Saw a couple of big accidents just after they happened on the M5 and A38 on Boxing day and News Day where clearly several people had run out of grip, looked like aquaplaning accidents.

 

I cannot understand how anyone can think driving with less than 3 mm of tyre tread is sensible is these awful conditions especially at more than very gentle cruise when good (All Season/Winters) tyres are so cheap.

Edited 3 January, 201610 yr by lol-lol

Just come back from West Wales and many of the roads have rivulets across them and the tyre, which are just around 3mm tyre depth, where starting to occasionally lift.  

 

Time to rotate the wheels around and put the back ones with 5 mm plus on the front and the ones with 3-4 mm on the back for a while or just cut another fresh pair I think.

 

Seriously thinking of having both the alloy rims and the steel rims on All Seasons at least on the Dacia and Fabia.  

Edited 3 January, 201610 yr by lol-lol

Finally we got some good ol' fashioned winterroads up here. -14 degrees and perfect conditions.

Time to put my Winters back on the 5 next week I think

bugger the winters...

 

i need a Canoe on the roads around here this weekend  

Glad I've recently had some new rs3's put on recently especially with all the weather we are getting at the minute.

It's bound to get colder at some point much prefer rain than ice though.

Next week its getting colder south of the Scottish border

Putting my Winters back on tomorrow

Snow at the weekend.. Apparently

Snow at the weekend.. Apparently

I'm off work over the weekend and Monday. Might as well keep my track tyres on then. . Must get those winter wheels re-sprayed...

0-5 degrees next 2 weeks with a chance of meatballs....er, I mean snow!

http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/07/prepare-the-gloves-and-de-icer-ice-and-snow-are-on-the-way-5606745/

Was a bit nippy outside today

@Gromle

-18 degrees??????!!!

We only got 4degrees this morning!

-13 C in Hamilton Ontario this weekend and that is the same latitude as Bordeaux.   Thank God for the Gulf stream.

@Gromle

-18 degrees??????!!!

We only got 4degrees this morning!

Its unusually cold even for up here (coastal Northern Norway) . Although in a place called Karasjok they had -48 degrees yesterday...

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by Gromle

-40C is - 40F, not a lot of people know that.

 

A few years back I dropped 60,000 tonnes of Canadian wheat in Stavanger in December, it was only light for about 3-4 hours a day, spooky. Chilly but not so cold that far relatively south in Norway.   Must say though the most awesome place I ever sailed.

 

As slartibartfast said...

 

Stavanger at least has the sun all year.

We dont see it over the horizon from around 20th november untill 21st of January

Stavanger at least has the sun all year.

We dont see it over the horizon from around 20th november untill 21st of January

 

 

Need one of these. 

 

Only -1C here this morning but all the standing water on the roads made for some interesting driving.

 

Not cold enough to freeze the deep puddles but as the cars splashed it across the road it would then freeze to make a nice patch of ice.

 

Everyone being sensible though no accidents.

 

Accord does seem slightly ****tier in bad conditions than the VRS despite more weight and narrower tyres. Wonder if wheelbase affects it since it's a fair bit bigger?

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by Aspman

Next week its getting colder south of the Scottish border

Putting my Winters back on tomorrow

Well...I didn't

Least not yet

Going to see how it pans out next week first

Its getting nearer.

http://itv.com/news/border/2016-01-08/update-snow-leads-to-road-closures

Been snowing in South Lanarkshire for the last 3 hours. My Twitter feed is rammed full of road closures and diversions due to RTC's just on the M8 and M74 alone.

Well our current fleet is.

 

Passat TDi

BMW 1 Series turbo petrol

Fabia 1.2TSi.

 

All have full winters fitted.

 

But the BMW is going this month to be replaced by an Octavia SE TSi. The BMW winters will fit the Passat winter steel wheels so I'll use them next year.

 

So I need to decide what to fit to the Octavia. After looking at the reviews I think rather than Summer/Winters I'm going to try some Cross Climate's.

 

Lee

Winters- is that after Autumn? . Does it matter what you've got on the car- when the idiots who think that more power =more grip get about, nothing short of a bobcat is going to get you anywhere. Extra grip will not help those who do not know in the first place how to drive in poor conditions. I sympathise with BW drivers, but I learned to drive in snow/ice in ancient /almost vintage vehicles. Try a Wolesley 1500/Austin A40 Farino /Morris J2 or Commer 1500 (where the handbrake was on the front wheels as the rear end was too light to hold the vehicle) , or MK1 Transits. All RWD . Only decent RWD car I ever drove was an old Vauxhall Victor FD 2L, where the rear arches had filled with snow. Car weighed over a ton with no snow, and a lot more with snow packed under the arches. But with the power and weight, it drove like a 4WD, tank .Maxi1750 ,FWD, and greatest vehicle I've ever driven in snow . next coes Furby, BUT driving in winter comes down to more than the commercial idea of the winter tyre. It's down to the things that matter- skill , experience and forward observation .Not something a set of winter tyres can give you,if you still think that power =grip.

All the vehicles you mention didn't come fitted with wide low profile summer tyres with a compound designed to stay stable in high temperatures at fuĺl load at speeds up to 186mph.

Tyre technology has moved on from the 60's and 70's. Modern summer tyres just do not work in winter conditions.

And if you drive or live in areas where the weather is severe, like the Peak District, and you value you families safety then you look fit the correct tyre.

Lee

Loving my Maxxis AP2 All Seasons in 215/40 R17.

They have been good in the Wet, warm and Snow and Cold wet & Dry roads, and cheap enough that if they do show much wear by mid summer they can get replaced with new ones.