Winter Tyres?

[Grendel]

I usually use the motorbike for commuting to work but due to the weather I’m using the Mk1 problem being it is fitted with Summer tyres and takes ages to just get out of my road onto the main salted roads.
Other options I thought about would be sell bike or car and get 4X4 or get a 125 winter hack bike both option a lot more expensive.

Is it worth getting a 2nd set of wheels fitted with Winter tyres for 4 months of the year?

[SuperRedMR2]

Ages ago I found that Goodyear Eagle F1s were awesome in the winter, but I dont know if these are available in some sizes anymore.

I bought some Vredstein Sportrac 3s for mine about 4 months ago. Admittedly I thought they were poor in the wet, but since its been really slippery they have come through to be a good tyre. They about £32 each.

[Grendel]

I have Eagle F1's on the front but had to replace the worn out rears with Goodyear Excellence since couldn’t get any F1's and they are as far from Excellent as possible.

[SuperRedMR2]

Yeah those and the NCT5s are xxxx.

[Kooga]

I have a set of uniroyal rallye 550's ("the rain tyre" it says helpfully) on mine, they're outstanding in bad weather and more than hold their own in the sunshine - plus they are shed loads cheaper than most the other branded tyres! Been driving in the snow with no worries, but got a bit fed up having to de ice the inside of the car and being dripped on, so started using the missus car

[Polypedates]

My Panda 100HP is on Eagle F1s and they have been diabolical in this weather - the Accord on its Bridgestones was much better. That said, conditions here are so severe it doesn't matter much either way.

Fortunately, a neighbour has lent me some snow chains as they didn't fit either of his cars. Fortiunately they fit the Panda so was able to get to work yesterday. Today, after spending all morning helping to recover a couple of abandoned cars three of us went to Sainsbury's in it and did the weekly shop for 5 families. That was a squeeze





A friend went on line to look at winter tyres and reported there was nothing left and not going to be another delivery to UK untill Spring or so. No idea what sizes he was looking at though.

[Grendel]

Also i presume once i'm on the clear salted road they would have to be taken off again?

[rolandfantom]

Also i presume once i'm on the clear salted road they would have to be taken off again?

They'd have to be taken off in snow as they're illegal in this country.

[Grendel]

How come Halfrauds sell them then?

Mind you couldn’t even get the car out of the drive last night. Just wheel span on the pack ice where as the neighbours in there heavy FWD cars don’t seem to be having problems?


Other thought is could I just get away with winter tyres on the rear for grip of is it more sensible for all 4 to be winter tyres?

[Keri-WMS]

From what I've read of the UK law it's illegal to damage the road - so snow chains in snow are ok, but you need to take them off for every gritted / clear bit!

I was totally stuck, so as an emergency measure I made up DIY snow "chains" using loops of nylon rope (I've got nice open alloys on my runabout Civic so it cleared the brakes by miles). Worked really well and even bit into/cracked the ice - but wore out and failed after about 2 miles of clear/slushy tarmac.

I'm considering altering the tread on some cheap tyres on the old skinny OEM steels as a compromise (hot wire)!

Non of this is road legal I would imagine, I myself was and only will be driving on my father's land....

[Polypedates]

Chains are not illegal although you wouldn't want to drive on clear tarmac in them anyway. You are limited to 30mph but in the sort of conditions you might use them that is probably faster than you'd want to travel anyway.

I use them to get out of the village and up to Liphook and then remove them as the main roads are gritted from there. The odd bare patch was starting to appear yesterday on the way to Sainsbury's but only patches so of course you would keep them on. I can't see how they would damage a road anyway unless they were fitted to a much heavier vehicle.

It has snowed again since then so I'll be using them tomorrow morning again.

[kevin..in]

what about these as an alternative to chains, just to get you unstuck

http://www.autosock.co.uk/autosock-product.php

[Polypedates]

I've heard mixed messages on Autosocks. Some people at work swear by them whereas my wife says her colleague has tried them and says they are a waste of time as they keep coming off.

Could be worth a try though. Guy at work used them on a front drive car no probs and they kept him mobile but when he fitted then to his wife's Merc (rear drive) he found he needed another pair as he had plenty of traction but no steering

[Grendel]

Thankfully the snow/ice has now gone so i'm back to commuting to work on the motorbike. But it has reminded how crap Goodyear Excellene tyres are in a light sports car

[kevin..in]

Thankfully the snow/ice has now gone so i'm back to commuting to work on the motorbike. But it has reminded how crap Goodyear Excellene tyres are in a light sports car

more snow forecast for mid week, I'm back to bike again tomorrow I picked the wrong time to swap trail tyres for road treads on my XT!

[Grendel]

Thankfully the snow/ice has now gone so i'm back to commuting to work on the motorbike. But it has reminded how crap Goodyear Excellene tyres are in a light sports car

more snow forecast for mid week, I'm back to bike again tomorrow I picked the wrong time to swap trail tyres for road treads on my XT!

Don’t think any tyres on a bike are much good in the ice/snow. Since I got Metzeler Tourance fitted to the Transalp but it still squirms about even trying to get out of the garage. (Nice to see another enduro rider on here )

[kevin..in]

got an XT 660R '06 plate but just fitted conti trail attack tyres as I only use the XT to commute (should have got an X supermoto )but fancy a green laner sometime soon, guys on the XT forum have been having snow fun on XT225 serows with conti TCK 80 fitted, not been enough depth of snow here though for any proper fun, just pain if you bin it
got the snow socks link from the XT boys thought they may help
been trail bike riding off and on since i was 14 i'd like to say a good 6 or 7 years now but in truth its 33

[crazybrightman]

i have winter tyres currently on my saab. now tbh in the usual greasy winter conditions my t1r's are better. however when it snows or gets slushy they work wonders so last feb and over this crimbo and new year i have no problems getting about just cruising past everyone else slip sliding about. i would recomend you get them fitted to steelies though as at some point you may hit a bit of ice and nudge a kerb or something.
check out mytyres.co.uk for prices.

[Grendel]

THREAD REVIVAL!!

Hopefully I’ll be getting myself a set of Mk1a wheels soon that I plan to use with Winter tyres so I can use the car in the icy months more. Is it worth going for some unheard of tyre company or should I pay silly money for premium brand names?

I'm looking at getting 4 and the budget will be under £200.

[LimeyMk1]

Just been having a nose round at winter tyres etc and I think these would be ideal all year round.

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?d ... sowigan=CW