J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by SwingBeep

Great news LOTA, but don't overdo it!

Pagey66 wrote: I had an Audi with either 18 or 19" alloys. I used a set of Maggi Traks. http://www.maggigroup.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Valxer.woa/wa/page?path=maggi it may be worth looking there before investing in a set of tyres. However, they are expensive, but worked fantastically on our low profile Alloys (R18/235/**)

Snow chains shouldn't be regarded as a substitute for winter tyres. At temperatures below 7°C, summer tyres become too hard to provide enough grip for effective traction and braking. Winter tyres are mandatory in Austria and Germany if road conditions so require; as well as being fined, you may also be deemed to be at least partially at fault in the event of an accident.

Although much easier to mount, quick-fit chains don't perform anywhere near as well as ordinary chains especially under braking. They are only loosely attached to the tyres so when you brake they slip round the tyre increasing the stopping distance by up to 30% more than it would be with winter tyres and no chains. (http://www.ktipp.ch/downloadfile/1021130 sorry about the German!).

Admin wrote: still had 4mm of tread when I sold the car.

4mm is the minimum recommended tread depth for a winter tyre.

So, I may as well set myself up with a second set of rims complete with winter tyres ready for me to use each winter so that I am ready for the bad weather we now seem to be getting on a regular basis here in the UK.

This is standard practice here. I have a set of 215/55R17s on alloy rims for summer and a set of 215/60R16s on steel rims for winter (it's very easy to hit a kerb in snowy conditions). Some people fit narrower tyres for better traction in snow.

Every year the Austrian, German and Swiss automobile clubs conduct winter tyre tests in Ulrichen, just up the road from where I live. The results are published in October. Last year's results can be found at the bottom of this page: http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/adac-im-einsatz/motorwelt/Winterreifen-Test.aspx?ComponentId=41827&SourcePageId=8427 .The performance of any particular brand seems to vary a bit according to size, but as you can see, Dunlop and Michelin make some of the best. Not many people use studded tyres (I think they are mainly used in Scandinavia) as there are speed restrictions and in Germany their use is only allowed within 15km of the Austrian border. They are also very noisy.

Dave Mac is dead right. I find functional training works well; you might find these links useful:

http://skiracecoach.blogspot.com/
http://skiracecoach.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-03-15T15%3A09%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7
http://web.me.com/kvkayak/skiracecoach/Articles/Entries/2009/12/2_Functional_Strength_%26_Conditioning.html

Nice photos Alistair, looks like you were lucky with the weather. This summer has been pretty much a washout all over the Alps. Those chapels come in very handy when you need somewhere to shelter from the rain!

One question to you SwingBeep in regards to that list.
Do you know the difference between criterion referenced evaluation of skis and normative referenced evaluation of skis?

Yes, these are two-part tests. In the first part the skis are compared with each other to assess which performs best on snow; this is a norm-referenced test. In the second part the skis were subjected to physical tests. In one of these tests 17 Joules were applied to the inside edges of the skis in order to simulate catching an edge on a rock; this is a criterion- referenced test. Three of the skis purchased from one manufacture failed this test, one also failed the impact test (part of the base delaminated) and they all had thinner edges and therefore thinner bases than the other skis.

There is a key to the scoring system below the tables which translates as follows:

++ = very good (80-100%)
+ = good (60-79.99%)
O = average 40- 69.99%)
(-) = below average (20-35.99%)
- = unsatisfactory 0-19.99%)

In 2011 all the "low quality", inferior skis are gone!

Hope you're right, but I'm far from convinced.

Getting back to the never list. How about Never, Never Ever throw up in the cable car!

Might have been the Head CHIP XRC SW RFB from 07/08

If there is anything available it will be listed on the tourist association website http://www.wildschoenau.com/home/winter/en/default.aspx