Well, from my point of view fitting the winter boots was a bit of a no no, haven't seen any snow this winter even on 2 prolonged UK stays, so back in sandals now and the boots are back on the garage wall.

I know others have had different experiences etc but for me, heres hoping for next winter(only to justify the purchase)

tony

Don't worry, your winter tyres have not been a waste of time and money!

Firstly: winter tyres are not just about snow. The clue is actually in the name: the rubber compound performs better than normal tyre compounds below about 7C so they are better for cold ie winter conditions in general - you don't need snow to justify having them. I've also found that my winter tyres are much better at driving through standing water than my summer rubber - they seem much less prone to aquaplaning. Damp roads and puddles are another feature more commonly found in winter than in summer.

The other thing to bear in mind is that, while you have your winter tyres on, you aren't wearing out your summer rubber. So the winter tyres aren't really an added expense. What additional expenses you do incur depend on how you manage it. If you buy a set of cheap steel winter wheels then that's a one-off up front cost, but you don't have to pay a tyre fitter to swap the tyres over twice a year. Cheap steelies also hurt the wallet less than a shiny alloy if you ding one, eg against a kerb hidden under snow, and have to replace it. You can also choose a more appropriate wheel & tyre size combination that allows the use of chains.

Winter tyres wear rate is less than summer tyres wear rate, so you will not have to replace your tyres so soon either.

We have had 2 days snow in Surrey this year where I live, but the winter boots have been great. They grip in the the cold weather, unlike my summer boots which slide as they don't grip .....

Fast acceleration results in the summers spinning, whereas the winters it is very hard to do that at low but above freezing temperatures.

Question, is when do I change back?

I'm off to Cumbria in 10 days time for a long weekend, so do I change before and risk cold wet weather in the Lakes, and there not being any snow on the passes ( - got to do show those to Swmbo as she has never been ), or do I leave them on.....it's only 300 miles each way. I wasn't planning on changing until end March (which it will be almost).

Winter tyres wear rate is less than summer tyres wear rate, so you will not have to replace your tyres so soon either.

We have had 2 days snow in Surrey this year where I live, but the winter boots have been great. They grip in the the cold weather, unlike my summer boots which slide as they don't grip .....

Fast acceleration results in the summers spinning, whereas the winters it is very hard to do that at low but above freezing temperatures.

Question, is when do I change back?

I'm off to Cumbria in 10 days time for a long weekend, so do I change before and risk cold wet weather in the Lakes, and there not being any snow on the passes ( - got to do show those to Swmbo as she has never been ), or do I leave them on.....it's only 300 miles each way. I wasn't planning on changing until end March (which it will be almost).

As someone else said it always snows over Easter and I've been in the Lake District over an Easter (was it 2008? Can't remember) when it did snow. So keep 'em on until then Mike.

I was considering swapping back over but we have seen snow previously late march and early April so will stick with the winters for now.

This means there will be absolutely no chance of snow!! :sun:

As someone else said it always snows over Easter and I've been in the Lake District over an Easter (was it 2008? Can't remember) when it did snow. So keep 'em on until then Mike.

That was what I was thinking.

Swapped back this weekend, and moved the summer tyres from front to rear, so that they all wear out at the same time.

Snap!!

I live in Cumbria and I don't intend to take off the Winters until the end of March

I'm hoping it doesn't snow around Easter cos I've got a lot of 'little people' doing DofE, however, I'm well aware that you can a very mean morning frost around the Langdales this time of Year (Don't start - the latter was not a euphemism!)

Boy, am I pleased that this thread has appeared, as I was wondering exactly the same as you all are - WHEN to change back.

Temperatures here in mid-Wales have been pretty consistently below the "7 degree" guideline, except for one or two exceptional days, so I had been reckoning to leave the winters on a bit longer.

I put Contis on the alloys - same size and spec (apart from being Winters, of course) as the standard Dunlops, and have been perfectly happy with results, apart from the pretty considerable drop in MPG results.

One thing I have noticed, and it is understandable given the pattern of the winter tread, is that there is far more spray sent in all directions from the car than with normal tyres. This has had the unfortunate result of clagging up the sides of the car AND the rear door far more thoroughly that I'm used to. I'm sure that I could plant potatoes in the mud all round the lower half of the beast.

I'm hovering over a change back to Summers, however up in The Lakes ATM and a weekend of Peaks mountain biking coming up - so I think I'll leave it for a couple of weeks?

My Vreds seem to grip really well inthe dry - witness the RR Sport shrinking in the mirror, having sat 200mm from my tailgate through the restricted area.

Big car, small balls

Mine have been off for a couple of weeks but I have no plans to go north of St Albans for the next 10 days and have no early morning plans which might lead to any journey outside town. I am happy to return to the 17" Dunlops-I find the handling more to my taste although I concede there is with the directness some more harshness over minor road imperfections. I will sell my 215 16s on Seat alloys in favour of some 17" winters for next year. I find the poise, stance and response of 17s sufficiently better for my taste.

Also in Cumbria and only just getting into double figures .

See:

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/Keswick~7296390/long.html

for a 10 day forecast.

Well, I've changed back to summers & cleaned & stacked the winter/steels. So beware everyone, it's bound to snow in the next fortnight!

I was staggered by the amount of dirt on the inner side of the rear wheels. For some reason the alloys don't seem to get nearly as caked in muck.

Incidentally, I had my summers checked for balance by those nice people at Event Tyres before refitting them, 3 out of the 4 were out of balance by over 15g and one was 50g out. Ok, it cost me a fiver a corner, but it was well worth having them done & the ride is as smooth as silk now...... well, it would be if I could find any smooth roads around here!

Edited 17 March, 201214 yr by speedsport

We watched fairly heavy snow falling on the hills around Wasdale yesterday afternoon while we were working in the fields in sunshine - my Winters are staying on until end of March!

They also come in handy driving through 80 acres of very muddy fields on the fells at the moment - never thought I'd use my brand new car to do something like that but our other car got stuck 10 metres past the field gates and had to be pulled back out by a Freelander.

3 degrees on the Winlatter pass yesterday at 09:00 and snowing on the top of Grasmoor; so agree with Sandy up North winter tyres will still be doing a good job for another few weeks.

Still on winters here - and sleeting as I type!

I'll give it another week or so I reckon?

Also still with winter boots; temps still regularly in the low single figures in the mornings and not much better when I come home in the evening.

Currently overcast here after some early attempts at sunshine; hope the stays off unlike yesterday.

TP

Like many of you I am pleased that the 17" Winter Contis are still on. Drove from Wales to Newbury [as the Grand Slam was being enacted a few miles away!] as howling gales and torrential [?] tropical rainstorms threatened to delay progress quite seriously. The M4 can be a scary place sometimes!

Then - on the return journey [after a fantastic celebration of St Patrick and his craic] we drove the 2-3 hour journey after midnight at temperatures that never rose above 2.5 degrees, on very damp roads, and loads of patchy [irish] mist. And when we pulled in to the gap in the sheep fields that is called "home" at a few minutes before three, not only were the little newborn lambs all silent, and all the resident collies had their noses up their backsides snoring loudly oblivious to our return, but the blessed Beemer was covered in a layer of thick, unscratchable ice. It did, however, act as a wonderful refuge for the kitchen-dwelling moggy and his newly acquired playmate nicknamed 'Scuttle-cat' who, while happy to scuttle inside and nick food and scuttle out again, refuses to permit ears being tickled or neck stroked by scuttling away back under the Beemer again, revealing his presence only by the gleam of two brown baleful eyes glaring indignantly from inside the wheel arch, while Kitchen cat scoffed the lot. They'd probably wondered where the heck the tin-opener had gone to in his Yeti.

And it made me very pleased to have my Winter tyres in situ still. {There - you just KNEW that there would be a point to all this, didn't you?}

Seeing as I'm heading for the lakes on Wednesday night, I'm keeping them firmly on! Expect to be there about 4am Thursday.

Looking forward to the short break.

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Having read the aforegoing tale of life in the rural West I'm glad I didn't completely withdraw my membership of the Yeti Fellowship when there was that regrettable period of unpleasantness about having Yeti posts moved and a number of digs aimed at Yeti folk were dispensed. I thank you Georgina.

Having read the aforegoing tale of life in the rural West I'm glad I didn't completely withdraw my membership of the Yeti Fellowship when there was that regrettable period of unpleasantness about having Yeti posts moved and a number of digs aimed at Yeti folk were dispensed. I thank you Georgina.

Cheeky blighter!!

PS - you can always hit the "like" button!!

Cheeky blighter!!

PS - you can always hit the "like" button!!

I did!!

Swapped back to alloys and summers on Saturday. Much as I liked the winter boots I prefer the car with its alloys on rather than the wheel trims .

Seeing as I'm heading for the lakes on Wednesday night, I'm keeping them firmly on! Expect to be there about 4am Thursday. Looking forward to the short break.

Well weather looks good in the North Lakes for end of the week with >10C + sun daytime dropping to 4C night time.