 Poster: A snowHead
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chect2000, If you were struggling with just socks on the front why not put the chains on the front and socks on the back - good grip all round.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chect2000 - I have the same issue as you with Audi company car, however took the plunge last year and bought myself a set of Vredstein winter tyres for my ski trips, £150 a corner so not cheap but my local tyre place swaps the over each time for £50 cash and I'd rather spend that sort of money that be stuck in a barrier in the Alps at 6am on a snowy morning en-route to Dover after a great weeks skiing. You pays your money or takes your chance is my viewpoint, if I change my car they'll be on ebay and I'll get a good proportion of my money back. I have nothing but praise for them, they are excellent and after 2 trips last year in -17-20 degrees over New Year they were totally solid in ice/ deep snow etc, and I never had to use chains once. If you want model etc let me know, but the tyre place did loads of research for me and spec'd them up, #1 seller in Germany i'm told, high silicon content etc. I also have a good set of german snowchains (been caught out with Halfords specials before). IMO 2000+ mile round trip including night driving in the depths of winter its a no-brainer.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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juliew9855 - welcome to Snowheads
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Markymark29, you're a gent, but she's a spammer 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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 I paid substantially less than half that - Vredestein snowtrac 3.
spyderman. You are probably right about the Italian electrics. The car has actually provided 100% reliable (fingers crossed.....) but bits do fall off. Wouldn't win any prizes for build quality but for us the configuration is hard to beat. 6 proper individual reclining adult seats in a car the length of a Golf.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
I paid substantially less than half that - Vredestein snowtrac 3.
spyderman. You are probably right about the Italian electrics. The car has actually provided 100% reliable (fingers crossed.....) but bits do fall off. Wouldn't win any prizes for build quality but for us the configuration is hard to beat. 6 proper individual reclining adult seats in a car the length of a Golf. |
And I paid about £170/tyre a week ago. Don`t know what`s going on in the snow tyre market but the same tyre (Wintrac Extreme) was selling for @ £140/tyre from the same retailer in early October.
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pam w - are they OK? Never heard of them, happy with my Vredsteins, like Jonty sais they are a rip off but thats life...................until they become mandatory and demand gets greater they'll always be a premium niche price I reckon.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
until they become mandatory and demand gets greater they'll always be a premium niche price I reckon.
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don't see why. I paid £63 each for my Vredesteins last year - and there's been no big change in euro exchange rate since. I have no idea about the Marangoni tyres - they're Italian, and they should know about snow. The review seems quite positive but it's so hideously badly written it's a little hard to tell. Someone with more idea will probably be along soon with some better information.
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The winter before last I was driving a Volvo S40 (front wheel drive) on Vredestein Snowtrac 3s. It felt very secure and I only felt it start to slide once. Last winter I was driving a Honda CRV (with "intelligent" 4WD) on Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extremes. No accidents, but it actually felt less secure, and I felt it start to slide five or six times. What do you make of that? I suspect the higher CG doesn't help. The road to my village is swept for the public bus, but gets covered when it snows continuously. In such conditions my plan is to stay in the village, or stay at a hotel in the valley, rather than use chains and make the attempt. (I recognise that others feel more pressed to complete their journeys.)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I was driving a CRV on Wintrac 4 Xtremes last winter and only felt it slide when coming out of my drive onto sheet ice - the car moved a little down the camber but found some grip before I reached the kerb (unlike my neighbour who drove out in his Lexus and promptly went sideways). On snow covered roads it always felt solidly planted. So I don't know what to make of your experience planeurge.
The Wintracs cost less when I bought them than the "standard" Dunlops. So no rip off there?
This year I'm on Continental Cross Contacts, couldn't get Wintracs in my size for the Scooby. Hoping for snow to try them out 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Yoda, Let me know how you get on with them. I've got some budget Landsail tyres on the Forester, stuck on by the previous owner but I'm thinking of changing them before winter sets in.
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| jtr wrote: |
The TUV test I have (it's a .pdf) shows the braking distances from 40Kph to 5Kph in snow for a Merc C Class as:
Winter tyre = 22.07m
Snow chain on Winter tyre = 22.57m
Autosocks on Summer tyre = 21.61m
Summer tyre = 34.23m |
Yes I can believe that in certain conditions the autosox could perform similar to a winter tyre (esp a chaper winter tyre) when braking although when the ÖAMTC and ADAC (Austrian and German AA equivalent) tested the sock type traction assistant devices they were not impressed. In most other areas they trailed behind a proper snowchain and if your car can take snow chains they are IMO a better solution. Don't forget that the winter tyre will last a lot longer and also brake a lot better than your summer tyres on the winter roads when snowchains aren't required. The first three in your list all stop around the 22m mark, the braking distance of the summer tyre is a massive 12m longer (over 50%). Just shows how dangerous driving with summer tyres in winter is when others around you have winter tyres.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Mon 15-11-10 11:36; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Don`t know what`s going on in the snow tyre market but the same tyre (Wintrac Extreme) was selling for @ £140/tyre from the same retailer in early October.
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Tyrmen.co.uk seem to have them in stock and cheaper than anywhere else. I paid £120 per corner vs £180 from mytyres for 255/55R18
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'm amazed at those prices - I seem to recall that I paid £90 a corner fitted for my Vredestein Wintrac Xtremes 225/55 R16 from a local fitter. I see that mytyres for example have the same this year at £115 fitted. Obviously tyre size makes a big difference to prices. pam w £63 is a bargain! I recently read on another forum somewhere that apparently Vredestein are struggling to keep up with supplies to mainland Europe, so I guess the the UK is not priority, hence reduced supply and increased prices.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yoda, I'm glad to hear your reassurances. Perhaps I am expecting too much because it's a 4WD. (Not that I drive as fast as the Swiss do on the mountain roads.)
jonty, Yes prices do seem to have risen. I paid £103 ea for the Wintracs 225/65/17 in June 09. They are £130 today on Tyremen, aand a few pence less on Mytyres. My Honda garage sold me the spare set of rims for £200 (traded in by someone who wanted to trade up to the bigger size), and swap them for me free each season.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| DB wrote: |
| Yes I can believe that in certain conditions the autosox could perform similar to a winter tyre (esp a chaper winter tyre) when braking although when the ÖAMTC and ADAC (Austrian and German AA equivalent) tested the sock type traction assistant devices they were not impressed. In most other areas they trailed behind a proper snowchain and if your car can take snow chains they are IMO a better solution. Don't forget that the winter tyre will last a lot longer and also brake a lot better than your summer tyres on the winter roads when snowchains aren't required. The first three in your list all stop around the 22m mark, the braking distance of the summer tyre is a massive 12m longer (over 50%). Just shows how dangerous driving with summer tyres in winter is when others around you have winter tyres. |
That's why I highlighted some of the objective TUV data rather than relying on subjective opinion and/or prejudice.
I've not seen Autosocks promoted as an alternative to winter tyres but more so as an alternative to chains (an even then there are qualifications).
The bit I mention about in the test viz
"By the way, the test run by the TUV that caused the Autosocks to fail was when they ran them on a banked test track in Spain in September in dry conditions with the car being driven at a constant 70Kph for 19Km."
would be an interesting test for chains. I wouldn't offer the use my car or my chains for that test.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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jtr,
Why the Autosocks in the TUV test were tested under dry conditions in Spain is beyond me. You wouldn't run socks or chains under such conditions.
In one of the European automobile association tests the sock type traction device also shreaded on winter roads whereas the chains remained intact. They (ÖAMTC and ADAC) said in winter conditions an autosock will give you similar grip to a winter tyre for a shorter period of time. From my experience their tests are not opinion or predudice - they are also backed up with relevent test results (not in sunny Spain). They aren't trying to sell anything and actually have a vested interest that people don't get stuck in winter conditions. Not trying to slag any particular product off, Autosox will be what some people are looking for. I put this info here so that other snowheads can make a fair decision.
If anybody wants to argue about it (chains v socks) I'd say lets put some money on it. 
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I have no option. Winter tyres for my car would be £1000 on the existing wheels or approx £700 on smaller wheels, plus the wheels. I can't fit chains due to the suspension clearance, unless I buy the chains that cost £250-£300. I am not keen on either of these options as I change my car every 18 months and this one is due to go in March. Even then, all of this is only to guarantee me getting up & down from Bourg SM, once each way, on one trip.
For the sake of £64, I think I will put my money on the socks.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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What is the fine for not having snow chains
a) in France?
b) in Switzerland?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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planeurge, depends on
a) whether they catch you and
b) whether you have caused an accident as a result! The Swiss have a very open-ended policy for the latter.
I put a summary of the various fines up on this thread - look at the last page:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1636236#1636236
Testing the link it takes you to the relevent page.
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jtr, Run flat low profile tyres are even worse for ride quality, the only soft part in the ride is how much fat is on your arse
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FAQ
