Whats the weather like near you?

[Mark Bolam]

AAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!

 

Bloody snow!

 

 

[Big J]

11 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

AAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!

 

Bloody snow!

 

 

 

It sounds like a cliché, but the biggest difficulty with cycling in snow is learning all the different types. How cold was it when it fell? Has it melted and refrozen? Has it been ploughed or just driven on? Did it fall onto a frozen base or not? Is it tarmac underneath or gravel? What is the current temperature.

All these things and many more affect the way it behaves. Next winter I'm going to shift more towards my mountain bike with much fatter tyres. The 35mm Schwalbe Marathon Winter tyres aren't really aggressive enough, especially for the gravel roads.

[Mark Bolam]

It’s not so much the cycling that would bother me, more the drivers on the snowy roads.

People like my wife, for example.

[Stere]

Schwalbe Ice Spiker look alot more noobly.

 

Always like any folding bead tyres better they are  worth the extra cost.

 

People call the rigid wire bead ones "hosepipes" 🙂

 

 

[Big J]

2 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

It’s not so much the cycling that would bother me, more the drivers on the snowy roads.

People like my wife, for example.

 

You've got to think differently about it here. 

 

For a start, we have maybe 3% of the traffic you have. And on much bigger roads.

 

80% of people here have studded winter tyres. The other 20% mostly have full winter tyres, and a few all season (but Nordic rated). 

 

People are used to driving on snow. We're in the south and we'll still have had 8 weeks of snow cover this winter, in what has been a less snowy than average winter.

 

In just over 2hrs on the bike today, I think I saw 10-12 cars in total. 

[doobin]

9 hours ago, Big J said:

 

Brilliant car. Always loved Panda 4x4s. Being a bit skinnier now (with all the cycling) I might even have a chance of fitting in one.

 

I know I bang on about winter and all season tyres, but come on! That sort of snow is an absolute and complete doddle for any 2wd car with the right tyres. 

 

 

To be fair, I wouldn't have fancied it on those hills in 2wd even on those Cross Climates, which are simply an incredible tyre for the snow- or wet. You can go flat out through deep puddles and not feel a thing at the steering wheel.

 

The Panda is incredible. It will do 65mpg if I absoloutely baby it, but will also go anywhere that ground clearance permits. The Defender driver with all terrain tyres couldn't hold a candle to it- simple fact is it was an extra ton of vehicle on a very similar tyre footprint. I got back up the hill, he didn't.

 

People can bang on about a Defender 'with the right tyres and driver' being able to go anywhere- but I don't think that's the case. The electric traction control in the Panda is amazing. On sheet ice in a slight incline it went up OK, but scrabbling badly. Press the button that says ELD and I might as well have been on a dry road- straight up with no spinning. Technology and physics (light weight, snow tyres) for the win here, like it or not.

 

And no, I'm afraid you wouldn't fit. Headroom is the limiting factor unfortunately!

[Mark Bolam]

Surrey Sunroofs - Aftermarket Sunroof Installation & Repair |

WWW.SURREYSUNROOFS.CO.UK

 

[Mick Dempsey]

Full length sunroofs were great, especially in the 80s when we all smoked (5up) in the car on the way to wherever we were going, farts disappeared quicker as well.

[doobin]

6 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Full length sunroofs were great, especially in the 80s when we all smoked (5up) in the car on the way to wherever we were going, farts disappeared quicker as well.

I feel like I haven't lived!

Edited March 10, 2023 by doobin

[Big J]

3 hours ago, doobin said:

To be fair, I wouldn't have fancied it on those hills in 2wd even on those Cross Climates, which are simply an incredible tyre for the snow- or wet. You can go flat out through deep puddles and not feel a thing at the steering wheel.

 

The Panda is incredible. It will do 65mpg if I absoloutely baby it, but will also go anywhere that ground clearance permits. The Defender driver with all terrain tyres couldn't hold a candle to it- simple fact is it was an extra ton of vehicle on a very similar tyre footprint. I got back up the hill, he didn't.

 

People can bang on about a Defender 'with the right tyres and driver' being able to go anywhere- but I don't think that's the case. The electric traction control in the Panda is amazing. On sheet ice in a slight incline it went up OK, but scrabbling badly. Press the button that says ELD and I might as well have been on a dry road- straight up with no spinning. Technology and physics (light weight, snow tyres) for the win here, like it or not.

 

And no, I'm afraid you wouldn't fit. Headroom is the limiting factor unfortunately!

 

The Cross Climates have really revolutionised all season tyres (as I understand it). Excellent performance in European type snow/winter conditions (as opposed to Nordic) with little compromise in summer performance. 

 

There aren't actually that many 4x4s here. The studded tyres make a massive difference and I guess so does having to drive in snow for 2-3 months a year (at our latitude - a lot more further north).

 

I'm glad that your Panda is living up to the hype. They always make me smile when I see them. I just wish Fiat would put one through the photocopier at 125% and then I'd have a chance of fitting!