What weather tires do you use in the UK?

[Riva811]

Hello, this is the question of the ages but I was wondering what kind of tires most people use especially in and around London?
I noticed temperatures ranging between 5 and 18C

 

[Mr Filipov]

Only ever use summers. Don’t see the point of having to find somewhere to potentially store another set for the 1 or 2 months out of the year.

 

[WDB124066]

Discover the MICHELIN CrossClimate on www.michelin.co.uk

 

[Riva811]

Discover the MICHELIN CrossClimate on www.michelin.co.uk

Good to know but they have no size to match my car

 

[ph47mf]

tyres

 

[BTB 500]

Hello, this is the question of the ages but I was wondering what kind of tires most people use especially in and around London?
I noticed temperatures ranging between 5 and 18C

Standard summer tyres are absolutely fine in those conditions. I've worked in London for 35 years and snow/ice on the roads is extremely rare ... last time I remember was a day or two back in 2010. Worst case you have extensive public transport to fall back on

 

[MercedesDriver]

Well, I use both Summer and Winter sets for 6 months each. All weather types didn't perform that good on packed snow and ice (compared to winter ones) we usually have during our winter holidays so I don't use them anymore.
For UK driving conditions only all weather would be my choice.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

We switch between Summer and Winter tyres on the cars we drive every day.

 

[cheddar]

Summer. Even when I used to stick some pricey winter tyres on my cars for a few months of the year, you only get stuck in the same traffic because the person(s) at the front didn't bother to change their's. However I don't go near and hills on my way to work and back, if it makes it off my steep drive i'm ok as long as I take care.
If only things were more like germany/holland etc, where it was mandatory to switch to winter tyres, the country might cope a bit better when a flurry of snow or a sharp frost kicks in.

 

[zipdip]

Well this question of winter tyres has been around for years,I suppose fitting them depends on a number of things,the first is where you live,in the north of the country I would have a older 4x4 with winter tyres to use in the bad weather,down south well for the few days and sometimes no days we get snow,I would not bother,second it also depends on what you are doing ,are you working and need to drive,or working from home no need to drive like me as I have retired,I suppose the one size fits all way of doing things in Germany appeals to some,me I quite like the haphazard way we approach bad weather,it does not hurt to be prepaired,I have in my boot a adjustable plastic snow shovel ,a bag with tow rope a blanket ,deicer and a couple of chocolate bars these have to be topped up often as they keep vanishing,I have never had to use them as we hardly ever get any snow come to that it is the driest area of the country as well,so good luck to you hardy motorists battling over Shap on the A5 this morning ,I will watch your progress or lack of it on the news.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

We switch between Summer and Winter tyres on the cars we drive every day.

You switch tyres every day?

Sounds exhausting.

 

[Alex225]

I’m genuinely confused with the term ‘summer tyres’. I get ‘winter tyres’ as they’re for sub 5 degrees or whatever range they’re optimised for. So those temperatures will be in winter.

Surely everything else is just ‘a tyre’ for the other three seasons of the year? Or am I missing something? Haha

As for the question I just buy normal all round tyres. I don’t doubt the abilities of winters at all but for the driving I do in my 17 years driving I’ve not felt I’ve needed them. [emoji4]

 

[cheddar]

By summer tyres myself I meant they don’t specifically say all season or anything along them lines, I use Michelin’s pilot sport 4’s and I don’t regally struggle in the cold snaps, just got to drive carefully.
I do however change my tyres when there’s 3mm left, can’t understand people leaving them till there’s only ‘legal’ 1.6mm left, that’s just asking for trouble.

 

[CaptainChaos]

I’m genuinely confused with the term ‘summer tyres’.

Summer tyres are the standard tyre fitted to most new cars sold in the UK.
All Season tyres are now appearing on a few cars either as standard or optional.
These are not the same as the All Season tyres they use in the USA which tend to be their standard fitment and last for about 50,000 miles a set.

 

[CaptainChaos]

OP - the poll doesn't allow the choice of summer and winter tyres!

 

[Alex225]

Summer tyres are the standard tyre fitted to most new cars sold in the UK.

So what about the other seasons I mean? I just mean that winter tyres are such because they're made of a compound that is suited for the lower temperatures that mostly occur in the winter months. I guess my question is that the collective we refers to other tyres as summer tyres but they're used for give or take the other 9 months of the year so are just normal tyres? Not categorically summer orientated? I assume something that would be marketed as All Season would be better during winter than a normal tyre but not necessarily as competent as a full on winter tyre?

I'm probably totally confusing it but just trying to get my head round it as it seems I've been misunderstanding! haha

 

[CaptainChaos]

Yes, I know what you mean. It does suggest we should have Spring and Autumn tyres too doesn't it, but that is the categorisation applied by the tyre manufacturers- winter, summer or all season.

 

[RonFleet]

Hello, this is the question of the ages but I was wondering what kind of tires most people use especially in and around London?
I noticed temperatures ranging between 5 and 18C

Until relatively recently, what are now referred to as "summer tyres" were just called "tyres". I currently have "summer tyres" on the car, but will change to Michelin Cross-Climates when they're due to be replaced (I put the Michelin Cross-Climates on my last car and noticed better grip in the wet and a nicer ride).

 

[sosen13]

Have 2 sets genuine alloys, summer for summer and winter for winter. Thing is, what a lot ppl misunderstanding I guess, witer tyres are not just for snow, it is all about temperatures, and surely temperatures in winter hit those recommendations for winter tyres (less than 7 degree of Celsius average),
On top of that with such humidity even temperatures close to zero cause slippery roads, right? And this is where winter tyres should be helpful.

 

[Riva811]

OP - the poll doesn't allow the choice of summer and winter tyres!

I cant see a way to add it now