thing is as soon as everyone buys winter tyres we will never see snow again in this country. **** knows what the weather will be like here. One minute its like the bloody tropics and the next it is like the middle of siberia.
thing is as soon as everyone buys winter tyres we will never see snow again in this country. **** knows what the weather will be like here. One minute its like the bloody tropics and the next it is like the middle of siberia.
Because the fact is that if you hit ice then it's very likely that regardless of what tyres you have you're going to crash.
A good set of rain/wet tyres (uniroyal rainsport 2 for example) would do fine for all year usage.
All winter tyres do is work slightly better than "sporty/summer" tyres. A good driver can overcome any of the issues by driving slower and paying more attention..
....wich reminded me that i should change my spikes to a set of summertyres next week, snow is finally gone 
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If you would have winters like us here you would consider any driver with summertyres on winter to be an idiot. Trust me: the difference is actually huge.
.If you would have winters like us here you would consider any driver with summertyres on winter to be an idiot. Trust me: the difference is actually huge.
well anyway you should have winter tires under 9 C° 
It's not just about snow, the temperature plays a mature role in how a tyre behaves. Winters will beat summers in temps as high as 8°C, unless it's really bone-dry, in which case the summers stand a chance.
I don't even blame any of those 95% or 85%, you simply aren't properly educated. Here in Austria, advanced driver safety training became mandatory in 2003 and to everyone who's gone through it, the importance of winter tyres should be painfully obvious. Even the most ignorant fools, like a certain someone here who thinks he's the uber-authority on things he doesn't actually know anything at all about, should get it.
€: See above.
I don't even blame any of those 95% or 85%, you simply aren't properly educated. Here in Austria, advanced driver safety training became mandatory in 2003 and to everyone who's gone through it, the importance of winter tyres should be painfully obvious. Even the most ignorant fools, like a certain someone here who thinks he's the uber-authority on things he doesn't actually know anything at all about, should get it.
€: See above.
I'm aware (thanks to extensive knowledge of motorcycle tyres, screw you Bridgestone) that certain tyres perform better in lower temperatures. Others work much better when hot. And then you have tyres which offer a trade of between the two extremes. Often this is due to the compound and other levels of ingredients such as silica or "black carbon". It also can be affected by the structure/composition of the tyre, whether they have hard compound rubber with a soft carcass or vice-versa, sidewall stifeness, etc
In some countries (russia perhaps, or Canada, denmark, countries with harsh winters such as that) I do agree. Go for winter tyres. But in England it's not necessary. As mentioned I had a set of crappy budgets on my Corsa and while it would wheelspin in 3rd up hills, by driving to the limits of my tyres and the conditions I was able to avoid an accident. But hey, each to their own.
I'm not hating on those who have winter tyres, unless you're in England. Then again the man who wants to put winter tyres on his car is the same chappie who's worried his cars identity will be stolen if he posts the registration plate online! :hide:
In some countries (russia perhaps, or Canada, denmark, countries with harsh winters such as that) I do agree. Go for winter tyres. But in England it's not necessary. As mentioned I had a set of crappy budgets on my Corsa and while it would wheelspin in 3rd up hills, by driving to the limits of my tyres and the conditions I was able to avoid an accident. But hey, each to their own.
I'm not hating on those who have winter tyres, unless you're in England. Then again the man who wants to put winter tyres on his car is the same chappie who's worried his cars identity will be stolen if he posts the registration plate online! :hide:
I think you're not far off with that. Maybe even a bit more.
Having winter tires is a must imho, I don't think I'd like to go outside and drive my car with snow lying around and still having summer tires on.
The same kind of ignorance Dustin exhibits in the Driving habits thread. It's not about normal driving conditions, it's about the unexpected. You can compensate for some of the shortcomings, but by driving closer or at the limit of the tyre, you're lacking the margin of error a good winter tyre would offer.
No - a good driver cannot overcome the fact his tyres have no grip, suddenly. It's physics.
Last year, I spent about half an hour getting used to my car in the car park at work, when it was covered in ice. Lots of time practicing braking, getting a feel for the conditions, and the odd bit of larking around.
When I decided to leave, I drove out of the car park, and towards a roundabout - now at this point remember I knew exactly how little grip there was, so I was going ~10 MPH, and had about 7 car lenghts to the stop line, where a Mondeo was waiting. So I applied the brakes... instantly the ABS comes on (because theres no grip), and the car just doesn't slow down. Nothing I can do.
Luckily, there was a very small gap between the Mondeo and the island seperating the lanes - I sailed right past the Mondeo, and ended up stopping in the middle of the (luckily empty) roundabout.
I'd promised a colleague i'd deliver something to a customer, and I thought that despite the conditions, it was only 10 miles away so I'd do it anyway.
Getting there was acceptable, and the customer was over the moon (think she had a broken leg so couldn't get to the store) that i'd delivered it despite the conditions. At this point, I realised what a stupid thing i'd done - she lived at the bottom of a valley. When I got to her house, there was a car struggling to get up the slight incline up the road ahead, so I took the road I'd just been down home. The valley wasn't steep, but several times I had real problems getting up it - even crawling along at 10 the wheels would spin and slip, and the second I touched the accelerator the turbo would kick in, the wheels go crazy and the car stop. It took several attempts to get out... After all this I was driving super-cautiously (the last 15 miles took me over an hour...), about 15 down some country roads. Slight bend, suddenly the car just stops turning and I kerbed it. Twice - very little I could do.
Even once I got onto the dual carraigeway I had traction issues... and before you say it, on the other side of the road there were 4 stuck lorries and 2 crashed cars in the 10 mile stretch home... In total that small journey (10 miles to the customer, 10 to work and then the 20 mile drive home) which would take ~50 minutes in good conditions ended up taking me over 4 hours.
Skill can help, but sometimes you wont find out how little grip there is until you need it, and the only way you can slow enough for it to be an issue is to travel at 5 MPH everywhere, which is not a solution unless I want it to take 4 hours to get home from work...
That is your problem. Although the conditions were slick, you need momentum to travel through snow, especially uphill. It is hairy at times, but otherwise you'll get stuck.
Even my wintertyres didn't help me getting my nose into icewall this winter (few months back we had basically all roads covered with pure slick ice) when going around 10km/h max at gas station, was about to turn around since my fuelcap was at other side.
But when i touched the brake slightly i realised that i was screwed... turning, braking,accelerating - nothing helped, just slided without any mark of lowering speed or changing direction into the icemountain.
Wasn't a big issue though, my front bumper had one screw missing and a numberplate fell off due it's base was broken half.
That was the most serious incident i've had so far (and i've been behind the wheel almost every day so far).
But when i touched the brake slightly i realised that i was screwed... turning, braking,accelerating - nothing helped, just slided without any mark of lowering speed or changing direction into the icemountain.
Wasn't a big issue though, my front bumper had one screw missing and a numberplate fell off due it's base was broken half.
That was the most serious incident i've had so far (and i've been behind the wheel almost every day so far).
I drove through some pretty gross amounts of snow this past winter with all-seasons on. No accidents or hairy moments.
Of course winter tyres is a must. First days here, when snow shows up, and half of cars on streets hasn't got winter tyres yet, are awful. All those are suddenly driving like a grannies or smth.
This winter one of my relatives even got a fine for agressive driving in UK, because he (10 years of driving experience in winter conditions + proper winter tyres with spikes) overtaked 6 or 7 cars in-a-row, including cop car, they all was driving on 15mph instead of 40 or smth like that.
This winter one of my relatives even got a fine for agressive driving in UK, because he (10 years of driving experience in winter conditions + proper winter tyres with spikes) overtaked 6 or 7 cars in-a-row, including cop car, they all was driving on 15mph instead of 40 or smth like that.
That's because Western European cops think they're the pros. :star:
Less arguing over tyres, more cars
Love that little BMW!
My new car...... few issues to work out before I consider using it daily.
Paint condition, etc could be better, however it has the bits that I wanted, including a kaaz 2way LSD, cusco adjustable toe rods, Driftworks camber arms, Powered by MAX coilovers, new paddle clutch, etc.
Number plate blanked because I'm a big gay
My new car...... few issues to work out before I consider using it daily.
Paint condition, etc could be better, however it has the bits that I wanted, including a kaaz 2way LSD, cusco adjustable toe rods, Driftworks camber arms, Powered by MAX coilovers, new paddle clutch, etc.
Number plate blanked because I'm a big gay
Looks nice 
Badass.
Last 2 cars are great
Easily the best car on here.
I love my playground. Something about hooning a van makes me laugh every time. Even though B-pillar forward is all Escort Mk6 bits, you just know it is a van because of how the back end bounces around. xD
It needs a bit of work: There's quite a bit of rust (nothing structural) and the engine could do with a rebuild.
I plan on taking it off the road when I graduate, and getting something bland like an ECOnetic Fiesta while I do it up. Either that or I'll sell it and buy a Porsche 914 (decisions...)
I plan on taking it off the road when I graduate, and getting something bland like an ECOnetic Fiesta while I do it up. Either that or I'll sell it and buy a Porsche 914 (decisions...)
It has to be the BMW in my personal opinion, atleast then you will enjoy looking at the car! Subjective I know.
Subjective I know.re:post your ride
Ok, three cars to post.
1st is my dad's...rover 214sei
http://farm4.static.flickr.com ... 3611614150_2462e75c51.jpg
2nd is my mums....micra k10 1.2se
http://img842.imageshack.us/i/dsc01742t.jpg/
3rd is mine. and it gained me a speeding ticket at 43.4 mph on a 1/40 hill.
http://is00.thegumtree.com/image/big/41270404.jpg
1st is my dad's...rover 214sei
http://farm4.static.flickr.com ... 3611614150_2462e75c51.jpg
2nd is my mums....micra k10 1.2se
http://img842.imageshack.us/i/dsc01742t.jpg/
3rd is mine. and it gained me a speeding ticket at 43.4 mph on a 1/40 hill.
http://is00.thegumtree.com/image/big/41270404.jpg
1st: Isn't yours
2nd: Isn't yours
3rd: Isn't even a car + I don't buy you can go 43.4 mph on a mountain bike because the fastest I can think of I have been downhill was ~50 km/h which is roughly 30 mph.
This thread is closed
Post your Car!
(15536 posts, closed, started )
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG