tire discussion

[Sargent Schutt <sargent@novagate.com>]

My notes on All-Season tires (recent research/purchase

Why:

I live in San Diego, but love to ski. Snow is always 2-6 hours away,
though. Snows don't make sense for me (though they are VERY worthwhile
for northerners BTDT). Also, The Tire Rack provides pretty good tire
comparisons on-line at tirerack.com.

Top Choices in V/Z rated:
-------------
Pirelli P7000 Supersport A/S
I bought these. They are *great* in the rain, the compound is suitable
for snow and the dry handling is good with the exception that they are
NOT very crisp on turn-in (downright unsettling in the rear when braking
hard from high-speeds) Not as wide a treadblock as you'd expect in a
225. Edges are a little rounded. I would not want them on a track.
Otherwise they are excellent (noise, comfort, all-around compromise
weatherwise)

Dunlop SP 4000 A/S
Wider tread blocks makes them a little better tread design for snow,
though the Pirellis seem to have a better tread compound for all
seasons. The Dunlops seem to be making up in tread design what they lose
in compound. The Dunlop is a size wider than the Pirelli, though the
size numbers indicate they are identical.

Michelin Pilot XGTZ4
Too much money. This category is a compromise, and is therefore not
worth investing this much in, given the relatively short life Michelin's
compounds tend to give.

My .02. HTH

Sarge