 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Well, one reason is that to invest in the machinery needed to clear snowfalls that happen so rarely would cost a fortune. In our tiny resort, one snowy early morning I counted ten expensive machines working clearing roads and dumping the snow out of town. Imagine the Council Tax! Geneva Airport was closed all day one snowy day last winter - with 10 inches of snow, the same amount which had closed Manchester a few days earlier. And imagine the police stopping every driver without snowchains in the boot.....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Because the roads are full of drivers in cars innappropriatley equiped for driving in snow. Drove home last night at 10 mph in less than an inch of snow cos of all the other road users. (Front wheel drive car with snow/all season tyres fitted).
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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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On another head a French based snowhead wrote: " Just got a call from the missus - 2 hours to cover 8km on the motorway. Fat lot of good it did putting on the snow tires yesterday as no-one else seems to be equipped. Utter chaos, cars in every direction - obviously no-one watched the news last night saying to stay at home today."
On any Saturday in the ski season, when the weather is bad, the motorways can be jammed for miles, and four hours. The french mountain regions have infinitely less traffic, normally, than many parts of Britain - if Paris gets a sizeable dump of snow it is every bit as chaotic as our roads.
I can't imagine British motorists (except maybe those based in Scotland, being willing to fork out for snow tyres used only occasionally. And as Dave Horsley pointed out, unless everyone has got them, you still get stuck. So they would have to be made compulsory. What government is going to do that to avoid a few days chaos every few years?
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Snow is good for our business. We've just hired out 10 Discovery 3s and sold Land Rover UKs stock of snow chains (that would be 12.............)
BTW we have 4inches of snow here in Tavistock. Do you think it's possible to ski on Dartmoor?
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I only need snow tyres for the first 5 miles of my daily journey, after that I'm on cleared motorways.
One thing I've never understood though is as Dave said, everyone doing 10mph for an inch of snow. I mean come on. I drove in 6" this morning at a fairly comfortable 25-30mph until I hit a cleared road.
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| Alexandra wrote: |
I only need snow tyres for the first 5 miles of my daily journey, after that I'm on cleared motorways.
One thing I've never understood though is as Dave said, everyone doing 10mph for an inch of snow. I mean come on. I drove in 6" this morning at a fairly comfortable 25-30mph until I hit a cleared road. |
Snow - or rather, unless they're studded - winter tyres help in all conditions except sheet ice. If you're on a motorway and it's winter, there's no need for there to be snow about..... softer compound of a winter tyre significantly increases traction in cold weather. Also helps immensley in slush, melting ice, heavey rain and etc. Winter tyres help you in winter, even if you're not realising it.
25-30mph in 6" of fresh snow would be fairly comfortable - until you hit the brakes or turned the steering with any degree of sharpness. Then it would become most uncomfortable.... until they got the morphine in, i suppose.... or were u driving a 1/2track ?
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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: |
One thing I've never understood though is as Dave said, everyone doing 10mph for an inch of snow.
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I know, I'd probably have been doing 40 in the conditions last night if the road had been clear of slow moving traffic, but staying well back and slowing down with engine braking well ahead of the corners. However I have a front wheel drive car with all season tyres. I passed one car parked in a farmers field on the way home (performance BMW - rear wheel drive, wide low profile, high performace tyres) and he'd gone off on a straight, flat bit off road. So its probable that 10mph was sensible for some vehicles.
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performance BMW - rear wheel drive, wide low profile, high performace tyres
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Our car park is gravel and BM's can't start off without wheel spin!
Luckily we don't get too many drug dealers in this area 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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When I lived in Canada they still had trouble sometimes when it snowed. If it snowed at night they could clear the roads and get everything moving. But if it snowed during rush hour then chaos ensued. And they had all the kit and they needed a lot of equipment to keep the cities and roads cleared. It would be completely inappropriate in my mind for us to invest in it. I think that it isn't people driving too slow that is the problem but people driving too fast, braking too hard etc. Three winters ago it took me nearly 6 hours to get home from work, a 30 mile drive. I hope we don't have one like that but I'm just going to try and chill out and not get too hacked off by it if it does happen.
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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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A couple of years ago in Switzerland a hotelier complained to me about how one bit of snow makes the whole country come to a standstill
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Hi
I reply to erica2004
Do you think it's possible to ski on Dartmoor?
I will soon know as I'm about to take my blades up there!
I too am in Tavistock
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You know it makes sense.
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| Arno wrote: |
| A couple of years ago in Switzerland a hotelier complained to me about how one bit of snow makes the whole country come to a standstill |
It's true, this morning I could see traffic backed up on the hill outside the village. The guy next door left and returned a few min's later to put his winter tyres on. Personally I couldn't be bothered with it and stayed at home
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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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You've got me rightly curious about winter tyres now, don't they wear down incredibly quickly though and are really expensive?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Winter tyres have a wider tread pattern (ie bigger grooves) and likewise, deeper grooves. The pattern of cuts is biased more toward water clearance then a summer tyre. Tyre compound is softer to give adhesion at lower temperatures. They have speed restrictions imposed on them ie lower speed rating - 100mph max is common - is often stamped/cast on the sidewall (and you get a natty little sticker to put on the dash to remind you, too).
They're fun in the summer too - the softer tread really helps if you're pushing it (or drive an older car with dodgy roadholding, like older BM's...), but the breakaway characteristics are nasty - they stick, stick some more, then let go all of a sudden, unlike a harder compound that (for a similar dimension tyre) would tend to break into a slide more gradually.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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provenjohn, How have you got on? If you're interested we have a ski event (!) at our showrooms (Roger Young Land Rover) in Saltash 6th and 7th Dec. between 4pm and 9pm. John Nike are bringing a 30m dry slope and Devon Ski are bringing a load of skis etc. We're having gluhwein and goulash soup. Obviously we might try to sell you a Land Rover too!
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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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| erica2004 wrote: |
| provenjohn, How have you got on? If you're interested we have a ski event (!) at our showrooms (Roger Young Land Rover) in Saltash 6th and 7th Dec. between 4pm and 9pm. John Nike are bringing a 30m dry slope and Devon Ski are bringing a load of skis etc. We're having gluhwein and goulash soup. Obviously we might try to sell you a Land Rover too! |
Devon Ski are a brilliant little company that deserve all the support they can get IMHO.
How did the dartmoor skiing go?
I see some interesting turns were had in St Austell!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Amazed at the number of people from tavy on here... (im from just north of there.)
Anyway, the last time i went up on the moor after there had been a decent amount of snowfall i saw a couple of people on skis, so i guess its possible.
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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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Hi
You can Ski on Dartmoor, proved that on Friday afternoon, got the blades out & gave it a go.
Somewhat limited slopes though & the lift system leaves a bit to be desired!
Had to give up when legs gave out.
Erica2004, your event sounds interesting, can we just turn up?
John
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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[quote="Dave Horsley"]
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rear wheel drive, wide low profile, high performace tyres....... its probable that 10mph was sensible for some vehicles. |
My old TVR was great in snow. Well great fun anyway, changing down a gear had the back trying to overtake the front 
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Last season driving back home from the alps we hit a blizzard on the Autoroute Blanc. The lanes gradually whited over until there was just the one lane of traffic moving around 15-20 mph. Gradually motorists started dropping out into the slow (right hand) lane and putting on their snow chains. The funny thing was, I noticed they were all Brits. As the snow was only a couple of inches deep, and my mpv has big fat tyres I thought I'd wait a while and see what the locals did.
After half an hour there were just trucks, locals and me, still rolling along, big gaps between us, at around 15 mph. The HGV's were clearing the snow and it all seemed under control. An hour later we came out from under the blizzard, the roads cleared and off we all went. I never did get to put on the snow chains.
I can't help but feel that many of the drivers who spent half an hour putting them on would have had to take them off half an hour later, and if they'd just kept moving they too would have been fine. I think I'm right in saying that unless there is 'plenty' of snow, chains can damage your tyres, the road or both?
ST
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erica2004,
Hi
Can we just turn up at your ski event in December?
Thanks
John
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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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The michelin chains are on or off in about 3 mins once you have practiced a couple of times
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FAQ
(last year, broke the alloy wheel 
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