Studded tires or Velcro - which is better?
The logical question of a novice motorist when choosing winter tires, to which he will not hear a clear answer from "experienced" drivers. So, what to choose : studded winter tires or Velcro - find out in this article and make your choice.
What is Velcro
This type of tire is highly soft. When gripping with a flat asphalt surface, a kind of vacuum is created between the roadway and the court with complete displacement of moisture, which causes the effect of sticking (hence the name - "Velcro"). As a result, the car acquires stability, both when moving in a straight line and when cornering. Significantly reduced braking distance. But, all of the listed positive qualities stop working when: covered with ice.
To this it should be added that the Velcro rubber loses its softness properties in proportion to the temperature value on the street. It works ideally down to -10 C degrees and becomes useless at -30, for example, in northern latitudes.
Conclusion is a good option for the southern and middle latitudes of the country. Guaranteed to provide comfort due to its softness and low noise emission. After 3-4 years, a replacement will be required. Over time, the rubber ceases to be elastic.
Studded tires
It should be immediately warned that the studs installed on winter tires work exclusively for starting, catching on ice or slippery road surfaces. In some European countries, such rubber is prohibited for use for the following reasons, which must be taken into account by domestic motorists: The way out of the situation is considered to be “floating” spikes, which, as it were, “hide” when braking, but this does not solve the problem in a cardinal way.
The advantage is a long service life and the ability to install new products to replace worn or flying out studs.
Now the car owner only has to weigh all the above arguments, take into account the weather conditions at his place of residence and the specifics of operating the car in winter, in order to make the best choice for himself.