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Snow chains on tarmac

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Imagine you have chains on, snowy environment, you need to drive to another snowy location, which involves desending to the snow free valley. Can the chains be used temporarly on tarmac
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Bad for the tarmac - which you might not be anxious about - but also bad for your tyres - which you will care more about. Best to minimise the time on clear roads.
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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?
A few things;
> Often in the valley bottoms there's a sign to say No Chains.
> Tyrewear as ccl, says
> When there's no snow or ice having chains on dramatically reduced your grip, almost to like driving on marbles
> it only takes a few minutes to remove them so why not.
> just becuase you need them in one place doesn't mean you will need them in the other.
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and another thing - with chains on you have to drive pretty slowly. the racket they make even at 20 mph (and when they're not working loose and thrashing your paintwork) is fairly intimidating. You'd normally lose far more time by keeping them on than you would by taking them off.

and another thing - they'd probably break after a while on tarmac (especially if you had cheap ones) and wrap themselves round all kinds of important bits of your car.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
And if they didn't break they would wear very quickly.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Think its a NO then!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I encountered a new model Jag in snow chains being driven down a snow free road in south london the other day. Sounded like a half-track trundling down the road. Best take 'em off if you value your driveshafts kendub.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Running chains on tarmac in the UK is illegal too.
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Spyderman wrote:
Running chains on tarmac in the UK is illegal too.


is that illeagal as in a big sick bird or unlawfull Toofy Grin
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CEM, Unlawful even. Toofy Grin
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Richard_Sideways wrote:
Best take 'em off if you value your driveshafts kendub.
Easy to say. The worst thing about chains is taking them off (at least it is with mine) and if you're driving for half a mile on tarmac then snow again, it really doesn't seem worth the hassle. Until they break of course. rolling eyes
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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.
andyph, yes, I confess I wouldn't take them off for half a mile - just try to get at least the nearside wheels onto the snow.
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 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
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
And talking of snow chains ...... it's only 9 days before we head to the Alps, so time to prepare for the possibility of needing to chain up:

Step 1. Remember where you stored the chains and look them out. √
Step 2. Discover that the instructions aren't in the box. √
Step 3. Hunt everywhere in the car and the cupboard for the instructions.√
Step 4. Allow vague memory to enter the mind that last seen 12 months ago the instructions were disappearing from frozen fingers on the wind in a roughly southerly direction from a lay- bye on the road to Isola 2000. √
Step 5. Make a cup of coffee and hope that by staring at them another vague memory will creep into the mind of how to put the damn things on........(current activity)

...... further bulletins may be published in due course but whether signalled by Very Happy or by Twisted Evil remains to be seen.


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 Thu 14-01-10 17:25; edited 1 time in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

they'd probably break after a while on tarmac

I can verify this, as I managed it quite comprehensively in a hire care between Villeneuve and Monetier a few years back. Embarassed Embarassed

Probably also down to the fact that I was driving at over 50kph with them on... Embarassed Embarassed

Take them off.

Oh, and check the chains you get from the hire company are ok before you leave the hire company - some naughty people just give the broken ones back without telling Embarassed Embarassed Embarassed
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
ccl wrote:
And talking of snow chains ...... it's only 9 days before we head to the Alps, so time to prepare for the possibility of needing to chain up:

Step 1. Remember where you stored the chains and look them out. √
Step 2. Discover that the instructions aren't in the box. √
Step 3. Hunt everywhere in the car and the cupboard for the instructions.√
Step 4. Allow vague memory to enter the mind that last seen 12 months ago the instructions were disappearing from frozen fingers on the wind in a roughly southerly direction from a lay- bye on the road to Isola 2000. √
Step 5. Make a cup of coffee and hope that by staring at them another vague memory will creep into the mind of how to put the damn things on........(current activity)

...... further bulletins may be published in due course but whether signalled by Very Happy or by Twisted Evil remains to be seen.


Step 6. Remember how much like christmas tree lights they are... no matter how nicely you put them away they always come out tangled.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
marcellus,
Quote:

ccl wrote:
And talking of snow chains ...... it's only 9 days before we head to the Alps, so time to prepare for the possibility of needing to chain up:

Step 1. Remember where you stored the chains and look them out. √
Step 2. Discover that the instructions aren't in the box. √
Step 3. Hunt everywhere in the car and the cupboard for the instructions.√
Step 4. Allow vague memory to enter the mind that last seen 12 months ago the instructions were disappearing from frozen fingers on the wind in a roughly southerly direction from a lay- bye on the road to Isola 2000. √
Step 5. Make a cup of coffee and hope that by staring at them another vague memory will creep into the mind of how to put the damn things on........(current activity)

...... further bulletins may be published in due course but whether signalled by or by remains to be seen.


Step 6. Remember how much like christmas tree lights they are... no matter how nicely you put them away they always come out tangled. Thu 14 Jan, 10
16:57




Step 7. The chains you bought for 1 car 5 years ago will not fit your current car.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
marcellus, No, not in a bad tangle because I just threw them any old how into the box last year. That's how to defeat Sod's law: it's only when you take care to store lights/chains in such a way as to avoid tangling that Sod feels it is worthwhile having a go at you. Don't bother and he doesn't bother. That's how he nearly defeated me when I had to put them on last year. Nearside wheel done no problem. Offside wheel took for ever in a freezing wet wind because Sod had got into the boot earlier and tweaked one tiny bit of my ever so carefully arranged chain round another. Clever barstard Sod - it was so subtle I couldn't spot it in the dark.

And no also to Gordyjh,'s Step7 I'm only half daft Smile But is there a story in his suggestion? wink
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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?
I discovered my chains to fit a Rover 600 are too small for a Ford Mondeo when failing to get up the hill out of our village before Christmas. Laughing
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As I thought, there was a story. Nice one Very Happy

Step 6
Leave it a day; open a beer; do further staring at the chains until a wisp of memory drifts into the consciousness; make a decision that Step 7 will be to bring the spare wheel into the warmth and comfort of the house and work it all out. √
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

bring the spare wheel into the warmth and comfort of the house and work it all out

sorry, but that really doesn't help. It's like putting a nappy on a doll instead of an eight month old baby who is trying to roll over, kick your hands away and get their own hands into the poo, all at the same time.
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Au contraire, pam w, it will allow me to work out what goes where without scrabbling around on the ground - but only to achieve the short term objective of triggering the memory.

But I totally agree that as a practice for putting on chains it would be of little use. You have to get outside and fit them on the wheels from memory, in the dark, without a torch several times before feeling any degree of confidence. If Step 7 goes well, that will be Steps 8-10.


Quote:

It's like putting a nappy on a doll instead of an eight month old baby who is trying to roll over, kick your hands away and get their own hands into the poo, all at the same time.


You've met my grandson? wink
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ccl wrote:
Bad for the tarmac - which you might not be anxious about - but also bad for your tyres

And bad for the chains too, as others have said. Being of a lazy nature, I once tried driving through the Arlberg tunnel after finding the pass closed. The chains didn't survive.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Well, steps 7-10 went well, though I must confess to a tiny wee bit of exaggeration about practising in the dark without a torch. Using the spare wheel to jog the memory went well, as did the practice sessions on the attached wheel. So I left this morning for the mountains, confident that I could put them on and confident from the weather forecast and road reports that I wouldn't need to Laughing

So here we are enjoying a post-dinner drink in our appartment in Isola 2000 after a pleasant journey up on clear dry roads. Cool

Tomorrow we hit the piste. Madeye-Smiley
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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.
ccl, Have fun......did you drive up from Nice?
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
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From Perpignan actually where we have a second home. This is our 3rd year in Isola. We bought a timeshare week here (on ebay would you believe) and have enjoyed both the apartment and the resort which is relatively small compared with our all-time favourite of Val d'Isère but suits us well. Just a tad cheaper than Val d'Isère too. The "forfait vermeil" (which is a polite term for OAP lift pass) is €100 for 6 days. I shudder to think what Val D is now.... just looked it up - €218 for the Espace Killy pass.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
ccl, how old do you have to be to get the vermeil pass - they seem to keep raising the bar!
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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.
Step 11
Drive from Isola to Serre Chevalier and home again without having to put the chains on. Cool


pam w 60+ for the forfait vermeil in Isola. 70+ is free. 65+ for the forfait sénior in Serre Chevalier.
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 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
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
ccl, I should have bought an apartment in Isola. Laughing
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
If you don't take them off in between, everyone else on the road WILL be cursing you for the *!"$^%$ idiot you are as you trundle around at 20kph. Toofy Grin
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