Winter tyres off

[Ultrasonic]

Had a day off work today so took advantage of the sunshine to swap back to my summer tyres. If there is a blizard next week it's my fault Although maybe most people have already made the switch?

[john999boy]

Still got frost in the mornings here.

[trundlenut]

Still got frost in the mornings here.

same here.

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[Huskoda]

Had 0 when I got in the car a few days ago. They'll stay on till the clocks change.

[blueR36]

And here -1.5 at six am l

[penttithefinn]

I am going to keep mine on for another month, given that my Continental Sport Contact 2 are so poor in the wet, especially on the country roads of East Suffolk. Then I hope I can make the Continentals last until Nokians go back on next winter.

[John T]

Winter has yet to arrive gents, end of March thru April is my bet, I had a wee black ice moment this morning with +2.5deg showing.

[smileonimpact]

I think winter still has a chance of causing chaos. But am also glad that I have the cheap steels on due to the ridiculous pot holes the severe weather has produced. My alloys would have been wrecked.

[mikey vrs]

Took mine off at the start of january. 

[philbes]

Will leave my winter tyres on for at last another 2 weeks and then look at the daytime temperatures and forecast.

[neil_f]

Going to leave mine on until the end of the month. Still been icy early in the morning and last year the snow didn't really hit until March. I just know that if I swap back to summer tyres it will snow and I'll be stuck somewhere!

[Auric Goldfinger]

Winters off at Easter, unless theres snow

[M12MKD]

Mine are still on, its still not overly warm at the moment. But then I'm lazy and don't like getting cold, so I'd rather not get cold swapping them. :P

[ChrisRs]

And here -1.5 at six am l

No frost here this morning Alan...A balmy 4C at 6.30 am

Forecast is very good for a good week with temperatures in double figures

[Ultrasonic]

Should winter decide to eventually show up I'll change back, but easily more than half of my driving recently has been at 7°C or above so I figure that on balance I'd be better off on my summer tyres. I don't leave for work till about 8:30 and I haven't had to worry about frost for some time now.

 

Let's see if I end up regretting my decision...

Edited 5 March, 2014 by Ultrasonic

[silver1011]

Mine are staying on for a while yet, this was only last week...

 

[trundlenut]

Mine are staying on for a while yet, this was only last week...

I trust that after taking that photo you spent at least 5 minutes doing hand brake turns in the fresh snow.

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[Ultrasonic]

Mine are staying on for a while yet, this was only last week...

 

Must admit I didn't realise there had been snow as far south as York recently!

[Looie]

Always planned to keep mine on till Easter, then look at what's forecast before I do anything... Frost on my windscreen for the last two mornings, warmer in the afternoons, but still ruddy freezing in the mornings, so no way am I taking the winters off till Easter!

[Greybeard]

We need floats & propellers down here plus Lara Croft style roof level intakes, I think we've only seen three or four frosts since October - hardly ever been below 7c this 'winter'. They reckon the water will be gone by July though, if only to make sure we can fit a hosepipe ban in, can't be summer otherwise. :sun:

 

Our Punto has the Alpin A4's on all year anyway, did really well in the cold last year but to be honest this far south any amount of snow & ice is unusual. I think we'll have to make do with the traditional south coast thick frost this year, sun's too high in the sky now for any persistent cover (thank you Gulf stream).

[Gazman]

Mine are off on Monday when my 2 new tyres arrive at the fitters...

[Ultrasonic]

I've decided to be properly sad and keep a log of the temperatures when I'm driving over the next few weeks to see how it pans out. I was definitely on the right tyres today though: 8°C driving to work and 9.5°C driving home.

 

Our Punto has the Alpin A4's on all year anyway...

 

Have you done much research into winter tyre performance in warmer weather? I'd be reluctant to run winter tyres all year round myself, due to tests like the wet braking test at 10°C in this video:

 

 

Although I have read tyre manufacturers suggesting winters all year round is better than summers.

 

It's the fact that I think on balance I'd be safer on my summer tyres at the moment that has made me switch back. Time will tell if I've made the right decision.

Edited 6 March, 2014 by Ultrasonic

[Bullit]

I have stayed on my winters and will so until prob end of the month, prob because it's been so wet as well. The above video only shows an advantage in the wet from a 60-0 brake test with the summers.......but they are brand new summer tyres, who has them compared to winters ?

I guarantee anyone with that considers or uses winters is a pretty knowledgable driver, most in the wet will stop better than 90% of the average summer tyre driver that let's face it hasn't a clue !

[Rab-k]

Single figure temps here. Warm spell forecast but not going to last more than a couple of days. Recon with the amount of surface water on the roads here the wider sipes are reducing the aqua-planing effect I'd be otherwise be experiencing on summer tyres. Probably leave mine on until the end of March.

[Ultrasonic]

I guarantee anyone with that considers or uses winters is a pretty knowledgable driver, most in the wet will stop better than 90% of the average summer tyre driver that let's face it hasn't a clue !

 

If you mean in terms of driving defensively so as to avoid the need for a full emergency stop then I'm with you, but in cars with ABS there isn't really any skill involved in stopping optimally in a straight line (as in the test).

 

 

The above video only shows an advantage in the wet from a 60-0 brake test with the summers.......but they are brand new summer tyres, who has them compared to winters ?

 

Presumably they compared new (well, hopefully run in) winter and summer tyres so I don't really understand your objection. The Michelin Primacy HP summer tyres they tested also don't have stand out performance in the wet to start with. The difference also isn't small (7.1 m or 14%). I have no reason to doubt that the summer tyres now on my car would stop me quicker than the winters I took off in a comparable test.

 

I'm not in any way saying everyone should be changing tyres, just explaining why I thought it was the right decision for me.

 

(Temps today: 10°C to work, 12°C coming home.)

Edited 7 March, 2014 by Ultrasonic