A place for those who disagree with the use of winter tyres in the UK's climate, rather than hijacking general discussion threads of those who do. 

I've never used winter tyres in 17 years of driving but i'm considering it this year for some reason.

We live in a place with no hills, can cope without a car and have things in walking distance.

 

However... my other half is now going to be driving down to Cambridge every fortnight so I am considering getting some winter wheels/tyres for peace of mind.

 

Phil

been very impressed with my Good Year Ultragrip 8's up until now.

Heard that the RS3's may be OK in the winter due to the compound of the rubber (whatever that means) Time will tell.

I've never used winter tyres in 17 years of driving but i'm considering it this year for some reason.

 

 

We live in a place with no hills, can cope without a car and have things in walking distance.

 

However... my other half is now going to be driving down to Cambridge every fortnight so I am considering getting some winter wheels/tyres for peace of mind.

 

Phil

 

 

Two great posts expressing some understanding of the fact other compounds exist and there may be a benefit for yourselves, or not thats for you to decide for yourselves. Why not try this thread where you may find out more about different types and specific brands, prices and best offers etc. Just need to pick through 60% of the irrelevant haters posts disrupting the content. http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/373143-7-degrees-this-morning-got-your-winters-on-yet/

Tried them a couple of years ago, and now I wouldn't be without them. But I live down a long old road that doesn't get gritted and park on a muddy verge.

 

But.... I do 30k a year, so do wear tyres out, I put new tyres on when I took my winters off and the fronts are approaching 50%. My thtinking is, apart from owning another set of rims, it doesn't really cost me any more money to have winters.

 

And thte Felicia pickup on M+S tyres was utterly unstoppable!

I tried them with my vRS but have had AWD since so never bothered.

I tried them with my vRS but have had AWD since so never bothered.

 

 

I think the reason for 'Winters' isn't so much can it get you up a hill, but rather will it steer or stop. After all AWD makes little difference to this, especially if it is the FWD Haldex type.

4wd gets you up the hill, winters mean you survive getting you back down it 

I got a set (my first ever in 24 years of driving) after experiencing how crap my octavia is in the snow with its wide tyres & 18" alloys,i got stuck on my sisters estate & she had no problem in her citroen picasso  ive used them one winter & noticed a improvement straight away,didnt use them last winter as we had no snow but i have now moved house & will be travelling everyday on some back roads that will be last to get gritted etc so i will fit them this year.

I think the reason for 'Winters' isn't so much can it get you up a hill, but rather will it steer or stop. After all AWD makes little difference to this, especially if it is the FWD Haldex type.

I think a suitable video for that point:

 

Having a little moan again FUBAR

Having a little moan again FUBAR

Moaning at the moaners is my new thing today.  :sun:

I think a suitable video for that point:

 

<video in quoted post>

there's also this one which may or may not be a bit more scientific/ empirical

 

Moaning at the moaners is my new thing today.  :sun:

 

hahaha you are brilliant at it must say. 

I won't be getting a pair of winter tyres.. as much as I'd like to... I live in a small flat in london with barely enough storage space for me and my family.

 

That said I will be minimising travel as much as possible. First harsh winter with the octavia!

I have no problem at all with people who want to fit winter cars to their tyres.

Unfortunately, like most obsessed evangelists they tend to lack any sense of humour, and to lack balance when their entrenched views are challenged.

 

I would point out that we do not live in Norway, Latvia / Estonia, Germany or any other part of mainland Continental Europe. We live on an island, with a Maritime climate warmed by the warm Gulf Stream current.

 

The obsession with 7C arises from 1930's USA where the rubber compounds commonly used 80 years ago changed their characteristics at that temperature, hence this was decided on by the US tyre manufacturers as the point at which winter tyres should be fitted. It has now become part of the tyre Creed, necessarily subscribed to by all true believers.

 

Average winter temperatures in UK from November to march vary from South to North, as is to be expected.

For example in:

London the temperature on average never drops below 7C

Cardif has 3 months where temps 4 - 6

Birmingham for 3 of those months the temperature varies from 3 - 5

Belfast - 4 months 4 - 6

Leeds - average from 3 - 5

Newcastle -  4 months average from 3-4

Edinburgh - 5 months average 3 - 6

Aberdeen 5 months 2 - 4

 

Bear in mind that these are average temperatures - overnight temperatures (when many fewer vehicles are on the road will be lower, daytime temps. higher.

 

So if you live in the North, drive a lot during the hours of darkness and want to fit tyres to cope with these slightly reduced temperatures go ahead.

BUT don't assume that the rest of us are stupid, ignorant or reactionary because we don't automatically agree wholeheartedly.

 

You have made a decision, but don't try to impose it on the rest of us. One of the frightening remarks when discussing this was comparison with various imposed safety requirements one chilling phrase stood out - all these things became mandatory. So the winter tyre advocates seem to be suggesting that yet another piece of legislation should be added to that already imposed on vehicle drivers.

For my part I dont care about temperaturs.

I have no problems running summertyres at any temp as long as the road is dry.

But on ice or snow, summertyres are useless. Yes yes, you might get up the hill, you might even get down without any problems. But what happens when something or someone suddenly pops up in the road? Either it goes bang or splat...

And Im guessing the british ice and snow is just as slippery as the Scandinavian version.

been very impressed with my Good Year Ultragrip 8's up until now.

Heard that the RS3's may be OK in the winter due to the compound of the rubber (whatever that means) Time will tell.

They are EXCELLENT "wet" tyres, Lee (RS3)!

they were my 1st choice before discovering the newly debuted all season tyres (crossclimate + weatherproof)!!!

But beware i read they wear quite quickly! :( :( :(

For my part I dont care about temperaturs.

I have no problems running summertyres at any temp as long as the road is dry.

But on ice or snow, summertyres are useless. Yes yes, you might get up the hill, you might even get down without any problems. But what happens when something or someone suddenly pops up in the road? Either it goes bang or splat...

And Im guessing the british ice and snow is just as slippery as the Scandinavian version.

You are making an assumption based on your own experiences of the climate / weather applying to Norway. I last went there in late May & early June 2014 at which time there was still standing snow on the high ground.

I say again - our climate is completely different.

We have relatively little snow, in comparison, even on the high ground to the north of England and in Scotland, and that which falls rarely lays for any length of time. For the majority of the U.K. The number of days of snow cover annually is in single figures, and in many years there is no laying snow across much of the country.

You may notice that the winter tyre brigade accede to this, but then change the thrust of their argument to the "below 7C"

Edited 30 September, 201510 yr by Damo
offensive term removed and exchanged

I didn't buy my winter tyres for use in the snow. I bought them for use in the winter.

Oh, and it isn't the 'winter tyre brigade' who arrived at the 7 degrees, its the tyre manufacturers, who strangely enough I tend to put more faith in than a random bloke on a forum with a bee in his bonnet.

You don't think that the tyre manufacturers have a vested interest in selling as many tyres as possible and, therefore, may construct arguments to support this?

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This is the main problem within the argument

'Winter tyre Deniers'' assume that winter tyres are for snow days ONLY

It must also be mentioned that buying a 4X4 vehicle, which often are equipped with 'Summer 'tyres as standard, will make little difference to grip on a cold wet motorway or country lane

You are making an assumption based on your own experiences of the climate / weather applying to Norway. I last went there in late May & early June 2014 at which time there was still standing snow on the high ground.

I say again - our climate is completely different.

We have relatively little snow, in comparison, even on the high ground to the north of England and in Scotland, and that which falls rarely lays for any length of time. For the majority of the U.K. The number of days of snow cover annually is in single figures, and in many years there is no laying snow across much of the country.

You may notice that the winter tyre brigade accede to this, but then change the thrust of their argument to the "below 7C"

Couple of things here.

 

First it isn't about snow.  Winter tyres are to cope with reduced adhesion be it ice, water or just plain cold where summer tyres are not as good.

 

Second referring to anyone who had a alternate view to yourself as a *word removed by mod* shows more about you than your views on any given subject.  Why not just discuss reasonably without insults?  Oh and before you say they started it responding to any post should not call for insults.

Edited 30 September, 201510 yr by Damo
offensive term removed

You don't think that the tyre manufacturers have a vested interest in selling as many tyres as possible and, therefore, may construct arguments to support this?

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LOL....No I don't....LOL