mustangs and a Vette - all with manual transmissions.

Good luck!

 

I put several hundred thousand miles on a stick many years ago. Many... Then didn't drive a stick for 15 years or so. I had a bit of a time launching my new mini from stop in first gear for a few days. This car is not easy to launch compared to many.

Learning to drive a stick is like learning to ride a bicycle. Hard as hell at first, but then you will do it without thinking. Trust me. The trick is to put yourself in situations where you can learn about operating the vehicle without other cars around. My dad brought me to South Coast Plaza ( I saw you were in the Los Angeles area and you might be familiar ) when I was a kid and we practiced. And practiced. And practiced.

It will become second nature. I promise. Once learned, driving a stick will give you more control by matching gear ratio to your driving activity.

One thing that I learned this week about the mini and the stick is the sport button right in front of the stick has a huge impact on the launch from stop. Turn the button on, ( little green light will illuminate on the end of the button ) and you will find the start from stop is easier.

When you come to a stop where you will pause for an extended time, put the car in neutral so your aren't holding the clutch in the entire time at the light. The clutch should be all the way in, or all the way out with a smooth, quick transition. This is hard from a stop to first, but should be easy and smooth for the rest of the gears. BE CAREFUL when entering first that you don't slide into reverse. I did this like crazy the first 2 days I had my Mini, but haven't since. I almost blew it on the way home from the dealership when I bought the car.

One cool thing the mini will do for you that I have never experienced on a car is hold the brake for you when you start from a stop on a hill. On most manual cars, trying to start from a dead stop on a hill involves worry about rolling backwards. The mini will hold the brakes for you for a second or two and prevent backwards roll while you launch forward. Very cool. I didn't know about this until I intentionally tried to roll back, and the damn thing didn't roll. Then it did. Wow.

Don't give up. It's like riding a bike.

Paul

 

You can always use your handbrakes if you feel the hill is a bit steep.

 

Someone may have aleady said this, but I don't have time to read all the replies, so here goes: When I was first learning, I had a tendancy to want to "force" the trans into the next gear and, thereby, often overrode the springs that would have glided me into the proper gear. Unless you are downshifting, just use light force and the transmission will guide you into the proper gear.

 

The handbrake trick is great on really really steep hills!

It's quite simple, engage the handbrake, take your foot on the brake and start to disengage the cluth while accelerating appropriately. When you feel the car start to move forward and fight the handbrake, disengage it.

I do advise avoiding the technique on normal/semi-steep hills -- for overuse leads to wear on your handbrake and that is not very good.

 

www.standardshift.com/forum

I would like to advice to learn from someone who knows how to drive stick, but the sad fact is that most Americans who think they know, actually have a lot of bad habits. Currently I'm trying to fight some of these bad habits in my current car.

-Using my ankle only to lift off the clutch. It's best if you use your whole leg, because using your ankle only causes the pedal to move around underneath your foot.

-Coasting through turns. I can't heel and toe yet, at least not comfortably, so I'm trying to use what they teach in Europe. But most of the time I end up coasting thought the turn. Stupid slushie habits.

-Not being able to hold the gas in one spot when taking off. Usually I'll press the gas, and then think, "Oops that's too much", and I'll very slightly lift off. Problem is, by the time I lift off I'm already engaging the clutch which causes a forward jerk. This one is very annoying because the fact is I don't give it too much gas. It's just a muscle reaction now.

Hopefully I can get these kinks worked out before I buy my MCS.

 

yep..my mini was the first stick iv driven..downtown i stalled at a stop light...right when i turned green...everyone started honking...i started the engine quickly...reved to about 3k and let off the clutch really quick...lol...chirped the tires and got out of there in a hurry!

after about 3 more weeks of practice i almost never stall!
it just takes practice!!!

 

I have been driving stick for over 25 years and I'm only 36!!
I learned on a 1940 John Deere Tractor on a farm in Indiana where I grew up.

And I ONLY drive stick!

I have to say... The one thing that bugs the crap outta me is this...
Sitting at a stop light and holding in the clutch. NEVER DO THIS. This causes your throw-out bearing
to spin needlessly and run the risk of getting a new clutch very soon. Do you all know how much a new clutch is??
For a Mini, it's almost $1000. The labor is what brings it up so high.

On every single one of my cars, the mileage has been over 120K or over 17 years old when I needed a new clutch.
That was the FIRST thing I learned when I started out at 10 years old!

I currently own a '04 MCS Pepper White, 1990 Nissan 300ZXTT dyn'd @ 430hp at the rear wheel,
and a 1975 280 Z with 283k miles with the clutch changed back in 1989 at 90k original miles.


Good Luck!!

Cooper Chick!
aka: Zchick!