just had a email flyer about winter tyres from my local dealerand it had a link to this youtube video

link is on the skodauk channel

only thing is not sure what tyres they are comparing, can't see the brands of summer and winters

but does seem to be fairly conclusive about the benefits

This might be a good advert for selling you tyres but what does it say about the traction control system on the car? I know traction control can't compensate for physics but you would think a car with less grip would work the traction control harder so you did have more control of steering etc.

Skoda, y u no hd.

Traction Control, Cutting power, Braking individual wheels to let tyre get grip etc.

LSD or Electronic versions putting power to where there might be traction.

PITA often, as you try to move forward on ice, get moving in a straight line,

you have traction (friction with the surface) & then one wheel slips, electronics brakes that wheel,

brakes apply and throws you back into sliding.

If the tyres have no grip or traction on the surface, then no traction equals no action.

Correct tyres for Cold & slick can help the Electronic aids do the job, sometimes.

Even then, sometimes the correct tyre type will not work.

george

So tyres designed for winter roads are better than summer tyres in the winter?

Who would've thunk!

That's just funny. An official Skoda video that has a Merc going sideways at the beginning...

This might be a good advert for selling you tyres but what does it say about the traction control system on the car? I know traction control can't compensate for physics but you would think a car with less grip would work the traction control harder so you did have more control of steering etc.

Like you are saying yourself : it can't compensate for something that isn't even possible.

I've been using wintertyres for about 8 years here and the difference is enormous even on tarmac but below +-0c.

They might be better already at approximatly +7c, but it's going to have a huge impact compared to a standard summer-tyre!

However, the car's where driven on ice in that video and that is something that you also need to take into consideration.

Obviously it's going to outperform the summer-tyre by miles (well, atleast a couple off meters ey?)!

I only switched to winters a couple of years back after having severe problems in a bad winter. In the wet and cold they are great. These past few days I have alternated between my wifes 4x4 on standard tyres and my vRS on winters. I had thought hers would be better but the vRS is miles ahead, the TC cuts in only when I push the car beyond what I would normally (the inner child and big empty snow covered car parks!). Will probably get the wife a set of winters for next year having seen how hers doesn't handle in the snow!

Never bothered putting the Cold Weather tyres back on this week because the summer tyres were fun on the snow & there was no ice..

(& did not really need to drive any place essential, so just messing about in the snow.)

Floods coming next week so might put the Wet Weather tyres on tho.

(that will be after Fridays Big Snow.)

george

Never bothered putting the Cold Weather tyres back on this week because the summer tyres were fun on the snow & there was no ice..

(& did not really need to drive any place essential, so just messing about in the snow.)

Floods coming next week so might put the Wet Weather tyres on tho.

(that will be after Fridays Big Snow.)

george

hey george,

do you have any "sunny weather tyres" for those rare occassions that bright orb appears in the sky north of the border, as i thought winter tyres were the norm in the land of snow and rain :p :p

Edited 23 January, 201313 yr by bluecar1

Great idea if you live in the dales or the Scottish highlands,but we are expecting 10C this weekend,

Do you think the dealers gonna swap them over on Saturday, & then back again 5 days later when the temperature drops back within the winter tyres 7C or below range?

He's going to be getting rich or,miffed!

Edited 25 January, 201313 yr by RazeVRS

The land of Snow and Rain had a Heat Wave for 10 days last March, then snowed in April.

Today is not very cold.

george

1st picture and second picture taken 20 hours apart, March/April 2012.

& todays, will all be gone by Monday.

Good enough reason for having 'Summer Tyres' available even before the Summer.

23 Degrees Celsius, & the next day it was 20 Degrees lower,

i know which tyres i wanted on that week, the fun ones.

Those are some great driving roads George!

And I know which tyres I would go for : the winter-tyres.

You can still have fun with the winter-tyres, but when you want to settle down and relax...