tire question

[fahrvegnugen at cox.net (David Utley)]

> 
> From: Dan Smith <sad_rocc@yahoo.com>
> Date: 2005/04/28 Thu PM 04:08:23 EDT
> To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> Subject: tire question
> 
> It's time for me to mount some rubber on my fancy new rims but I need some opinions on 2 different tires. I get lost in the sea of categories and numbers and whatnot.
>  
> Driving Style: I don't race ever, just stick to roads but I do enjoy doing the occasional canyon run and ripping through the twisties. Summer season here is May to about end of Sept and I'll probably put about 15k mi on them or so. Hardly ever any rain, so wet traction isn't a real big issue. Not ever going to see snow. Noise isn't an issue, the main thing I'm looking for is a good mix between grip and treadlife but I also need a tire with strong sidewalls as I'm going with a 40 profile.
>  
> Here's the 2 I'm inbetween:
> BF Goodrich G-Force Sport- Ultra High Performance Summer 205/40ZR16 340 treadwear
> These are new and so haven't had any ratings on tirerack but they tested extremely well and all the reviews have been very favorable. Nice tread pattern as well. $67 each
>  
> Yokohama AvidH4S- High Performance All Season 205/40HR16 500 treadwear
> I don't need an all-season tire and because of this and their super high treadlife I'm not sure what kind of grip they will have. The main reason I'm considering them is because they scored mid 8s or better in all the categories (8.8 for dry traction!) and have pretty favorable reviews. Plus, these will probably dry rot before they go bald. $70 each
>  
> Thanks,
> Dan

I had a set of Avid H4s, and I really liked them.  I can't tell you how different these might be in comparison to what I had, but I really enjoyed mine, especially when it was cold.  They were really sticky when cold, it was hard to get them to squeal.  I had never experienced that.  They are pretty good in summer weather, but nothing in comparison to the cold.  If I were to use these, I would be more likely to use them in colder temps...  BTW, I was using the size 185-60-14, and the handling was quite predictable...

HTH

David

'83 GTI, Daily Driver...
'87 16V, parts car
'82 pickup, 2.0 16V, collecting dust...