I've got winter wheels with Goodyear Ultragrip tyres on at the moment, and it's getting close to time for changing back to the summer ones. 

 

The tyres on the summers were about due for replacement, so I decided to go for Michelin Crossclimates, obviously this means I don't need to change from summer to winter twice a year, and I can free up some space by selling my winter wheels, oh and I got a good deal on the Crossclimates 

 

They're not going in yet, but I just wondered if you guys with Crossclimates use the standard Tyre Pressures ?

 

 

This is the second winter for my Cross Climates now. I still have them on my steel rims and change from the alloys in November and back in April.

I've had no problems on my Scout. They seem to be wearing ok but I'm not obsessive about that. Not had any snow to test them.

I use the same tyre pressures and I'm very pleased with the performance and ride.

I have them on an Octy II 4x4 and tend to run then a 2-3psi higher than normal as they seem to have a slightly softer sidewall

If you want the definitive answer, Drop Michelin Customer Services a quick email. 

I run Nokian cold weather tyres and they recommended a higher pressure than the pressure quoted in the fuel flap. 

Cannot remember what Skoda recommended (2.4/2.5 bar?) as I've been running the Nokians for the last 5 years, but Nokian quoted 2.7bar.

Michelin CrossClimate are Summer Tyres that are Certified for Winter use.

Michelin advice running the vehicle manufacturers recommended tyre pressures, and those would need setting as the weather / ambient temperature changes and set with cold tyres and outside where the weather / temp is that a vehicle is being driven.

4 hours ago, Blaven said:

This is the second winter for my Cross Climates now. I still have them on my steel rims and change from the alloys in November and back in April.

I've had no problems on my Scout. They seem to be wearing ok but I'm not obsessive about that. Not had any snow to test them.

Why aren't you leaving the Cross Climates on all the time?

 

I thought that was the idea to save having two sets of wheels?  

6 minutes ago, VAGCF said:

Why aren't you leaving the Cross Climates on all the time?

 

I thought that was the idea to save having two sets of wheels?  

 

I read it that he uses the tyres on his steel wheels in winter , then puts the same tyres on the alloys for summer.

If it is changing tyres from rim to rim several times in their life time it really is not recommended.

As to not using good Alloys in Scotland from November to April you are as likely to see roads being Salted in April or October in various areas around Scotland, Highlands, Islands or Main Land.

Edited 10 March, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

Just to clear up any confusion, I have steelies for winter and the original alloys for summer, 8 wheels in all.

i have plenty of storage space. My alloys are pretty much pristine after 6 years. My steelies are a disgrace.

i would rather have outright winter tyres, but like others here got a good deal on X Climate, and maybe bought into the hype also. I gave them a go. They're only tyres after all!

Nice,

and you can carry a Steely or 2 as spares in the Summer, and an alloy or 2 as spares in the winter.

I forgot to mention, steelies are 16" and original alloys are 17". In my experience 16" tyres are not as expensive as the larger size. A small saving to be made there. I use the same bolts. I seem to remember that while driving the bargain with the salesman I insisted on a full size (16") spare wheel. Which I've never used.

 

If you carefully and selectively scan eBay for part worn winter tyres there are bargains to be had, usually from well-heeled skiers who keep them for their winter holidays. Sometimes they just change their vehicles and the tyres are surplus to requirements.

I'm still confused!

 

What tyres do you have on the alloys?  

54 minutes ago, VAGCF said:

I'm still confused!

 

What tyres do you have on the alloys?  

Alloys are Continental Contisport Contact 3 

225/50 R17

 

Steelies are Michelin X Climate 

205/55 R 16

You are running quite a difference in size there as in the height of the tyres,  (not just narrower treads or sidewall to sidewall.)

how do they compare side by side rather than just by the size on the tyres?

http://kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator 

Edited 10 March, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

23 minutes ago, Blaven said:

Alloys are Continental Contisport Contact 3 

225/50 R17

 

Steelies are Michelin X Climate 

205/55 R 16

 

I'll have a nice set of alloys with Goodyear Ultragrips for sale soon if you fancy a third set 

 

2 hours ago, Awayoffski said:

You are running quite a difference in size there as in the height of the tyres,  (not just narrower treads or sidewall to sidewall.)

how do they compare side by side rather than just by the size on the tyres?

http://kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator 

I've no idea. I bought the steel rims and original winter tyres as a package from Mytyres as the winter option for my car.

It drives well and I'm no Stig. There's obviously a speedo discrepancy which i address by running my Garmin and checking my speed with that shown on the speedo in those interminable stretches of roadworks governed by elapsed time numberplate recognition cameras. You can worry too much about these things.

The tyres look underinflated with the pressures recommended by Skoda, but surely the whole point of winter tyres is that they grip well in cold temperatures. If that means an increased tread footprint, then so be it.

My neighbour runs an Octavia 4X4 and he's on 15" alloy rims. He's on X Climates as well.

 

Edited 10 March, 20179 yr by Blaven

I was asking if you had put the wheel not on the car to compare next to the one on the car to see the difference.

As to  an increased tread footprint in winter you reduced it with a narrower tyre, but then many do that believing that gives more grip which really might just be under certain conditions and not on treated roads in winter.

2 hours ago, Awayoffski said:

I was asking if you had put the wheel not on the car to compare next to the one on the car to see the difference.

As to  an increased tread footprint in winter you reduced it with a narrower tyre, but then many do that believing that gives more grip which really might just be under certain conditions and not on treated roads in winter.

Awayoffski. Forgive me, i'm losing the will to live here. No I haven't compared the two wheels side by side. One of the best cars I ever drove in snow was a Citroen Dyane on standard Michelin X tyres which today would probably be found on a mountain bike!

 

1 minute ago, Blaven said:

Awayoffski. Forgive me, i'm losing the will to live here. No I haven't compared the two wheels side by side. One of the best cars I ever drove in snow was a Citroen Dyane on standard Michelin X tyres which today would probably be found on a mountain bike!

 

......a bit like mud in that you can have too much width.

Blaven i think any of us that have lived and driven long enough had good times driving in winter with lighter cars on tyres that worked in winter.

I was only interested in how the tyres height compared and if they were that much different.

I took it that they were the equivalent circumference 

I have been looking at Crossclimates for a while and noticed today that they have released a Crossclimate+ which appears better in all areas except a small decrease in wet braking performance (which is presumably how they increased the milage life).

 

Has anybody used the *new* version of the tyre?

9 hours ago, Ryeman said:

I took it that they were the equivalent circumference 

 

Not a chance.  You need 215/60R16s to get within about 1% of the diameter and circumference of the 225/50R17s.

 

My 205/55R16s give roughly 4% difference in indicated speed compared to the 225/50R17s (measured against a constant known speed measured on a straight and flat road using GPS).  That tallies well with the difference in diameter obtained through simple calculation eg as per the link above.  The 205/55R16 is noticeably smaller on the car, both in diameter and width.

 

I've run my winter tyres all this year (the Dunlops need replacing but there was still plenty of tread left on the Nokians last spring) and I will shortly be switching to Crossclimates in the same size.  I've found the cost difference to be quite substantial when looking online: a full set of the 205/55R16 for roughly the price of three of the 225/50R17.  Since this thread I've run the 205/55R16s at the same tyre pressure as the 225/50R17s, and I plan to do the same when I get the Crossclimates.

9 minutes ago, ejstubbs said:

 

Not a chance.  You need 215/60R16s to get within about 1% of the diameter and circumference of the 225/50R17s.

 

My 205/55R16s give roughly 4% difference in indicated speed compared to the 225/50R17s (measured against a constant known speed measured on a straight and flat road using GPS).  That tallies well with the difference in diameter obtained through simple calculation eg as per the link above.  The 205/55R16 is noticeably smaller on the car, both in diameter and width.

 

I've run my winter tyres all this year (the Dunlops need replacing but there was still plenty of tread left on the Nokians last spring) and I will shortly be switching to Crossclimates in the same size.  I've found the cost difference to be quite substantial when looking online: a full set of the 205/55R16 for roughly the price of three of the 225/50R17.  Since this thread I've run the 205/55R16s at the same tyre pressure as the 225/50R17s, and I plan to do the same when I get the Crossclimates.

Hmm....I don't know if such a discrepancy would be legal out here.  They certainly wouldn't be offered as a dealer option I'm sure.