skid 1 Posted December 3, 2004 I am looking at getting myself a set of winter or wet type tyres to fit to my MK1 golf for winter running. Anybody recommend a decent tyre for me? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted December 3, 2004 Sorry, had to laugh - skid, looking for tyre advice! :lol: Probably best to look at the OE ones VW supply altho not cheap... Continental Sportcontacts Uniroyal Rainsports Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VR6 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Get in before Kev .... Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 ;) I hear they wear out quite quickly though. Not a problem for Skid though as he does about 8 miles a year. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted December 3, 2004 Not a problem for Skid though as he does about 8 miles a year. And 3 of those are in reverse so Roddy says! :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil VR6 0 Posted December 3, 2004 I've got Toyo Proxes and they're good. Cheap too! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted December 3, 2004 I've got Toyo Proxes and they're good. Cheap too! :shock: If your talking about the T1S's I'd never recommend them for Wet tryes, there awful... Not tried the T1R's but would imagine there not much better! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVR6 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Bridgestone Potenza Re720's. Good all round tyre. (no pun intended) :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skid 1 Posted December 3, 2004 I've got Toyo Proxes and they're good. Cheap too! Hehehehe i ve got them on the raddo but they are rubbish in the wet. :lol: And i do more than 8 miles a year........maybe 12 if i am not on crutches. :oops: :-P :-P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted December 3, 2004 Have a look on http://www.tyretest.com Unfortunately you will find skinny tyres with boring tread patterns are superior in the snow compared to all season and performance tyres. I was on Bridgestone RE720s last winter and they were surprisingly capable, given they are a summer tyre. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Are you actually talking about "winter" tyres, or just "wet" tyres. There's a big difference. Lots of places in northern europe it's normal for people to have a complete set of spare wheels, usually a bit narrower, fitted with proper winter tyres. None of the examples above are winter tyres, just summer tyres known to be ok in the wet. They will all be crap in the snow, though! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted December 3, 2004 Well I took his query as meaning "Snow" tyres :wink: And yes they are completely different as you say. They usually just look like Fiesta popular plus tyres.....I can feel that old Stilletto heel and Elephant foot analogy coming on again :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Sorry, my question was directed at the original poster, skid... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Sorry, had to laugh - skid, looking for tyre advice! :lol: Probably best to look at the OE ones VW supply altho not cheap... Continental Sportcontacts Uniroyal Rainsports Do NOT buy Uniroyal rainsports... have two left on my FTO and cannot wait to get rid of them.... awful tyres. Goodyear F1 GS-D3's are superb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil VR6 0 Posted December 3, 2004 If you think that the Toyo's are bad in the wet perhaps you should have a look at how you brake and accelerate and modulate that rather than blaming the tyre? I've tried all sort of tyres and they fare very well. I just looked at that Tyretest web site and the Proxes come out very well? Besides, they are all personal testimonials on different cars so the testing is hardly fair and equitable? :oops: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Had Toyo Proxes T1's before and werent impressed.... wet weather driving is poor and they are pig ugly tyres IMAHO :oops: :oops: Personally I'm with Kev's old choice of either Bridgestone Potenzas or Eagle F1's... Apparently the Vredstein Sportrac2's are supposed to very good and won alot of reviews recently... £65 per tyre too. Falken FK-451's have also been advised are extremely good value for money... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil VR6 0 Posted December 3, 2004 My Proxes in 15 inch 195/50 were £32 a corner delivered, can't complain! :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Prices am quoting are for 205 / 50 / 16 inch rim Y rated.... :wink: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted December 3, 2004 Apparently the Vredstein Sportrac2's are supposed to very good and won alot of reviews recently... £65 per tyre too... Vredesteins - very good and popular in Europe, but hardly anyone uses them over here, or knows about them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted December 3, 2004 They were my first choice - the reason nobody uses them is because very few places actually stock them!!! Its a shame really as the Vredstein Sportrac2 is a superb performing tyre and extemely sexy looking :lol: They even colour the outside wall of the tyre to give that gloss black shine :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skid 1 Posted December 3, 2004 The toyos are very good in the dry but myself and other people who use them all agree that they are poop in the wet. To be realistic its more wet weather tyres that i am looking for to fit onto my 15" G60 rims(that are on the mk1). If i was interested in real snow tyres i would try and get a set to fit the narrower and smaller standard GTI rim(175x13 :shock: ). But as i stay city central i am hoping that i wont need proper snow tyres :roll: And as i am not going snowboarding this year they will hardly be used. So its decent wet weather tyres i am looking for. Strange to hear people disliking the Uniroyal rainsports as other people recommended them. Think i would rather take Joe publics opinion on a tyre than the mags write ups Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted December 3, 2004 The Rainsports are actually very good, perhaps Scott just had a bad experience with them :wink: For Wet grip then, look no further than the F1 GSD3. Of all the tyres I've tried (loads!), nothing beats it. The RE720s come very close though and are superior in the dry - to the F1. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Honestly mate you really dont want the Uniroyals - utter shite!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chubbybrown 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Apparently the Vredstein Sportrac2's are supposed to very good and won alot of reviews recently... £65 per tyre too... Vredesteins - very good and popular in Europe, but hardly anyone uses them over here, or knows about them. They are good tyres for the slushy stuff another Brand I would highly recommend and dont all laugh please is : Gislaved frost tyres I had them on a sunny and never let me down if your Golf GTI is on its normal rims and tyres they should be quite cheap too So Gislaved snows or mud n frost both do very well,its somthing to do with the compound still being able to flex at low temps or summit They also have room for studs if your out on the hill m8 :wink: they are made in Scandinavia obviously tested there too :reindeer: :thumb right: :thumbleft: :x-mas: They have a wholesaler here,so theres bound to be one in Aberdeen 8) http://www.viking.co.uk/gislaved.asp Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dub16 0 Posted December 3, 2004 I have toyo snow proxes 950 on the car (195/50 R15) which are a good tyre in the wet and work especially well with the cold winters up here Skid (frost and snow are a treat) This will be my second year of running them and have been impressed. Normally use T1s's but gonna change to the R's for next year Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted December 3, 2004 another Brand I would highly recommend and dont all laugh please is : Gislaved frost tyres I'm not laughing. I know I tend to stick to my tried and tested brands but on my RHs I ended up with Kumhos of all things due to a cock up with my tyre order. They ordered Toyo T1-Ss instead of Rs and I didn't want the Ss. £300 all in for a set of 215x40x17 Kumho Ecsta Supras fitted and balanced - from a tyre fitter. Closer to £240 online but I couldn't be arsed with online ordering this time round.... Anyway....I am impressed by them. Not quite F1 levels of grip, but for a budget tyre they're pretty darn good. Kumho Ecsta are a big player everywhere except the UK (as per usual - we're always last to get with the program) and I shan't be sniffing at them anymore :wink: At the end of the day, any rubber that keeps our Cs out of ditches are good in my book. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
