Winter tyres. Discuss.

[kerryxeg]

winter tyres are generally recommended for 7 deg and below, but I've run them on the German Autobahn in summer and they were fine, so I certainly wouldn't consider them unsafe above 7 deg, but they will wear quickly.

I think it is generally a case of getting used to them. Winter tyres tread are designed for traction and braking performance, the softer rubber will also offer a little extra lateral grip but it's not really going to be that significant compared to the traction aspect. The additional tread cuts etc and the fact that winter tyres are often narrower will generally result in less rubber contact, so lateral grip in corners may be less than with normal tyres. For normal driving this should be well within the bounds of safety, but if you choose to find the limit, it will be in a different place from what your used to.

[Dominic]

Edited to add - budget summer rubber has yet to be outfoxed by the Winter of 2011/12 ...

Shhhhh!!!!! That sort of comment will insight winter Armageddon


(currently feeling smug that I have not spent my hard earned cash on winter tyres - faction)

[Sanjøy]

Edited to add - budget summer rubber has yet to be outfoxed by the Winter of 2011/12 ...

Shhhhh!!!!! That sort of comment will insight winter Armageddon


(currently feeling smug that I have not spent my hard earned cash on winter tyres - faction)

32 pages and still no snow. Aviemore and Strathdon for me in two weeks time, I shall assume it will be 18 degrees.

[ryallm]

(currently feeling smug that I have not spent my hard earned cash on winter tyres - faction)

Me too Only one day of snow so far where I live and that melted away pretty quickly. Apart from that exceptionally mild with temps regulary into double figures C in December.

Plenty of time for another ice age in the next couple of months though...

Mark

[Stu160]

The Voyager had its first test at Pitlochry over new year, left it behind the pup, very steep hill, 2" of fresh snow when we went back, and it made it up on the 3rd try, which was not bad I thought, never have got up on summer tyres, or even a soft roader on its normal tyres, it is steep.
Mind you, the Subaru would have went up never even spun the wheels.........

Stu

[SAJ]

Advice from Continental:

It is recommended that you switch to winter tyres in the UK between October and April.

If you are reluctant to change tyres and have nowhere to store summer tyres when they are not in use, you are better off using winter tyres all year round.

Winter tyres are as quiet and comfortable as summer tyres and, thanks to sophisticated compound technology, do not wear any more quickly. I can vouch for this as I had them on all year on the Audi as I couldn't be bothered to change them.

There is a slight trade off with stopping distances as a winter tyre does not stop as quickly in the dry as a summer tyre, however, on balance if it is not possible to switch tyres in the winter, experts say you are better off with winter tyres all year round. This is because the difference in stopping distances of summer tyres in winter is far greater than for winter tyres in the summer.

[Mr Momo]

Mild Winter 1 - Winter Tyres 0

So far, nothing in Aberdeen, not even on our "hill", so beginning to snigger about the 34 pages of chat here. TrafficScotland webcams have only really been showing snow on the A9 at Drumochter and the Slochd, but not really anywhere else.

Alex Hill, met man, on BBC last night stating he expected the rest of Jan to be wet and windy (Westerlies), but generally mild (above freezing).

[thinfourth]

(currently feeling smug that I have not spent my hard earned cash on winter tyres - faction)

Its the 5th of january

I has shrek buried up to its axles in april 2010 so i wouldn't be too smug

[Sanjøy]

(currently feeling smug that I have not spent my hard earned cash on winter tyres - faction)

Its the 5th of january

I has shrek buried up to its axles in april 2010 so i wouldn't be too smug

Hmm snow hunting run anyone ?

[Mr Momo]

[Jeremy]

I think those who are saying "ha ha no snow" are spectacularly missing the point.

I'm not running winter tyres at the moment (well, standard fit M+S on the Volvo) but have used them in the past on several fwd and rwd cars.

Traction in snow is their least impressive quality. For me it's the cold, wet, damp dark winter mornings and evenings where they excel most. Grip levels are night and day compared to summer rubber and twitchiness is totally eliminated. There's also the smug satisfaction knowing that your summer rubber is being preserved and not being made hard and brittle by the cold weather.

The perceived 'cost' also diminishes when you find your £1k set of summer rubber lasts twice as long and when you sell the car and eBay the winter wheels and tyres for >50% of what you paid for them.

I'd echo comment made previously and say winter rubber should be standard fitment on all vehicles and summer rubber optional. I have a hunch that would prevent a lot more accidents than it would cause.

Regards,

Jeremy

[j2 lot]

Have to agree with the comments above. There has been so much rain and standing water that would have made for seat clenching motoring with summer tyres and the winter tyres are brilliant - no aquaplaning and squirming even on the M74 which has a terrible surface for holding water. Winter tyres have been a revelation.

Edit to add: Winter tyres also have a more compliant ride so the miriad of potholes are not quite so sore if you clatter in to them either.

[robin]

The standing water on the M74 is lethal - why is the drainage so poor? Even the bus fully laden (must be >2t) with new tyres on was squirming a bit on it.

Cheers,
Robin

[GregR]

I think those who are saying "ha ha no snow" are spectacularly missing the point.

Or alternatively they don't think the solution to safe driving is to slap on winter rubber and continue to drive in the same manner as they do in the summer, and drive in a manner approriate for the conditions?

[Rich H]

I think those who are saying "ha ha no snow" are spectacularly missing the point.

Or alternatively they don't think the solution to safe driving is to slap on winter rubber and continue to drive in the same manner as they do in the summer, and drive in a manner approriate for the conditions?

You are of course completely correct, you must still drive to the conditions but winter tyres will allow you to drive faster in inclement weather than summer tyres with the same safety margin.

I tested my winters the other morning when one of the mouthbreathers round here decided that looking both ways was too much like exersize and stepped into the road infront of me.
I doubt the summer boots would have stopped me as quickly in the cold/wet.