RE: Ringside Seat: winter tyred
Discussion
The general attitude in the UK when it comes to snow is appaulling - the amount of people completely against winter tyres is a disturbing. The only thing that should stop you getting around in the snow is when it so deep that you completely ground out. I can't understand the amount of people trying to spin their way along UK roads in their porsche or beemer and yet they can't afford a set of winter tyres?! Remember those 4 small contact points are essentially the only thing keeping you on the road. Had about 20+ inches of snow this year in Scandinavia - no issues so far.
Maybe we don't need a full on winter tyre, but i am beginning to think that a good all season tyre during the late autumn / winter / early spring. I do about 25,000 miles per year so I can easily justify it.
In the south of England it rarely gets cold enough for a winter tyre to be effective (I keep hearing that they work best when average temp is minus 7).
An all season tyre seems to be best compromise for the English weather.
In the south of England it rarely gets cold enough for a winter tyre to be effective (I keep hearing that they work best when average temp is minus 7).
An all season tyre seems to be best compromise for the English weather.
Half the problem is that they get called snow tyres, which isn't correct really. They work from 7 degrees down, and although the air temperature may be higher, the road surface may not be.
I put a set on my daughters C3 in December (as she only passed her test in the summer so needs all the help she can get
) I borrowed it one morning when it had snowed and decided to see what diference they made. I took the route with the most obscure (read unused) roads and I could drive them without any issue at all. On one I was being followed by a Subaru and when the snow hit about 8 inches deep I kept going and he skidded sideways off the road at the first bend. I reversed back to see if he was OK and he was most annoyed he couldn't keep up with me - his face was a picture when I told him I was on winter tyres.
I think they make a big difference be it cold, wet or snowy - next year the rest of our cars will get them.
I put a set on my daughters C3 in December (as she only passed her test in the summer so needs all the help she can get
) I borrowed it one morning when it had snowed and decided to see what diference they made. I took the route with the most obscure (read unused) roads and I could drive them without any issue at all. On one I was being followed by a Subaru and when the snow hit about 8 inches deep I kept going and he skidded sideways off the road at the first bend. I reversed back to see if he was OK and he was most annoyed he couldn't keep up with me - his face was a picture when I told him I was on winter tyres.I think they make a big difference be it cold, wet or snowy - next year the rest of our cars will get them.
Zezze englishh and dere snow dayeze! Ve germans would never be zis inefficient! Every vone must get to ze workplace on time!
Nah, sorry, although I wholeheatedly agree with the winter tyre debate, i'm happy to leave our laws alone over in Britain. We all work ourselves to the bone, most of us missing out on valuable time with families and such and having over-planned, crammed weekends. For a day or two a year, journeying to the park (as there's simply nothing else to do!) and enjoying the snow with friends and family is a pleasure. Everyone grinning and having fun and getting covered in snow whilst feeling like we're 5 years old again.
The germans can keep they're well organised efficiency, over here, I appreciate that we have (what I call) 'character'.
Nah, sorry, although I wholeheatedly agree with the winter tyre debate, i'm happy to leave our laws alone over in Britain. We all work ourselves to the bone, most of us missing out on valuable time with families and such and having over-planned, crammed weekends. For a day or two a year, journeying to the park (as there's simply nothing else to do!) and enjoying the snow with friends and family is a pleasure. Everyone grinning and having fun and getting covered in snow whilst feeling like we're 5 years old again.
The germans can keep they're well organised efficiency, over here, I appreciate that we have (what I call) 'character'.
Yep - it's definitely PLUS 7 celsius and below for winters to work well, but that doesn't mean they are a disaster above that and they certainly have other benefits - better water displacement in the rain, wet stopping distances etc. A certain car mag did a winter tyre test recently - made for good reading.
Been using them on my Focus ST for 5 winters now - can't recommend them enough.
Dale is 100% bang on with this thread...
Been using them on my Focus ST for 5 winters now - can't recommend them enough.
Dale is 100% bang on with this thread...
I just spent a week in the arctic circle (Rovaniemi and North to Levi) driving* on snow and ice covered roads in a bog stock Skoda something-or-other estate.
It had winter tyres with studs (Finland has the same Winter tyre law). We regularly saw 80mph through bends, 100mph on some straights, and cruised on 75mph most of the time.
-20 deg revealed the Skoda's door and window seals to be poor, rear heated screen useless, front windscreen wipers a waste of time, headlights to develop faults and in 1500kms, not nearly length in the seat area of the front seats.
But the winter tyre grip was nothing short of epic, a real eye-opener. To say nothing of the Finn's ability to deal with snow.
* I wasn't actually driving. My Finnish colleague was. I was mostly sat in the passenger seat. Praying.
It had winter tyres with studs (Finland has the same Winter tyre law). We regularly saw 80mph through bends, 100mph on some straights, and cruised on 75mph most of the time.
-20 deg revealed the Skoda's door and window seals to be poor, rear heated screen useless, front windscreen wipers a waste of time, headlights to develop faults and in 1500kms, not nearly length in the seat area of the front seats.
But the winter tyre grip was nothing short of epic, a real eye-opener. To say nothing of the Finn's ability to deal with snow.
* I wasn't actually driving. My Finnish colleague was. I was mostly sat in the passenger seat. Praying.
iamAlegend said:
I think instead of mandatory winters, the minimum tread depth should be brought up, this will help a lot in the wet and snowy conditions.
Wrong answer. Tyres are effected by temperature as much as the stuff they drive on. The rubber hardens and you get effected by the mysterious 'black ice' that Britain uses as an excuse for crashing on a frosty morning. 
No comments about the type of snow / the average temperature?
In places where it gets properly cold, the snow never melts. Even when it's driven over, it just turns to powder. Keeps the roads very drivable and far, far, less slippy than compacted snow / ice.
In the UK we get the annoying weather patterns where it drops to -3 or so, snows, but it's not that cold, so just driving over the snow, squashing it, warms it up just enough to melt slightly, and then it freezes again. Into compacted snow or ice.
So we get some snow, and maybe a week or two of cold temps (below 0C), and those temps make it very likely the snow will turn into compacted snow / ice and then sit there getting icier for the rest of the week / fortnight. Pain in the posterior if you just want to get around.
In places where it gets properly cold, the snow never melts. Even when it's driven over, it just turns to powder. Keeps the roads very drivable and far, far, less slippy than compacted snow / ice.
In the UK we get the annoying weather patterns where it drops to -3 or so, snows, but it's not that cold, so just driving over the snow, squashing it, warms it up just enough to melt slightly, and then it freezes again. Into compacted snow or ice.
So we get some snow, and maybe a week or two of cold temps (below 0C), and those temps make it very likely the snow will turn into compacted snow / ice and then sit there getting icier for the rest of the week / fortnight. Pain in the posterior if you just want to get around.
cvega said:
uk is about the only country in europe that cannot handle 2cm of snow. Laughable, really. Inventors of everything, can't use a snowplow.
To be fair (this is going to sound very British Rail apologist), we do typically have a "different sort of snow". The relatively high temperatures here mean that our snow quickly gets wet and makes it much harder to deal with on a large scale. Harder to clear, harder to drive on etcIn very cold places, the snow is so cold that its bone dry. Easy to clear, easier to drive on, doesnt compact to ice as easily etc.
Its not as straight forward as "You can either deal with snow or you cant.", I don't think.
Name that tyre in....
Kleber Quadraxers????
I've got those on the front of my trusty old Focus. Makes for some interesting oversteer on occasions but it will never get stuck.
Couldn't justify the expense on the BMW E61 though, just don't go far enough in it to be needed, or leave it at home.
LewisR said:
I've been totally convinced since '03 and have owned a set since '08. Will never have a car now without a set.
It'd be interesting to know the performance advantage, if any, in rain for any temperature as having "rain tyres" is a far more convincing argument in the UK than trying to sell someone "snow tyres". My opinion is that they're far better on wet raods than summer tyres, even in the summer.
That's not my experience at all. As temps hit double digits, even on dry roads they are very 'squirmy' and prone to losing traction as evidenced by my stability control lights flashing under acceleration.It'd be interesting to know the performance advantage, if any, in rain for any temperature as having "rain tyres" is a far more convincing argument in the UK than trying to sell someone "snow tyres". My opinion is that they're far better on wet raods than summer tyres, even in the summer.
I once drove on a new set of Winters through a central-European Summer and although you could certainly drive on them with care, you really needed to take them into account at all times.
It's a balancing act - I keep mine on in the UK from Dec through Feb when they definitely offer an advantage in the conditions that I typically experience. I wouldn't keep them on much longer than mid-March though and generally wouldn't put them on much before Mid-Nov.
sc0tt said:
A winter tyre news article at the end of winter.
Someone forget to hit "Publish"?
It's not because you don't have snow in the UK that we are without it Someone forget to hit "Publish"?
It's just stopped snowing here for the moment (after a whole morning of the white stuff), and they are giving up to 4 inches for this weekend...
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