Winter tyres- general discussion

[Petemate]

My only problem comes with the (not too steep) hill to get up to the A40, which is unsalted and quickly turns to packed, polished snow with scarcely more grip than ice (I take another route when that happens). Do winter tyres, or indeed full M&S tyres, help in that situation?
BOF

As I know that hill well (last winter with my Kumos on I went up it after calling in to an address in Loudwater on my way home to Oxford from LHR) I can tell you that winters will get you up there no problem. The night mantioned when I went home that way the hill was hard packed snow, partly melted and frozen again.

In fact the AA recommendation now is that if you only use one tyre all year round, it should be a winter/cold weather tyre.   These tyres will carry this symbol:

There's a full article here (American, but still valid in UK): http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=120&currentpage=125

Good advice from the AA but one has to balance the increased tyre wear in the summer months against the cost of spare wheels and another set of tyres. As I do about 22k miles per year, a set of wheels with winters on for the changeover is ideal.

[Audax]

On the other hand it's not ideal for me as I do maybe 6000 miles a year, in fact having had the Nokian WR G2 on since I got the new car last October the tyres have hardly worn at all in 10 months, I don't tend to bother looking at mileage so I should see how far I've gone too I guess.

[BOF]

Thank you for that; it's more or less what I thought was the case for my specific situation. I'l leave the cold weather tyres until I move somewhere less clement when I retire. (The hill is the lane past the Falcon, by the way; more of a slope really, I suppose, but the 90 degree bend after the tunnel stops one taking much of a run at it).

I couldn't 'arf do with some tyres to grip in snow and ice on my bikes, though....


BOF

[Petemate]

I couldn't 'arf do with some tyres to grip in snow and ice on my bikes, though....


BOF

I have seen some winter tyres on the net for bikes - possibly mainly for scooters but worth investigation.

[9-3.ttid]

Got myself a set of Vectra B twinspoke alloys for £50 (or similar - cant remember exactly) and sold the tyres that were on them. Fitted a set of Vredstein Wintrack tyres, much better in cold weather. I waited too long and didnt get them until the snow had gone, actually hoping for a bad winter in a childish kind of way.   I found last year wife's little Ford KA with narrow tyres and light weight was fun on the snow, easy to throw around and didnt get stuck. My 9-3 TTiD was bloody awful. Hopefully the winter tyres will sort it. My brother has a 4x4 and complained it was rubbish in snow because of the OEM tyres fitted.

Got mine from the Tyremen by mailorder...

4x 205/55R16 (94V) Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme XL for £116.00 each


All items : £464.00 GBP
Tax       : £77.33 GBP
Shipping  : £10.00 GBP
Total     : £474.00 GBP=

[Audax]

I was seeking out bad roads last winter just to try out the winter tyres. some of the back lanes around here were covered in about 10cm of snow and I was driving down them at what I'd have considered stupidly high speed in the past when I didn't have winter tyres. Your car will be absolutely transformed with some proper winter tyres on it.

[Petemate]

I was seeking out bad roads last winter just to try out the winter tyres. some of the back lanes around here were covered in about 10cm of snow and I was driving down them at what I'd have considered stupidly high speed in the past when I didn't have winter tyres. Your car will be absolutely transformed with some proper winter tyres on it.

A big plus one. As well as winter wheels for my Saab and my lad's Evo, we have a set we use on the wife's Sportka. Brilliant. Would not be without them.

[James]

Another recommendation for Kumho. I've had them for the past four years and the difference is huge.

Shame we can't use studs in the UK, though, but they don't half chew up the roads.

[Mark B]

A few thoughts:-

1.  I don't believe there is any UK legislation against using studs.

2.  Sgould, could you please post the link to the AA's stated opinion?

3.  Many places, including Kwik Fit and Costco will change your tyres over free of charge in spring and autumn if you have bought from them.  Some also offer free storage of the other set.  So there's really no excuse.

[sgould]

I think that this is an "Oh ******" moment. 

I've just looked at the AA site again and they recommend two sets or tyres.... 

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/winter-tyres-in-the-uk.html

Now, I either got the reference from Google and it sent me to an old page, or I mistook the source and quoted the blurb from another tyre site.

[sgould]

Just found this from the AA with a quote from a government minister, which states that winter tyres cause severe damage to roads.

So, maybe, the terminology is at fault and "winter tyres" is being used for the Nordic type with studs.  Or the government minister is badly briefed (much more likely???)

[sgould]

Another view that supports my original comment.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/stillatthewheel/archive/2010/12/01/just-how-good-are-winter-tyres.aspx

[Audax]

I worked out how long my Nokian WRG2 are likely to last now they've been on for 10 months and about six thousand miles since last October, I couldn't afford to get summer tyres in the spring as I lost my job and I really can't be bothered to change them now. The fronts have worn down by 1.5mm and the rears by 1mm, assuming that this wear pattern continues and is consistent I'm going to get about 20k out of the fronts and 30k out of the rears... in which case there would be no excuse to not have winter tyres and just run them all year around. I've also nicely calculated that I'll (hopefully) be fitting a new set of winter tyres all round in October 2013.

One other point is that I'm thinking about rotating them just once or twice so they wear slightly more evenly so I really do end up replacing them all in one go rather than have a couple just over 4mm and another just below 3mm (as I replace tyres at 3mm)

[sgould]

Your winter tyres should have two sets of tread wear indicators.  The summer ones at 1.6mm and the winter ones at 4mm.  If they have worn below 4mm thay will not be good in snoow and slush.

In fact, if you were on the continent, tyres below 4mm are no longer legal as winter tyres.  You can still use them as summer tyres.

[Audax]

Well aware of that, hopefully (if I've worked it out correctly) they will get to just under 4mm in early spring in 2013 (hence why I want to think about rotating them) and then I can rag them out of existence over that summer before the new ones go on in early October (assuming I still have the car!).