Mild winter now guaranteed.

[Andy in Germany]

In some EU countries i believe its law to fit them during winter.
Probably why they cope with winter and our great nation grinds to a halt the second a snow flake falls or even talks

Some part of Germany certainly. There's a date set apparently dependent on expected weather and altitude. Locally we are 400m (ca. 1300ft) and when it is announced all our neighbours start changing wheels en mass. Being Swabian they even vacum the summer tyres*... It takes ages, and apparently costs quite a bit. Another reason I'm glad I don't own a car.

*@Unkraut: Is this a local thing or do they do this in Heilbronn too?

 

[Drago]

Just fitted my winter tyres to the Octavia, so all we be well.

I've just taken delivery of an XC90, so were now a two XC90 household, old and new. It'll never snow again

Mine has Nokian Weatherproof boots, allyear round tyres but also winter and 3 peaks snow rated. The seem to behave well enough in the milder current weather, and reading around it appears their cold weather and snow performance is up there with the best, so top marks to my Dad for having fitted them. Having said that, he lives in a remote spot on the north downs with a bit of altitude (by local standards) and it when it snows there hed quickly get cut off if he wasnt prepared.

 

[Unkraut]

There's a date set apparently dependent on expected weather and altitude. Locally we are 400m (ca. 1300ft) and when it is announced all our neighbours start changing wheels en mass. Being Swabian they even vacum the summer tyres*... It takes ages, and apparently costs quite a bit. Another reason I'm glad I don't own a car.

*@Unkraut: Is this a local thing or do they do this in Heilbronn too?

More Heidelberg/Karlsruhe, but here the roads are kept so clean in summer that there is no need to wash the summer tyres .... I have just got back from Tübingen, and in the short space of half an hour I counted at least 7 fallen leaves that had not been swept up.

The rule of thumb for changing to winter tyres is from O to O - from October to Ostern (Easter) - when the temp doesn't get above 7°C. It's not illegal to drive all year on summer tyres, but if you risk or are involved in an accident in winter weather you can be fined for contributory negligence (€60 to €120). The govt didn't make winter typres compulsory as there are those who simply don't drive if it's snowy, and it would be unfair to force them into the cost of purchasing and changing tyres.

There is no doubt though that the grip is much better in winter.

I've gone for a compromise on my new car, against the advice of my garage, and gone for all weather tyres. Where we live you are unlikely to get much snow if any, and for virtually all winter conditions we are likely to experience all weather will do. In really bad conditions I simply wouldn't drive. Somewhere south like Freiburg where you always get lots of snow, winter tyres would be better. Small loss of fuel economy, and in summer in hot weather and at high speed on the Autobahn the stopping distance, whilst adequate, is longer than summer tyres.

 

[Andy in Germany]

More Heidelberg/Karlsruhe, but here the roads are kept so clean in summer that there is no need to wash the summer tyres .... I have just got back from Tübingen, and in the short space of half an hour I counted at least 7 fallen leaves that had not been swept up.

I generally get Heilbronn and Heidelberg mixed up. I blame Germans and their lack of originality with place names.

If you were travelling Tübingen-Heidelberg you could have stopped off for a cuppa.

Seven leaves you say? Either evidence of the crumbling EU, or possibly those tree-hugging hippies in Tübingen are slacking, as usual...

 

[Drago]

More Heidelberg/Karlsruhe, but here the roads are kept so clean in summer that there is no need to wash the summer tyres .... I have just got back from Tübingen, and in the short space of half an hour I counted at least 7 fallen leaves that had not been swept up.

The rule of thumb for changing to winter tyres is from O to O - from October to Ostern (Easter) - when the temp doesn't get above 7°C. It's not illegal to drive all year on summer tyres, but if you risk or are involved in an accident in winter weather you can be fined for contributory negligence (€60 to €120). The govt didn't make winter typres compulsory as there are those who simply don't drive if it's snowy, and it would be unfair to force them into the cost of purchasing and changing tyres.

There is no doubt though that the grip is much better in winter.

I've gone for a compromise on my new car, against the advice of my garage, and gone for all weather tyres. Where we live you are unlikely to get much snow if any, and for virtually all winter conditions we are likely to experience all weather will do. In really bad conditions I simply wouldn't drive. Somewhere south like Freiburg where you always get lots of snow, winter tyres would be better. Small loss of fuel economy, and in summer in hot weather and at high speed on the Autobahn the stopping distance, whilst adequate, is longer than summer tyres.

You are wise to ignore the advice of your stick in the mud garage associates. Top flight all weather tyres are now so good that they outperform all but the very best of both summer and winter boots.

 

[Unkraut]

You are wise to ignore the advice of your stick in the mud garage associates. Top flight all weather tyres are now so good that they outperform all but the very best of both summer and winter boots.

Their reasoning, to be fair, is that I still have a largish car (Citroen Grand Picasso) and tyres wear out relatively quickly on such cars, need renewing more often eventually damaging the wheel rims. Lots of small journeys would be fine but not my treks back to England every so often.

I took their point but a) don't want the expense of buying another set of tyres, or even complete wheels, and b) I have long since learned you can eke out the life of your tyres by keeping the speed down and generally driving carefully. A check with the German AA showed the tyres I have on the car - Goodyear - are pretty good as all rounders, so I don't feel I am compromising safety just to save some dosh.

 

[Drago]

I suspect the real reason they dislike your car is because you've not driven it uninvited around the ends of the maginot line. They're envious of your restraint and quiet reserve. And I agree completely about driving sensitively to preserve tyres, as well as brakes, fuel, and general all round stuff that costs money. The Volvo is on 19" rims so I'll be driving that veerrryyyy gently!

 

[Andy in Germany]

The Volvo is on 19" rims so I'll be driving that veerrryyyy gently!

...if at all, apparently.

 

[Drago]

Unless there's SAR callout I have no plans to drive it anywhere. I don't mind because it was a freebie. I'm certainly not in the business of buying expensive cars to use as ornaments.

 

[cosmicbike]

I drive a Capri, so which tyres you have on it is completely irrelevant. Far more important are the paving slabs in the boot which act as traction control.
On a weather note, no need for snow tyres this year. The North Atlantic Oscillation is likely to be in a positive phase for the next few months, so wet and windy.