100 days of snow ..on the way!

[truman]

Don't disagree with that

 

Though I'm well used to severe winters (as in, minus double digits Celsius daytime) and I can't say I've ever needed winter tyres. I'd only consider them if I was living north of Denmark or further into the Continent than Strasbourg. Or if 2010-grade winters became the norm in the UK, rather than the exception.

 

Maybe not needed but they are noticeably better in cold weather and I've had them for the past 5 or so years..they are an outlay to start off with but obviously my other tyres last longer 'cos they're only used for 4/5 months of the year...

[tzijlstra]

I'd love to see you try it with my summer tyres in my car on a steep hill. You won't be going anywhere.

 

Depending on the car you have I am game for it. If it is a Mazda MX5 it might be a different story of course

 

I am not saying it is possible for every car, every hill, but way too often on our road, which I guess is about a 6-8% incline I see people in cars that should be able to do it, losing control due to the fact that they over-accelerate, they expect the car to respond like it does in normal conditions and don't even consider trying to go up in a higher gear and lower revs.

 

It really isn't rocket science, but the fact that it is such a rare occurrence in the UK makes it look like it is rocket science. I go to the Scottish Highlands a lot and one of our acquaintances there drives a 1997 Polo with 1l engine, they never have a problem doing a 24 mile drive down to Fort William on the tightest wibbly-wobbly ungritted roads: experience counts.

[L00b]

1997 Polo with 1l engine

Which weighs about as much as my PC and has tyres the width of a matchbox, so of course they're going to find the going pretty easy on anything

 

There's a reason the 2CV is still considered by so many the best snow-driving car ever, and ice-rallying cars' wheels to this day look like hub-mounted pizza wheels

[tzijlstra]

Which weighs about as much as my PC and has tyres the width of a matchbox, so of course they're going to find the going pretty easy on anything

 

There's a reason the 2CV is still considered by so many the best snow-driving car ever, and ice-rallying cars' wheels to this day look like hub-mounted pizza wheels

 

Haha, that is true

 

Also just had time to see Truman's video - from a standing start very few cars will get uphill without winter-tyres unless there are patches in the road where grip can be found (which clearly isn't the case on a snowslope).

 

Either way, for those occasions that it really is full on snow everywhere (10 days in the last 7 years, out of memory, most in winter of 2010) you can spend half of what you'd spend on a winter tyre and get a set of tyre-socks or snow chains and be even better off.

[truman]

Haha, that is true

 

Also just had time to see Truman's video - from a standing start very few cars will get uphill without winter-tyres unless there are patches in the road where grip can be found (which clearly isn't the case on a snowslope).

 

Either way, for those occasions that it really is full on snow everywhere (10 days in the last 7 years, out of memory, most in winter of 2010) you can spend half of what you'd spend on a winter tyre and get a set of tyre-socks or snow chains and be even better off.

 

As I said earlier winter tyres aren't just for "full on snow"......plus it's a faff to have to put on/take off snowchains/socks....far easier to have a set of tyres...here's a comparison of tyres on ice...

 

Edited October 15, 2014 by truman

[Doom]

Also just had time to see Truman's video - from a standing start very few cars will get uphill without winter-tyres unless there are patches in the road where grip can be found (which clearly isn't the case on a snowslope).

 

My first test of my Autosocks was a few years ago at my Mum and Dad's house.

 

They live on a reasonably steep hill at the bottom of Grenoside.

 

We'd had about 3 - 4 inches of fresh snow overnight and I decided to set off back home in the morning (I stay at my parents after a skin full of beer on a Saturday night ).

 

I reversed off the drive and tried to gently accelerate up the road, but the wheels couldn't get any traction in the snow. The car was sliding to the side whether I accelerated gently or put my foot down. I found myself being in the embarrassing position of facing diagonally across the road, blocking it in both directions if anybody else ventured out (fortunately I was the only one).

 

I decided it was time to give my new Autosocks a try, so I placed them on both front wheels, wearing the supplied marigold gloves, and got back in my car expecting to still be stuck in a very embarrassing position.

 

Absolutely no problem, the car immediately got traction and off I headed up the road, feeling very smug about my new purchase.

 

I'm not sure if there's a moral to the story, but it certainly gives you confidence to venture out in the snow if you know you have something that will get you out of any tricky situation.

 

Regards

 

Doom

 

---------- Post added 15-10-2014 at 16:36 ----------

 

As I said earlier winter tyres aren't just for "full on snow"......plus it's a faff to have to put on/take off snowchains/socks....far easier to have a set of tyres...here's a comparison of tyres on ice...

 

 

I think the problem for a lot of people like myself is finding space to store the old tyres.

 

I keep the Autosocks in the back of my car and whilst it's a bit of a pain putting them on/taking them off, it doesn't take more than a couple of minutes.

 

If you've got the space I can see the benefits of winter tyres, especially for drivers who feel nervous in the snow/ice (Mrs Doom ).

 

Regards

 

Doom

 

---------- Post added 15-10-2014 at 16:37 ----------

 

Just to add....I don't have shares in Autosocks.....Honest.

 

Regards

 

Doom

[L00b]

Just to add....I don't have shares in Autosocks.....Honest.

Whereas I wouldn't be surprised to find that truman does have some Michelin or Vredestein shares

 

It's far less of a faff to have to put on/take off snowchains/socks on those extremely rare occasions the conditions are such as to need them (personally I count such occasions on three fingers since 2010 included, and that includes two particularly bad Xmases in north east France, 2010 and 2012) than to change and store a second full set of wheels twice a year.

 

And the irony is that on the first of those 3 occasions I didn't yet have a set, and on the third I'd unloaded them with everything else as soon as we'd arrived in France and forgot to put them back in the boot (so did without...laboriously. Zero doubt that if I'd had them, they'd have been on, what with a 50-odd mile trip with my dad and great-aunt in the car, close to a foot of fresh snow everywhere, none of it cleared whatsoever)

 

But hey-ho. My opinion, which I don't hold to be a universal truth.

Edited October 15, 2014 by L00b

[BoyFromSmoke]

Cant wait to get the mini out, std tyres and flies through the snow

[denomis]

 

 

might be worth a look...

 

The guy keeps saying the kuga is all wheel drive when it's not, it's 4wd and in my experience the kuga is quite bobbins anyway in snow.

Year before last one got stuck in the snow going up rails road, we just sailed past it in the impreza.

 

http://www.subaru.com.au/car-advice/awd-vs-4wd

Edited October 15, 2014 by denomis

[Guest]

Depending on the car you have I am game for it. If it is a Mazda MX5 it might be a different story of course

 

It's an RX7 so that's why I said it

 

Believe me I've tried in the snow on summer tyres, 1st gear starts, 2nd gear, extremely low revs and they just spin. That's why I was carrying bits of old carpet around in the boot....just in case.