Author Topic: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?  (Read 2287 times)

Hebden

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Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« on: November 03, 2021, 09:28:32 AM »
Just become aware of implementation of French winter driving requirements. I will have to drive through France and into Italy early new year.. What would be the best solution? Cross climate tyres, winter tyres or carrying chains or socks? Any recommendations?

jazzaro

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2021, 01:17:42 PM »
Just become aware of implementation of French winter driving requirements. I will have to drive through France and into Italy early new year.. What would be the best solution? Cross climate tyres, winter tyres or carrying chains or socks? Any recommendations?
How many miles do you drive per year? France and Italy where? Mountains or flat land?

embee

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2021, 02:20:31 PM »
Having worked in Austria in the past and using full winter tyres (Goodyear) I would just comment on the amazing superiority of them in snow/ice.
As you say, there are also the legal aspects in various countries, so you have to comply with some sort of solution. Germany is very strict.

I think if doing it nowadays and travelling to/from the UK, I'd be choosing a cross-climate tyre (I believe the deciding factor is whether the tyre is marked with a winter snowflake/M&S ). If living in those climates I'd probably do like the locals and have a spare set of full winters on steel wheels. Cross-climates, providing they comply legally, will certainly give good snow/cold performance and as long as sensible caution is applied I'm sure they'd do fine.
There are plenty of reviews and several top performing tyres to choose from now.

Chains are usually only permitted on specified high mountain roads, socks are a waste of time IMO. Too much faff unless you are seriously going into the wilds. Normal roads just need winters or C-C's.

Jayt43

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2021, 03:26:24 PM »
Cross climates are great. They don't feel unduly hard, show little wear (even if you leave them on all year round) and have good performance in snow, wet and icy conditions. Apart from being expensive I haven't regretted my purchase.

Jocko

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2021, 04:28:55 PM »
I use all-weather tyres all year round and love them. Not done a lot of driving in the snow but they performed impeccably when I did.

madasafish

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2021, 05:05:04 PM »
Cross climates are great. They don't feel unduly hard, show little wear (even if you leave them on all year round) and have good performance in snow, wet and icy conditions. Apart from being expensive I haven't regretted my purchase.


+1
Very good as above.

richardfrost

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2021, 05:26:13 PM »
Forget socks. I hired a car in Barcelona and drove to Andorra for a week's skiing. The car was on Summer tyres and useless in the snow. I bought socks and they got me from my apartment to the ski slope each day. A 4 mile round trip. They are speed limited and not for normal driving or distance driving. Think of them as an emergency solution.

Like Jocko, I keep a set of all season tyres on my car all year round now. Winters are even better but to avoid all the faff of swapping them over, I would do what others have said and keep them on a set of steel wheels. I believe ass season tyres rated M+S will meet your legal requirements but you had probably better check.

Hebden

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2021, 05:27:36 PM »
Thank you all. Very interesting. 
Its possible the majority of the route through France, although going through departments which require winter equipment, will not include the roads we are likely to drive on.  Italy, however does impose winter requirements in Liguria just a few kilometres inland from the coast.  Having checked out the tyres on the car there is still a fair amount of wear left.  I suspect we might just try to find a suitable snow chain to carry - as long as there is enough clearance within the wheel arch to fit them.  The Honda dealer I asked about this was no use at all..... blah blah blah Honda don't make a snow chain.... So will start investigating chains and forget socks...

richardfrost

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2021, 05:53:46 PM »
Well you can only drive with chains on in actual snow. You might find you can get four modest brand (don't ever just do the driving wheels) all season tyres for £100 a corner.

Jocko

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2021, 06:51:45 PM »
I suspect we might just try to find a suitable snow chain to carry.
I bought a set of snow chains in 1997, for my Cavalier, and they were still in the boot, unopened (except to give a quick look), in 2007 when I gave the Cavalier away. They were specific to the wheel and tyre size so I just gave them away with the car.

jazzaro

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2021, 08:39:52 PM »
Thank you all. Very interesting. 
Its possible the majority of the route through France, although going through departments which require winter equipment, will not include the roads we are likely to drive on.  Italy, however does impose winter requirements in Liguria just a few kilometres inland from the coast.  Having checked out the tyres on the car there is still a fair amount of wear left.  I suspect we might just try to find a suitable snow chain to carry - as long as there is enough clearance within the wheel arch to fit them.  The Honda dealer I asked about this was no use at all..... blah blah blah Honda don't make a snow chain.... So will start investigating chains and forget socks...
Italy does impose chains onboard or tires with M+S label quite on all its routes, highways included. Some roads are excluded but if you plan to stay in Italy it's recommended that you have winter equipment justo to be free to drive everywhere.
Michelin Crossclimate are a good solution if you plan to run on main roads even with snow, I think you could have problems only in steep climbs: living in Italy with a mileage about 20-25000km/year I have the double set (summer and winter tires),  snow chains (9mm set) and a portable snow showel.
Other tip, if possible use a windscreen liquid cleaner for low temperatures like-20°C, and after the tank refill wash the front and rear screen to fill the hoses. If the standard liquid freezes, you will not be able to use the washer until you find  higher temperatures, melting the ice.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2021, 10:44:36 AM by jazzaro »

Hebden

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2021, 10:53:43 PM »
Thanks again. Excellent advice..

jazzaro

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2021, 10:52:33 AM »
Thanks again. Excellent advice..
You're welcome...
Usually summer windscreeen fluids have a low percentage of alcohol, so leaving the car overnight at -2 or -3C° it's enough to freeze the liquid inside the ducts. Then the only way to fix this problem is leaving some hours the car in a hot garage or somewhere the temperature is at least 5-10C°. Every gas station along alpine highways have this kind of fluid in winter, it's easy to find it: you can use it also in summer adding pure water.
Since the Jazz has a petrol engine you will find no problem in cold starts, with a diesel engine I would suggest also a refill with "arctic diesel fuel" to prevent the paraffin solidification.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2021, 11:11:08 AM by jazzaro »

TnTkr

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2021, 11:20:44 AM »
I wouldn't think snow chains as an option. There are restrictions to use chains in so many roads and they are speed restricted.. Decent M+S tyres are important for safe long distance driving that time of year over long distances and highway speed. I'd suggest cross climate tyres and I would store the current tyres for next summer.

embee

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Re: Cross climate or winter tyres. Snow socks or chains?
« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2021, 12:20:06 PM »
Chains definitely not for general use. You'd be stopping regularly (probably in cold/wet/snow) to fit them and take them off again depending on the road. Filthy and inconvenient. Snowy roads are not clean white, they get filthy black and nasty with the grit etc.

Cross-climates (or full winters if totally committed), no issues. C-C you can leave on all year round, winters start to squeal when it gets near +10C and grip falls off. You hear the squeals at traffic lights as cars set off, you know spring has arrived.

My attitude to Alpine roads was that if I thought it needed chains I avoided it. Winter tyres got me and the general populus everywhere else. I asked around the locals regarding the best choice of tyre, at the time they suggested the Goodyear UG range (full winter), cross-climates weren't available then.

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