Winter tyres vol 2

[Fox-]

Klippie said:

WOW...you must be a driving god, I'll bow to your obvious WRC level of car control

In order to first have demonstrated I was some sort of driving god (I'm not) with WRC style talent (I don't have that) I'd first have had to experience some sort of adverse handling that my amazing skills (Which I don't have) would have needed to spring into action for. Sadly this didn't happen so I'd imagine even the most hamfisted of driver would have had largely the same results.

If it isn't snowing, you're fine. The 7c 'its cold' stuff is largely hysteria to make the product more appealing in a market where, if it was agreed it's basically only really useful in snow and ice, nobody would bother with. If it is snowing, you're screwed unless you've got a good set of winters, I absolutely agree. Luckily in England in 2014 it snowed in only part of the country for just one day out of 365.

I'll take those odds. Interesting the UK was under floor water for significantly more days so based on 2014 and 2013 there is more of a case that we should have not winter tyres but a 4x4 with a snorkel. Where is yours?

Though this whole thread is deja-vu x 100 so I wonder if we might agree to disagree for a week or so

How many stuck 320d's did you drive past last year btw?

[HertsBiker]

Defblade, me too. I'd sooner avoid the crowds of stuck people and make my own trail. So much easier. fresh snow as long as it isn't deep is a joy compared to polished ice and Bazza trying to melt through to Tarmac.

[SwissJonese]

St John Smythe said:

That's more like it, nice vignette

Problem is it is on the wrong side so still might get booked:-

[JagXJR]

HertsBiker said:

Defblade, me too. I'd sooner avoid the crowds of stuck people and make my own trail. So much easier. fresh snow as long as it isn't deep is a joy compared to polished ice and Bazza trying to melt through to Tarmac.

And me. Trouble is you always get some moron on summers tempted by the lack of traffic, taking the quiet route and getting into difficulty to impede you. Whatever happened to slower vehicles stopping and letting faster ones past as advised in the Highway Code in the past?

Fox- said:

..................

If it isn't snowing, you're fine. The 7c 'its cold' stuff is largely hysteria to make the product more appealing in a market where, if it was agreed it's basically only really useful in snow and ice, nobody would bother with. If it is snowing, you're screwed unless you've got a good set of winters, I absolutely agree. Luckily in England in 2014 it snowed in only part of the country for just one day out of 365.

.................

How many stuck 320d's did you drive past last year btw?

Bear in mind that 2014 was unusually mild and without any significant snow in towns. This year we have had several days when Winters came in to their own and Winter is not over by a few months yet.

I am quite happy for drivers to use summers in Winter as long as they leave their cars at home when it snows instead of clogging up the roads.

It's like going to a swimming pool and using your underwear to swim in, using the argument "I don't swim much so why should I buy and spend time changing into bathing clothes?" "Not strictly speaking needed" "I have got by in the past" ect

On Boxing Day I did not go out in a 4 wheel drive car with winters on, I have more sense. Therefore did not see how many 320ds compared to other makes/models that were stuck, since RWD is known to be worse than FWD and 4WD for traction I have no doubt there would have been some though

[anonymous-user]

JagXJR said:

It's like going to a swimming pool and using your underwear to swim in, using the argument "I don't swim much so why should I buy and spend time changing into bathing clothes?" "Not strictly speaking needed" "I have got by in the past" ect

Righto

[JimmyTheHand]

defblade said:

Funnily enough, drawing on the same logic as your last sentence, I prefer to use the lanes when it's snowy. I find them usually more predictable to drive (simple straight forward snow, fairly uniform and not ruts and sludge crests etc) and also not covered with the usual heavy dose of other idiots to avoid and/or jack-knifed lorries.

I think it depends on how far you have to travel and how bad the snow is - when it is deep enough to hide where the verge starts and road ends or it is snowing hard enough to limit what you can see - I really don't want to be on lanes I don't know well.

[Fox-]

I do wish we had a more predictable climate with defined seasons. It would be great if we knew we always had loads of snow between November and February, every year. I'd have a nice set of 18's clad with ContiWinterContact TS850P's

It would make winter far more interesting than the total borefest that is 9c and overcast with drizzle.

[Countdown]

JagXJR said:

It's like going to a swimming pool and using your underwear to swim in, using the argument "I don't swim much so why should I buy and spend time changing into bathing clothes?" "Not strictly speaking needed" "I have got by in the past" ect

It's more like walking around in swimming trunks for 2 months just in case you fall into a swimming pool, river, or sea.

If that happens then admittedly you'll be better off than most people, until you get out and dry yourself off.

[trgppilot]

Winter:255/55r18 Nokian WR suv3. Superb in the wet or on frost and ice, even better in the snow.
Summer:255/55r18 Nokian Z suv. Superb in the wet and dry, excellent traction and hard wearing.

Edited by trgppilot on Saturday 10th January 02:55

[CoolHands]

you have a no-parking bollard in your driveway.

[RicksAlfas]

trgppilot said:

Winter:255/55r18 Nokian WR suv3. Superb in the wet or on frost and ice, even better in the snow.

I've just got some of these. Very pleased with them.

[Patrick Bateman]

I've been grateful for having them on this week. Icy main road all the way to work, nice to have some grip.

[Fox-]

Was hoping to get a chance to finally try the Ultragrip8's out this weekend but doesnt look like it'll snow after all. Doh!

[MG CHRIS]

The kumhos on my mx5 worked well on the way out of my estate up and down 2 hills, gripped and went straight up without a single wheel spin was very impressed. My mother on the other hand how is st scared of being in a car in any sort of snow was very nervous but she even mentioned who well it handled.

And this is from a car some call st in the snow.

[DailyHack]

My BMW 118d (another poor snow performer) performed brilliantly in the snow over the xmas period...found myself going round my village trying to get stuck, never happened, driving around stuck/spinning FWD and 4WD cars, with them all shouting to me.."You wont make it mate in that thing..." which they found I did, stopped, reversed, then moved off haha very smug feeling.

My car was safe and predictable, and this is the only reason this country crumbles when 2cm of snow falls to the ground....because no-one has winter tires, no education!

My winters of choice are Avon Ice Tourers, shod around some banged up E90 steelies (Continental Look)

Edited by DailyHack on Wednesday 14th January 23:42

Edited by DailyHack on Thursday 15th January 09:35

[rsv gone!]

My time on winter tyres had a rather ignominious start.

They've been on a few weeks and have felt very squishy compared with the RFs that were on the car. Temps have generally been too mild for them at up to 13 degrees.

On Monday morning one of my rears gained a puncture on a dark A road. I knew it wasn't right long before the OBC put up its warning but chose to keep going (slowly) to somewhere safe to stop.

I ended up having to get a taxi home to collect one of my Summers and a jack. That evening I changed the other three over. I have to say it felt like a relief to get the summers back on as I really didn't care for the winters at all. But then, it has been too mild for them.

So I've had to take them off just in time for the bad weather!

[andy-xr]

The thing is, and I've been thinking about this for a while, having the tyres on is great, ready for being able to get to places if you need to, but I dont really need to get anywhere that badly. Even if I did, what I've noticed in the snow is that pedestrians walk on the road which slows the cars down and you can guarantee that the queue you're sat in is on a road you could comfortably drive with your winter tyres, except most of those infront of you cant, so they're busy wheelspinning away getting nowhere while you're stuck behind them, having the ability but cant use it.

I'm off to Buxton this weekend, feel fairly OK about being able to get back, feel that it's probably worth having some stuff in the car to clear the way ahead of other motorists

[apotts]

andy-xr,

Your thoughts are good - especially for those who have the option of just not driving.

Sadly though for some of us we just have to drive. It's not negotiable. Furthermore, the "blocked road" is just not the point. In those conditions I have winter tyres in case I have to stop, or go round a corner, or maybe even up a hill. And thus they protect me from the embarrassment, inconvenience and expense of finding myself nosed into a hard object, in the ditch or simply sitting there like a tt with my wheels spinning before I get to the blocked road (which I have personally never encountered).

My last set of winters (Jag XF) were nearly new OE wheels with nearly new tyres on. They came off cars being sold in Germany, for some reason. Cost me just £579, mostly because they are unfashionable 17" wheels. Three seasons later I sold them, with the mostly worn tyres on, for £450. So a cost of £179. Except not - I saved about 20,000 miles worth of wear on my summer tyres. About £500 worth - so I am quids in by more than £300.

So - I save money, am safer, can go faster, don't get stuck and so on. Pretty easy choice over here.

Finally, and really this is the best bit, I can drive a pretty ttty car (535d M Sport) well known for being adorned with stupid massive road roller fashion victim wheels with lovely 17" rims on. Bonus!

[andyps]

andy-xr said:

The thing is, and I've been thinking about this for a while, having the tyres on is great, ready for being able to get to places if you need to, but I dont really need to get anywhere that badly. Even if I did, what I've noticed in the snow is that pedestrians walk on the road which slows the cars down and you can guarantee that the queue you're sat in is on a road you could comfortably drive with your winter tyres, except most of those infront of you cant, so they're busy wheelspinning away getting nowhere while you're stuck behind them, having the ability but cant use it.

I'm off to Buxton this weekend, feel fairly OK about being able to get back, feel that it's probably worth having some stuff in the car to clear the way ahead of other motorists

The problem with that Andy is that you might already be somewhere and need to get home after it has snowed unexpectedly. That happened to me on Boxing Day, I went to Preston and on the way back the M62 was pretty white and very slow because all those people who were unprepared for snow had blocked it. My brother had called me today and as we were speaking he said it had just gone white in front of him and that was lunchtime on his way home from work, nothing on the roads when he went out. But if you can definitely not go anywhere if there is a chance of snow or ice then you don't need winter tyres.

[andy-xr]

andyps said:

The problem with that Andy is that you might already be somewhere and need to get home after it has snowed unexpectedly. That happened to me on Boxing Day, I went to Preston and on the way back the M62 was pretty white and very slow because all those people who were unprepared for snow had blocked it. My brother had called me today and as we were speaking he said it had just gone white in front of him and that was lunchtime on his way home from work, nothing on the roads when he went out. But if you can definitely not go anywhere if there is a chance of snow or ice then you don't need winter tyres.

It's not that, I have 2 cars with winters on, it's just that it's semi pointless to have them when you're sat behind everyone who doesnt! Perhaps frustrating over pointless, I dont know. I dont think they warrant the urgency that some people give them, as in, they must absolutely have winters 'and it's snowing now, and wasnt that a good choice I made to have winters, I even went out trying to get stuck and couldnt' attitudes