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Author Topic: Winter Tyres - no grip  (Read 1963 times)

Offline Panthera

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Winter Tyres - no grip
« on: January 15, 2016, 07:36:45 pm »
Before Christmas I took the plunge to purchase some winter tyres as my summer Pirelli Pzeros where getting to their 1.6mm limit, but still giving me lots of grip and traction in this colder weather.  I plumped for Continental ContiWinterContact TS 850 225/45/R17V  to give them their proper name as I wanted to try Conti and this was a good way/option to go.   I had them fitted between Christmas and New Year and thus far I have driven about 450-500 miles and they do not grip at all. I am sliding and loosing traction even with half throttle!  I am not driving like a mad man!   Now I thought that when the temperature dropped below 7 deg c, these so called winter tyres would work and be like summer tyres in summer.  How wrong was I? 

I have put 35psi (2.4bar) in the tyres which is summer tyre spec.  Should I lower the pressures?
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dansmith180

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Re: Winter Tyres - no grip
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2016, 09:12:29 pm »
This is not a helpful comment but personally I find Conti's are sh*t regardless of which ones and what weather.

Offline Mitch H

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Re: Winter Tyres - no grip
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2016, 10:19:15 pm »
Winter tyres are great in the snow but crap in anything else imo.
For the conditions ATM your better off with normal tyres and dropping the pressures down

Offline Nasir

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Re: Winter Tyres - no grip
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2016, 10:43:54 pm »
My understanding is that winter tyres are more effective than summer tyres below 7 degrees. Which it is in most of the UK. Why you've no grip is puzzling.

That being said, my Goodyear F1s are not struggling for grip at all, and they apparently shouldn't work that well below 7!

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Offline r5gtt

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Re: Winter Tyres - no grip
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2016, 11:04:46 pm »
Winter tyres are great in the snow but crap in anything else imo.
This ^^^

Offline LondonGT

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Re: Winter Tyres - no grip
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2016, 12:23:57 am »
Winter tyres are good in temperatures less than 7 or so.

Over that, or for prolonged periods over that, the softer compound means you may well be slipping and sliding especially if you have a heavy foot.

It's difficult to decide when to change, it's probably about now, so see how long this cold spell lasts.

I have a BMW 650 on winters and it's spinning all over the place this week. Advice is take it easy, let them bed in as well, see how you get on.

It's the colder temperatures not just snow that they excel at