Normal cars on the snow and ice...!
Discussion
Just thinking...
The obvious choice for sludging about in the POTENTIAL WINTER HELL that we all get a bit carried-away over, is a 4x4... obviously.
But the advantages of a 4x4 are (I think) primarily; four-wheel-drive, ground clearance, big chunky tyres.
We've all seen the carnage when 4x4 owners omit to actually put suitable snow or mud tyres on, rendering their big lummox of a motor into a useless fat baby. But notwithstanding the ground clearance, what kind of snow performance can you squeeze out of more "normal" stuff...?
I'm thinking...
4x4 car, fitted with super winter tyres, as opposed to normal...
How good could it be?
About 2 years ago when we had some really bad snow I got up to the Tan Hill in my humble Ford Focus. If anybody doesn't know it, it's the highest pub in England, it's literally in the middle of f
king nowhere.
Anyway I set off to it to show my American GF at the time what a real old English pub was really like. I knew the snow was bad, I mean you only had to look out the window to know that so I decided to see how we got on. If the roads were gritted and clear we'd keep going but if at any point they were covered we would turn straight back.
I put a shovel in the back and a thick blanket and also brimmed the tank just in case the worse happened. Unfortunately it got to the point that turning back was not an option and that keeping going in the hope of getting to our destination was the safer option.
Anyway like I said the little Focus made it. With a lot of planning ahead when it came to hills and building the speed so the momentum would carry me over the top we made it.
This all to the surprise of the landlady's husband whos wife had got stuck in their Disco somewhere on another road.
He actually took the big tracked snowmobile thing they have to go pick her up while we were inside having a drink.
Looking back it was stupid setting off in the first place and I wouldn't do it again but it just shows you that even a normal family hatchback (on summer tyres) is capable of a lot.
If anyone visits it quite often I'd be curious if you'd ask her if she still remembers us. I haven't gone back since then so I never even got the chance to thank her for putting us up for the night. I did plan to write her a thankful letter but I never did and eventually I thought too much time had elapsed for it, but I regret it now.
Anyway nostalgic moment over.
king nowhere.Anyway I set off to it to show my American GF at the time what a real old English pub was really like. I knew the snow was bad, I mean you only had to look out the window to know that so I decided to see how we got on. If the roads were gritted and clear we'd keep going but if at any point they were covered we would turn straight back.
I put a shovel in the back and a thick blanket and also brimmed the tank just in case the worse happened. Unfortunately it got to the point that turning back was not an option and that keeping going in the hope of getting to our destination was the safer option.
Anyway like I said the little Focus made it. With a lot of planning ahead when it came to hills and building the speed so the momentum would carry me over the top we made it.
This all to the surprise of the landlady's husband whos wife had got stuck in their Disco somewhere on another road.
He actually took the big tracked snowmobile thing they have to go pick her up while we were inside having a drink.
Looking back it was stupid setting off in the first place and I wouldn't do it again but it just shows you that even a normal family hatchback (on summer tyres) is capable of a lot.
If anyone visits it quite often I'd be curious if you'd ask her if she still remembers us. I haven't gone back since then so I never even got the chance to thank her for putting us up for the night. I did plan to write her a thankful letter but I never did and eventually I thought too much time had elapsed for it, but I regret it now.
Anyway nostalgic moment over.
Edited by DanielC4GP on Thursday 22 December 04:38
DanielC4GP said:
About 2 years ago when we had some really bad snow I got up to the Tan Hill in my humble Ford Focus. If anybody doesn't know it, it's the highest pub in England, it's literally in the middle of fking nowhere.
Anyway I set off to it to show my American GF at the time what a real old English pub was really like. I knew the snow was bad, I mean you only had to look out the window to know that so I decided to see how we got on. If the roads were gritted and clear we'd keep going but if any point they were covered we would turn straight back.
I put a shovel in the back and a thick blanket and also brimmed the tank just in case the worse happened. Unfortunately it got to the point that turning back was not an option and that keeping going in the hope of getting to our destination was the safer option.
Anyway like I said the little Focus made it. With a lot of planning ahead when it came to hills and building the speed so the momentum would carry me over the top we made it.
This all to the surprise of the landlady's husband who's wife had got stuck in their Disco somewhere on another road.
He actually took the big tracked snowmobile thing they have to go pick her up while we were inside having a drink.
Looking back it was stupid setting off in the first place and I wouldn't do it again but it just shows you that even a normal family hatchback (on summer tyres) is capable of a lot.
If anyone visit's it quite often I'd be curious if you'd ask her if she still remembers us. I haven't gone back since then so I never even got the chance to thank her for putting us up for the night. I did plan to write her a thankful letter but I never did and eventually I thought too much time had elapsed for it, but I regret it now.
Anyway nostalgic moment over.
So the roads were gritted and clear and you made it to a pub? fking nowhere.Anyway I set off to it to show my American GF at the time what a real old English pub was really like. I knew the snow was bad, I mean you only had to look out the window to know that so I decided to see how we got on. If the roads were gritted and clear we'd keep going but if any point they were covered we would turn straight back.
I put a shovel in the back and a thick blanket and also brimmed the tank just in case the worse happened. Unfortunately it got to the point that turning back was not an option and that keeping going in the hope of getting to our destination was the safer option.
Anyway like I said the little Focus made it. With a lot of planning ahead when it came to hills and building the speed so the momentum would carry me over the top we made it.
This all to the surprise of the landlady's husband who's wife had got stuck in their Disco somewhere on another road.
He actually took the big tracked snowmobile thing they have to go pick her up while we were inside having a drink.
Looking back it was stupid setting off in the first place and I wouldn't do it again but it just shows you that even a normal family hatchback (on summer tyres) is capable of a lot.
If anyone visit's it quite often I'd be curious if you'd ask her if she still remembers us. I haven't gone back since then so I never even got the chance to thank her for putting us up for the night. I did plan to write her a thankful letter but I never did and eventually I thought too much time had elapsed for it, but I regret it now.
Anyway nostalgic moment over.
k me send the lad a trophy and a note asking him to ease off on the apostrophes.66comanche said:
...asking him to ease off on the apostrophes.
Apostrophe's Shirley?It's appropriate tyres, followed by driver ability, followed by car configuration (gearbox, FWD/RWD/4x4, power delivery, electronics) & weight distribution. Then it mostly comes down to colour, air freshener, choice of music etc...
Randy Winkman said:
If you went to Sweden now - you'd find most people driving "normal" 2wd cars with suitable winter tyres, and doing just fine. The tyres would look like this though:
Damn right. And they work a treat. Ice, snow, slush - everyone just carries on as normal. A metre can fall overnight here, and everyone gets to work the next day. (Apart from those in Stockholm and Gothenburg 
)Liquid Knight said:
Greetings Scott; my fellow Canadian.
It doesn't matter what you drive in snow it's how you drive.
Born in Canada, live in Scotland. Rest of family is all Scottish. It doesn't matter what you drive in snow it's how you drive.
After heavy snow, our cars can't get out to the main roads (we live in the country), only the 4x4's manage. It's the deep powder along the single track road to our house that causes the problem.
For the Swedish winter tyres - not necessarily with studs though (by the way - that pic looks like one of the enviro-friendly lesser studded tyres - they usually have more than that - or did ). The Swedes and Norwegians also run quite a few non-studded winter tyres. These are a requirement for one street in Stockholm, and it incurs a daily charge in Oslo for studded tyres (piggdekk). Otherwise for Sweden, winter tyres are a legal requirement from 1st dec to 31st Mar (when it's a "winter road" - ie below 5 degs).
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