Winter tyres.

[Yorkie]

I think we'd more or less got used to winters with little snow, that doesn't hang around for long, but last winter was (hopefully!) exceptional, given that it started on 28 Nov and hung around till well into the New Year. I live in East Yorks, on the outskirts of Hull, where it's flat as a pancake, but my younger son lives in Matlock Bath up a 1-in-3 hill near the Heights of Abraham, and works in Chesterfield, so you'll know the terrain. He's been there 12 years, and apart from last year, I can only remember a few winter days when he couldn't get his car on the road and over the hills to Chesterfield and back. Remarkable really.

I don't bother with winter tyres, but in many European countries they're mandatory from about Oct-March. It has to be remembered that they perform much better in cold weather - not simply in ice and snow. I tend not to take the car out in snow if I can avoid it, because it's not your own driving that's the issue, but other people's. Its clear that many drivers haven't much of a clue as to driving techniques in such weather, and are accidents waiting to happen.

I know what the terrain is like where Colin lives, having visited him, and can well understand why he has the good sense to fit winter tyres.

David.

[Skywave]

An interesting Thread with much good advice. Driving in hazardous conditions: ice & snow: as always, experience is invaluable. Obviously, if the snow is up to your axles,  :s   then what follows doesn't apply, but whenever I have found myself in such aforesaid conditions, I find that I keep saying to myself, in my head: "No sudden changes of direction; no suddden changes of speed; give myself plenty of time; look at the road surface ahead - and concentrate on what I am doing!".
It's all too easy to drop your guard for just one very brief moment - and then - aaaargh! :helpme:

Al.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks everyone. I learned about survival during winter driving having owned big solo motorcycles for many years riding in all weather conditions.

As Al rightly states all manoeuvres need to be done very carefully and masses of extra braking distance must be allowed; driving in such bad conditions I often wish I had a car to car missile launcher to get rid of the tail gaters.

I got up this morning with the intention of fitting the winter tyres and wheels but I don't fancy getting a soaking as it keeps pouring with rain. As soon as it dries up a bit outside I'll fit them as I believe bad weather is forecast shortly.

At least I'll be ready for the trip over the border to Golborne next month.

Kind regards, Col.

[Paula A]

I don't think (looking at the charts recently) we are in for a particularly bad one this year. It's been too wet recently compared to the last 2 years and the big high pressure over Greenland has been breaking up and reforming this season unlike the last 2 years when it has sat solid and only moved south mid/late December. I will keep monitoring, but this year it just doesn't look right.. I think mild and wet back to normality. (if it does bung a heap down for xmas I'll have to find a new site for my traditional "xmas day in the snow" photo due to having moved)

[Retired]

Hi,

I hope you are right Paula; your guess is as good as the weather forecasters at this moment in time.

Just in case though I've fitted the winter tyres and wheels; they look a bit odd on the brand new Toyota Aygo as it now has a pair of alloys on the rear and steel wheels painted black on the front.

The snow chains ride around all year under the drivers seat. If I get stuck in future I'll consider buying an hovercraft.

Kind regards and keep safe, Col.

[AlanBeckett]

Despite the dire forecast as far as I can tell there wasn't a frost here last night.
I checked the Freelander tyre pressures just in case
Alan

[Paula A]

There is another thing I am working on.. call it a gut feeling. Every year of my life up to being 15 there was snow on the ground on my birthday every other year.. then for a couple of decades (global warming?) there was none at all.. now I have had 2 years in a row.. three?.. no chance

[Retired]

Hi,

It might be a case of best out of Three Paula so keep the shovel handy.

When I was a kid in 1947 before global warming was invented and we didn't have holes in the ozone layer; we had millions of homes with coal fires; British rail and industry running on steam power and power stations all putting out masses of pollution into the atmosphere; we used to have severe winters that never seemed to last nine months but always had glorious summers that went on forever usually without water shortages.

Now we have overpaid and under worked scientists scaring us with horror stories from not eating eggs to not using aerosols; its time the scientists got a grip and did something more useful like turning Britain into Great Britain once again as we used to lead the world.

Bring on the snow and un-gritted roads I'm ready for them.

Kind regards, col.

[Wage Slave]

Winter tyres are not compulsory around here but many people fit them. Unless you have to travel into the mountains (which are very close) you don't really need them but since I spent a winter working in a school in the mountains, I have had a set so I go ahead and fit them every year.

They certainly work. And work better when it's just cold as well. But and it is a big but I am always very keen to get them off as soon as possible. They are as noisy as anything and the steering becomes slightly spongy. Always a huge relief to get normal tyres back on.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Wage Slave. Once the temperature drops to 7 degrees C then standard tyre rubber begins to harden and in icy conditions these tyres just can't cope. Winter tyres are made of a softer rubber compound which remains soft even in icy conditions and the rubber also contains silica to aid grip. Out of interest what winter tyres do you run on as the reviews I read gave comparisons?

I believe winter tyres wear more quickly than standard tyres otherwise I would leave mine on all year round. Running with the Avon Ice Touring Pattern winter tyres fitted I didn't notice any difference in road noise but the car handled differently and these tyres gave more grip even in normal driving conditions. One thing I did notice was that with standard tyres fitted I could easily induce wheel-spin on one of the front driving wheels of our Aygo during acceleration from rest but this was much reduced with the winter tyres fitted.

Well done Paula in forecasting a milder winter; I fitted the winter tyres in November and the worst snowfall all around us was only about 4" deep; I felt really miffed because the only snow we had here on the valley side was about 1" deep like a coat of icing sugar.

What do you think next winter will be like Paula; will I need to fit the winter tyres?

Kind regards, Col.