[SO8]

Originally Posted by m1bjr

+1

As normal, and seen across all car forums where relatives of the Stig reside.

"My tyres are not up to my incredible driver talent in winter"

Yeah, right.

A bit like S2000 drivers who blame the car and not their driving in the winter for crashing

[Giff]

Originally Posted by SO8

A bit like S2000 drivers who blame the car and not their driving in the winter for crashing

I think you need a go in an S2000...

[m1bjr]

Originally Posted by Giff

I think you need a go in an S2000...

I think he owned one.

And so did I

[SO8]

Originally Posted by m1bjr

I think he owned one.

And so did I

Correct .. two actually

[briers]

Do you think if I got an extra set of 19" 230s and put some vreds on those it would improve or is it just the compound?

They are extremely good in the snow and compacted ice but awful in the wet and greasy roads.

But fine in the bone dry sticky gritted surfaces.

[dmt335d]

What happened to driving to the conditions? What is going to happen when the snow does come.... 4x4's thinking they're invincible and now drivers on winter tyres all driving way too fast..

[dxb335d]

Good point DMT, and thanks for the reply !!

[Mike Scib]

Originally Posted by m1bjr

I think he owned one.

And so did I

And so did i....

[Giff]

Originally Posted by SO8

Correct .. two actually

Did you crash the first one?

[SO8]

Originally Posted by Giff

Did you crash the first one?

Nope, never had a problem with either ... just had a TVR in between ... and no, I didn't crash that either

[dopper99]

Makes me laugh how even BMW push winters tyres too.

Except, in the wrong conditions they sound more dangerous than summers.

[New_m3]

I switched over to vredestein wintrack extreme on mine m3 last month. They were a nightmare when they were new - accelerating in 2nd gear at 2,500 revs would would make the traction control light up light a christmas tree.

Now they are nicely run in i'm not having any problems with them loosing grip. I've mounted them on my 19" wheels with the same tyre widths as the summers. Maybe if people are going for thinner tyres they are experiencing problems?

[kaishang]

Originally Posted by New_m3

Maybe if people are going for thinner tyres they are experiencing problems?

I don't think this can be the problem. I never get the TC light except in 1st gear. Summer tyres 225/45/17.

[lesfinnie]

I run a 335d which is remapped and have Avon Ice Tours fitted. Using the throttle sensibly I have no issues, heavy acceleration and the traction light will flash so I do not do it.

[ALF_E90]

There is indeed no point switching until it is cold - I switched on 2nd Dec when it got chilly, up to then it had been very mild down south so I left the summers on.

People need to be sure they are comparing like for like, however. Any remotely sensitive driver will notice that summer tyres seriously lose grip at low temperatures, and when we get days like we have had recently - a frosty start then greasy, cold wet roads all day, grip is much lower whatever the tyre. You can't just go around stamping on the loud pedal and driving as in the summer and blaming the tyres. On the last couple of days I ran my summers it was cold, and I noticed a massive and sudden loss of grip - the rears were spinning up a lot when pushed. When I went to the winters, grip was higher - but nothing like summer tyres, in summer.

Significantly more caution and skill is needed in the winter and it is no wonder that the first frosty mornings see car-sized holes in the hedges on a lot of the country lanes around here.

[mowflow]

I think a lot of people have over reacted due to the winter that we had last year. The average winter for most of us living south of Dundee is 2 or 3 days of snow, a lot of dampness and the temperature floating around the mid single digits. The freak winter last year has fooled a lot of people into believing every winter will be like the ice age.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by ALF_E90

There is indeed no point switching until it is cold - I switched on 2nd Dec when it got chilly, up to then it had been very mild down south so I left the summers on.

People need to be sure they are comparing like for like, however. Any remotely sensitive driver will notice that summer tyres seriously lose grip at low temperatures, and when we get days like we have had recently - a frosty start then greasy, cold wet roads all day, grip is much lower whatever the tyre. You can't just go around stamping on the loud pedal and driving as in the summer and blaming the tyres. On the last couple of days I ran my summers it was cold, and I noticed a massive and sudden loss of grip - the rears were spinning up a lot when pushed. When I went to the winters, grip was higher - but nothing like summer tyres, in summer.

Significantly more caution and skill is needed in the winter and it is no wonder that the first frosty mornings see car-sized holes in the hedges on a lot of the country lanes around here.

Well said, totally agree with your comments.

The problem we have in the UK, we have such fluctuating temperatures in winter, and that includes the south as well, so we have to drive to the conditions. When we chose the cold weather tyre for the added safety in winter driving, we have to go with the compromises. But they are not rubbish, or even dangerous as another thread has suggested. No way can we judge a high performance cold weather tyre as we would a high performance summer tyre. Should we even expect to?

Reminds me off a story from many years back when I was in the garage trade. We a Rover/Triumph garage had a customer with a Triumph Stag, a good example and not very old either. He complained it had severe vibrations in the car at about 93mph, if I remember the speed correctly.

The workshop foreman took the car out and couldn't replicate the issue, inspected the car, couldn't see any reasion why this car went into a vibration mode at speed. As the customer said it was also shaking the roof badly, I as body shop manager had the job to check it all out, and again I couldn't replicate any issues out on the road.

So Doug gets the customer to take him out, to see what he's on about. Well this guy was sitting at the speed and bouncing on the rev limiter in third gear and saying "this is it".

Learned a lot that day, not all "problems/faults" are equal.

HighlandPete

[dxb335d]

I know Alf, I'm amazed by the amount of people who expect to drive the way they do in the summer and wonder why they bin it around the first bend!!

[mowflow]

It terrifies me when I see people driving like it's a summers day and there's either slush or an inch of standing water on the road. There should be more emphasis on how to properly adapt driving style for certain conditions in the UK driving test.

[dxb335d]

It shouldn't need to be in the driving test, it is just common sense. Unfortunately Many do not have it.

[dghdgh]

common sense isn't common anymore!!!!!!

[HighlandPete]

Or at least read the section in something like the the official driving manual, on all-weather driving.

If we can't get folks to put their lights on in poor visibility, even when it is virtually dark, there isn't much hope for common sense.

HighlandPete