THE Winter Tyres Thread

[Ootohere]

@farty

It will have been a man dressed as a woman with the same shoe size as a man or a woman.  Or a typo.

 

When it comes to bike tyres i have Plus Size tyres on 26" or 27.5 wheels and the circumference is the same and some tyres are the same width on the different rims.

Obviously a 20" BMX wheel and tyre are not going to ride over potholes in the same way.

 

 

Edited 10 January, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[flybynite]

7 hours ago, farty said:

But smaller wheels will drop more into potholes.

 

As said above, the smaller wheels have larger side wall and maintain the same rolling radius. It is the larger sidewall afforded by the smaller wheel that gives the greater cushion to the wheel and the car.

[cheezemonkhai]

13 hours ago, flybynite said:

 

 To be honest I have never found the wheel size to make much difference in grip. I tend to use smaller wheels for better pot-hole cushion or because some winter tyres are not as available in bigger sizes.

 

 

You can tell by looking at them, blocks grip snow, sipes grip ice, grooves channel water. The mix of them on the tyre will dictate what it is good at.

 

Although there can be huge performance difference between similar looking tyres down to finer design and compound, you can tell a lot by the design.

I’ve run various nokian and currently have Michelin alpin6 on the winter wheels over 3 cars, so understand the sipes/tread and compound side of it.

 

Just commenting that it would be interesting to see how the winter biased AS work vs the summer biased ones and a true winter set.

 

otherwise it’s a case of keep 2 sets.

Edited 10 January, 2021 by cheezemonkhai

[SurreyJohn]

Just been out here, (essential journey, needed some milk etc) where there is 5-7cm snow, and winter tyres really work well.  No problems with the hills around here even with 2wd.

 

Using Goodyear Ultragrip 9+ 

 

[Phil-E]

We recently changed cars and unfortunately the car only came with Summer tyres fitted (they were some cheap no-name things anyway).

 

I couldn't be bothered sourcing a second set of wheels for winter tyres and swapping them around all the time so went for all seasons this time.

 

I'm in Germany so I need to have at least tyres that have the alpine symbol on. We live in a pretty flat city, other half works from home and my work is only 6km away so all seasons are just fine.

 

I went for Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 in the end. Got a good deal for 264€ fitted (thats a good deal here and about 100€ than some equivelent Goodyear etc).

 

I had chance to drive them in some warmer weather after being fitted (20c) and was impressed.

 

Driven them in thick snow the other week and the grip was equally impressive. For a fairly mid-range/bidget tyre they're pretty good.

 

Excuse the recording while driving. This is actaully a private road with zero through traffic that leads to my friends farm. Hence zero grit or snow plow. The main road at the end was completely clear!

 

https://youtu.be/fsrntg3qGM4

Edited 24 January, 2021 by Phil-E

[fraz8888]

When to fit winters in 2021?

Looking at long range forecast and monthly averages it would appear that at present Oct will be wet, be on average warmer than normal temps, with then Nov perhaps being more obvious winter tyre temps etc.

 

We have got a biggish drive planned late Oct so prob fit winters just before that as new tyres plus wet performance probably better than outgoing and lower amount of tread summer tyres I think.

 

When do others swap to winters?

[SurreyJohn]

1 hour ago, fraz8888 said:

When to fit winters in 2021?

 

When do others swap to winters?

Second half of October or early November 

 

At moment temperatures (near me) tend to be 4-9c at night, 12-16c day

I tend to think the winter tyres are better in wet below about +10c (it’s nearer +4c in dry) and Autumn is generally wet

 

I tend to use Metcheck, 16 day as my guide, the wind direction affects the detail, but when temperature prediction generally staying under 15c then I feel happy it is time to change

https://www.metcheck.com/WEATHER/16days.asp?zipcode=SN13&locationID=60412&lat=51.4&lon=-2.2
 

[Kenny R]

2 hours ago, fraz8888 said:

When to fit winters in 2021

 

When do others swap to winters?

I always change over to winters just after the clocks change at end of October.

[Ootohere]

@fraz8888  Are you going to an average place.   Or someplace particular on your biggish drive?

There were frosts in Deeside / Aboyne area this morning and around the Borders the week before last. 

 

Winter Tyres been on since last winter on daily drive,  it can be wet or cold anytime of the year, 

and all seasons on other cars all year except when winters required if snow calls for it. 

Edited 30 September, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[fraz8888]

Expected to be wet and have bridge stone blizzaks lm005. So I think fit the bill.

 

Booked to be put on mid Oct. Driving late Oct. Cheers

[VRS_White_Hatch]

I'd like to change my Winters, you see quite a few tyre tests but an up to date winter tyre test I haven't seen for ages. Black Circles fan myself, I'll see what fits. I have a second set of the same wheels my car came with, got them off a member on here a couple of years ago. They had Winters fitted, so I got a couple of years out of them. 

 

I hope we get some snow if I splash out!!

[fraz8888]

26 minutes ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

I'd like to change my Winters, you see quite a few tyre tests but an up to date winter tyre test I haven't seen for ages. Black Circles fan myself, I'll see what fits. I have a second set of the same wheels my car came with, got them off a member on here a couple of years ago. They had Winters fitted, so I got a couple of years out of them. 

 

I hope we get some snow if I splash out!!

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2021-Tyre-Review-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm

[VRS_White_Hatch]

I got Auto express this week, they've done a winter tyre test too. Not read it yet - busy for a change!! 

[SurreyJohn]

On 30/09/2021 at 21:03, VRS_White_Hatch said:

I'd like to change my Winters, you see quite a few tyre tests but an up to date winter tyre test I haven't seen for ages. Black Circles fan myself, I'll see what fits. I have a second set of the same wheels my car came with, got them off a member on here a couple of years ago. They had Winters fitted, so I got a couple of years out of them. 

 

I hope we get some snow if I splash out!!

Continental winter contact TS870 and Bridgestone blizzard LM005 both seem to be doing well in tests

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2021-Winter-Market-Overview-Test.htm

 

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2021-AMS-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
 

 

Edited 1 October, 2021 by SurreyJohn

[DSL]

Conti WinterContact TS850s ready to go on in a couple of weeks.  They did suuuuuuuuuuuperb last winter on proper snow and, more fun, sheet ice.

 

Any excuse for a gratuitous snow pic.  👍
 

[Ootohere]

This years Vid review, (2021)

 

 

 

 

[fraz8888]

blizzaks on 

 

[DSL]

Same here, winter wheels on today.  It’s gonna be a cold one, I can feel it in my bones. 👍

[Phil-E]

Here in Germany the general rule is O bis O or October to Ostern (Easter) for winter tyres.

[Ootohere]

Winter Spec Fuel starts being delivered to Scotland and the North of England by this weekend.

A drop in temperatures by tomorrow night and then probably more wet weather for awhile before more regular frosts.

[Delphi17]

Falken Eurowinters x4 fitted 01/10/21 ,good drive,seem very good in wet and offroad,just waiting for snow now!!!

[Ootohere]

This years vid on the same old same old.

 

 

 

 

 

[Delphi17]

On 31/10/2021 at 11:09, Delphi17 said:

Falken Eurowinters x4 fitted 01/10/21 ,good drive,seem very good in wet and offroad,just waiting for snow now!!!

Well,seen a bit of snow both soft and frozen etc,got to say these seem as good as any I`ve had previously .Excellent.

[cheezemonkhai]

On 30/09/2021 at 16:37, Kenny R said:

I always change over to winters just after the clocks change at end of October.

 

I usually do as you, although I will vary that up to a month either way based on what the general weather is like.
This year they went on just before the end of november, because until then it was warm (above 10 degrees) and wet, so the all seasons that are currentlyon the summers were better.

 

I have to say, cross climate plus are probably good enough most of the time, although they're definatly weaker on snow than full winters it's good enough as long as you drive sensibly.
Ice on the other hand, not good, but then non-studded winters are not good, just less bad, so it's more a case of driving to the weather.

 

If I didn't have the wheels/tyres already, with modern cars having huge wheels , which limits good (and sensibly priced) winter options, you do start to think all weather is probably fine unless you're regularly driving into areas where snow/ice are common.

 

 

[fraz8888]

took my winters off today - a little later than planned