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No

34 (82.9%)

Yes, when the roads are covered in snow

1 (2.4%)

Yes, from the end of October to the beginning of March

6 (14.6%)

Don't know

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 26

Voting closed: 25 January 2013, 21:19:08

[Varche]

A Norway story

We went to Norway Skiing, we were taken from Dagley airport (a runway on a frozen lake) with a wooden hut staffed by two personnel (ground control/customes/baggage handlers) to the ski resort. We sat at the front upstairs of the bus. The suitcases were in a trailer half the size of the bus towed behind. We went along a winter wonderland of roads covered in snow. Some fresh and some compacted. Not a sign of grit anywhere. I was impressed that the bus got up and down the hills and corners with no fuss whatsover and at a good speed. I remember telling Mrs V that the Scandinavians all have winter tyres with STUDS. I had actually seen a car at the airport with some. When we got off I had a close look at the bus tyres. NOT a single one had any studs, snow chains whatsover. Very impressive skillful driving. I now suspect they were winter tyres but they looked no different from normal.

Britain doesn't get enough bad weather to make the use of winter tyres compulsary. Maybe education would help but can you educate Pork? People who live in susceptible parts of the country ought to make arrangements. In 1974 we had a pair of wheels with SP44s? on them for my Mum's Mini.

[feeutfo]

Remember, winter tyres aren't just for snow.

Maybe so, but summer tyres of decent quality cope perfectly well in the winter above zero.

Unless to snows, which being generous is only a week of the year in this country, summer tyres are fine.

Winter tyres tend to work better than summers once down to about +5C...  ...which we do have lots of.  Some summer tyres start to really go off when approaching 0C.

So, without doubt, and I know you'll agree, at cold temps, winter tyres work best. So, on that basis, I think using winter tyres for the winter months here is a good idea. Though unenforcable, and in many cases, impractical due to our UK insurance companies not understanding the concept.


When it comes to snow and ice, narrower tyres work better. Although we don't really have enough snow to worry about this.

I have no experience of winter tyres. I accept there may be a performance advantage below 5c or is it 7c being mooted by the manufactures. "MAY". I'm suspscious of such advertising personally, but softer compounds and greater number of slotted tread blocks makes sense to me. There may be a slight advantage in grip just above zero. IF quality winter tyres are used.
 But let's take into account the weather we've had in the last month. Prior to this cold snap it was 13c in the Thames valley area for two weeks or so prior. It was exceptionally mild.

What are we to do there? Destroy winter tyres for the vast majority of the winter, so when it does snow they are cabbages anyway? Because its been made "compulsory" by some bell end in middle Europe?
 Or swap wheels every fortnight according to the jet stream on the off chance it might actually snow, or drop to 3c.

Or let's do what actually do now, ride the 1 week of bad weather out with tyres that suit the other 51 weeks of the year, re snow. And 49 weeks of the year re temp.

Don't get me wrong, if I thought there was an advantage to be had for the money,I'd have it tomorrow. I'm sure you'd agree with that.

Fact is, for southerners of this isle certainly, there's no call for winter tyres, and the related cost of extra set wheels and fitting for two weeks of cold weather with 1 week of snow thrown in, on average. That's just daft!

[YZ250]

I think we should be made to use winter tyres, but enforcement is going to be difficult. Remember, winter tyres aren't just for snow.

However, like 4x4's, I think winter tyres have one big, huge drawback - they lull people into a false sense of security, and this is when bigger accidents happen.

Agreed. 

From our house we have a slope up to the main road. When it snows heavy, a guy who lives near to us can't get up the slope in his Range Rover Vogue as he has massive bling alloys on it. Several times over the years my son has gone around him when the guy is stuck, stopped in front of the guys Range Rover and hooked a sling to the Range Rover and towed it up the slope. The guy is quite embarrassed about this but it's because of his choice of wheels and tyres. My sons truck is fitted with mud, snow and ice tyres and seems to cope very well, driven sensibly of course. 

[Varche]

Perhaps we are looking at this from the wrong angle.

Tyre manufacturers could make a general purpose tyre suitable for the extremes of British weather but perhaps lacking in performance. Once fitted the driver is expected to maintain proper distances as the braking lengths maybe not as good. They would have to display a sign saying AWT fitted and thus wouldn't be allowed to tailgate or dive in at the last minute when three lanes go into one etc).  Enthusiasts might have a set of "summer tyres" that they fit to get the most out of their car (country roads, last minute braking, track days etc). Problem solved.

NB we could call the tyres knobblies! 

[feeutfo]

Perhaps we are looking at this from the wrong angle.

Tyre manufacturers could make a general purpose tyre suitable for the extremes of British weather but perhaps lacking in performance. Once fitted the driver is expected to maintain proper distances as the braking lengths maybe not as good. They would have to display a sign saying AWT fitted and thus wouldn't be allowed to tailgate or dive in at the last minute when three lanes go into one etc).  Enthusiasts might have a set of "summer tyres" that they fit to get the most out of their car (country roads, last minute braking, track days etc). Problem solved.

NB we could call the tyres knobblies! 

all purpose tyres by default are compromised in all areas. Ie, they are Shite at everything. That I do have experience of.

[TheBoy]

But as most people buy plastic tyres, because they are round, and need an MOT, most cars out there are on tyres not suitable for summer, let alone winter...

[feeutfo]

But as most people buy plastic tyres, because they are round, and need an MOT, most cars out there are on tyres not suitable for summer, let alone winter...

They'd be better banning the 57 varitys IMO. Then we 'd have a better match to the conditions, on average.

And what's to stop the same drivers buying the same quality winter tyres? Equally hopeless.

[Varche]

Chris. I think you have missed my point (even though it was somewhat tongue in cheek). Tyre manufactures are currently driven by price, dry weather perfomance, mpg from lower rolling resistance. My point is that if winter tyre perfomance is such a problem then they ought to develop a better tyre for overall use. No one really wants two sets of wheels and the expense involved, storage and the hassle of paying someone to change them.

If tyre quality is an issue then that ought to be addressed by legislation.

[feeutfo]

Sigh... I agree fully. IF tyre performance is an issue.


The point your missing again is, it isn't in the uk. And cirtainly isnt is Spain.



Take this further, it's like the population of Spain demanding the population of Norway have summer tyres all year, because the weather in Spain doesn't warrant winter tyres!
If you choose to live up a mountain in Spain, your now asking the whole country to be forced to buy winter tyres! .... Because that's the mentality we're talking about.

[Varche]

At the top of the page4  I said "Britain doesn't get enough bad weather to make the use of winter tyres compulsary. Maybe education would help but can you educate Pork? People who live in susceptible parts of the country ought to make arrangements. In 1974 we had a pair of wheels with SP44s? on them for my Mum's Mini."

I agree with what you are saying. I voted No.
People in North Yorkshire, The Pennines,the Lake District and all of Scotland have managed for years. It is just Southerners(forum members excluded of course!) at the risk of inflaming those south of Watford Gap, who seem to have trouble at the laughably smallest amounts of snow.

The sad thing is that any legislation would have to cover the lowest common denominator i.e the dork.

[henryd]

Yep, so take a completely inappropriate tool and put your winter tyres on it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iXVYFmnJmno

 

He has significantly bigger balls than I do, I reckon! 

Sod that for a game of soldiers,he must have been bloody freezing

[feeutfo]

At the top of the page4  I said "Britain doesn't get enough bad weather to make the use of winter tyres compulsary. Maybe education would help but can you educate Pork? People who live in susceptible parts of the country ought to make arrangements. In 1974 we had a pair of wheels with SP44s? on them for my Mum's Mini."

I agree with what you are saying. I voted No.
People in North Yorkshire, The Pennines,the Lake District and all of Scotland have managed for years. It is just Southerners(forum members excluded of course!) at the risk of inflaming those south of Watford Gap, who seem to have trouble at the laughably smallest amounts of snow.

The sad thing is that any legislation would have to cover the lowest common denominator i.e the dork.

post 53 was in response to post 52. If there had been a post in between I would have quoted.
The legislation we are discussing revolves around enforcing winter tyres on the public. I missed the fact you appear to be talking about something else. I think? But detracting from summer tyre performance for a few rurals is not the way IMO. That was my point.

A tyre more orientated to mud and snow, is not going to improve summer tyre grip levels.

That was all.

[D]

Having sold my winters to Tunnie. I took the car out last week when it wasnt snowing, but the temps were around 2 - 8 deg C. The difference in grip was significant. Where I could confidently pull out of a junction on the Dunlop 3D's, I was spinning the Conti Sport Contact 3's a lot. I have changed my driving style to compensate for the summer tyres. But the difference for me is like using a good quality summer tyre in summer vs some cheap Chinese crap. And the SC3's are very good summer tyres. Despite this I have to drive extra carefully even when there is no snow, but the temperatures are low or in cold wet weather.

It is not about snow. It is about the amount of grip that the tyres provide once the temps dip below 8 deg C IMO.

Feel free to save money and argue about the fact that we dont get Nordic weather in the UK. My feeling after using dedicated winter tyres for the last 3-4 years is that I would not be without them between Nov - March. But then that is based on my experience rather than supposition or conspiracy theories.

If I can get the additional grip for about £500 over 5 years then that is a small price to pay.

[feeutfo]

Having sold my winters to Tunnie. I took the car out last week when it wasnt snowing, but the temps were around 2 - 8 deg C. The difference in grip was significant. Where I could confidently pull out of a junction on the Dunlop 3D's, I was spinning the Conti Sport Contact 3's a lot. I have changed my driving style to compensate for the summer tyres. But the difference for me is like using a good quality summer tyre in summer vs some cheap Chinese crap. And the SC3's are very good summer tyres. Despite this I have to drive extra carefully even when there is no snow, but the temperatures are low or in cold wet weather.

It is not about snow. It is about the amount of grip that the tyres provide once the temps dip below 8 deg C IMO.

Feel free to save money and argue about the fact that we dont get Nordic weather in the UK. My feeling after using dedicated winter tyres for the last 3-4 years is that I would not be without them between Nov - March. But then that is based on my experience rather than supposition or conspiracy theories.

If I can get the additional grip for about £500 over 5 years then that is a small price to pay.

A minor point over stated somewhat? No?
And you'd have been better off with summer tyres for at least half that period on average. If not more.
Plus I'd be interested to know how your getting sc3 to spin up so easily at that temp. I really would. Because I can't get them to do that with a lower geared dif fitted. ?

[Lazydocker]

Yep, so take a completely inappropriate tool and put your winter tyres on it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iXVYFmnJmno

 

Fantastically controlled though

Perhaps you should ask him for a lesson Kev