Apparently I jumped the gun on winter tires.

"Master Cylinder" (mastercylinder28)
12/14/2015 at 09:24 • Filed to: Weird weather, Christmas in july, It's beginning to look at lot like April, Snow tires suck in the rain

Christmas is next week and it’s in the mid-fifties in Detroit. I’m kind of regretting swapping to my Blizzaks so soon. Of course, last year I decided to wait until the snow started falling and I got screwed, so at least I’m prepared now if winter ever actually comes.

DISCUSSION (30)

Coty > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:27

Still driving my ST on summer’s here in central New Hampshire.

Justin Hughes > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:28

My fault, too. I’ve got snow tires on my BRZ, a Jeep, and my bike’s put away for the winter that we are now not going to get.

McMike > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:30

Kinja'd!!!

LOL, that’s the source image I used for my off-season Secret Senna image.

Kinja'd!!!

spanfucker retire bitch > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:35

I swapped to my snows the week before Thanksgiving just like last year. Except last year I timed it perfectly to the first major snowfall.

This year I just hear the literal wailing my tires do everytime I’m driving on dry pavement.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:35

It’s getting up near 60 in Boston by tomorrow. This gives me more time to figure out the winter tire situation for the BMW, right now it has OEM Michelins on it.

Master Cylinder > Justin Hughes
12/14/2015 at 09:41

I know, I feel partly responsible for this weather. I actually got my motorcycle out for a ride over the weekend, it was like 65 degrees here in Michigan.

It’s kind of nice to be able to ride in December without freezing my ass off, but I’m missing the snow. It’s time for skiing and ice climbing and unplowed parking lot donuts.

Master Cylinder > spanfucker retire bitch
12/14/2015 at 09:45

This is their last season so it’s probably partly due to age and wear, but my snow tires are kind of sketchy when it’s wet and not cold, so I have had to take it easy while driving lately.

At least I can enjoy the plusher ride of tall-sidewall, skinny tires, I guess.

450X_FTW > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:48

If it was just a little bit dryer out yesterday I would have taken my bike out for a ride too (up in Clarkston). Few too many puddles on the road for me

Master Cylinder > Aaron M - MasoFiST
12/14/2015 at 09:48

I wonder how much extra road salt and snow-clearing equipment Boston has stockpiled after the dumping you guys got last year. The difference between last winter and this winter (so far at least) is incredible.

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:50

I have the same problem. After driving through two awful winters on all seasons, I put snow tires and steelies on my Focus just after Thanksgiving and I wonder if I’m ever going to need them. I’m tempted to swap the all seasons back on so I don’t prematurely wear the snow tires out, but with my luck it will snow two feet next week. Next year I’ll probably wait until Christmas to put them on.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:50

I’m in Metro Detroit and it was weird as all hell getting the snowblower out and started this weekend in a t-shirt and 60+ degrees outside.

Fired right up though. I heard there might be a touch of snow on Friday. It’s coming...

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:51

Yeah, I’m in the same situation in Chicago right now. It’s ridiculous!

Master Cylinder > 450X_FTW
12/14/2015 at 09:51

Yeah, I got out for only about a half hour on Saturday and was hoping to take a longer ride on Sunday, but with the crappy on-and-off drizzle all day I decided to just stay in. People aren’t looking for bikes on the road in December so I figured it’d probably be better not to go play on wet pavement with all the holiday drivers out and about.

Justin Hughes > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:52

I’m in the middle of moving. Having moved in snowstorms before, I’m loving this weather. If I wasn’t in the middle of moving, I would’ve been out on my bike myself this past weekend, put away for winter or not.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:53

It is, but last winter we had essentially zero snow until February. It’s still a lot warmer this year, but I’m cautious (bordering on paranoid) about what’s going to happen late in the season after last year.

DasWauto > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:54

I’ve still got the summer wheels and tires on and I’m in Southern Ontario. I’ll probably swap them around Christmas based on the forecast. That said, I don’t really rely on my car to get to work so it’s no problem if the car’s stuck.

Master Cylinder > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
12/14/2015 at 09:54

Yeah, I put the lawnmower away before we got that one snowstorm in November, but if this 50s and rainy nonsense keeps up, I might have to get it back out!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 09:56

Haha, I flew to SC the day of that snow storm, by the time I was back all the snow was gone. So I just got a chance to put away the lawn mowers and bust out the snow blower. normally I would have done it the weekend of that snow storm.

We’ve got friends and family out near brighton that got 18 inches in that storm....then 60’s haha.

CalzoneGolem > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 10:07

I am also ready for a winter that hasn’t yet started. Last year we got snow after Thanksgiving and didn’t lose it until spring.

AkursedX > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 10:45

I’ve had snows on my STi since mid-November and we have not even had a trace of snow here in Buffalo, NY (Crazy!). I will probably pull my RX8 out of the garage and drive it today since it’s supposed to be almost 70*.

deekster_caddy > Aaron M - MasoFiST
12/14/2015 at 10:48

If you are north of Boston and looking for someone to do the winter tire swap for you who cares about details (not scratching up rims or stripping bolts) shoot me a message. Email my username here at yahoo. Tirerack will ship directly to my house for you so you don’t have to lug the new tires around (but I’ll send you home with the old ones)

deekster_caddy > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 10:49

Probably no more than usual. Last year was an anomaly due to it all falling in a short timespan. We usually get a lot of snow, but spread out over a few months instead of all in one month. The extra money was spent in overtime for the plow trucks and heavy equipment.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > deekster_caddy
12/14/2015 at 10:56

I generally get all my tire work done at Fastrack in Peabody; they also order Continentals direct so I save a little money over Tire Rack.

Milky > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 11:08

Another Detroiter here, I keep saying I’ll by winters every week and I keep having “extra” money in my pocket. Not mad, but damn do I want to drift.

At least its 50’s and no snow. High 30’s and no snow would kill my vibe.

David E. Davis > McMike
12/14/2015 at 11:11

Is that the Stig’s Fat gift giving cousin?

deekster_caddy > Aaron M - MasoFiST
12/14/2015 at 11:30

As long as you trust them not to hammer your wheel bolts in and strip the hubs! just giving an Oppo option. I’m pretty close to there and have my own tire machines at home, been mounting and balancing tires for many years and work with care.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > deekster_caddy
12/14/2015 at 11:31

I do appreciate the offer. I’ve had only good experiences with Fastrack, their attention to detail in the past has impressed me.

fourvalleys > Master Cylinder
12/14/2015 at 11:36

Same here. It’s looking like a rainy Christmas could be in the forecast, too. Wonderful.

I actually swapped back to my summer setup last week. They say all-seasons, riiiiiight. Anyway, I figured with it getting into the 60s, I didn’t want to waste money chewing up decent snow tires. Once there’s snow back in the forecast (or at least cold weather) it will be back to the steelies. It only takes a few minutes to swap, no big deal.

As an aside, I heard this on the local news last night: “... the cold and rainy weather continued throughout the day today.” It was in the 60s all day. In December. In the Midwest. Who wrote that?!

Two Drink Minimum > DasWauto
12/14/2015 at 13:39

Same deal here, in northern Vermont. Snow tires are still in the basement and there’s nothing in the forecast that’s going to prompt me to haul ‘em up until the week of Christmas at the very earliest. Crazy, especially after last year.

DasWauto > Two Drink Minimum
12/14/2015 at 16:11

We had ~8” of snow fall here 3 weeks ago but that only stuck around a week when the temperature was back to 10°C. I just left the car at home and took one of the trucks that week. We’re still around that temperature but it is expected to be closer to freezing for the next two weeks. Christmas is forecasted to bring us a boatload of rain but I’m hoping it’ll drop 5°C by then and bring me some good snow so that I have a use for my new skis.