just watched a merc drive to waitrose on chains, bit different for cheltenham. Mind you having seen the way some cars were going down the same hill quite sensible for the conditions.

Snow Tyres are where it is :

My snow chains ROCK and mean i have had only one day where I could not negotiate 8 miles of highland single track road, un ploughed and un gritted (bar by my fair hand) so far this winter. It has been better in some ways than the locals usual vehicle of choice (Landy 110)

They’re the future I tell thee. I’ve got a common or garden 206 which is crap on snow and ice but I can get that puppy anywhere with the chains on. When the roads start to get cleared it means you can avoid the knob heads driving at 15mph on gritted main roads and go on the back roads which are still covered in snow and ice. Everybody sticks to the cleared roads so you’ve got a clear run.

I’ve worked in the alps for a number of winter seasons so i’m pretty well practised at getting them on and off, takes me about three minutes plus an extra few moments to re-tighten them once i’ve driven a couple of hundred yards and they’ve settled in to the tread of the tyre. I keep mine out of the box and ready to sling on in the boot through the winter (good to keep them untangled too – getting them untangled is a bitch, especially with cold hands in the dark).

I’d also recommend keeping a headtorch, some waterproof trousers and jacket, a cardboard box to kneel on and gardening gloves in the boot. The cardboard box doubles as an overnight windscreen protector to stop it getting frosted up when it’s chilly.

Do it

I have the michelin easy grips and some autosocks, both work fine but the socks are much much easier on and off, literally a minute or two. Fantastic.

Land Rover 110 with LSDs and chains here.
No matter how polished the ice, they just dig in and grip.
They work brilliantly in mud too. Because the chains move slightly on the tyres they don’t clog up. They do chuck some divots out though. 😀

Winter tyres – the way forward (and backwards), long debate about the ins and outs on winterhighland.info forum. Chains – dont get them from a certain national orange logo’d auto-come-bike supplier as the just fall to bits at the drop of a flake. First pair fell apart in a blizard half way between Stanhope and Eggleston in the N.Pennines. Second pair fell apart on the tow road to Weardale ski club. Only know of 4 other people who’ve had them but all have fallen apart on 2nd or 3rd use.

Roofbox co has quite a good selection, might be like hens teeth at the moment though.

Snow socks are supposed to be very impressive. I know a few people who have used them. Much easier to use than chains. Depends on how far you want to go and play in the snow

Just upgraded my solution – more screws added.

Xxoxin’ heck, you’ll need Kevlar kecks before hanging yer dangles over those tyres on a steep drop! 😯

I have a set of Weissenfels snow chains – totally excellent. Its like driving a car on summer roads, very hard to spin the wheels and braking is great.

To each his own but in the great winter tyre debate I’ll stick to snow chains – if its that bad winter tyres will still need chains

I should point out I live in Mid Wales and expect to drive everywhere in the country

TS

I have some snow chains which I got for the T4 when in French mountains. The T4 has 195 R15 tyres I think. Will the chains fit on a landy 165 R16? or will they be too baggy?