Quote:
Originally Posted by faverymi
For inspiration...
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Pure Porn!!!!!
Thanks everyone for the input. I think the comment on getting stuck in winchester was spot on- it's not so much a snow belt state as a s#$% belt state in the winter. I've had two sets of blizzacks- and I love them. So the real toss up is getting my wife's endeavor a set of blizzaks or general arctic max ice with studs.
Lot's of pro's and con's to each. I can think of three scenarios where I was puckering up wishing I had studded tires in the last five years. REAALLY puckering.
I can also think of about 9500 times I wish I wasn't wasting $$$$ burning winter tread on unfrozen road- but not really puckering.
I can think of ONE time I drove into a snow drift in the xc70 and learned the meaning of hypothermia in my work slacks as well as the meaning of low ground clearance and lame AWD. Uncontrollable shivering sounds tame now- but was not so fun then.
My impression of the blizzaks is they are incredible at first, and then wear through the super special compound and become merely mortal all season tires- but dont get me wrong- that initial wear-in is magical.
Funny how the puckering stands out in my mind. Some of it comes down to strategy - for example- maybe get studs for my second set of xc70 tires and studless for the endeavor. I dunno- all I know is when the endeavor rims get here I will need to choose! Oh yeah- from what I have read, the general tires are based on a nokian tread pattern- so that's encouraging.
Also- and this may seem weird- the volvo has a cheap little gimmick called a thermometer. The endeavor does not. Last night- in a dark heavy rain, it was 38 degrees... it felt colder, but the volvo thermometer didn't have the little snowflake showing. People in other cars, without the gimmick- (and not bi@#tching at them)- didn't know- and drove waaaaaaaaaaaay slower, because it felt and looked colder. I guess my point here is that I really have come to like the temp sensor in the volvo. If I go all snow in the endeavor- maybe I'll buy a chinese thermometer and hang it out the window on that.
FWIW- this is from a guy who spent hours driving screws through bike tires to make them ice tires. When I was finished, I could ride over frozen lakes and corner like buttaaaaa...And this wasn't just one set of bike tires- it was several- with several different patterns and numbers of screws for the amount of ice/vs. traction/weight/ rolling resistance/ etc...
I just love this stuff.