Jump to content

snowmaggedon starts

matty40s

By matty40s
in General Boating

 Share

Featured Posts

Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

BBC forecast for today was light snow followed by dry overcast weather, temperature around freezing all day. We had clouds this morning, followed by a brief but thick fog belt, since then it's been largely sunny and thawing. So much for the trustworthy public broadcaster.

Tomorrow promises, is that is the right word, freezing fog. How I hope that they are wrong agon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted (edited)

Winter tyres are superb. Mine cost less than my excess and they make a RWD BMW into a perfectly well behaved snow car. Spare wheels are cheap, even alloys are only worth £25 each at the scrappy!

 

I've just been out in our front wheel drive FIAT 500 for the first time in any snow of any significance and it brought back to me just how bad rear wheel drive BMW's are in snow - I would say snow tyres are pretty essential on one for the winter, certainly in snow at least.

 

I used to have 3 series the last one being an auto which was a nightmare in the snow. No matter how hard you tried to force it to move off in a higher gear (using the manual option) it in typical Germanic fashion always thought it knew better and dropped you back into first which is useless when there was a big 2.5 litre lump just spinning the back wheels.

Edited by The Dog House
Link to comment
Share on other sites
simon&jan Collaborator

simon&jan

Posted
Posted

I've just been out in our front wheel drive FIAT 500 for the first time in any snow of any significance and it brought back to me just how bad rear wheel drive BMW's are in snow - I would say snow tyres are pretty essential on one for the winter, certainly in snow at least.

 

I used to have 3 series the last one being an auto which was a nightmare in the snow. No matter how hard you tried to force it to move off in a higher gear (using the manual option) it in typical Germanic fashion always thought it knew better and dropped you back into first which is useless when there was a big 2.5 litre lump just spinning the back wheels.

 

Just a thought but some cheaper tyres sold are actually a softer compound and classed as M+S or mud and snow , so you might find you allready have them fitted !! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

Just a thought but some cheaper tyres sold are actually a softer compound and classed as M+S or mud and snow , so you might find you allready have them fitted !! :)

 

Possible but very unlikely I would say the tyres are the original ones on a car less than one year old and the tread pattern is very much not for snow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Morat Proficient

Morat

Posted
Posted (edited)

Just a thought but some cheaper tyres sold are actually a softer compound and classed as M+S or mud and snow , so you might find you allready have them fitted !! :)

 

Mud and Snow rated tyres are clearly marked on the sidewall so you should know already, but there's a lot more to decent winter tyres than a softer compound.

 

I've just been out in our front wheel drive FIAT 500 for the first time in any snow of any significance and it brought back to me just how bad rear wheel drive BMW's are in snow - I would say snow tyres are pretty essential on one for the winter, certainly in snow at least.

 

I used to have 3 series the last one being an auto which was a nightmare in the snow. No matter how hard you tried to force it to move off in a higher gear (using the manual option) it in typical Germanic fashion always thought it knew better and dropped you back into first which is useless when there was a big 2.5 litre lump just spinning the back wheels.

 

Yep, they make a huge difference. However, the best car I ever owned for snow use was an automatic - a Jeep Cherokee with Mud and Snow rated knobbly tyres :) I do take your point though, manual is normally best.

Edited by Morat
Link to comment
Share on other sites
chrislyn Contributor

chrislyn

Posted
Posted

SWMBO works in Bridlington, but we live near Caistor! Getting to the bridge would be good!

sorry, still a bit green on here, what's SWMBO? That's some journey to work. Better since the bridge tolls were reduced tho! Hope she got there and back safely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

sorry, still a bit green on here, what's SWMBO? That's some journey to work. Better since the bridge tolls were reduced tho! Hope she got there and back safely.

 

Common internet parlance for

 

She Who Must Be Obeyed...

 

not exclusive to this forum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
canals are us? Rising Star

canals are us?Donate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

It's certainly been cold!

I went out to collect some coal travelling along the rural roads yesterday while it was snowing. Only about an inch covering. It was fine in my 24 year old rear wheel drive, automatic volvo 240 estate :cheers:

To pull away I put it into drive and let the autobox creep the car forward and then gently feed the accelerator on. I found this worked well in deep snow.

The greatest thing about snow tyres though is the improved brakeing performance. I may eventually get some winter tyres but at the moment I take it easy and currently using summer michelin energy saver tyres.

 

James :cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I went out to collect some coal travelling along the rural roads yesterday while it was snowing.

Was the coal in bags or loose, and how fast was it travelling??

 

 

Boat now iced in in Loughborough.

I have just returned from Nottingham and from 0.5degc in the centre of the city, the temperature dropped to -4.5 on the way back through the Wolds road. We may have to break the swans out in the morning as they are asleep with the ice forming round them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
stickleback Proficient

stickleback

Posted
Posted

sorry, still a bit green on here, what's SWMBO? That's some journey to work. Better since the bridge tolls were reduced tho! Hope she got there and back safely.

 

From H Ryder Haggards novel "She" - abbreviated from She Who Must Be Obeyed. Used later by John Mortimer in "Rumpole of the Bailey", when it became popular parlance.

 

Worth reading "She"- SO politically incorrect now! And dated ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

Posted
Posted

-5 when we left home this morning on the very northern tip of Sheffield. This had risen to -2 by the time we reached work just outside the city centre on the south of Sheffield. Now sat at about 0.

 

Once again the roads were really well gritted and safe to drive on. Well done Sheffield!

 

Hopefully they will be able to keep this up as we have a lot of snow forecast for Friday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

Posted
Posted (edited)

-5 when we left home this morning on the very northern tip of Sheffield. This had risen to -2 by the time we reached work just outside the city centre on the south of Sheffield. Now sat at about 0.

 

Once again the roads were really well gritted and safe to drive on. Well done Sheffield!

 

Hopefully they will be able to keep this up as we have a lot of snow forecast for Friday.

 

-5C here first thing this morning, -1C now, and CRT contractors are out strimming the grass (or strimming off the frost).

I kid you not.

 

Edit - I was told they were cutting the grass, but the evidence on the ground is of some hedge trimming.

 

Tim

Edited by Timleech
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.