winter tyres

[grumpyal]

Hi,
Few days ago I was reading on Forum about winter/snow tyres. That evening our local paper devopted pages saying that now is the time to put our winter tyres on. This is not for snow but because at 7C the normal tyres are too hard to grip the road properly. I'm now 65 and been driving since17 and this is the first time I've heard this theory. I don't read motoring mags so may have missed out on new thinking. I know that heat effects tyres but in our climate it is possible to get 10+C during the day and below7C in the evening and morning so following the instructions given I would be changing tryres few times each day. No wonder the paper suggested getting two sets of wheels and tyres. Not that I was going to oblige the tyre sellers but as I was calling into our local tyre depot I asked them about it and they said that it was a lot of rubbish as good tyres will work at all reasonable temperatures. As I say I can accept the need for snow tyres but this is a bit too much. At my age now if the roads are bad enough for special tyres perhaps I don't need to go out.
Al

[tucker]

Winter tyres are fairly new in the UK, but a must for some who live in more remote areas or on unadopted roads or on steep inclines.

After the last two winters we have just had, they have become more popular.

In parts of Europe they are compulsory during the winter months. They work better than normal tyres at lower temps because they have more silicone in them and provide improved performance. They work fine on milder days, so there's no problem using them above 7c, it's just they outperform and outlast normal tyres when the AVERAGE temp reaches 7c. Summer tyres become more brittle at cold temps, so they provide less grip and wear out much quicker when brittle.

I have had some fitted for winter. Basically there's no extra cost as my summer tyres will last longer as winter and cold weather is when they wear most. My winter tyres will also last several winters by changing them back next spring.

Last winter we had a blanket of snow here for 5+ weeks and I struggled as I live on the edge of the pennines. I had a few hairy moments with skidding and also getting stuck whilst out.

I can't take 6 weeks off work, so I have no choice but to go out.

[pch]

i live at 1000ft up a welsh mountain and last years was also snowed in for 3 weeks solid, even 4 wheel driver[ partners] couldnt get out so I now use winter tyres and snow chains [2 minute fit clack and goe`s] so i increase my chances of keeping mobile.
I think more and more people here will slowly realise the sense these tyres make...its a standing joke isn`t it...a bit of snow and we all come to a standstill. bloody hilarious...I always laugh about it. We are tight gits and dont want to spend on essetials, only booze and fags...[ generalising of course...not us "berlingoians"].

[Opensauce]

Winter tyres are for cold weather at any speed in any road conditions, not just for grip in snow. They will have better grip driving at motorway speeds in cold weather. Its your choice if you want to make the considerable investment. Normal way is to have them on a separate set of steel rims, fit them in Nov & leave on until March. It depends where you live, if you are in a rural area then a good idea if we do get snow this yr, but here in crowded Essex with the least snowfall of anywhere in the country, possibly not worth it if nobody stuck in the queue in front of you has them.

[jamesf]

We fitted a set of all season tyres, which have the same silica content as full on winters just not quite the same agressive tread pattern for deep snow, and they have been brilliant. No need to change each season either!

Hankook Optimo 4S. c.£50 each, fitted, on the 14" wheels on our Berlingo. Very much recommended

[3rensho]

I just put mine on this morning. Conti TS830's. Really noticed a big difference in noise level over the original Michelin Energy Savers. Much quieter.

[XTR]

Been holding off fitting my winter tyres seeing as the weather has been un-seasonally warm and mild.
But,I put them on last Friday and lo and behold,this week we've had quite severe frosts every morning since!

Here in Belgium we've had quite severe winters the past 3-4 years with temperatures down to -19c for several weeks along with plenty of snow.
Last winter was the first winter with the Berlingo,and it soon became apparent that the original Michelin Primacy's were next to useless in those conditions and were swapped for Kleber Quadraxer's on a spare set of rims.
The difference was apparent as soon as they were on,better traction,better braking and better steering control.
Although the Quadraxer's are all season tyres I only use them from November till March.

[corkgsxr]

Iv the all season hankooks too. Very good tire.

Tires are designed to work in a set temp range, this can be altered slightly with pressure. But if you go to high above the range you get exessive wear and drop in grip

Too low and you get a serious drop in grip and a small increase in wear

[Dannielle Steffen]

If I lived somewhere in a rural upland location - such as Cumbria, say - where my use of the car was both more important and the roads likely to be more hazardous, then this is something I would consider.

Given that I live in a city at little more than 10m above sea level, then no, and I suspect that will be true for the vast majority of the population.

Also, I can't help but feel that, particularly in terms of safety, one could be as safe on normal tyres driving at a slower speed than with winter tyres. Is it possibly a worry that these tyres would give drivers a false sense of security, and so drive too fast for the conditions?

[Snowman]

I drove 20+ years on normal tyres and got on fine, I tried winters last year and I'll never go back. You have about 10x the level of grip over a normal tyre with good tread on it. No false sense of security, just more security There's no need to change them every time the temp goes above 7 degrees, put them on in Nov/Dec and take them off again in Mar/Apr. You'll still go through 12 months of rubber so the extra cost is minimal (if any).

I was the same as most people and didn't think really they were worth it, snow is slippy how much better can they really be!? The best comparison I can give is, driving in snow on winters is like driving on a damp greasy road in Autumn, yes you can slide but you have to be driving briskly. After getting my tyres I tested them by stopping halfway up the steepest hill I could find, in 6" of fresh snow, and they pulled away with no fuss. Try that on regular tyres and you'll be sliding down the hill backwards.

Once you've tried it, you wont go back.