Moving off from parked or stopped

In this case, the handbrake is on and the car in neutral.

Level or uphill

• Clutch down, 1st gear.
• Set the gas, then bring the clutch (almost) to the bite.
• On the level, almost to the bite is easier.
• Uphill, be sure there is enough gas and bite to prevent roll-back.
• Handbrake ready, safety checks, handbrake off slowly. (If the car starts to roll back, handbrake on again. More gas, more clutch, try again.).
• More gas then more clutch (up). You're off.

Level or downhill

Let the hill help you start. The handbrake is a nuisance, so:

• Clutch down, 1st, or 2nd, or maybe even 3rd gear.
• Footbrake on, handbrake off.
• Safety checks, footbrake off. You're rolling.
• Set the gas, then bring the clutch to the bite whilst rolling.
• More gas then more clutch (up). You're off.

Moving off from paused - on the level or downhill only

In this case, you are only stopping for a moment or three, for example at a T-junction, and the car is held on the footbrake with the clutch down and the car in 1st (you put it in first when you stopped, didn't you? or maybe 2nd, on a steep downhill?).

• Footbrake off. If the car rolls, so much the better.
• Set the gas, bring the clutch to the bite.
• More gas, more clutch.

Uphill

You can't do this uphill, because as soon as you take your foot off the brake to set the gas, you'll roll back. Uphill you must:

• EITHER slip the clutch, using a little gas to balance the car for a moment only
• OR use the handbrake and do a full hill start.