Have Sippy Will Travel

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This post for the Michelin Premier a/s tires is not sponsored but my trip to their proving grounds in Greenville was.

So, it’s a big deal to get our drivers license, right? It takes hours of studying, a Drivers Ed class, hours of driving, etc. Then we are given a restricted license until we prove that we know enough of what we are doing to be driving after midnight. It’s a whole big thing and we start preparing at 15.

But what they don’t teach us in those classes is just as important as what they do teach.

tire pressure~ where to find it and how to check it

tire~ appropriate thread, tire safety 101, how to change a tire

lights~ how to change them

There are so many things that we should know how to do before we drive for the first time. The fact that there are only 4 little rubber things that keep our 2 ton vehicle connected to the road proves that tire safety is something we should know before we ever get behind the wheel.

I was recently asked by Michelin to come to their Proving Grounds in Greenville, SC to learn about their new Michelin Premier a/s tires. I am really excited to tell you about these tires but first, I want to share a little of what I learned. What stuck with me most was the little demonstration we did on where to put the new tires when you buy two new ones. We all know that it is best to buy full sets of tires, but we also know that life is life and sometimes we can only swing two new tires at a time. So, where do you put the new tires, front or back?

The old rule of thumb was that you put them on the front because *most* vehicles are front wheel drive. It was said that the new tires will give better traction if they’re in the front. However, the opposite is actually true. Michelin didn’t just tell us this, they let us test and prove it.

We went to a wet track {simulated raining} and drive two identical cars around it. They were run-of-the-mill Toyota Camrys, one with the new tires on the front, and the other with the worn tires on the rear {as apparent by the ‘worn rear’ sign on the grey car.}

First, we drove the ‘new rear’ car with a professional in the passengers seat. They had us accelerate around the turns and pay attention to what we felt. Even though the worn tires were on the front, the car was much easier to control because you could feel the car start to skip through the steering wheel. That was the whole point of the exercise; the front wheels are directly connected to both the steering wheel and the road so the steering wheel is our direct line to the road. When your front tires start to slip, you know it because the steering wheel starts to shake. Automatically, you let off the gas and correct your driving.

Next, we drove the ‘worn rear’ car. I knew before I got in that it was going to be a rough trip, but I was excited. I am all for a challenge that involves driving fast and spinning out! Any chance where driving like an idiot is actually encouraged, I’m all for!!

During this time around, we were told to accelerate through the turns again and before I knew it, I had done TWO FULL 360’s, ending up facing the way I was originally heading, with my arm across the steering wheel letting out a little beep as it pressed the horn.

It.

Was.

Awesome.

I was awesome.

As I sat there trying to stop my head from spinning, my professional asked me what I felt before I spun out and I told her “Nothing.”She said that what I did is exactly what happens when people are sitting dazed, in the middle of an accident and tell the police officer “I don’t know what happened.” It was so fast. There was no warning. And I would have taken out about 5 cars if I had been on the road.

Here is a video with an example of what I did. It’s not me driving but it’s still pretty cool to watch.

[vimeo 90249776 w=500 h=281]

I’m not bragging but my spin out was better. Did I mention it was TWO FULL 360’S? I wish that I could give all of you the chance to experience what I did because I left that car knowing full well that I had just learned something that could save my life, my kids lives, the lives of those on the road with me. There is no doubt, even with front wheel drive vehicles, 2 new tires always go on the back. Remember this and take it to heart. Then call your mechanic and make an appointment to have your 2 newer tires put on the back.

So, the reason Michelin flew me to SC and fed me all kinds of great food: The new Michelin Premier a/s tires. I have to tell you that I am honestly impressed with these tires. They’re truly revolutionizing tire safety.

The main thing that makes these tires better than the rest? Michelin has figured out a way to make the rain grooves on their new Premier a/s actually get bigger as the tire wears, making them better able to whisk rain away. They call it EVERGRIP technology.

{OF COURSE, this is no guarantee you’ll be accident free. Use your head.}

High-traction Rubber Compound: MICHELIN Premier A/S tire with EverGrip features a proprietary rubber compound with extreme amounts of silica and sunflower oil. The silica provides the bonding strength and adherence to keep the treads on the road for exceptional traction in wet conditions. The sunflower oil allows the tire to grip on wet roads at lower temperatures. These ingredients are mixed through an exacting process that ensures a consistent material contacting the road both when new and worn.

Expanding Rain Grooves: In most tires, as the rain grooves lose depth, the amount of water they can funnel away from the tire is diminished. MICHELIN Premier A/S with EverGrip has rain grooves positioned around the circumference of the tire with a unique geometric shape that gets wider as the tread wears. This helps maintain the amount of water that the tire can channel away even as these rain grooves lose depth.

Emerging Grooves: Initially hidden when the tire is new, MICHELIN Premier A/S with EverGrip has another set of grooves along the tire’s shoulder that emerge as the tire becomes worn. More than 150 hidden grooves emerge to provide additional help in channeling water away and maintaining wet traction as miles are logged.

Michelin also claims:

Even when worn, the MICHELIN Premier A/S tire still stops shorter on wet roads than the leading competitors’ brand new tires.

So they made sure we had a chance to see for ourselves while we were there. Awesomely we were able to test this in 3 different, beautiful Caddys. I was totally OK with this since Cadillac’s are my I-Would-Totally-Buy-One-Of-These-If-I-Had-More-Money-Than-Children cars.

Yeah, I rocked THAT. And I looked hot doing it. Whatevs.

So, the plan here was that we would drive really fast and then slam on the brakes as hard as we could to see how far it took us to stop. Two Cadillacs were wearing brand new tires, one was the Bridgestone Turanza and one was the Goodyear Assurance, while the Michelin Caddy wore HALF WORN Premier a/s tires. Half worn. Remember that.

This is the board where we put our results so we could all see how everyone did. As you can see, we all pretty much had the same results. Michelin Premier a/s stopped shorter, even half worn, than the other tires.

I want to make sure to show you this picture of me driving a BMW something-something-somethingi {328?} on a wet obstacle track. It was awesome! Going 60+ and weaving around cones was awesome. I don’t do that nearly enough in my real life.

And then I drove a mini-van like it was hot.

And then they drove us around in a Mustang Boss. It was… boss, obvi. I wish they had let me drive…

I had a really great time driving all these cool cars and acting like a goof. It was such a great change from driving to the grocery store with a van full of little kids. I wan to thank the people from Michelin for having me!

Michelin is so excited about their new Michelin Premier a/s tires that they’re giving one of you a set! Good luck!

WIN IT: Someone will win a set of Michelin Premier A/S tires!PLEASE NOTE: Note that the availability of the Premier A/S tire will depend on the winner’s vehicle and tire size. If the Premier A/S tire is not available in the needed size, Michelin will work with your winner to determine other tire options for their car.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have Sippy Will Travel was not paid for this post. We went on a press trip to learn more about these tires to the Michelin Proving Grounds in Greenville, SC. Thank you to the sponsoring company. By entering this contest, you certify that you are 18 years old or older and that you have read and agree with the rules, our giveaway policy and disclosure.U.S only except where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Giveaway starts at the moment of the posting of this article and will run until May 17, 2014 at 11:59PM! The prize is a set of Michelin Premier a/s tires as listed above with an approximate total retail value of  Four Hundred Dollars {$400} All prizes will be awarded. A list of winners will be available after 6/10/2014 by writing MomToSprouts {at} yahoo {dot} com. All prizes are awarded and forwarded to the winner by the sponsor; in this case, a PR Company. Please see Official Rules for more details.We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.