Re: tires for Oregon

[Cookies@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 2/12/99 9:00:27 AM Pacific Standard Time, owner-bmw-
digest@domain.elided writes:

<< Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 22:48:12 -0500 (EST)
 From: Mark Cory Davis <mdavis@domain.elided>
 Subject: <E30, M42, '91> Recommended tires for Oregon?
 
 Just moved from Michigan to Oregon.  Looking for a set of 14" or 15" tires
 that are excellent on the road in the dry and wet.  
 
 Already considering: AVSi's, P4000, and P6000.  Suggestions?
 Recommendations?  What did I miss?
 
 I have a brand new set of Blizzak's on the factory steel 195/65R14's at
 the moment. I'm still deciding if I should keep them for the winters and
 get a set of 15" alloys for the summers.  Suggestions?  Thanks, Mark
  >>

~~~~ It depends on where you are in Oregon. West or East. Snow area or no.
Freezing rain (black ice) in winter area? I was in Corvallis (south of Salem).
I had Continetal CH95's (from Tire Rack) for all season use, and a set of
"full patterned stud" radials from Les Schwabb Tire stores (all over Oregon)
for the dead of winter when the snow came. I had a 5 ton roll-around floor
jack for "when the snows came". All season tires SUCK when Oregon gets the
"snow/then sun melting/then freezing on pavement during evening/which means
BLACK ICE". This seriously sucks. Know how in Michigan it would just snow ,
stay around, or just suddenly melt away? Oregon is different in areas. It
SUCKS. I was traveling along one highway at 9:00 AM to Salem, road was dry,
suddenly there was water across the highway. Not just NORMAL water, but FROZEN
black ice water. Instant sideways 300SL! Not pretty! 

If the weather MAY have snow, I would just include a set of CABLE chains for
my Conti tires. I do not recommend soft rubber performance tires in Oregon,
they just get chewed up by the condition of the roads. BTW, the BMW dealer in
Salem is nice, I HATE the BMW dealer in Portland (Just my opinion). Dont'
spend a lot on a set of tires for Oregons roads. The CH95's encompass all the
qualities you want (short of being a killer performance tire), and offer low
cost with excellent "sport/touring" characteristics.

Randy
cookies@domain.elided
BMW CCA member
prev. Corvallis, now San Diego (no snow/what's snow?)

------------------------------