Snow socks

martinthebandit

Ghostrider wrote: »

I have to say that is quite possibly the least useful post I have ever read on MSE. :T

Winter tyres are exceptionally good and contrary to many people's idea are actually not just for driving in snow - they are "winter' tyres for a reason and are made from a different rubber compound and will far out perform a normal summer tyre in braking distance, cornering, traction on slippery surface, once the temps are below about 7c. They are not cheap, but then neither is crashing your car in the bad weather. If you do a lot of driving then they are worth considering, some cheap steel wheels on ebay will cost you peanuts (far less than £200!) and the costs are offset in the medium to long term by putting less wear on your summer tyres.

Snow socks are good to keep in the boot to help you if you get caught out - but in my experience they tend to slip a bit on anything more than a slight incline and they wear out very quickly, but good as a back-up.

Really?

I would be very suprised if anyone in the UK actually used summer tyres, every tyre I, and most other sensible people have fitted to their cars are all weather tyres and the info you posted explains why. Can you really guarantee any day in the UK when the temp will not fall to less than 7 degrees?

The same applies in reverse to winter tyres of course, except maybe in the very far north.

Specialist tyres are for specialist uses and are generally not suitable for use in the UK. You should certainly not fit specialist winter tyres for 6 months of the year and then swap to specialist summer tyres for the other 6 months.

In the UK all tyres sold are suitable for the weather conditions found in the UK, I suspect that if you think about it my original post was not quite as unhelpful, and certainly not as irresponsible, as yours and some of the others suggesting that an inexperienced driver should put themselves at more risk by using inappropriate tyres.

sunshinetours

martinthebandit wrote: »

Really?

I would be very suprised if anyone in the UK actually used summer tyres, every tyre I, and most other sensible people have fitted to their cars are all weather tyres and the info you posted explains why. Can you really guarantee any day in the UK when the temp will not fall to less than 7 degrees?

The same applies in reverse to winter tyres of course, except maybe in the very far north.

Specialist tyres are for specialist uses and are generally not suitable for use in the UK. You should certainly not fit specialist winter tyres for 6 months of the year and then swap to specialist summer tyres for the other 6 months.

In the UK all tyres sold are suitable for the weather conditions found in the UK, I suspect that if you think about it my original post was not quite as unhelpful, and certainly not as irresponsible, as yours and some of the others suggesting that an inexperienced driver should put themselves at more risk by using inappropriate tyres.

if the Op is that nervous a driver or that inexperienced (we don't know) best advice regardless of footwear would be to stay at home

Whilst all tyres may be suitable for UK conditions in theory, obviously many are far more suitable than others.
Winter tyres have a higher compound of silicon in them which stops them hardening in the colder weather. M&S winter tyrs have a agressive tread patterns that vastly improve stopping distances and aid hugely steering in icy and snowy and muddy/greasy conditions

For many people who drive cars wioth very low profile and large diameter wheels and tyres, winter wheels and tyres are a great option wherever you live in the UK.
BMWs/Mercs etc only get the bad rep for winter useage because they have such huge wiode wheels and tyres largely for aesthetic purposes in the image conscious Uk market.
using the correct tyres for the correct conditions sorts that issue out. They have been doing for years in Europe

Driver education is certainly the biggest overall factor though and not using your car if you don't need to

WestonDave

Don't know about winter tyres or snow socks, but I'm seriously considering a skid pan course before this winter kicks in. Common sense and taking things easy is all well and good but you can still come unstuck - a full 4 wheel slide on a road covered in sheet ice was not funny! At £100 for 3 hours it should be worth the money.

martinthebandit

sunshinetours wrote: »

Winter tyres have a higher compound of silicon in them which stops them hardening in the colder weather. M&S winter tyrs have a agressive tread patterns that vastly improve stopping distances and aid hugely steering in icy and snowy and muddy/greasy conditions

Which is why winter tyres are not suitable for the vast majority of the UK, road temperatures are just not consistently cold enough for long enough.

I would be interested to hear if any of those using winter tyres in the UK have told there insurance companies and if they have, what written response they have had?

sunshinetours

martinthebandit wrote: »

Which is why winter tyres are not suitable for the vast majority of the UK, road temperatures are just not consistently cold enough for long enough.

I would be interested to hear if any of those using winter tyres in the UK have told there insurance companies and if they have, what written response they have had?

As someone who used them last winter (and told insurance company who just wanted me to let them know when they went on and when they came off - no premium change) it gets cold enough for plenty long enough in the mid winter months even down here. All cars are different - those running around in little skinny wheeled front wheel drive things probably won't notice as much difference as those of us running on RWD 19" elastic band things

Within a few years they will be more the norm especially on those sorts of cars especially if we get a few more severe winters

redped

martinthebandit wrote: »

Which is why winter tyres are not suitable for the vast majority of the UK, road temperatures are just not consistently cold enough for long enough

The figure of 7 degrees C is often quoted as being the level at which winter tyres start showing their advantage - are you honestly claiming the temperature is above this level during the winter? If so, you should come over to Northern Ireland with your thermometer between November and February. I'd imagine people in Scotland and the north of England would say the same.

gilbert_and_sullivan

A full set of winter tyres isn't cheap and you do have the problem of stroring a set of spare tyres and wheels, and possuibly getting someone to swap the tyres over twice a year, not ideal for everyone.

However as usual much rubbish is being spouted in this thread together with some good sense posts.

Like it or not we are getting proper winters just like we used to years ago, must be global warming (quick chancellor hit them, tax payers still have a couple of quid left), and our modern cars with their low profile summer slicks simply are not up to the job of getting us about, plus the fantastic grip in normal weather offered by modern cars coupled with the anti skid electronics has bred a generation of drivers not particularly skilled in car control when things get tough....that's not criticism it's fact.

I run full winter tyres during the cold spell, they are a revelation in grip, the tyre compound coming into it's own as you go below 7' where summer tyres lose grip at an astonishing rate as the temperature drops.

Full winter tyres are best but as said above (by our sensible Scottish contingent?) there is an alternative, proper all season tyres.

These are relatively new in the UK in low profile higher speed rated sizes and suit the UK climate perfectly, fit as straight replacements for your normal summer tyres which in many cases are useless in the cold wet let alone ice conditions, and leave them on all year, exactly what it says on the tin.

Most important point though, proper all season tyres will be marked with a snowflake and mountain symbol on the sidewall, if they do not have this they will not have the correct compound to give cold weather grip.

Many people get confused and assume M&S on a tyre means the same as winter spec, this is simply not true, M&S only refers to the tread pattern, it has nothing to do with the compound used in the tread, an M&S stamp might just as well refer to a certain high street shopping chain that used to sell British clothes at one time when i did shop there.

A few suggestions for genuine all season snowflake marked tyres, in no particular order...

Kleber Quadraxer, Goodyear Vector, Vredestein Quatrac, Bridgestone A001, Dunlop SP4 All Seasons, Pirelli P6 Four Seasons....there are many more to suit all pockets so do your research carefully.

Snow Socks?, ok to get you out of a slippy patch once or twice, but not something to use regularly.

Oh and one other point, it's not advisable to fit only two winter type tyres to the drive axle front or rear, there's a multitude of reasons that will need another thread if someone wants to argue the points, that's if some here can argue without getting their handbags out..;)

wannabe_sybil

KierNet wrote: »

I've heard lots of good things about Snow Socks on a car forum I go to. If you want I can PM you the link to the threads.

Please pm me the link - it has to be helpful.

We live in Leeds, but my husband works on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, so we do see cold weather/snow a bit anyway, even if it isn't a bad winter. He isn't a bad driver (I feel safe driving with him), but he isn't comfortable in snow - like a lot of the UK population. And, to be honest, we have had two winters where effectively for a month the drive to work and back was extremely difficult for two short stretches. It was okayish for the rest, though there were enough times over those winters where the road conditions were such that his journey time doubled and tripled.

That's the thing, for most of the journey the conditions could be worse. There is usually tarmac showing, so snow socks wouldn't be good there. But that last stretch up a steep hill, exposed to the Dales, is a different matter.

I really value all the opinions on here, but please could you make sure you dumb it down for me, I am not clued up, though the nice mechanic next door would help out. :o:o

Alter_ego

cootuk wrote: »

We have snowsocks. They are very easy to put on - slip over top half of wheel, pull forward a few inches, slip on (new) top half of wheel.
Fitted. Very quick to take off too, but will be dirty.

If you could "Pull forward a few inches" You probably don't need the snowsocks on.

Horizon81

Just take the bus instead when the snow is that bad!