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Winters - when are yours going on?

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24

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    #32
    Jesus.
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭Jesus.


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    Lights on in day light have been proven to be safer then none on at all.

    Yes, I'm sure flashing blue and red lights on the roof, all cars being painted luminous yellow and 100 reflectors strapped on each side would be proven to be safer than none at all too. Point is, there is a line where common sense ends and daftness begins. And driving in a bright clear day with your lights on is very much on the daft side.

    Winter tyres in Ireland? Whatever floats your boat but those that don't put them on are in no way unsafe like you suggested.


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    #33
    Paddy@CIRL
    Registered Users Posts: 1,899 ✭✭✭Paddy@CIRL


    I'ver never run winters and never been stuck, despite being caught in heavy snow both here and in the UK. To be fair, my old Caddy faired much better than my 3 Series, but regardless, I had no issues of note.

    It's far more important, IMO, to adjust your driving style to the conditions. Don't be one of those heroes who thinks because they have either 4WD or winters on that they're suddenly immune to black ice...


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    #34
    wonski
    Registered Users Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭wonski


    Paddy@CIRL wrote: »
    I'ver never run winters and never been stuck, despite being caught in heavy snow both here and in the UK. To be fair, my old Caddy faired much better than my 3 Series, but regardless, I had no issues of note.

    It's far more important, IMO, to adjust your driving style to the conditions. Don't be one of those heroes who thinks because they have either 4WD or winters on that they're suddenly immune to black ice...

    +1. And I have never seen a tire performing on the ice anyway.

    People keep repeating this 7 degrees story, but in reality if there is no snow or really low temperatures I can't see any benefits at all.

    It's not like the summer tire has no grip at 0, and winter tire has no grip at 10 degrees.

    If i lived in Wicklow mountains then yes, makes sense. For a town / motorway driving that I do it makes no sense at all.


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    #35
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    stimpson wrote: »
    They have superior grip under 8 degrees - of course they're worth putting on. The only added expense is a set of steel wheels as you can only wear one set of tyres at a time.

    I'm keeping an eye on the temperatures. Once it's been below 10deg for a couple of days I'll put them on.

    Will probably be back to the low teens than


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    #36
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Mycroft H wrote: »
    Bridgestone Duallers AT. Mud and Snow. And flick into 4wd.

    Come at me winter.
    .. All terrains for the win.)

    Do they wear quickly when used only on road?


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    #37
    CiniO
    Registered Users Posts: 16,089 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    stimpson wrote: »
    Autocar did a test - I'm pretty sure it's up on YouTube. They showed the stopping distance with the same car on winters and summers at a cold (but above freezing) temp. The difference was considerable.
    Well, tyre industry is huge business with big money involved.
    Of course most test will confirm what marketing guys try to tell us in the first place.
    Doesn't necesserily mean it's true.

    Real advantage of winter tyres is on the snow. But in countries where you actually get snow, it's still not that easy to convince all the people to use winter tyres, as many of them will actually never drive on snow. People living and mostly driving in the cities (on the Continent where it snows often) very often don't have a chance to drive on the snow all over the winter, because road gritting is so widespread. Therefore tyre industry must convince somehow those people that they actually need winter tyres, and tale of 7 degrees is perfect way to do it, as temperatures stay mostly below that in those places for the whole winter.
    I still don't agree that there is any point in using winter tyres where there's no snow.

    I guess those who turn their noses up at winters also put the cheapest Chinese crap on their wheels. Who needs grip anyway?
    Well, I do have set of winter tyres on extra set of alloys waiting ready in my shed. Whenever there's any snow here in Ireland, I'll put them on (45 minutes job in the morning - no problem). But so far this happened really seldom. No point in putting them on when there's no snow.


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    #38
    CiniO
    Registered Users Posts: 16,089 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    Paddy@CIRL wrote: »
    I'ver never run winters and never been stuck, despite being caught in heavy snow both here and in the UK. To be fair, my old Caddy faired much better than my 3 Series, but regardless, I had no issues of note.

    It's far more important, IMO, to adjust your driving style to the conditions. Don't be one of those heroes who thinks because they have either 4WD or winters on that they're suddenly immune to black ice...

    Well only people immune to black ice are those riding studded tyres, but as far as I know they are illegal in Ireland.

    However, I don't agree with you that it's more important to adjust driving style on the snow than having winter tyres.
    Surely you have to adjust driving style on the snow anyway (f.e. being ready to control skids) but winter tyres on snow makes a really huge difference.
    That's the conditions which they are designed for, and do work.
    F.e. I've often driven on the snowy surface at speeds of 100km/h and over, but to keep the same level of safety if I had summer tyres, I would probably had to keep below 30km/h. That's how much difference they make.


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    #39
    Blazer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,421 ✭✭✭✭Blazer


    Will be putting mine on shortly.
    Have Dunlop SP4s and they're absolutely fantastic in heavy rain and snow.
    I'm driving a RWD car and travelling 155km a day so not taking any chances especially with the state of the roads in Cork.


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    #40
    joujoujou
    Registered Users Posts: 13,551 ✭✭✭✭joujoujou
    Unregistered Users


    CiniO wrote: »
    Well only people immune to black ice are those riding studded tyres, but as far as I know they are illegal in Ireland.

    [...]

    No, they're not.

    Back on topic - I'll change to winter tyres in 2 weeks time.


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    #41
    ShadowHearth
    Registered Users Posts: 22,929 ✭✭✭✭ShadowHearth


    stimpson wrote: »
    Autocar did a test - I'm pretty sure it's up on YouTube. They showed the stopping distance with the same car on winters and summers at a cold (but above freezing) temp. The difference was considerable.

    I guess those who turn their noses up at winters also put the cheapest Chinese crap on their wheels. Who needs grip anyway?

    Winter tyres are effective only at below temperatures. When temperatures are higher then optimal working temperature, then winter tyres become worse then summer ones.
    In last few years there were max 4-5 days when winter tyres would be effective. So sorry, but I will choose to drive on tyres that effective for 3 month, and not 5 during the winter times.

    And no, my tyres were 150eu per pop, so I doubt Ping Pong was making them.


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    #42
    stimpson
    Registered Users Posts: 7,815 ✭✭✭stimpson


    Check out this video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgsgWQ4C1d0


    Especially around the 5 minute mark in the Volvo. This is all filmed in temperatures well above 7 degrees.

    Tl;dr there is a massive difference in lateral grip in the wet on winter tyres. And while we don't see much snow, we do see a fair bit of rain.


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    #43
    Cheensbo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,701 ✭✭✭Cheensbo


    Jesus. wrote: »
    driving in a bright clear day with your lights on is very much on the daft side.

    .

    How's it daft??? What's daft about it??

    Besides it not being daft, have you never noticed that you can easier see a moving vehicle coming towards you during the day when it's got it's lights on?


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    #44
    Hachiko
    Registered Users Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭Hachiko


    based on the grip in wet then would it not make sense for Irish to have 'winters' all year round.


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    #45
    stimpson
    Registered Users Posts: 7,815 ✭✭✭stimpson


    Hachiko wrote: »
    based on the grip in wet then would it not make sense for Irish to have 'winters' all year round.

    They wear much faster when it's warm as they use a softer compound.


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    #46
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,854 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    stimpson wrote: »
    They wear much faster when it's warm as they use a softer compound.
    indeed, Ireland, a renowned hot country where it regularily gets over 20 degrees for a couple of days per year.


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    #47
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,322 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    marketty wrote:
    Who says I ever took them off?

    same as

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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    #48
    Zubeneschamali
    Registered Users Posts: 16,686 ✭✭✭✭Zubeneschamali


    I don't bother with a second set of wheels and swapping over - too much space to store, too much hassle. I just leave the winters on all year.

    The only times I get near the limit of grip are in heavy rain, sleet, snow and ice. If I am running one tyre year round, it should be the one that's best in the worst conditions.

    And it isn't just a story that they are better, and the tests are not faked. Ye sound like the ould lads who didn't like wearing safety belts back in the day, and used to say they'd never needed them yet.


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    #49
    deandean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,229 ✭✭✭deandean


    Threads about winter tyres always attract a lot of 'experts' who have no knowledge on the subject apart from the chinese whispers they pick up on the interweb.
    I have a 5-series that became downright dangerous to drive in the two cold winters we had.
    I bought a set of rims and had a set of mid-range winter tyres fitted.
    The difference was like night and day. on my car the winter tyres give far, far superior grip when its cold and /or wet. And when there is snow or ice on the road, the best example is at roundabouts where I can belt around them instead of being like a shopping trolley on castors.
    I put them on when the first frosty morning arrives - probably next week or two. I take them off again after the last frost, usually early April. I can change all 4 in 30 minutes.
    The only real cost is the set of rims. My Winters wear at a similar rate to Summer tyres, which now last twice as long.
    For sure a set of winter tyres don't make such a profound difference on a small FWD car, but IMO a Winter wheel set is money wisely spent if you have a big RWD car and you're clocking up the miles.


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    #50
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    indeed, Ireland, a renowned hot country where it regularily gets over 20 degrees for a couple of days per year.

    friction


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    #51
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    If you guys are going to be chucking money away, I have some buckets of steam available to de-frost your windscreens....just needs heating and Bingo!


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    #52
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,854 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    corktina wrote: »
    friction
    ice


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    #53
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    stimpson wrote: »
    They have superior grip under 8 degrees - of course they're worth putting on. The only added expense is a set of steel wheels as you can only wear one set of tyres at a time.

    Steel wheels? No thanks and a second set of alloys the same as the ones I have would be extremely expensive.

    Winter tyres are a waste of time in Ireland. What you need is a proper premium tyres which a lot of people don't have.


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    #54
    Zubeneschamali
    Registered Users Posts: 16,686 ✭✭✭✭Zubeneschamali


    Bruno Tight Fluoride wrote: »
    Winter tyres are a waste of time in Ireland. What you need is a proper premium tyres which a lot of people don't have.

    Premium tyres are a waste of time in winter in Ireland. Why pay for that expensive summer rubber when a md-range winter tyre will run rings around it in the cold and/or wet?


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    #55
    deandean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,229 ✭✭✭deandean


    Bruno Tight Fluoride wrote: »
    Winter tyres are a waste of time in Ireland. What you need is a proper premium tyres which a lot of people don't have.
    sorry but are talking rubbish.
    during the winter months, in Ireland, my mid range winter tyres out perform my premium (Vreid) Summer tyres.


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    #56
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    ice

    shaken not stirred


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    #57
    jaykay74
    Registered Users Posts: 6,574 ✭✭✭jaykay74


    In the next week or 2. Its compulsory in Sweden from Dec 1st but better to have it done earlier as a rush job while its snowing is never pleasant..


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    #58
    whomitconcerns
    Registered Users Posts: 4,324 ✭✭✭whomitconcerns


    Putting mine on in next 2 weeks. if they save me having one skid they are worth it. 700 for the tyres..one tap/bump would cost me more than that to fix.

    As for people that moan about extra cost..you only use one set of tyres at a time..so until feb or so my summer tyres will sit up and then I can use them again. So both sets last longer. Only the initial cost is higher.

    as my father would say "right tools for the right job". Im using goodyear asymmetrics in summer and vredestein wintacs in winter.


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    #59
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,436 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    I put mine on last week. I'm seeing some snow being forecast for high ground (e.g. Wicklow Gap) towards the end of next week with temps dropping considerably after the weekend, and as I spend a good bit of time out hiking in the Wicklow Mountains I'm not taking any chances. I first got them after a scary experience last year when heavy snow hit while we were out hiking and I ended up sliding (very slowly thankfully) into a ditch on the way home afterwards.


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    #60
    Jesus.
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭Jesus.


    Cheensbo wrote: »
    How's it daft??? What's daft about it?? Besides it not being daft, have you never noticed that you can easier see a moving vehicle coming towards you during the day when it's got it's lights on?

    Its the daftest thing I've ever seen. Did you not see my post above?

    Besides, I can clearly see a 7 foot long 1.5 tonne lump of metal moving at speed on a bright clear day thank you very much. And if someone can't, then I suggest its not lights, flashing lights or luminous paint we need...........its eye tests.


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    #61
    whomitconcerns
    Registered Users Posts: 4,324 ✭✭✭whomitconcerns


    yep..the last "crash" I was involved in was a 5mph slide into an old stone wall in wicklow..just couldnt stop...winter tyres would have saved that.


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