Winter Tyre Test Video

Ultrasonic

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Aquaplaning is caused when the tyre can't disperse the water quick enough. And the tyres are then floating on the water rather than being in contact with the road. Good winter tyres do have more grooves, and do disperse more water.

'Summer' tyres have tread patterns that are optimised to disperse water, whilst 'winter' tyres have other considerations to their design as neilmcl mentioned.

I'm not certain you are wrong, but I also don't think it is obvious that you are correct. Which is why I'd want some evidence to be convinced. Not that I expect there to be any, because nobody is likely to have bothered testing this. But this is obviously not a big deal either way since I don't think any of us is advocating using winter tyres all year round in the UK!

neilmcl

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Unfortunately too many don't realise how much they have to slow down when there is a large amount of standing water.

Aquaplaning is caused when the tyre can't disperse the water quick enough. And the tyres are then floating on the water rather than being in contact with the road. Good winter tyres do have more grooves, and do disperse more water.

This simply isn't the case. In warmer temperatures summer tyres generally outperform winter tyres in the wet, both braking and wet cornering. There's been plenty of documented tyre testing to prove this.

Jamie_Carter

Ultrasonic wrote: »

'Summer' tyres have tread patterns that are optimised to disperse water, whilst 'winter' tyres have other considerations to their design as neilmcl mentioned.

I'm not certain you are wrong, but I also don't think it is obvious that you are correct. Which is why I'd want some evidence to be convinced. Not that I expect there to be any, because nobody is likely to have bothered testing this. But this is obviously not a big deal either way since I don't think any of us is advocating using winter tyres all year round in the UK!

Summer tyres are designed to provide the maximum rubber contact with the road. Winter tyres are designed to push through water, slush, and snow.

It's not the tread that grips on summer tyres, it's rubber contact with the road. It's on winter tyres in on snow that they are designed to bite into the snow.

Jamie_Carter

neilmcl wrote: »

This simply isn't the case. In warmer temperatures summer tyres generally outperform winter tyres in the wet, both braking and wet cornering. There's been plenty of documented tyre testing to prove this.

You didn't read my posts.

Winter tyres will disperse more water. So in situations where there is a lot of standing water, winter tyres will be less likely to aquaplane.

Ultrasonic

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Summer tyres are designed to provide the maximum rubber contact with the road.

That's obviously not true. If it were then all summer tyres would be slicks . And just to be clear, I know full well that the tread pattern on summer tyres is nothing to do with grip on dry roads (where slicks are optimal) and all about wet weather performance.

The more nuanced point you were getting at was I suspect that the tread pattern shifts water to keep the maximum area in contact with the road. Which is true but I don't see it proves your point. For winter tyres to be better they need to both clear water and grip the road. You can't just say they clear more water (which they might), but then ignore the grip part from that bit of the tyre in contact with the road.

Edit: Actually, perhaps what I've just argued is why under virtually all conditions summer tyres are better in warm weather rain than winter tryes, but doesn't address your specific aquaplaning point.

Ultrasonic

Playing devil's advocate, I can't quite decide whether the video in the first post of this thread proves the aquaplaning point? It does show a car driving over a large amount of standing water, albeit on a smooth surface rather than a typical road surface. If the difference there can be attributed to aquaplaning though it is then not really a meaningful demonstration of performance on ice (as it was promoted as being)...

Alias_Omega

I commute 80miles a day for work (18700 miles a year for work).

I have never fitted winter tyres, I don't plan on fitting winter tyres. In the past I adapt my driving style.

I set off earlier for work, I leave a bigger braking distance. I sometimes am the first car down some of the back roads in the mornings.

If winter tyres are so much needed, then they must have changed the design of the "non-winter" tyres therefore I would be asking "whats the difference".

I think its a bit of a scam, as you can only go as fast as the car in front without winter tyres fitted.

neilmcl

Yeah, so much a scam that virtually the whole of the country in the UK comes to a standstill every winter yet mainland Europe, where winter tyres are mandatory in many places, copes perfectly well.

Ultrasonic

Alias_Omega wrote: »

I think its a bit of a scam, as you can only go as fast as the car in front without winter tyres fitted.

I don't think there is any way that winter tyres can be argued to be a scam. They are demonstrably safer in winter weather. They are no more a scam than good performing summer tyres are compared to bad performing ones. Yes you can drive on poorer tyres (both summer and winter), but they are less safe. How significant this difference is, is then a personal judgement, and it will depend in part on where you normally drive.

I for example live in a very flat area where the roads I need to use routinely are gritted well and I have consequently never yet bought winter tyres. If I lived somewhere that involved me regularly driving on ungritted hilly back-roads then I probably would. It is also of course un-arguable that even when it is just cold that winter tyres offer better performance, it is not just about ice and snow. I have not yet chosen to spend the extra money required to swap to winter tyres, but I do acknowledge that it would be safer for me if I did.

OddballJamie

kirkofski wrote: »

Its sometimes cheaper to pick up a set of alloys on Ebay/Gumtree than it is to buy steelies. I found that as Vauxhall charge a fortune for a spare wheel on their new cars, its pushed up the price of second hand steel wheels/tyres.

I bought a set of 15" Corsa SXi alloys(same as what's on my 2005 Corsa) on ebay for £85, all with good tyres. I sold 2 wheels for £25 each and was left with the best two wheels/tyres with 7mm tread left and it only cost me £35.

I bought 2 x Uniroyal MS66's(£105 delivered) from http://www.camskill.co.uk/ and will be swapping the tyres over in December.

As someone else said, I'm actually quite looking forward to the winter to see how they perform in the snow.

You should really be putting a whole set of winters on rather than just two. Could lead to losing the back end in corners and possible insurance problems from mixing tyre types.