This was a bit sudden, I was planning on doing it next weekend, but I saw snow forcast and didn’t want to risk having to use my thrashed summer tires on snow.
This was the last season that I could use those summer tires, the tread was almost used up and there was some dry cracking of the rubber, so I am ordering new Pirelli’s for the next season.
We spent a few years in Ottawa, experiencing a winter that 8 years in Calgary did NOT prepare me for. We learned the value of seasonal tire swaps and we are so pleased that tire shops will store your spares for you. Since we aren’t handy mechanically and we also prefer to let the professionals do the work properly, this really works out well for us.
Yes, it’s more expensive than storing and swapping our own tires, but we can always budget for regular maintenance and preventative safety work by pros. I don’t do an appreciable part of the driving, now, and I value the things in the car when it’s moving more than I value spare cash in the bank. A+++, would buy again, every time.
Yes, we live in the V3, no longer in the Ts or Ks, and we’re pleased and proud we can still avoid the hassle and risk.