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With the reports that a severe winter is on its way how many of you bother with winter tyres ? and for those who do are they worth the costs and what kind of job do they do in snow and ice ?
Evidently they are not talking about a flurry or two they are suggesting multiple heavy falls, sub zero Arctic winds, possibly the worst winter for a 100 years starting next month and possibly through to January/February ? 😕
Re: Winter Tyres?
One of the best investments I have made, but I was lucky enough to have a full set of spare alloys for my car.
The set I bought in 2010 will be good for at least two more winters and I get twice as long out of my normal tyres to boot.
Will be popping into my local tyre depot towards the end of the month to get them swapped over.
The difference in grip with ‘full’ winter tyres is amazing. 8)
Jim.
Re: Winter Tyres?
My brother runs his own tyre business. Gonna get a set
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HDRe: Winter Tyres?
Or for those on a low budget, buy a pair of Autosocks – from £60 a pair. They’re not as convenient as winter tyres as the have to be removed when you get back onto snow free roads, but useful to have in the van in case you get caught out in the snow.
Re: Winter Tyres?
I just don’t go out. A rise to get out of the drive then a steep hill where others slide into cars. Nah! stay home 😆
RobRe: Winter Tyres?
Snowpocalypse is coming.
This news report is brought to you by Pirelli, for all winter tyre needs.
Google back in time though, they’ve been telling us that just about every year for a while. Or, it’s going to be the mildest winter ever.
K.
Re: Winter Tyres?
For the official view on what the weather holds this winter, read this:
http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/winter-forecasting-responding-to-the-headlines/
there is absolutely no certainty about what weather the UK will see over the winter period. The science simply does not exist to make detailed, long-term forecasts for temperature and snowfall even for the end of November, let alone for the winter period, which does not officially start until 1 December.
Re: Winter Tyres?
I use Vredestein Quatrac tyres for the winter time. Usually need them at some point up here in Aberdeenshire 🙁 .
Re: Winter Tyres?
I ran a Jag X type absolutely rubbish in bad weather. For a front wheel drive with the top of the range Michelins it was useless. Bought a set of cheap Chinese winter tyres and it would go anywhere. I was then up and down the country I didn’t want to get stranded and I didn’t.
They cost about £240 for a set, ran for two winters and sold for £150 and saved wear and tear on my regular tyres.Re: Winter Tyres?
Thing is, it really isn’t an issue most of the time, maybe a few days a year there’s some disruption.
It’s just that people these days seem to be completely unreasonable, expecting that when trains, planes, buses, post, couriers and most other things have ground to a halt that we can still get through and fix a washing machine. It is quite farcical really.
What some customers and clients expect is that we’re all geared up for winter with 4×4’s and maybe even this…
When the reality is this…
It doesn’t really matter if you have winter tyres or not when you’re stuck in traffic.
Nor does it matter all that much when you can’t get any parts delivered because the postal service has fallen apart (more than it has) and the couriers H&S policies prevent their drivers from leaving the depot, if they even got in there to be told not to go anywhere because they got stuck in the traffic.
The sad fact is that, when the weather goes to pot, we’re stuffed. You can make all the arrangements you like but, in the end, we’re dependent on the road network being open and clear to allow repairers to do what they do.
The point being, what we do is largely not relevant it can help to a degree, sure but in the end, often pointless.
K.
Re: Winter Tyres?
But when the majority of main roads are clear the side roads most certainly aren’t. That is when the need for winter tyres is an essential tool in ensuring we get there, get the job done and get paid no matter the weather!
Re: Winter Tyres?
And once the temperature drops below 7C then winter tyres have far better grip in the wet as well. 😛
And as Martin has pointed out, I used to get stuck on the sides roads or was unable to even get to the main road before I had my winter tyres. 8)
Re: Winter Tyres?
I appreciate that. But…
Where I am, to get anywhere at all, you have to travel on road arteries between towns so, we’re stuffed because you usually can’t get to the estates where the tyres would do you any good anyway.
When it gets a bit snowy the even the likes of the M77 here is just a car park. I’ve spent more the two hours trying to get into Glasgow in bad weather and, that’s on major routes, you can forget anything else as it’s either blocked by the weather or traffic.
Everything moves at a tenth (at best) normal speed which nobody can do much about, we just have to live with it.
That’s of course assuming that you can get out in the first instance.
But do bear in mind that the average distance between calls for us is knocking on for ten miles, it’s not uncommon to go twenty or more miles between calls.
The joy of being in a less densely populated area or a city.
K.
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