Winter Tyres

[corydoras]

It is an observed fact - from North to South in the US the further South you go the worse the drivers become - when it does snow. In upstate NY snow is a way of life. Newt's neighbors would be paralyzed in a half inch (not Newt of course).

That's a bit like here then Phone. In Clydebank, buses will be battering up and down Kilbowie Road in 4" of the white stuff. Down sarf where I live now, 1" of snow and all the buses will be off the road for "Health and Safety Reasons". Edited November 15, 2011 by corydoras

[Now there's a right un.]

Wonder why a 1st world country such as the UK becomes such a mess after a few inches of snow.

 

This countries preparations for bad weather are the cheapest possible and woefully inadequate.

Great opportunity then for manufacturers to step in and offer winter tyres....

 

Ever wondered if UK government owns shares in Michellin or Continental??.... Odd pension fund perhaps.

[Worms]

That's a bit like here then Phone. In Clydebank, buses will be battering up and down Kilbowie Road in 4" of the white stuff. Down sarf where I live now, 1" of snow and all the buses will be off the road for "Health and Safety Reasons".

I use a four wheel drive (automatic now!) with BFG ATs, excellent tyres in snow, ABS and all that mallarkey helps as well. High gear up hill and low gear down as Sportsman says.

 

Front wheel drive v rear wheel? Well excuse me but a rear wheel drive vehicle (if you're only poor enough to have a 2 wheel drive ) is far superior to front wheel drive in snow in real conditions. ...load the boot with enough ballast to give you grip and you have two methods of control...drive at the rear and steering at the front... Funny that nobody has yet suggested the obvious way of gaining traction in snow/ice....lower tyre pressures, increases traction no end, saves on buying a whole set of five tyres and, if you have a decent fag lighter the price of an on-board compressor gives you a pile of advantages....front wheel drive? Is that why it's used in F1?

[corydoras]

I use a four wheel drive (automatic now!) with BFG ATs, excellent tyres in snow, ABS and all that mallarkey helps as well. High gear up hill and low gear down as Sportsman says.

 

Front wheel drive v rear wheel? Well excuse me but a rear wheel drive vehicle (if you're only poor enough to have a 2 wheel drive ) is far superior to front wheel drive in snow in real conditions. ...load the boot with enough ballast to give you grip and you have two methods of control...drive at the rear and steering at the front... Funny that nobody has yet suggested the obvious way of gaining traction in snow/ice....lower tyre pressures, increases traction no end, saves on buying a whole set of five tyres and, if you have a decent fag lighter the price of an on-board compressor gives you a pile of advantages....front wheel drive? Is that why it's used in F1?

The idea that lowering tyre pressures in snow gives better grip is a myth. I don't see many F1 cars racing in the snow.

[Worms]

The idea that lowering tyre pressures in snow gives better grip is a myth. I don't see many F1 cars racing in the snow.

No, the general idea is that front wheel drive is a sop to production costs and space in the rear of the car (no transmission tunnel). The fact that lower tyre pressures increase traction in loose surfaces (e.g. snow) is well documented...you get tyrewall grip as well. Check out the glacier 4x4 drivers!!!

[corydoras]

Wonder why a 1st world country such as the UK becomes such a mess after a few inches of snow.

I guess because if English local authorities invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in state of the art snow blowers, peeps like you would would be the first ones up in arms about them wasting tax payers money.

 

We have them in Scotland, and they have them in France and sometimes even we and they get it wrong.

 

I bet the Daily Mail would have a field day if Hampshire County Council bought a few of these.

Youtube Video ->

 

Or if your local council invested in a fleet of those.

Youtube Video ->

 

You get what you pay for and I guess most of us don't want to pay. One of those winters we'll get another 1947 or another 1963. I can't wait. I don't think the south coast of England would ever recover again if it was under more than 2 foot of snow for a couple of months solid.

 

One thing I can't understand. In Scotland, if it looks like it's going to be a bit parky overnight the gritter drivers take there Tonka trucks home with them. If they get called out the truck is at the door, loaded for bear and ready to go.

 

Down here they're left in some depot. If the gritter drivers can't get to the depot because the roads haven't been gritted

[Worms]

Over here in rural Herefordshire the local farmers are paid a few extra bob by the council to run around the local roads with snow ploughs attached to the front of their tractors....perfect sense! Last year a lot of our local roads and even the estates in towns were kept clear whereas in Worcestershire things ground to a halt....well, unless one had a four wheel drive with decent tyres....and knew how to use it!

[Elton]

Sod winter tyres, I'm buying this!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220894147992

[Now there's a right un.]

@ Cory----I would be in favor of any authority buying a monster snow plough.

An expense at the start repaid over time.

 

We could always use you too Cory...lots of hot air... and that was a joke.

 

Thank you for the compliment though--people like me-- --I thought I was alone--brightened my whole day.

I used to think I was a unique and endangered member of the human race...wide open for ya Cory....lol

 

 

Seriously though, UK will pay millions to remedy the symptoms and nothing to eliminate the cause.

 

Maybe it is time to bring out the criminals and make them clear the snow?

With the amount we have in our Jails UK roads would all be cleared in a day. Make the crim do something worthwhile too for a change.

 

Anyway what happened to the promised arctic conditions??

My children were so disappointed.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Now there's a right un.

[Sportsman]

I'm with Worms on lowering tyre pressures. I drove around the sahara desert in Libya for 6 years back in the 80s in my trusty landcruiser and if you got to a soft/deep/loose bit you just let your tyres down and drove through.

I know it's not snow but the principle is the same.