November for Russian motorists is the most unpleasant period, because in the daytime it snows or rains, and in the evening frosts come and ice forms. Forecasters are usually mistaken with the date of the start of heavy snowfalls and real winter, so you should prepare in advance for the cold season, which means that you already need winter tires.
A feature of winter driving is that in cold and icy conditions any control error can be critical, especially if you still drive on summer tires. Is it time to ask yourself how to choose winter tires? This can save you from long lines in tire service, which will begin very soon, and also insure you from the weather, which can catch you by surprise.
Explain what are the advantages of winter tires over summer or all-weather, is not worth it, as they are obvious. Summer tires are designed to operate at temperatures above +4 degrees, and all-weather are designed to combine the best qualities of summer and winter tires in them, which is not suitable for Russian winter conditions. Experts say that you should not skimp on two sets of rubber for your car. And it is here that we are faced with the question of how to choose winter tires from all the variety offered? The choice of studded or studless tires depends on which region of the country you live in, because the conditions are different everywhere. In addition to the spikes, you must pay attention to the tread pattern: Scandinavian or European. The European type is intended for operation in European countries where the presence of thorns is not assumed, since the climate conditions are mild. Such tires have a very extensive system of grooves, allowing you to ride on roads where the amount of dirt and snow is not so great. Such tires are designed for high-speed driving on the autobahn. This type of tires will probably not be useful to Russians. Scandinavian tires seem more “toothy”. They have a pattern made in the form of rhombs or checkers, has sharp edges and wide drainage grooves. This form of tread allows you to push through the snow crust and a slight ice crust, as if biting into the coating. Such material tolerates frost much better. Of course, for Russian roads this type of rubber is preferable.
When deciding which tires to choose, you should think about which roads you have to drive in the winter. If you usually drive on icy roads, studded ones are a good option. They should be preferred also to those who live near the sea coast, since there roads are also very often covered with ice. The advantages of spikes on such a coating are obvious: they just cling to the ice. The result is a short braking distance, confident and fast acceleration, as well as reliability in cornering. Among the shortcomings are the increase in noise during driving, as well as the high cost of such tires.
In the event that under the wheels there is constantly loose and wet snow in the form of a kind of porridge, then studded tires are simply undesirable, since it will not be able to catch on anything. In studded tires on bare asphalt, the adhesion properties noticeably deteriorate, since the contact area of the surfaces is noticeably reduced. The car holds the road worse, and can even skid when overhanging, well, and when braking, a lock often occurs with subsequent use. And then the motorist thinks how to choose winter tires? In this case, it is best to give preference to studless tires, which will not only protect yourself during the ride, but also not destroy the road surface. At high speeds, spikes create microblows that "destroy" the asphalt.
Now you have an idea of how to choose winter tires. It remains only to go to the car shop and purchase them.