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GREECE (ATHENS) - NORWAY (TROMSO +71)

chris lc90

Active Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
88
i ve already planned this big journey and it will start in 3 days..from athens to italy austria germany denmark-norway finland sweden and back..
i want to see aurora borealis..u know the green lights to the sky..so iam going to stop at the most northern point of the europian land closing to north pole (but for this u need a vessel)
i have already collect some info from some friends of mine but your help and your tips i believe will help more..
now iam writing from new york but my car is in st/by mode so when i return i switch on engine immidiately.
i am going to use normal tyres 50-50 michelin syncrone for all these highways...now i am wearing BFGoodrich KM2 but i believe that i will destroy them to the big highways..do u suggest to carry them to my roof for use in the north norway?my programm including some mud kilometers to norway.of course 4 sets chains..
any sightseeings in my way that i dont know?
thanks in advance
 
Why do you think you will destroy your KM2's on the highway?

People in the US are claiming to get over 50k miles on them.
 
chris lc90 said:
i am going to use normal tyres 50-50 michelin syncrone for all these highways...now i am wearing BFGoodrich KM2 but i believe that i will destroy them to the big highways..
thanks in advance
.
This question should answer itself,

Without any hesitation, I would stay with the KM2.

They are from all I have listened to, and read about, just as at home on the tarmac, as they are in the mud.

Graham
 
Forget those Syncrones. Useless up here this time of year, unless you are lucky with the weather, and that would be only the first 500 km of scandinavia anyway. The KM2 are not much better on winter roads unless you cut sipes in them, quite dense siping. It would be irresponsible trying to drive on snow or ice covered roads with standard KM2s, I hope I wil not get close to you without your chains on. But then, with chains, you cant go much faster than 50 km/h, so that would be slow. What you need is proper winter tyres, doesn't have to be studded, but well siped and with a soft rubber that sticks to ice. What size tyres are you running?

I suggest contacting a 4x4 shop, or a tyre shop, when you land in Scandinavia. Have them store your current tyres and get a set of Nordic Winter tyres, and a deal to swap back when you return. Don't know if that's possible, but would be the best.

Another thing is the Aurora Borealis, the northern light. Tromsø is far enough north, just. It's best when it is cold and clear, January/February is normally best, but December could be OK. Haven't kept track of these 11 year cycles, - is it at a peak now? When will you be up north?
 
uHu said:
Another thing is the Aurora Borealis, the northern light. Tromsø is far enough north, just. It's best when it is cold and clear, January/February is normally best, but December could be OK. Haven't kept track of these 11 year cycles, - is it at a peak now? When will you be up north?
NASA said:
Solar Cycle 24 will peak, they say, in May 2013 with a below-average number of sunspots.
 
uHu said:
It would be irresponsible trying to drive on snow or ice covered roads with standard KM2s, I hope I wil not get close to you without your chains on. But then, with chains, you cant go much faster than 50 km/h, so that would be slow.
Does Norway not have a "legal" requirement for cars to have approved winter tyres fitted between certain dates during winter?

Whether or not this is enforced is a different issue, especially as Chris will be away from metrolpolitan areas for much of the journey through Norway. Sounds like a great trip though - would love to do something like this, just not sure it's ideal for small kids (and a wife :o ) :oops:

Cheers,
 
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Just checked the northern light activity. It is at a historic low right now, unfortunately.
The official low was in 2008, but it hasn't picked up again, as it should have by now. Let's hope for an improvement soon.
Nordlys_over_g_rds_1350874x.jpg
 
first of all i want to remind u that my car is a petrol and not diesel..so the consumption is an issue..
KM2 are much noiser than synchrone and increase also the consumption..
but lets say that i forget these 2 reasons..

as Andrew said there are some restrictions in some countries..but i dont know them..
i hope that the use of michelin 50-50 M+S will probably approved everywhere for the highway use..
now, about local norway rules i dont know if they are acceptable...
maybe uHu can give more info about the conditions that happens now at the end of november more north than oslo and trondheim..all the roads after these point covered by snow and ice?
i know also that this period the nights are bigger..

my tyres are 265-70-16 michelin syncrone and 265-75-16 BFG KM2
 
Andrew Prince said:
uHu said:
It would be irresponsible trying to drive on snow or ice covered roads with standard KM2s, I hope I wil not get close to you without your chains on. But then, with chains, you cant go much faster than 50 km/h, so that would be slow.
Does Norway not have a "legal" requirement for cars to have approved winter tyres fitted between certain dates during winter?

Whether or not this is enforced is a different issue, especially as Chris will be away from metrolpolitan areas for much of the journey through Norway. Sounds like a great trip though - would love to do something like this, just not sure it's ideal for small kids (and a wife :o ) :oops:

Cheers,
.
Only for Norwegian registered vehicles.

Graham
 
There is a requirement to use winter tyres OR to use chains. Cars are stopped at the border if they are not properly shod. (If checked).
Any M+S tyres with at least 3 mm pattern depth should be OK to fulfill that requirement.
Every day with snow or sudden cold there is a main highway ot two closed off because of an Italian truck spread across 5 lanes. (substitute Italian to your liking (Love Italians and Italian and Italy))

In the sothern part, main roads (major and minor) are generally heavily salted, unless temperatures much lower than -10 C are expected (The salt will freeze to a super-polished Ice at about -15 C)

A bit confused about your Michelin 50-50. Is that the Synchrones? Synchrone is a 100 % summer tyre afaik. You said Michelin M+S - does this have an M+S rating? http://www.michelinman.com/tire-selecto ... rone-tires ?
 
Chris might be in Tromso by now. Seems to have been off-line for a while. In the mean time, it looks like the Aurora Borealis is up again. Have a look at this time-lapse film: http://vimeo.com/16917950
 
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