GOLFMK8
GOLFMK7
GOLFMK6
GOLFMKV

Denver

mdpawlowski

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Colorado Springs
I’m in Colorado Springs and work at a performance shop, PCS Motorsports.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Gogo GTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Boulder, CO
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
So as a California transplant to Boulder, CO I'm learning that I have to get a winter wheel set up. I've read a bunch of threads on the topic and I just wanted to run this by you locals.



I decided to get 17 x 7.5 wheels for the comfort and sidewall protection against potholes. Found a set of cheap wheels on Tire Rack. They're called Sport Edition A16 for $137 ea. They have an offset of 35mm which should make them more flush than stock wheels-- correct? I hope they don't stick too far out on the front though.


For the tires, Tire Rack recommends Blizzak WS80 at 225/45. I hear narrower is better so is 225 ok? Everyone raves about Blizzaks, just wondering if it's overkill for Boulder snow. From what I understand, the snow and ice doesn't get too bad out here. How do the Blizzaks handle on dry roads?


Anyway thanks for any advice!
 

Attachments

  • Wheels.jpg
    Wheels.jpg
    47.7 KB · Views: 214

mdpawlowski

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Colorado Springs
So as a California transplant to Boulder, CO I'm learning that I have to get a winter wheel set up. I've read a bunch of threads on the topic and I just wanted to run this by you locals.



I decided to get 17 x 7.5 wheels for the comfort and sidewall protection against potholes. Found a set of cheap wheels on Tire Rack. They're called Sport Edition A16 for $137 ea. They have an offset of 35mm which should make them more flush than stock wheels-- correct? I hope they don't stick too far out on the front though.


For the tires, Tire Rack recommends Blizzak WS80 at 225/45. I hear narrower is better so is 225 ok? Everyone raves about Blizzaks, just wondering if it's overkill for Boulder snow. From what I understand, the snow and ice doesn't get too bad out here. How do the Blizzaks handle on dry roads?


Anyway thanks for any advice!



Im the type of guy that’d put steel wheels on and ship it. God forbid, you slide into a curb or something stupid and you’re spending $50-$75/ wheel... As far as tires go, I’ve used General Altimax Arctic tires in WI and CO winters, and again, IMO, I’d prefer those over any Blizzak tire. Better traction and longevity. I was a poor college kid at one point in my life and had to rock those tires for two years straight and still had lots of tread..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

SendyMk7

New member
Location
Denver, CO
So as a California transplant to Boulder, CO I'm learning that I have to get a winter wheel set up. I've read a bunch of threads on the topic and I just wanted to run this by you locals.



I decided to get 17 x 7.5 wheels for the comfort and sidewall protection against potholes. Found a set of cheap wheels on Tire Rack. They're called Sport Edition A16 for $137 ea. They have an offset of 35mm which should make them more flush than stock wheels-- correct? I hope they don't stick too far out on the front though.


For the tires, Tire Rack recommends Blizzak WS80 at 225/45. I hear narrower is better so is 225 ok? Everyone raves about Blizzaks, just wondering if it's overkill for Boulder snow. From what I understand, the snow and ice doesn't get too bad out here. How do the Blizzaks handle on dry roads?


Anyway thanks for any advice!



Blizzaks are great tires in the snow and that size is fine, but they wear insanely fast in the dry. Winters seem to be getting warmer and warmer around here, so I might think about getting a less aggressive snow tire like the Michelin X-Ice unless you plan on going to the mountains often.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

AERO

Go Kart Newbie
Location
SE of Denver
I have a set of Blizzak tires on my old mk6 GTI wheels. They are excellent snow tires and I have found them to last a long time. In fact, I've had them since 2010 and have run them for 4 or 5 months every year since 2010 and they still have a ton of thread on them.

As far as driving them in the dry.... they suck. They are snow tires and they are meant for the snow. I just drive like a grandma with them and it's all good. One thing to note however is that they have a very low speed rating. I cant remember exactly, but its like 89mph. So you probably don't want to go bombing down I70 at 110mph with them on. The treads are very very soft. You can grab a chunk of tread with your fingers and wiggle it around. In the snow, they are excellent tires. I've been very impressed.
 
Last edited:

goes2fast

New member
Location
Aurora, Colorado
I had a set of Blizzaks on my TDI that lasted 3 winters, and did very well, only time I had a problem was when the snow was so deep that I high centered.
 

goes2fast

New member
Location
Aurora, Colorado
Anyone in denver have vag com access willing to help clear air bag errors?
I have vag com, but I need someone to teach me how to use it, I'm old, and easily confused. :rolleyes:
 

goes2fast

New member
Location
Aurora, Colorado
What do you all think about the Pirellii Sottozeros? I've seen some online reviews and they seem to be pretty popular.
My wife's Jetta has Pirelli all seasons, and they have done very well in the snow for us.
 

goes2fast

New member
Location
Aurora, Colorado
Hey all! Just got my 2018 GTI S 6MT about 4 weeks ago and can't get enough of it. I'm up in northern Colorado and new to the community so what should I know? Any groups/clubs/meetups?
There is a group that meets in Denver on Wednesdays called Euro Society. They are on FB.
 

goes2fast

New member
Location
Aurora, Colorado
What do you all think about the Pirellii Sottozeros? I've seen some online reviews and they seem to be pretty popular.
I just bought a set, they were rated better than Blizzaks, and have a higher speed rating so I'm hoping for a good experience. I bought a set of 18 inch wheels for my winter tires so I would have more sidewall for hidden pot holes. I am going to put them on my R in the next couple of days, and will post pics when I get a chance.
 

bicycle019

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Denver, CO
Hi guys figured I'd post this here for locals...have a brand new set of VW Racingline springs new in box, never used. Going to use something else. Paid $285 from ECS, will let go for $225 which is $10 cheaper than they sell for right now. Located in Denver Highlands, can meet around there or Louisville area during the work week.

BTW regarding snow tires I used Michelin Xice XI3 the past three seasons, worked really well. Switched to the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 for this season and so far they are much better in the dry than the XI3. I'm coming off Michelin PSS as summer tires so I have high expectations for dry traction and the PA4's are really good for a snow, I feel like I can still go hard around corners. Expecting to step back a bit in deep snow with the PA4's, but we haven't had enough of that yet to really tell.

We have Blizzak WS80 in the wife's Alltrack, those are much better than previous Blizzak's in the dry, but still feel just a half step back from the XI3. The WS80's are really good in deep snow though, that's what why we use her car for mountain driving during ski season. XI3's in deep snow were very good, but again just a half step back from the WS80's. Hope this helps some people out.
 
Top