Winter tyres and driving to La Rosiere

FerdinandOskam wrote:maybe a tip, before you spent all your budget to expensive topmark tyres (or cheap ass tyres who have no grip on ice and snow):

Why don't you rent winter tyres?
Here, in Holland we rent them for about 100euro's a week, and it's cheaper than buying a set..

My winter tyres, (Land Rover Freelander), cost me £550 a set a year ago. Thats 600 euros. Thats 11 euros a week......
And they are only half way through their life......

Dave Mac wrote:

FerdinandOskam wrote:maybe a tip, before you spent all your budget to expensive topmark tyres (or cheap ass tyres who have no grip on ice and snow):

Why don't you rent winter tyres?
Here, in Holland we rent them for about 100euro's a week, and it's cheaper than buying a set..

My winter tyres, (Land Rover Freelander), cost me £550 a set a year ago. Thats 600 euros. Thats 11 euros a week......
And they are only half way through their life......

That's one set of tyres in 2 years, so 300 euro's a year.

have a look here...you have to balance the overall performance against price mine are going on in December and coming off end March

http://www.tyretest.com/wintercar_tyres/index.html

Mytyres had the most choice and gave fantastic service

noddyh wrote:Thanks for the prompt answers. I guess Im looking for a set of winter tyres. No point risking the second most expensive item most of us ever buy just for the sake of 4 new tyres, not to forget whats inside the car.

Thanks

Noddyh

Noddyh, La Ros has quite a big main road up to the resort, it will be kept clear to provide easy access to all the 3 axle double decker Dutch coaches with trailers that head up there :D

I do hope you wear a ski helmet and back protector when skiing.....

As it's only a single trip renting could be a good solution.

Socks are easier to put on than chains. I recommend practicing in the drive at home with chains until you can do it with your eyes closed. As no doubt it will be a dark freezing blizzard when you actually need them.

I am a HUGE fan of winter tyres. I am putting mine on next week. Admittedly I am out in the Alps all season, but they make SO much difference.

It snowed early November, mid December and through January in the UK last year, so get them.

I can also say that I haven't needed snow chains in 2 full seasons with snow tyres. They are that good.

In the UK the propensity of 4x4s give people a false sense of security. four wheel drive doesn't help you when braking without grip. It's all in the tyres.

I am thinking about buying some winter tyres just to use in the U.K.

Last winter I had a couple of nasty frights when I put my foot on the brake coming up to a busy roundabout and nothing happened! We seemed to have an awful lot of days when the roads were very icy and it was often black ice which I couldn't see. I am hoping that winter tyres would help with this problem.

Plus, they would be handy in the snow as well. I bought snow chains last year so that I could get my car out as the year before I couldn't get out for a week because they don't grit or snow-plough our narrow country lane.

The cheapest tyre fitters near us will fit tyres for a cost of £5 per tyre, and I can get winter tyres for my car (small 14 inch wheels) for £50 each, e.g. Falken HS 439. This is about the same as I pay for my 'normal' tyres so I suppose if I keep changing them over every winter and spring then it will save the wear on my 'normal' tyres and the cost will even out.

If I was going to drive to La Rosiere I would definitely buy winter tyres and snow chains and do lots of practise with the snow chains before I got there. I have had to help lots of people in ski resorts (including La Rosiere) trying to get in and out of car parks whilst their cars are sliding about and seen several cars which have gone off the road. We went there at Easter and there was masses of snow. And last year we went to Tignes in October and the mini-buses nearly failed to get there because of unexpected heavy snow and they hadn't fitted their winter tyres yet.

Ally

FerdinandOskam wrote:maybe a tip, before you spent all your budget to expensive topmark tyres (or cheap ass tyres who have no grip on ice and snow):

Why don't you rent winter tyres?
Here, in Holland we rent them for about 100euro's a week, and it's cheaper than buying a set..

May I be bold enough to say thats a really crap idea, as £100 will get you 2 tyres purchased, which you can then use for the winter season.
Trust me, the mileage I do, having winter tyres made a real difference last winter here in the UK

daved wrote:you don't have to have them but I would ..according to all the tests the advantages are manifold and they are not that expensive I've just paid £100 for 2

Interesting. All the advice I have read says you should always fit a complete set of winter tyres. This is due to the difference in grip you would get if you had winter on the front and summer on the rear. It is very easy to cause your vehicle to spin under breaking with the above scenario.

Did you buy two to replace a pair of worn ones in an existing set?

A quote from KwikFit "We will not undertake any requests to fit tyres where the total number of winter or summers tyres, upon completion, would be less than 4."