Winter tyres. Have you changed yours back to Summers yet?

[hoppipolla]

As the title says, I'm just wondering if anyone has changed theirs back to Summer tyres yet? I've got the Nexens on the Monte and i've been contemplating changing them this week to avoid more wear in this mild weather.

So yes, do I change mine back to summers or hold out for the posibility of more cold weather?

[seboni121]

Was there any point this winter?, we didn't get a flake

[hoppipolla]

I make frequent trips over the Derbyshire Dales, and for me they proved invaluable during the last snow fall we had.

But I do agree, the snowfall this year was crap.

[cjb]

Was there any point this winter?, we didn't get a flake

They're better in cold wet weather, noticeably so, even without snow.

[john123]

...........i think ill keep my winter tyres 1 month more just to be on the safe side ..better safe than sorry!!!!

[hoppipolla]

I agree... I just checked the met office and the temp is supposed to drop down again next week. Plus i've only done 4600 miles since May, so hopefully they won't have that much premature wear.

[the mad monk]

im off again in another 4 weeks so ill be doing mine then but i must admit ive felt a lot safer in the cold and wet with these on than my standards

[awfabia]

Thinking of getting winter tyres on a 'spare' set of 15" steel wheels, thought getting from breakers the most cost effective. Apart from the obvious low spec Fabia 2 with steel wheels, what other cars should I look for at breakers? Polo ? Golf ? and which model?

[logiclee]

Looked at the 15 day forecast and no really cold weather forecast and then I'm away for a couple of weeks and that takes me past March.

So this weekend as it was nice and pleasent I changed from steelies and winters to alloys and summers on the Fabia HTP and the Passat. By the time I had changed 8 wheels over I decided that I'd had enough so the Fabia TSi is still on it's winters.

Cheers

Lee

[Igloo Vindaloo]

Winter tyres are supposed to give better performance than summer tyres when the temperature is below 7C.

So I would keep them on until the average temperatures (max+min)/2 are forecast to be above that for the foreseeable future and there's no chance of snow/ice. That's not yet here in Germany. Traditionally they fit winter tyres between October and Easter - which is pretty silly, given it can be >20C at either end of that range.

[Brin]

Im sure whenever I change mine back to summer ones it will snow the very next day...

I got a set of 15" steels so no real cost in swapping them over. The temp here has been pretty much over 10 degrees for the last week!

It is a bit colder than the stated 7 degrees in the morning, So Im going to wait till the end of March unless a heatwave showes uo before then. I dont use the car every day so its not a huge issue with tyre wear for me.

[Ad Lav]

Had no problems in my car, or any of my previous cars in the last 9 years of driving, all on summer tyres

[YorkshirePudding]

I have my winters on a separate set of wheels and swapped back over on Thurs, promptly hitting a pothole on Fri and damaging the offside front wheel.......

[Black]

Thinking of doing the same thing on my Mini. First season of running them and although no real snow I have been very impressed, lots of grip in the wet. Kept the Fabia on Summers and switching between the two it is noticeable, despite having less power the Fabia traction control was on a few times, not once on the Mini. Will probably get a set for the Fabia next year.

[kimppikoo]

Hmm.. may be I'll wait a few months before changing back to summer tyres?

Edited 28 February, 2012 by kimppikoo

[Miffy84]

I've been running Nankangs on 15" steels since early November and they've been performed noticeably better in the colder, damn conditions. No real snow down here this winter and it's certainly consistently warmer now, so I think my (still exceptionally mint & shiny) alloys will be going back on this weekend

[Stu vRS]

I have recently last week swapped back to summers.

This was premature due to a puncture in a winter tyre.

Replaced with Matador (Continental made) Hectorra 2 MP46's.

Ace tyres, grip like hell, not even close to being broke in yet!

[H17YD_L]

Put my summers back on last weekend! Car looks so much better now lol

[ChrisRs]

Mine went back on on Sunday

Wifes still on

Probably leave hers on a couple more weeks

[jonny boy]

But I do agree, the snowfall this year was crap.

It wasn't crap, it was good. We didn't have any, that's a good thing.

[MartynVRS]

I may get some provided I can get steelies and decent winter tyres for a good price. Swansea only had a few bad icy days but the car coped well anyway even after having a slight sideways moment on a bend. Was the first hard frost and roads hadn't been gritted

[VWD]

TBH, never had the need to get winter tyres. I learned to drive in the west highlands ,where gritters/snowploughs rarely ventured . We did get one ,once - it went off the road ,whilst we skated round it in RWD cars ,in the days before radial tyres were available. It's all about control ,training and experience .Something lost in th mad dash to get folk through the test. Nothing is taught about the need to keep up speed to climb a hill and slacken off to loose speed at the summit . Nor about changing down early ,to avoid a change when grip is at it's least .

[seboni121]

TBH, never had the need to get winter tyres. I learned to drive in the west highlands ,where gritters/snowploughs rarely ventured . We did get one ,once - it went off the road ,whilst we skated round it in RWD cars ,in the days before radial tyres were available. It's all about control ,training and experience .Something lost in th mad dash to get folk through the test. Nothing is taught about the need to keep up speed to climb a hill and slacken off to loose speed at the summit . Nor about changing down early ,to avoid a change when grip is at it's least .

+1 although I may think about it next year

[logiclee]

TBH, never had the need to get winter tyres. I learned to drive in the west highlands ,where gritters/snowploughs rarely ventured . We did get one ,once - it went off the road ,whilst we skated round it in RWD cars ,in the days before radial tyres were available. It's all about control ,training and experience .Something lost in th mad dash to get folk through the test. Nothing is taught about the need to keep up speed to climb a hill and slacken off to loose speed at the summit . Nor about changing down early ,to avoid a change when grip is at it's least .

I too passed my test then spent harsh winters in RWD Escorts, Cortina's and Sierra's etc. Trouble is non of those came with very wide, very low profile tyres with a compound designed to stay stable in hot climates at constant speeds at or above 150mph like modern tyres are. The current Goodyear premium tyres are rated for a constant 186mph.

My Current Passat has 235/45x17 W rated Conti's and on even the slightest incline in snow they give up. ESP on or off, feather the throttle or flat out, gentle or have a run at it doesn't matter, the tyres are too wide, the ground pressure too low, the tread pattern wrong and the compound too hard.

Any snow on the road and I can't get up to my house, my old Cortina with a couple of bags of sand in the boot on it's standard 175x14 Goodyear Grand PrixS managed no problem.

The problem is years ago tyres were made for all year round because car performance was relatively low. The current trend for ever bigger alloys with very wide low profile tyres and high speed ratings means many cars now come with "Summer" tyres that just don't work in Ice and Snow and have performance that suffers below 7 degrees.

If you need to keep mobile in winter and you have a car with modern "Summer" Tyres on then Winter tyres offer the ability to keep moving and offer major safety advantages. Winter tyres also wear less than summer tyres in cold conditions so can actually work out cheaper if you are going to get through a couple of sets of tyres during ownership of your car.

Cheers

Lee

Edited 29 February, 2012 by logiclee

[Black]

Logiclee agree with what you say. You just can not compare older cars with modern ones. A guy in my work has a morris minor which he used last winter, awesome car in the snow but I reckon my mountain bike tyres are wider!