Well the Michelin Alpin winter tyres have arrived and are being fitted to my spare alloys tomorrow.

Only intend to keep the car til spring but in East Lancs we do get some cold snaps and despite the £400 cost in my opinion its money well spent as they really do offer better grip and you cannot put a price on your life?

Went for the Alpins for a few reasons but as the wheels and tyres will be surplus next year I thought that a set of part worn Michelins will be easier to sell on?

Now its Just deciding when to swap the wheels over....

Anyone a definite idea when this should be ,or is the end of October when clocks go back the best?

When it's below 7 for a few days is when I make the change after which it usually warms up

Before the end of this week!

Check out your long term weather forecast.

Well last year IIRC it did not start getting cold till end of November and rumor has it that the wear on winter rubber is great above 7 degress...

lol I dont want a pair of slicks come December!

I had mine on from Nov last year through to march I think? TBH as soon as they went on the weather warmed up and we had some sunny days but I guess this is always just sods law!

Mine hardly show any wear tbh so I would not worry about that aspect.

My current summers feel fine right now so they are going to stay on until the weather gets colder - I'd guess late nov early dec would be when i'll get them on but check the forecast - we may still get some cold days sooner than that.

Before the end of this week!

Check out your long term weather forecast.

Yep, end of this week for first cold snap with sub-zero night time temps and potential for some wintery showers. Mine will be going on end of the week.

Cheers guys

Any thought of the Michelin Alpins?

Seem to get mixed reviews but I think they are a premium brand and look good... if a tyre can look good lol!

Did you get 4 for £400? That seems like a bargain. Or are they not on 18"s?

Sarge.

Edited 22 October, 201213 yr by Sarge

I had Michelin alpines on my old BMW 330ci when we were out in Germany, my first winter tyre and I was amazed how much traction they had. Delt with a lot of snow that any summer slicked BMW wouldn't move in. When I got them I couldn't even drive into the garage car park arranged a price for the tyres and wheels (used) about 450 euro and had to have them fitted so I could get to the cashpoint to pay them. They kept my summers until I got back with the cash. Winters are much worse there and they were probably a older spec version so you shouldn't have any problem on a front wheel drive in the UK.

I got four 205/55/R16 from Camskill for £340 delivered, it will cost £20 for my mate to fit them seems a steal to me!

these on ebay seem good value for anyone after 195/65/15 winter tyres as the last set sold for £195

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200835657544?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200835663200?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Thinking of changing mine over the end of this week. I ran winter tyres though the summer on a previous car and they showed very little wear. Think modern winter tyres cope for better with warmer temperatures these days. Obviously they didnt grip as well but they didnt disintegrate they way people suggest

Thinking of changing mine over the end of this week. I ran winter tyres though the summer on a previous car and they showed very little wear. Think modern winter tyres cope for better with warmer temperatures these days. Obviously they didnt grip as well but they didnt disintegrate they way people suggest

Mind you we didn't really have much in the way of warm temperatures did we? :lol:

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Nokian winter tyres are supposed to be very highly rated as winter tyres, up there with the more premier priced ones...

I've run nokians for the last three years, very happy with them

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Ohhhhhh its getting to that time all right our temp here was 26Deg C here today but meant to plummet to -3 around weekend and different sites are forecasting snow on Sunday/Monday ............. I really can't be bothered changing them and I need a torque wrench (which I don't have at moment) I can easily just not use the car but I have a brand new set of audi alloys for it say on shelf in garage waiting to be used for the first time in anger..........

Perhaps I will bring the car into the garage on Sat and just bite the bullet until March/April save my SC2's a little.

Another vote for Nokian on the snowy stuff.

The ones you tend to wear in the UK WR G2 (etc) are a good compromise of pretty good snow driving with the ability to be ok on a dry cold road.

You should consider that when looking as the out and out winters can be a bit poor on a dry road, for example the nokian hakka are less suited to dry tarmac, but better on the snow and ice.

Fitted winter tyres for the first time last week (Vredestein Snowtrac 3 205 55 16)

Have done approx 1000 miles mostly in the rain - what a difference, even compared to premium brand regular tyres.

Makes me think that designers of regular tyres should be making wet weather performance a higher priority - after all we get rain at all times of the year.

Fitted winter tyres for the first time last week (Vredestein Snowtrac 3 205 55 16)

Have done approx 1000 miles mostly in the rain - what a difference, even compared to premium brand regular tyres.

Makes me think that designers of regular tyres should be making wet weather performance a higher priority - after all we get rain at all times of the year.

I collect some of these tomorrow on a set of steels I was going to leave it until end of next month to fit them though we've had the odd cold night but mainly the lowest has been 10ish. Ill keep an eye on the weather and decide for there.

Another vote for Nokian on the snowy stuff.

The ones you tend to wear in the UK WR G2 (etc) are a good compromise of pretty good snow driving with the ability to be ok on a dry cold road.

You should consider that when looking as the out and out winters can be a bit poor on a dry road, for example the nokian hakka are less suited to dry tarmac, but better on the snow and ice.

+1 for WR-G2s good grip and fuel economy plus they wear well too.

Cheers guys

Any thought of the Michelin Alpins?

Seem to get mixed reviews but I think they are a premium brand and look good... if a tyre can look good lol!

There are big differences between different brands of winter tyres but even if you pick the worst ones they are still substantially better than any summer tyre in winter conditions so its pretty irrelevant TBH. There was a brand of all weather tyres that got almost as good reveiws as some of the poorer winter tyres but i cant rememeber which ones they are.

Sold my old wheels and winter tyres recently and have held off buying replacements for new car this year as last year was a write off i.e barely any winter weather at all. Think i wll chance it and just use the missus rav 4 on the odd occasion its bad. Saying that it will probably be a brutal winter this year now - kinda hope it is as thats what winter should be.

Seiing as you tyres are michelins i would imagine they are good - you seem to get what you pay for in terms of tyre quality as a lot of the cost of the tyre goes towards their research and testing.

Edited 23 October, 201213 yr by Jockdooshbag

I bought some Goodyear ultra grip 8 after extensive Internet searches last year. Looked on German reviews with google translate as winter tyres are a legal requirement over there, and they came out very well reviewed and I got some 205/60/15 for a good price.

I fitted last year in the last week of November, but am now getting some steels and they may be going on this weekend. If the weather forecast is correct.

Seems many on here change to winters...

Im not sure how they work so well but they really work

The look on other motorists faces as I pull away is worth the price alone

I was the only one who could get up my street and although its only a light gradient it was icy!

I got converted after driving my father in laws 5 series with winter tyres on, it handled better than my 4x4 which had standard tyres. Standard tyres compound gets harder as they get colder, while winter tyres are softer so more grip, hence they wear more. Well worth the money.

There are big differences between different brands of winter tyres but even if you pick the worst ones they are still substantially better than any summer tyre in winter conditions so its pretty irrelevant TBH. There was a brand of all weather tyres that got almost as good reveiws as some of the poorer winter tyres but i cant rememeber which ones they are.

Hankook Optimo 4S - I bought some this time last year and have never taken them off my Clio 172 Cup . They were not available in 225/50 R 17 (for the Scout) last year, but are now for about £145 each.