Snowmegadon UK?

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Toddy

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The spiders are having a hard time around here...
 
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Paul_B

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Jul 14, 2008
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Well we're still wondering if we will need winter tyres this season. I think not but might get some Michelin all season ones which in reviews give winter performances that are similar to proper winter tyres indeed better all round than a few makes of winter tyres.
 

Woody girl

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I'm sure the one that lives in my kitchen does, in fact he's so fast I think he rides a Suzuki GSX..:D
I've got a spider that regularly goes for a spin on my susuki intruder. He's a bit short so can't reach the handlebars properly so I have to drive for him.
 
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Jan 13, 2019
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Well we're still wondering if we will need winter tyres this season. I think not but might get some Michelin all season ones which in reviews give winter performances that are similar to proper winter tyres indeed better all round than a few makes of winter tyres.

Get a set of Winters and leave them on all year. Unless you’re concerned with limit handling on dry roads, the real world differences are negligible and the benefits greater than the losses. Sussex Police did a fleet test with Winters vs OEM a few years ago and found no discernible wear or handling characteristics on their non runflat vehicles ie some BMWs.
 

Paul_B

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Jul 14, 2008
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A car mag a few months back did a review of a few popular winter tyres, two all season ones and one of the best summer / normal tyres (in their last group test iirc).

Basically the Michelin all season tyre came second in some of the snow performance tests even first in one. Wet weather first or second and dry very high up if not first. Basically overall for purely winter use it was highly rated. If true it seems the tyre that lasts well outside if winter like a summer tyre also works very well in UK winter conditions.

IIRC they were about £70 each in the most popular size on an online retailer (the magazine's top ranked tyre supplier in their reviews of retailers) Black hoops I think it was.
 

saxonaxe

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Sep 29, 2018
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That's good info, thanks. I was thinking about an Internet hunt for replacements for my Suzuki 4x4. Michelin All Season sound like a good choice. Use is about 2/3rds road, 1/3rd non dramatic off road. ( Farm tracks)
 
Jan 13, 2019
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Gallifrey
A car mag a few months back did a review of a few popular winter tyres, two all season ones and one of the best summer / normal tyres (in their last group test iirc).

Basically the Michelin all season tyre came second in some of the snow performance tests even first in one. Wet weather first or second and dry very high up if not first. Basically overall for purely winter use it was highly rated. If true it seems the tyre that lasts well outside if winter like a summer tyre also works very well in UK winter conditions.

IIRC they were about £70 each in the most popular size on an online retailer (the magazine's top ranked tyre supplier in their reviews of retailers) Black hoops I think it was.

I’m sure you know this but be very careful of reviews and results.

Also ‘all season’ makes no sense and was derived from marketing at a time when people in UK couldn’t comprehend owning two sets of everything.

The laws of physics still apply but as a rule, a front wheel drive car with 4 winters will outperform a 4x4 with road tyres. Rear wheel drive (bmw, mercs etc) is different in handling but I know i’d rather be in anything with winter tyres on any road surface and conditions, than not.

I have run all types of tyres on my fwd and rwd cars and there are differences, but in normal/average day to day driving, winters win every time.
 

Robson Valley

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Nov 24, 2014
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There's no discussion here any more. Your vehicle is impounded until you shape up.
The law says we run alpine winter tires or stay home because our insurance is automatically null and void if you don't.
October to March down south and October to April up here.

Genuine alpine tires are marked in the sidewall with a 3-peak mountain symbol and a snowflake.
Usually marked M+S (mud & snow) as well.

The only problem with the softer rubber is that they run hot on dry pavement and squirm to scrub off the tread.
Not very many get so hot that they explode.
I plan spring services to get the synthetic oil changed and get my summers on rims swapped over as well.

Our federal police force (RCMP) have run Cooper Discover for 10+ years. Good enough for me.
I got a deal on Firestone winters in 2017, they perform a lot better than I expected.
 
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Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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That's good info, thanks. I was thinking about an Internet hunt for replacements for my Suzuki 4x4. Michelin All Season sound like a good choice. Use is about 2/3rds road, 1/3rd non dramatic off road. ( Farm tracks)

I wouldn’t run winters all year, clue’s in the name. I use all terrain, means they’ll do a bit of everything but still need some driver care when out of their comfort zone.

I bought Grabbers. I did a lot of research into the 90% on road and 10% off a few years ago. I put AT 2s on my Rav over 10 years ago and they’re still good after all this time, I definitely trust them. Not exceptionally noisy on motorway and chug along across off road tracks and mud very well. I’ve just replaced one due to a nail in the sidewall and the old AT 2s aren’t available anymore. My local tyre guy spent some time on the internet and found the exact tyre but rebranded. I’m not going outside with a torch just now, but I’ll have a look tomorrow and see who bought the pattern.
 

Fadcode

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Feb 13, 2016
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Cornwall
just as a matter of interest HGV's just use the same tyres all year round, and the minimum thread is 1mm not 1.6 like a car,I have just returned from a round trip of 450 miles , a lot of it on hard snow and Ice, without any mishap, the last 70 miles empty, didn't lose traction once, and there are some bad hills here in Cornwall....................proper job.
 
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I wouldn’t run winters all year, clue’s in the name. I use all terrain, means they’ll do a bit of everything but still need some driver care when out of their comfort zone.

I bought Grabbers. I did a lot of research into the 90% on road and 10% off a few years ago. I put AT 2s on my Rav over 10 years ago and they’re still good after all this time, I definitely trust them. Not exceptionally noisy on motorway and chug along across off road tracks and mud very well. I’ve just replaced one due to a nail in the sidewall and the old AT 2s aren’t available anymore. My local tyre guy spent some time on the internet and found the exact tyre but rebranded. I’m not going outside with a torch just now, but I’ll have a look tomorrow and see who bought the pattern.

I’ll second the Grabbers. Had them on the Freelander 2 with 17” rims for five years and they never let me down.
The thing about Winter tyres is that for most people, they’re absolutely fine to use all year.

I had a very detailed chat about this subject with the driver training unit of Sussex Police, as well as demonstrations during Advanced Driver training courses and without exception, the choice was where possible, it was Winters all year. Budgets and extra storage also comes into this but that’s the same for everyone.

Well that’s where I stopped discussing compounds, slip angles etc and bought winters. Never went back!
 

Nomad64

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Nov 21, 2015
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Plenty of snow here in West Somerset, but not to Scandi or Canadian standards. The birds are busily hoovering up whatever we put out for them. Couple of pics:

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Cheers, Bob

Lovely - at least someone is enjoying the Somerset hedgerows today! The hedgelaying course I was supposed to be doing today above Blagdon was cancelled as shovels rather than billhook and axes would have been the main tools required. :(
 

saxonaxe

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Sep 29, 2018
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Terrific photos. Very little snow left at lower levels around here, but still some up on the Downland and higher roads.
 

Woody girl

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Snowmageddon? Well it's snomagoing here now.. lovely sunny day. Everything is melting. Can see the grass again on south facing slopes.
 

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