The joy of winter tyres.......
Discussion
humpbackmaniac said:
.......is not something I am familiar with! Stuck fast. Sliding sideways at tickover, and headed towards the gatepost, so will wait for a thaw and took the bike to work.
The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
Had this same situation on an E38 740iL. Bought a pair (yes, pair - rears only) of snow tyres for the following year and it transformed the car. Never got stuck again.The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
humpbackmaniac said:
.......is not something I am familiar with! Stuck fast. Sliding sideways at tickover, and headed towards the gatepost, so will wait for a thaw and took the bike to work.
The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
The sooner winter tyres become law in this country, the better. The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
pjv997 said:
My M3 was totally useless last year so purchased a set of winter wheels and tyres (but they arrived after the snow had gone)
They were brilliant on the weekend. My car felt more able in the snow than my wife's quattro TT on summer tyres.
Mine too. http://thumbsnap.com/9AzObX7oThey were brilliant on the weekend. My car felt more able in the snow than my wife's quattro TT on summer tyres.
Getting into 2nd can still be a challenge with the SMG on a slope, but can't deny the grip.
pjv997 said:
My M3 was totally useless last year so purchased a set of winter wheels and tyres (but they arrived after the snow had gone)
They were brilliant on the weekend. My car felt more able in the snow than my wife's quattro TT on summer tyres.
I was blown away by the difference on mine in the snow last weekend. However, now the snow has gone they make the car feel like the tyres are under-inflated so it's back on summers currently.They were brilliant on the weekend. My car felt more able in the snow than my wife's quattro TT on summer tyres.
monthefish said:
humpbackmaniac said:
.......is not something I am familiar with! Stuck fast. Sliding sideways at tickover, and headed towards the gatepost, so will wait for a thaw and took the bike to work.
The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
Had this same situation on an E38 740iL. Bought a pair (yes, pair - rears only) of snow tyres for the following year and it transformed the car. Never got stuck again.The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
) you will be upside down in a ditch last week 
CarbonBlackM5 said:
Still, its nice to know they are there and stopping distances are improved in cold and icey conditions.
I'm sure I read a review somewhere that said winter tyres only beat summer tyres if it's wet, icy or snow covered. If the road is dry then summer tyres provide more grip.y2blade said:
monthefish said:
humpbackmaniac said:
.......is not something I am familiar with! Stuck fast. Sliding sideways at tickover, and headed towards the gatepost, so will wait for a thaw and took the bike to work.
The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
Had this same situation on an E38 740iL. Bought a pair (yes, pair - rears only) of snow tyres for the following year and it transformed the car. Never got stuck again.The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
) you will be upside down in a ditch last week 
Yes.I think one of those 'experts' (i.e. no direct experience but happy to regurgitate what they 'read' elsewhere) tried to have a dig, but went very quiet when I pointed out that snow socks only get fitted to the driven wheels...
monthefish said:
y2blade said:
monthefish said:
humpbackmaniac said:
.......is not something I am familiar with! Stuck fast. Sliding sideways at tickover, and headed towards the gatepost, so will wait for a thaw and took the bike to work.
The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
Had this same situation on an E38 740iL. Bought a pair (yes, pair - rears only) of snow tyres for the following year and it transformed the car. Never got stuck again.The one week a year I yearn for a landrover!
) you will be upside down in a ditch last week Yes.I think one of those 'experts' (i.e. no direct experience but happy to regurgitate what they 'read' elsewhere) tried to have a dig, but went very quiet when I pointed out that snow socks only get fitted to the driven wheels...
I might get flamed for this but I really don't understand the need for winter tyres. Are they really that different from normal all year round tyres?
I have seen old / cheap knackered cars on cheap tyres quite happy grapple with heavy snowfall. Driving on snow and ice, for me, is all about technique and not everyone can do it. The vast majority of cars dumped by the side of the road I'm convinced is down to driving too fast for the given conditions. If you stay in low gears and are careful on the throttle you should be okay, plenty of people are. If you do get stuck on normal tyres then I would suggest you would have gotten stuck anyway even if you had winter tyres. The combined contact patch of all 4 tyres is something equivalent to a sheet of A4 paper I believe.
I'm not trolling by the way.
Discuss
/runs away/
I have seen old / cheap knackered cars on cheap tyres quite happy grapple with heavy snowfall. Driving on snow and ice, for me, is all about technique and not everyone can do it. The vast majority of cars dumped by the side of the road I'm convinced is down to driving too fast for the given conditions. If you stay in low gears and are careful on the throttle you should be okay, plenty of people are. If you do get stuck on normal tyres then I would suggest you would have gotten stuck anyway even if you had winter tyres. The combined contact patch of all 4 tyres is something equivalent to a sheet of A4 paper I believe.
I'm not trolling by the way.
Discuss
/runs away/
With the width of M rear wheels and the very limited tread on Michelin PS2's, my car was challenging to move on the flat (i.e. even get it moving and keep the momentum going).
And when required, I am able to drive with a gentle right foot - I was able to drive my 997 in the same conditions. Pretty much same tyre width but more weight over the rear wheels and slightly more tread in the Pirellis.
My car is manual - I would imagine it could be even more difficult in a DCT M3 or an E60/61 M5 with SMG.
And when required, I am able to drive with a gentle right foot - I was able to drive my 997 in the same conditions. Pretty much same tyre width but more weight over the rear wheels and slightly more tread in the Pirellis.
My car is manual - I would imagine it could be even more difficult in a DCT M3 or an E60/61 M5 with SMG.
t8cmf said:
I might get flamed for this but I really don't understand the need for winter tyres. Are they really that different from normal all year round tyres?
I have seen old / cheap knackered cars on cheap tyres quite happy grapple with heavy snowfall. Driving on snow and ice, for me, is all about technique and not everyone can do it. The vast majority of cars dumped by the side of the road I'm convinced is down to driving too fast for the given conditions. If you stay in low gears and are careful on the throttle you should be okay, plenty of people are. If you do get stuck on normal tyres then I would suggest you would have gotten stuck anyway even if you had winter tyres. The combined contact patch of all 4 tyres is something equivalent to a sheet of A4 paper I believe.
I'm not trolling by the way.
Discuss
/runs away/
Very good post. Although you will get flamed i agree with you. I have seen old / cheap knackered cars on cheap tyres quite happy grapple with heavy snowfall. Driving on snow and ice, for me, is all about technique and not everyone can do it. The vast majority of cars dumped by the side of the road I'm convinced is down to driving too fast for the given conditions. If you stay in low gears and are careful on the throttle you should be okay, plenty of people are. If you do get stuck on normal tyres then I would suggest you would have gotten stuck anyway even if you had winter tyres. The combined contact patch of all 4 tyres is something equivalent to a sheet of A4 paper I believe.
I'm not trolling by the way.
Discuss
/runs away/
t8cmf said:
I might get flamed for this but I really don't understand the need for winter tyres. Are they really that different from normal all year round tyres?
I have seen old / cheap knackered cars on cheap tyres quite happy grapple with heavy snowfall. Driving on snow and ice, for me, is all about technique and not everyone can do it. The vast majority of cars dumped by the side of the road I'm convinced is down to driving too fast for the given conditions. If you stay in low gears and are careful on the throttle you should be okay, plenty of people are. If you do get stuck on normal tyres then I would suggest you would have gotten stuck anyway even if you had winter tyres. The combined contact patch of all 4 tyres is something equivalent to a sheet of A4 paper I believe.
I'm not trolling by the way.
Discuss
/runs away/
Much of it is technique, but you cannot defy the laws of Physics. If you've never experienced winter tyres you wouldn't understand. If you had, you wouldn't have written what you did.I have seen old / cheap knackered cars on cheap tyres quite happy grapple with heavy snowfall. Driving on snow and ice, for me, is all about technique and not everyone can do it. The vast majority of cars dumped by the side of the road I'm convinced is down to driving too fast for the given conditions. If you stay in low gears and are careful on the throttle you should be okay, plenty of people are. If you do get stuck on normal tyres then I would suggest you would have gotten stuck anyway even if you had winter tyres. The combined contact patch of all 4 tyres is something equivalent to a sheet of A4 paper I believe.
I'm not trolling by the way.
Discuss
/runs away/
Great Pretender said:
If you've never experienced winter tyres you wouldn't understand. If you had, you wouldn't have written what you did.
I don't think thats true. I can only write what I have experienced myself. I've been driving for over 20 yrs now which is 20 winters in various forms of car (4 wheel drive / rear wheel drive / front wheel drive) and never once have I ever got stuck in snow and ice. I'm not a particularly gifted or special driver, just a normal one.For me the numbers don't add up. The number of people who utilize winter tyres in the UK are in the minority, more so now we are in a recession as people can't afford them. If you go about your working day you will see a handful of cars / vehicles stuck by the road or crashed because of the conditions. This means that millions of other people have safely navigated the snowy / icy conditions without incident....millions of drivers that don't possess winter tyres.
It all depends on where you live, and where you NEED to drive to.
No amount of driving skill is going to get you up a 1:9 hill where the road surface is packed snow. Especially when the approach to the hill has a couple of 90 degree bends immediately before it.
However, Winter tyres will allow you to get where you need to go.
If you live in London, and spend all of your time driving in London and on A roads / motorways, then you're probably right.
No amount of driving skill is going to get you up a 1:9 hill where the road surface is packed snow. Especially when the approach to the hill has a couple of 90 degree bends immediately before it.
However, Winter tyres will allow you to get where you need to go.
If you live in London, and spend all of your time driving in London and on A roads / motorways, then you're probably right.
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