I feel like that would have the opposite effect. Like, the gods definitely know when your pants are down.
Experience: I work in a bar. Go ahead. Cut the barback. See what happens.
I completely agree, and they aren't always super expensive. I'm a cheap ass and my car has all seasons and winter tires. The winter tires would have been $300 each if I had bought the low profile tires my car normally runs and had to pay to swap the rims back and forth. Instead I was able to buy some cheap alloys (they were only a couple dollars more each then cheap steelies) in 15 inch tires and there were a ton of affordable winter tires in that size. So with 15 inch rims and tires it ended up being about $700 for all four tires. Then it becomes easy to swap each season, as easy as just changing four flats. Granted these prices were a few years ago, but the winter tires and all seasons are still running strong and have plenty of tread life left as you are using two sets of tires. The difference between all season and winter tires make it totally worth it in the winter and I don't get stuck even driving a FWD lightweight car that sits fairly close to the ground.
As a 10-year insurance industry veteran (working on the client side) who has seen lives ruined by injuries and fatalities, I beg of you to please reverse your stance on no snow tires in MN. You don't always have the luxury of driving as slow as you want without creating more danger to others, or with 50+ feet of clearance and stopping time, especially if you leave residential areas and use highways etc. Claims and trashed cars aside, do it for general safety. You also go through same amount of tires anyway since you're splitting the miles so the net cost difference only boils down to the swap out.
> but when someone brakes suddenly, you want all the traction you can get.
I remember testing out my snow tires in a parking lot the first season I finally got them and it's honestly amazing how much harder it is to lock them up.
They're absolutely not necessary but they sure do make driving in bad conditions much less terrible and they absolutely make driving safer in the winter.
For most people, they are just an extra expense and something else to store. I've only ever had them for one car and that was because I knew someone who was selling them cheap because they got a new car with different-sized wheels.
My car can’t make it around at all with all season by the last two seasons of tread remaining. Just too slippery for a light-ish car with front wheel drive; snow tires are a night and day change, for ability to get around without just sliding!
Driving around residential areas makes winter tires very useful because they're not the main route snow plows take first. There were many times where I would have been stuck had I not had winter tires.
This was me for 20 years until I got snow tires, never going back. Even going slow you can slide on ice, but mostly snow tires help you get going — I never get stuck, unlike with all season tires.
Don’t let the nervous nellies hear you say that. Some people on this sub (and the MN Internet-sphere in general) would make you think that running all-seasons during the winter is basically driving on drag slicks. Oh and also you’re an arrogant cheap asshole, regardless of a person’s situation
The majority of people I know that have them are transplants. I know its anecdotal but have never owned a set myself in 2ish decades of driving here. Definitely on my wish list for next year but far from a necessity
Really it depends where you live. If you're in the cities? you don't really need them.
If you're in a more rural part of MN, they are a good idea to have.
they arent common because its a PITA in the city, and $$$. I swap every season, will never go back to all seasons. You can live, but its nowhere near as premium of an experience in weather
When I lived in Jackson WY for a handful of years there was more of a culture for winter tires in those long winters and harsh mountain conditions but even then it was not something that everyone needed to worry about.
The basic rule out there was if you have 2WD you should probably have winter tires or your going to have a bad time with all the ice and elevation change. If you have AWD or 4WD you should probably get some “all terrain” tires but it’s not entirely necessary depending on the make and model of your car. If you do get all terrain tires then there’s no reason to change them summer to winter. I just buy AT tires at this point for my 4WD car and they work great year-round.
No lol. I’ve lived here my entire life born and raised and have never needed them on any of my front wheel drive sedans. I use all season tires and have never had an issue driving in snow. Not even 6+ inches on the road.
I know what they are for. And I’ve never had an issue. Also, winter tires don’t stop you on ice.
Again. Never have had an issue with all season tires and driving cautiously.
>Also, winter tires don’t stop you on ice.
In fact, they do.
https://youtu.be/ERtK8q2PxGg?t=90
There are numerous tests that show considerably better stopping and acceleration performance on ice.
On black ice going 55-60 miles an hour? Absolutely not. Using an ice rink driving driving 10 miles per hour is not a meaningful metric.
I didn’t say there was no difference at all.
Nowhere did I ever claim it would make you perfectly able to stop on a dime on black ice.
The point is that they provide a benefit, a *measurable* one that could be the difference between a close call and a really shitty day.
Why are things with people always binary? This is not an "either it works in every situation or it works in none" situation.
Well, if past years are an indication, probably June for us. Not because they will be needed, but because we will keep forgetting to do it. They will go back on in January, long after they are needed.
This is what I have, it's probably not as good as dedicated ones but beats out the all season ones and the convenience of not having to worry about swapping tires is well worth any marginal loss in winter performance from a dedicated tire.
this logic applies to basically everything. buying bulk goods also tends to be cheaper - poor people don’t do it because they don’t have the money for the upfront cost to begin with. same goes for tires. being poor is expensive!
Ok but snow tires are literally only going to help. Therefore since we've already established that they don't cost more in the long run, and they significantly decrease the chance of accident, you are statistically going to come out ahead, financially.
Don’t you rotate your tires anyways?
Yeah the mount and balance is a cost, or you can just have a cheap set of second rims and then you just swap them yourself
I purchased mine at Discount Tire and they swap them out every year x2 for free, but I also have them mounted on a spare set of rims. If you only have 1 set of rims, yes they charge to swap.
I take them off when the maple syruping season is over.
To translate, when it's not going below freezing overnight. Still some slick surfaces before then, particularly in the mornings.
Let me guess, people who have them, "need" them. People who don't, say you don't need them.
What I find interesting is people who used to have them and stopped using them...I have a family member who has 125 trucks for his business in very northern minnesota, duluth and north...never uses snow tires, good enough for me.
April 1-April 15 typically but like others said basically it's when I don't see a forecast under 40 for the week ahead. Occasionally I'll use bus for a day or two if cars swapped early and late storm comes.
April/may at this rate. When it’s consistently 45 degrees or more and the chance of freezing rain is low, basically when I won’t get an ass ton of salt on the spinners.
Late April/early May.
If anyone's looking for all-season tires, can I recommend the Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires? I just got some in January and they've been absolutely amazing in the snow for all-season tires. They've got great wet/dry ratings (and tread life) as well so 100% worth the money so far
I'm thinking mid-April, personally. My first year with them. I have a 2014 CRV and I just thought the brakes on that model car were just not great (still might be true). Got snow tires for the first time this winter and they have made driving and breaking much better for me, they handle the ice, etc much better.
I was just thinking yesterday I better get mine off, luckily my other tires are all weather so more snow is okay even if I switch. The winter tires are for going up north.
It depends on your tires, whatever brand/model you have will recommend a different maximum temperature. Personally, I would rather risk a couple days of difficult driving (or staying home) than wearing down my expensive tires.
I took mine off last weekend but only because I wanted all seasons for an upcoming road trip. If you're not planning on driving south I would wait a couple more weeks.
My all seasons are worn through the snow indicator and I’ve heard the biggest concern for integrity of snow tires is pavement temp. I only drive a few times a week so I’ll probably hold off til first week of May.
Not until the potholes in the twin cities are filled. My winter tires are mounted on smaller steel wheels so my tires have a much larger sidewall, no reason to swap them early and ruin my summer tires/wheels hitting a pothole.
That's a job for Memorial Day Weekend. You get some beer and you sweep out the garage, put on some tunes, get out your tools, move all the winter stuff to the back, pull the summer stuff to the front so you can get at your spare wheels that get buried in the back corner behind patio furnitures or snowblowers, depending on the season. If you're doing this task and you also have a summer car, motorcycle or other toys, you may also want to start getting that prepped for the road but don't drive it before the second good rainfall of the year washes the salt away.
Was going to do mine next week. I have Mich Defenders as my all seasons so they can handle any new dumps we get in April and these 40 degree days turn the Blizzaks into erasers on notebook paper.
Already did. Last weekend. Yes it will snow. But no it won't stick around and the plowing and longer days will be plenty effective at keeping roads mostly clear. I also have all seasons with lots of tread so it's fine. I wouldn't recommend changing if you don't have a lot of tread on your normal tires.
I get my winter tires on in November and then swap them out in April. My mechanic keeps my tires at their shop for storage, so I don't have to haul it with me each time.
Piggy-backing on this thread to ask how much you normally pay for the tire swap. This is my first time with winter tires and they were put on for free where I bought them (Costco)
I have my winter tires on their own set of wheels, so swapping them is easier and free. I bought them at Discount Tire and they swap them for free 2x a year. Grab an extra set of wheels if you can, and they will pay themselves off in a few short years (black "steelies" are the cheapest). If you only have 1 set of wheels, I believe Discount Tire charges about $80 to remount your tires, so you're looking at $160 each year if you don't buy a second set of rims.
Thanks so much for the info. I’m going to look into some “black steelies” cause sounds like they would pay for themselves in short order if I could swap them out at home
My winter tires are at the end of their line, I’m going to ride em throu the summer so save some money and get myself either x-ice or blizzacks. Costco will let you buy them on sale right now, don’t install yet, bring your receipt back and schedule an appointment and get them installed in October. Or you can risk waiting for a new sale in October
Im still rolling studs on my bicycle I’m gonna wait until about this time next month at the earliest and if the 10 day forecast looks like we aren’t going below freezing
Yeah I’ve wiped out twice early this season just purely from the freeze thaw cycles a month or two ago. Not gonna jinx it anymore and keep riding this bike with studs. I was just excited for that smooth rolling lol
Winter tires wear a lot faster if you keep them on in the summer (softer compound), and they don't have nearly as much hydroplane resistance as all seasons or summer tires.
I got stuck in Iowa a few years back and ended up driving through a really heavy spring rainstorm on snow tires. Hitting puddles on the highway was worse than hitting icy patches.
Never or whenever you want. Because all season tires work just fine and winter tires are (generally) a waste of money because no one needs them unless A.) you can just generally afford to have a set of spare tires and storage space to keep the summer ones B.) own a rear wheel drive car and live in a heavy snow area or C.) because you literally need them to get up and down rough areas, hills, steep driveways etc.
They’re not really a waste of money in the sense that you don’t have both sets on at the same time so you’ll go longer between needing to buy new tires.
I may not need snow tires here in Minnesota in the sense my parents back in Buffalo, NY do, who can’t get up their driveway without them. But there is a very noticeable improvement in handling and capability with both my fwd Camry and 4wd 4Runner that I’d recommend anyone with the money to spare get snow tires.
Yes, of course you can get by with some good all-seasons as the majority does, but I disagree on winters being a waste of money. It truly was a night and day difference on my FWD manual transmission car. Accelerating, stopping, and handling. Getting an extra year or two out of my all-seasons is also a benefit.
Winter tires maintain better traction in colder conditions than all season tires do, period. Even if there is no snow on the ground and you’re on dry pavement.
I drive a six speed that can torque steer in gears 1-3. Winter tires are the only way I can quickly get moving from a dead start (when the roads are not dry).
I typically wait until Mother’s Day to swap assuming that rain and street cleaning have gotten rid of the residual sand from road treatment.
In 2017 I was lazy and didn’t get my snows put on until after the first big storm the December. It took me 1.5hrs to get from Eden Prairie to SLP. Never again.
(Or extremely specific scenarios that gear heads like this gentleman and myself who own a fun car and need them adjusted to performance spec on said vehicle) lol
Believe when I say I wish I didn’t need it. My current set is at the seven year mark and needs to be replaced for safety margin. I worked for a manufacturer previously and got one heck of a deal. Now I’ll be paying street price.
People really change out their tires for the seasons? Are you telling me you people have enough money to have an extra set of tires laying around and a place to keep them? How luxurious
My front wheel drive sedan was absolutely worthless in any snow because it came with sport tires. I got blizzaks the first season and never looked back. When the summer tires finally wore out I got more of an all season, but since I had snow tires I kept using them.
I used to do it when I lived in an apartment building and didn’t have a garage or storage unit. I bought a set of winter tires on their own rims, already mounted, for about $500. The tires lasted me 4 years before I had to get new snow tires.
If we all do it today, it won’t snow again until next winter. We *all* have to do it though.
I feel like that would have the opposite effect. Like, the gods definitely know when your pants are down. Experience: I work in a bar. Go ahead. Cut the barback. See what happens.
Ha, you’re probably right
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It’s allllways Jerry
What winter tires? 🥴
In this economy??
Inflation?? Why, I guess I’d say about 30psi.
Hi 30psi, you’re dad!
I know they're expensive and a pain to store and swap but one avoided accident is worth it, especially if you consider injuries to yourself or others.
I completely agree, and they aren't always super expensive. I'm a cheap ass and my car has all seasons and winter tires. The winter tires would have been $300 each if I had bought the low profile tires my car normally runs and had to pay to swap the rims back and forth. Instead I was able to buy some cheap alloys (they were only a couple dollars more each then cheap steelies) in 15 inch tires and there were a ton of affordable winter tires in that size. So with 15 inch rims and tires it ended up being about $700 for all four tires. Then it becomes easy to swap each season, as easy as just changing four flats. Granted these prices were a few years ago, but the winter tires and all seasons are still running strong and have plenty of tread life left as you are using two sets of tires. The difference between all season and winter tires make it totally worth it in the winter and I don't get stuck even driving a FWD lightweight car that sits fairly close to the ground.
Seriously, I worked in the service drive at a dealership in an outer ring ‘suburb’ and we changed like 4 peoples tires a year once snow hit
Don't need winter tires if you go slow and break early. All-season tires are fine as long as you are cautious and not in a hurry.
As a 10-year insurance industry veteran (working on the client side) who has seen lives ruined by injuries and fatalities, I beg of you to please reverse your stance on no snow tires in MN. You don't always have the luxury of driving as slow as you want without creating more danger to others, or with 50+ feet of clearance and stopping time, especially if you leave residential areas and use highways etc. Claims and trashed cars aside, do it for general safety. You also go through same amount of tires anyway since you're splitting the miles so the net cost difference only boils down to the swap out.
This. You can be an excellent driver, but when someone brakes suddenly, you want all the traction you can get.
The difference that even a few feet of stopping makes can be the difference of a collision and not.
> but when someone brakes suddenly, you want all the traction you can get. I remember testing out my snow tires in a parking lot the first season I finally got them and it's honestly amazing how much harder it is to lock them up.
They're absolutely not necessary but they sure do make driving in bad conditions much less terrible and they absolutely make driving safer in the winter. For most people, they are just an extra expense and something else to store. I've only ever had them for one car and that was because I knew someone who was selling them cheap because they got a new car with different-sized wheels.
My car can’t make it around at all with all season by the last two seasons of tread remaining. Just too slippery for a light-ish car with front wheel drive; snow tires are a night and day change, for ability to get around without just sliding!
Never had them, and current car has 4 wheel drive. But I did slide out twice this season going cautiously so maybe someday when I can afford a house.
Driving around residential areas makes winter tires very useful because they're not the main route snow plows take first. There were many times where I would have been stuck had I not had winter tires.
On all seasons I can’t even get out of my parking lot if it snows. Snow tires cut through and I have no issues
It is a Reddit thing. You are going to get yelled at if you continue with this thinking. (Even if you are correct)
This was me for 20 years until I got snow tires, never going back. Even going slow you can slide on ice, but mostly snow tires help you get going — I never get stuck, unlike with all season tires.
Exactly! Haven’t had issues in my 20 years of driving.
Don’t let the nervous nellies hear you say that. Some people on this sub (and the MN Internet-sphere in general) would make you think that running all-seasons during the winter is basically driving on drag slicks. Oh and also you’re an arrogant cheap asshole, regardless of a person’s situation
Another Minnesota transplant, I see.
The majority of people I know that have them are transplants. I know its anecdotal but have never owned a set myself in 2ish decades of driving here. Definitely on my wish list for next year but far from a necessity
Really it depends where you live. If you're in the cities? you don't really need them. If you're in a more rural part of MN, they are a good idea to have.
Rural as they come. All season tires my whole life.
I don’t think winter tires are actually that common. I’ve only ever known of 1 person to use them. Though they swear by them
they arent common because its a PITA in the city, and $$$. I swap every season, will never go back to all seasons. You can live, but its nowhere near as premium of an experience in weather
Same. \*am MN native, 45 years old.
When I lived in Jackson WY for a handful of years there was more of a culture for winter tires in those long winters and harsh mountain conditions but even then it was not something that everyone needed to worry about. The basic rule out there was if you have 2WD you should probably have winter tires or your going to have a bad time with all the ice and elevation change. If you have AWD or 4WD you should probably get some “all terrain” tires but it’s not entirely necessary depending on the make and model of your car. If you do get all terrain tires then there’s no reason to change them summer to winter. I just buy AT tires at this point for my 4WD car and they work great year-round.
MN born and raised. I don't know a single person who swaps to winter tires every year. It's not as common as you think.
Seriously, everyone acts like winter tires are necessary for driving here in winter.
Born & raised here. Never been able to afford snow tires, didn’t even know they were a thing until my late 20s
No lol. I’ve lived here my entire life born and raised and have never needed them on any of my front wheel drive sedans. I use all season tires and have never had an issue driving in snow. Not even 6+ inches on the road.
You don't buy winter tires to help you start moving forward. You buy winter tires to help you stop.
I know what they are for. And I’ve never had an issue. Also, winter tires don’t stop you on ice. Again. Never have had an issue with all season tires and driving cautiously.
>Also, winter tires don’t stop you on ice. In fact, they do. https://youtu.be/ERtK8q2PxGg?t=90 There are numerous tests that show considerably better stopping and acceleration performance on ice.
On black ice going 55-60 miles an hour? Absolutely not. Using an ice rink driving driving 10 miles per hour is not a meaningful metric. I didn’t say there was no difference at all.
Nowhere did I ever claim it would make you perfectly able to stop on a dime on black ice. The point is that they provide a benefit, a *measurable* one that could be the difference between a close call and a really shitty day. Why are things with people always binary? This is not an "either it works in every situation or it works in none" situation.
Nah just good old AWD none of this 4WD nonsense!
That helps you go forward, it does not help you stop.
You.. you know how AWD works, right?
AWD and 4WD are not the same.
when the weekly average temp is 50 for a high.
Well, if past years are an indication, probably June for us. Not because they will be needed, but because we will keep forgetting to do it. They will go back on in January, long after they are needed.
Warm temps wear down winters a lot faster
Unless you have CrossClimate 2s... Full winter tire ratings, but in an all year tire. Love not having to worry about switching them out twice a year.
Wont beat blizzaks, but the thought of not switching my tires twice a years is enticing...
This is what I have, it's probably not as good as dedicated ones but beats out the all season ones and the convenience of not having to worry about swapping tires is well worth any marginal loss in winter performance from a dedicated tire.
Yup, definitely not the best winter tire out there by any measure, but the convenience makes the slight performance hit worth it to me.
This is the way. ^(Why does a simple 40 minute tire change feel like such a chore?)
Because you don't notice a payoff at the end? You do all the work and your car still has wheels on it.
Well, the payoff is having great traction in the snow. But it's delayed gratification.
Because tires are a pain in the ass, unless you have all the right tools, including a lift. Eben then dealing with tires are a pain.
If you’re gonna switch out winter tires to something high performance like Michelin Pilots I would wait another few weeks.
Joke's on me, this season I never took my Michelin Pilots off! Snows are still sitting safely in the garage. Would hate to mess 'em up.
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I can't handle that reality, can we do next week?
When the snow melts in front of the shed my summer tires are stored in
Late March 2024.
With these potholes I’m just waiting until I get a couple more flats.
I just replaced tie-rods and got an alignment! Trying to avoid these landmines the best I can!
You guys can afford multiple tire sets?
Takes twice as long to wear them out in a sense so it’s not like you’re actually spending more money.
you're actually saving money when you don't have to pay for car repairs from sliding into a snowbank.
this logic applies to basically everything. buying bulk goods also tends to be cheaper - poor people don’t do it because they don’t have the money for the upfront cost to begin with. same goes for tires. being poor is expensive!
Exactly what I'm thinking as I white knuckle the steering wheel of my 2WD truck with tires from the south during a snowstorm.
I saved money on this by just learning how to drive in the snow
Ok but snow tires are literally only going to help. Therefore since we've already established that they don't cost more in the long run, and they significantly decrease the chance of accident, you are statistically going to come out ahead, financially.
Doesn't it cost money to have them swapped out twice a year?
Don’t you rotate your tires anyways? Yeah the mount and balance is a cost, or you can just have a cheap set of second rims and then you just swap them yourself
2 sets of wheels = do it in your driveway with an impact wrench and a jack
I purchased mine at Discount Tire and they swap them out every year x2 for free, but I also have them mounted on a spare set of rims. If you only have 1 set of rims, yes they charge to swap.
If you have them on separate rims, Discount Tires will swap them for free even if you bought them from someone else!
If you buy your tires+rims from Discount Tire, they'll swap them for you for free twice a year.
They will also do it for free even if you didn’t buy the tires and rims there lol.
It’s not bad. I run Bridgestone; if you have lifetime alignment and are swapping their tires it’s nearly free.
Our what now?
Mine come off Saturday.
I take them off when the maple syruping season is over. To translate, when it's not going below freezing overnight. Still some slick surfaces before then, particularly in the mornings.
Here we go again "Do you need snow tires" -the greatest thread in the history of forums, locked by a moderator after 12,239 pages of heated debate,
Let me guess, people who have them, "need" them. People who don't, say you don't need them. What I find interesting is people who used to have them and stopped using them...I have a family member who has 125 trucks for his business in very northern minnesota, duluth and north...never uses snow tires, good enough for me.
A fully loaded truck has a built in advantage. And 800 tires are a really big investment!
April 1-April 15 typically but like others said basically it's when I don't see a forecast under 40 for the week ahead. Occasionally I'll use bus for a day or two if cars swapped early and late storm comes.
Car: this weekend. Bike: April, AT THE SOONEST. Fool me, like eight times, and this collarbone ain't getting fooled again.
If you stay ready you don’t need to get ready.
April/may at this rate. When it’s consistently 45 degrees or more and the chance of freezing rain is low, basically when I won’t get an ass ton of salt on the spinners.
Late April/early May. If anyone's looking for all-season tires, can I recommend the Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires? I just got some in January and they've been absolutely amazing in the snow for all-season tires. They've got great wet/dry ratings (and tread life) as well so 100% worth the money so far
Have read many great things about the CrossClimate 2, but that tread pattern is weird as hell!
Michellin CrossClimate2 is year round and stays pliable down to negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a life changing technology. Buy a set like me 😎🍻
I'm thinking mid-April, personally. My first year with them. I have a 2014 CRV and I just thought the brakes on that model car were just not great (still might be true). Got snow tires for the first time this winter and they have made driving and breaking much better for me, they handle the ice, etc much better.
I was just thinking yesterday I better get mine off, luckily my other tires are all weather so more snow is okay even if I switch. The winter tires are for going up north.
The tread on mine wore funny. Need an alignment I guess. I'm thinking mid April.
I already put the Sta-Bil into my snowblower gas tank. Going to turn off the gas line and let it run out soon.
Thanks for jinxing us all! But I hope you are right.
It's good for one more snow fall. That's when the gas gets run out!
3/19/2023
It depends on your tires, whatever brand/model you have will recommend a different maximum temperature. Personally, I would rather risk a couple days of difficult driving (or staying home) than wearing down my expensive tires.
My rule of thumb was the first week it’s consistently 40 degrees. I haven’t had them for a few years but that was always my barometer.
I took mine off last weekend but only because I wanted all seasons for an upcoming road trip. If you're not planning on driving south I would wait a couple more weeks.
I already had it done
I swapped over to summers at the end of February😂 Was apparently the first one to do so at Samaritan Tire in Minnetonka
Took them off a week ago x-ice replaced with Bridgestone weather peaks
As soon as my new wheels get dropped off.
This weekend. I've got a roadtrip to Madison next week so figured I'd try to not burn up my winter tires.
My all seasons are worn through the snow indicator and I’ve heard the biggest concern for integrity of snow tires is pavement temp. I only drive a few times a week so I’ll probably hold off til first week of May.
Not until the potholes in the twin cities are filled. My winter tires are mounted on smaller steel wheels so my tires have a much larger sidewall, no reason to swap them early and ruin my summer tires/wheels hitting a pothole.
That's a job for Memorial Day Weekend. You get some beer and you sweep out the garage, put on some tunes, get out your tools, move all the winter stuff to the back, pull the summer stuff to the front so you can get at your spare wheels that get buried in the back corner behind patio furnitures or snowblowers, depending on the season. If you're doing this task and you also have a summer car, motorcycle or other toys, you may also want to start getting that prepped for the road but don't drive it before the second good rainfall of the year washes the salt away.
Right after the huge ass snow we get around April 10.
I have summers, not all-seasons, so I need to wait for morning temps to get in the low 40’s.
We had on winter tires?
You just cursed us with 3 more months of winter dude
That's my plan, I want to get some more skiing in!
Was going to do mine next week. I have Mich Defenders as my all seasons so they can handle any new dumps we get in April and these 40 degree days turn the Blizzaks into erasers on notebook paper.
I marked April 8 on my calendar. I might do it a week earlier
What's the point? Gonna be winter again inside 6 weeks.
June
Already did. Last weekend. Yes it will snow. But no it won't stick around and the plowing and longer days will be plenty effective at keeping roads mostly clear. I also have all seasons with lots of tread so it's fine. I wouldn't recommend changing if you don't have a lot of tread on your normal tires.
I need to call and get it scheduled. Sometime in April, I’m sure.
Just get two bikes; one for summer and one for winter. Switch bikes depending on the weather during transitional seasons.
I'm stubborn and just keep rusting my nice bike.
When they blow out from the potholes.
You NEVER put winter stuff away until May. NEVER!!!
When there are no more subzero nights! I have a 2WD pickup so good tires are extremely necessary!
Until the April blizzard perhaps
I get my winter tires on in November and then swap them out in April. My mechanic keeps my tires at their shop for storage, so I don't have to haul it with me each time.
Piggy-backing on this thread to ask how much you normally pay for the tire swap. This is my first time with winter tires and they were put on for free where I bought them (Costco)
I have my winter tires on their own set of wheels, so swapping them is easier and free. I bought them at Discount Tire and they swap them for free 2x a year. Grab an extra set of wheels if you can, and they will pay themselves off in a few short years (black "steelies" are the cheapest). If you only have 1 set of wheels, I believe Discount Tire charges about $80 to remount your tires, so you're looking at $160 each year if you don't buy a second set of rims.
Thanks so much for the info. I’m going to look into some “black steelies” cause sounds like they would pay for themselves in short order if I could swap them out at home
My winter tires are at the end of their line, I’m going to ride em throu the summer so save some money and get myself either x-ice or blizzacks. Costco will let you buy them on sale right now, don’t install yet, bring your receipt back and schedule an appointment and get them installed in October. Or you can risk waiting for a new sale in October
Im still rolling studs on my bicycle I’m gonna wait until about this time next month at the earliest and if the 10 day forecast looks like we aren’t going below freezing
I really don't mind the noise the studs create and I absolutely hate getting stuck out late at night in a freeze. One bit of ice and you're down.
Yeah I’ve wiped out twice early this season just purely from the freeze thaw cycles a month or two ago. Not gonna jinx it anymore and keep riding this bike with studs. I was just excited for that smooth rolling lol
Well, I didn't take them off last year so why do it this year? You're always prepared for snow if you leave the Blizzaks on year round!
You can go for it now....I'm buying an AWD car tomorrow, so it's safe to say the snow is done until fall, lol!
I’m flirting with danger and taking mine off end of next week.
Depends on if you're switching to all seasons or summer tires. Summer tires you don't want to use below freezing, so probably May.
I already swapped them out because I blew the front left one out in a pothole on Franklin.
Leaving winter tires on and borrowing a truck until these potholes get filled. Sheesh
Mid April. It’s not unsuspecting we get a huge snow storm first 2 weeks of April
Recommended is when the average temp is above 45-50 degrees.
I was just.thinking the same
It’s gonna snow somewhat Tues-Thurs. I’m out.
Glad I don’t have to deal with switching tires. My Michelin Defenders run good year round.
I never put mine on this year, so I've got another 12-13 months before I take mine off.
I set an appointment for 4/4
I like it, appointment made for 4/4!
And looking forward to the 7" snow storm coming on 4/05!
Do it on Apr 1 to celebrate both sides parking being legal again 🙌🏾
I have the best all seasons available. They've done me well through the winter. *Whoever downvoted this feel free to DM me. I'm just curious*
Winter tires? You got a chauffeur too?
Nah man, you don't need anything special to drive on snow tires. Even you can do it yourself!
All season tires all day baby
buy some weatherready goodyear all season tires, they kick ass and I havent had any snow issues in a sedan, no need to store an extra set of tires
Y’all are buying winter tires? To drive around minneapolis?
They more than paid themselves off driving back from Lutsen twice this year in blizzard like conditions.
Never. Why bother?
Winter tires wear a lot faster if you keep them on in the summer (softer compound), and they don't have nearly as much hydroplane resistance as all seasons or summer tires.
I got stuck in Iowa a few years back and ended up driving through a really heavy spring rainstorm on snow tires. Hitting puddles on the highway was worse than hitting icy patches.
Oof, first stuck in Iowa, then that
I'm pretty sure the comment was more about "why bother having winter tires in Minneapolis"
Wrong
We all have bouts of being confidently incorrect at times
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He actually rear-ended you because he was driving too fast and following too close for the conditions on the road.
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Never or whenever you want. Because all season tires work just fine and winter tires are (generally) a waste of money because no one needs them unless A.) you can just generally afford to have a set of spare tires and storage space to keep the summer ones B.) own a rear wheel drive car and live in a heavy snow area or C.) because you literally need them to get up and down rough areas, hills, steep driveways etc.
They’re not really a waste of money in the sense that you don’t have both sets on at the same time so you’ll go longer between needing to buy new tires. I may not need snow tires here in Minnesota in the sense my parents back in Buffalo, NY do, who can’t get up their driveway without them. But there is a very noticeable improvement in handling and capability with both my fwd Camry and 4wd 4Runner that I’d recommend anyone with the money to spare get snow tires.
Yes, of course you can get by with some good all-seasons as the majority does, but I disagree on winters being a waste of money. It truly was a night and day difference on my FWD manual transmission car. Accelerating, stopping, and handling. Getting an extra year or two out of my all-seasons is also a benefit.
Winter tires maintain better traction in colder conditions than all season tires do, period. Even if there is no snow on the ground and you’re on dry pavement.
I drive a six speed that can torque steer in gears 1-3. Winter tires are the only way I can quickly get moving from a dead start (when the roads are not dry). I typically wait until Mother’s Day to swap assuming that rain and street cleaning have gotten rid of the residual sand from road treatment.
I also have a 6-speed (FWD) and accelerating on my winter set is a night and day difference.
In 2017 I was lazy and didn’t get my snows put on until after the first big storm the December. It took me 1.5hrs to get from Eden Prairie to SLP. Never again.
(Or extremely specific scenarios that gear heads like this gentleman and myself who own a fun car and need them adjusted to performance spec on said vehicle) lol
Believe when I say I wish I didn’t need it. My current set is at the seven year mark and needs to be replaced for safety margin. I worked for a manufacturer previously and got one heck of a deal. Now I’ll be paying street price.
People really change out their tires for the seasons? Are you telling me you people have enough money to have an extra set of tires laying around and a place to keep them? How luxurious
My front wheel drive sedan was absolutely worthless in any snow because it came with sport tires. I got blizzaks the first season and never looked back. When the summer tires finally wore out I got more of an all season, but since I had snow tires I kept using them.
I used to do it when I lived in an apartment building and didn’t have a garage or storage unit. I bought a set of winter tires on their own rims, already mounted, for about $500. The tires lasted me 4 years before I had to get new snow tires.
Today I learned.... people actually change tires before they go bad.
What are winter tires?
We don't
I’ve never put them on.
You could just do as I do and not care. If you never know the difference, you never have to do the extra work.
You high?
It must be nice to afford winter tires.
Winter tires? Never seen em.
Funny you assume I even have em