Winter tyres vol 2

[funkyrobot]

1 to 2 degrees this morning on the way to work, albeit quite dry and nice and sunny. Quite frosty too and had to scrape the car windscreen for the first time this winter.

The winters seemed to come alive. I didn't notice any Haribo Gold Bear roll at all. It was if I had some good summers on with quite a bit of grip. Felt more confident that cracking on this morning wouldn't chew them up either.

[hondafanatic]

funkyrobot said:

1 to 2 degrees this morning on the way to work, albeit quite dry and nice and sunny. Quite frosty too and had to scrape the car windscreen for the first time this winter.

The winters seemed to come alive. I didn't notice any Haribo Gold Bear roll at all. It was if I had some good summers on with quite a bit of grip. Felt more confident that cracking on this morning wouldn't chew them up either.

Completely agree with everything you've said...

[RizzoTheRat]

jshell said:

jon- said:

RizzoTheRat said:

Well I was quite impressed with the ContiVikingContacts on the hire car this afternoon on fresh snow which isn't usually too bad but it was a bloody steep hill. No idea where they sit kin Contis range as Google just turns up loads of sites in Norwegian.

They're a nordic winter, not really suitable for the UK.

Well they're used on the Southerly West coast of Norway which is the same weather as Glasgow, so they might just be OK!

Don't be put off by Nordics, they're fine for the UK! My old Merc ran Nokian Hakkapelitta s nearly all year round in Scotland.

I used them from 0 degrees on icy patches to about 12 degrees on both dry and soaking wet roads, coped well with everything. Must admit I'd previously assumed a Nordic tyre would be optimised for snow but they seemed a good all rounder.

[jon-]

RizzoTheRat said:

jshell said:

jon- said:

RizzoTheRat said:

Well I was quite impressed with the ContiVikingContacts on the hire car this afternoon on fresh snow which isn't usually too bad but it was a bloody steep hill. No idea where they sit kin Contis range as Google just turns up loads of sites in Norwegian.

They're a nordic winter, not really suitable for the UK.

Well they're used on the Southerly West coast of Norway which is the same weather as Glasgow, so they might just be OK!

Don't be put off by Nordics, they're fine for the UK! My old Merc ran Nokian Hakkapelitta s nearly all year round in Scotland.

I used them from 0 degrees on icy patches to about 12 degrees on both dry and soaking wet roads, coped well with everything. Must admit I'd previously assumed a Nordic tyre would be optimised for snow but they seemed a good all rounder.

The benefit of European winters is they can be used at the warmer temperatures we get in the UK without /too much/ compromise.

Nordics really don't compare in those conditions, and given the last couple of winters, I really wouldn't recommend nordic winter tyres for anywhere south of Aberdeen.

[jshell]

jon- said:

RizzoTheRat said:

jshell said:

jon- said:

RizzoTheRat said:

Well I was quite impressed with the ContiVikingContacts on the hire car this afternoon on fresh snow which isn't usually too bad but it was a bloody steep hill. No idea where they sit kin Contis range as Google just turns up loads of sites in Norwegian.

They're a nordic winter, not really suitable for the UK.

Well they're used on the Southerly West coast of Norway which is the same weather as Glasgow, so they might just be OK!

Don't be put off by Nordics, they're fine for the UK! My old Merc ran Nokian Hakkapelitta s nearly all year round in Scotland.

I used them from 0 degrees on icy patches to about 12 degrees on both dry and soaking wet roads, coped well with everything. Must admit I'd previously assumed a Nordic tyre would be optimised for snow but they seemed a good all rounder.

The benefit of European winters is they can be used at the warmer temperatures we get in the UK without /too much/ compromise.

Nordics really don't compare in those conditions, and given the last couple of winters, I really wouldn't recommend nordic winter tyres for anywhere south of Aberdeen.

You got any links or info to support that assertion? Last winter half of Norway was tooling about on Nordics in up to 18degC and there wasn't endless carnage or people changing tyres every 5 minutes.

Nokian, who do Nordic compounds say that you can run their tyres all year round - even through summer. Why do you say they are unsuitable for the UK?

[TEKNOPUG]

jshell said:

You got any links or info to support that assertion? Last winter half of Norway was tooling about on Nordics in up to 18degC and there wasn't endless carnage or people changing tyres every 5 minutes.

Nokian, who do Nordic compounds say that you can run their tyres all year round - even through summer. Why do you say they are unsuitable for the UK?

He didn't say that they were unsuitable, only that he wouldn't recommend them. Sure you can run them all year round but in dry conditions above 6-7 degrees, a summer tyre will be considerably superior. Most probably in the wet too, depending on the make. So you have to consider how much of your driving is spent in ice, snow, low temps against dry/wet, warm temps.

In Oslo, 6 months of the year the temp averages less than 6c. If you live in Birmingham, it's more like 3 months.

Look at any of the tyre tests and compare dry braking/performance between summer & winter tyres.

[SwissJonese]

Winter tyres put on the Merc this morning - Pirelli Sotto Zero tyres on 17inch Merc Alloys:-

[tenohfive]

SwissJonese said:

Winter tyres put on the Merc this morning - Pirelli Sotto Zero tyres on 17inch Merc Alloys:-

3's?
Very good tyres, performed well over the last year.

[GreatGranny]

PlayersNo6 said:

Putting my winters on this week I reckon. Cooper WeatherMaster Snow on the Vectra and General Altimax Winter+ on the Galaxy.

Has Berkshire got its own micro climate? :-)

[SwissJonese]

tenohfive said:

3's?
Very good tyres, performed well over the last year.

Nope older ones - SERIE II - but where brilliant last winter.

[ZiggyNiva]

jon- said:

Sleepers said:

ZiggyNiva said:

Has anyone used Matador MP 59's? I'm looking at a second hand set of alloys with these currently fitted. The car will only be used for short journeys (less then 10 miles) to and from work. I would normally get a set of Nokian D3's, but if the MP 59's are any good it may save me a few quid.

I tried to find out about those too but very little info out there unfortunately.

Well reviewed: http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Matador/MP-59-No...

I'd be more interested in their all season tbh: http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2013-Auto-Bil... , but then if you're going all season, there are better tyres.

Well i'm going to give them ago and see how they do. They have come with 2x7mm and 2x7.5mm on a set of alfa giulietta alloys for a ton. I shall put up a review once i've tested them suitably.

[Fox-]

jshell said:

You got any links or info to support that assertion? Last winter half of Norway was tooling about on Nordics in up to 18degC and there wasn't endless carnage or people changing tyres every 5 minutes.

Last year 99% of the UK was tooling about on summer tyres and there wasn't endless carnage or people changing tyres every 5 minutes so I'm not really sure what your point is there

[blueg33]

Waiting in my garage is a new set of black wheels shod with Yoko W drives for the Evora.

They will go on when

The average daily temp is around 7 degree or lower or a regular basis
There is snow forecast
There is heavy frost forecast (our rural roads don't get gritted)

For the last 8 years I have had 4wd cars so managed in the snow, I am not sure the Evora would get me out of the village in snow unless I have winter tyres

[MG CHRIS]

Well temps have dropped big time this week so decided to swap over to my winter wheels/tyres on my mx5 good timing as my rear tyres were on the tread limit markers. Gone from the 16s to the original 14s alloys lets see the snow as last year was st.

[funkyrobot]

4 degrees this morning with wet, mucky roads. The winters were great.

Was able to overtake other cars with confidence and had a lot of grip on the twisty bits.

I chose to have them fitted due to the nature of the roads on my commute. I'm pleased I made that decision now.

[hondafanatic]

funkyrobot said:

4 degrees this morning with wet, mucky roads. The winters were great.

Was able to overtake other cars with confidence and had a lot of grip on the twisty bits.

I chose to have them fitted due to the nature of the roads on my commute. I'm pleased I made that decision now.

Have you noticed, if you've had the chance, the almost on/off switch these tyres have around the 7 or 8 degrees mark?

I could be talking a load of bull and it's all in my head...

[belleair302]

Men don't usually go on for another two weeks....lets see what happens weatherise. Close but not close enough. Conti Winters on a Lexus LS!!!

[Bonefish Blues]

This weekend if Tyre Leader do their bit.

[hondafanatic]

belleair302 said:

Men don't usually go on for another two weeks....lets see what happens weatherise.

I can nearly see the joke in there...raining men...something, something...ooo'er missus.

[funkyrobot]

hondafanatic said:

Have you noticed, if you've had the chance, the almost on/off switch these tyres have around the 7 or 8 degrees mark?

I could be talking a load of bull and it's all in my head...

I haven't directly witnessed that, but I know what you mean. It was warm again towards the end of last week so the Gold Bears were indeed out.