Using gears to slow

[kfae8959]

rev up to 4500rpm whilst keeping me at a nice speed, then I've still got unfaded brakes ready to slow down for the T junction at the bottom of the hill.
Or should I be using my brakes for slow?

What happens when you try driving the same stretch of road using the brakes to control the speed instead of the engine?

David

[TripleS]

wrt using gears to slow, on my usual drive there's a steep hill which I'll turn into (tight 90 degree corner, usually having to stop to giveway to uphill traffic) at a crawling speed in 1st gear. I'll then cover the brake pedal and hold first gear all the way down the hill as the engine will happily (albeit noisly) rev up to 4500rpm whilst keeping me at a nice speed, then I've still got unfaded brakes ready to slow down for the T junction at the bottom of the hill.
Or should I be using my brakes for slow?

The hard of thinking will probably give you the standardised guff about "brakes to slow, gears to go", but I think what you are doing is sensible in the situation you describe. With modern brakes it is unlikely that brake fade would occur, but in similar circumstances I would probably do what you do.

[Silk]

I think that's a very good point that applies to many of the IAM's theoretical techniques. In reality when driving at <70mph, most simply don't make any difference. For example, completing all your braking in a straight line before turning into a corner. Are you really so close to the limit of traction at legal speeds that you're likely to skid off the road otherwise?

Sigh.

[WhoseGeneration]

Sigh.

I'll go a half sigh, because if one is aware of what is one doing and why, taking into account conditions, deviation from the "one way" could be quite acceptable.
"Safe and smooth".

[jcochrane]

wrt using gears to slow, on my usual drive there's a steep hill which I'll turn into (tight 90 degree corner, usually having to stop to giveway to uphill traffic) at a crawling speed in 1st gear. I'll then cover the brake pedal and hold first gear all the way down the hill as the engine will happily (albeit noisly) rev up to 4500rpm whilst keeping me at a nice speed, then I've still got unfaded brakes ready to slow down for the T junction at the bottom of the hill.
Or should I be using my brakes for slow?

Fascinating. 1st gear 4500 rpm. Someone did that in my car once and I was not at all pleased.