Tyre Change Rip Off?

[Wigan Chris]

I always take my bikes to an out of town tyre fitter about 30 miles away. Price wise they are the same fitted to the bike as they are fitted to loose wheels in Edinburgh. The great thing is being out of town there is rarely a wait and by the time I get home they have been scrubbed in on some great roads.

Result all round.

spoken like a true scotsman

[sean]

local dealer are free to loose wheels or £12 per wheel if on the bike.

[phil w]

If the wheels are not bling try doing them yourself, so no need to worry about the enevitable cack handed scratch

[Lord Stig]

I always take my bikes to an out of town tyre fitter about 30 miles away. Price wise they are the same fitted to the bike as they are fitted to loose wheels in Edinburgh. The great thing is being out of town there is rarely a wait and by the time I get home they have been scrubbed in on some great roads.

Result all round.

Slightly off topic: Out of interest, where do you go?

Slightly on topic: I fit them myself, though as Treadtrader more or less said, the hassle and time are probably not worth the saving. Normally I get the job done relatively quickly (not as quickly as a professional though), but last time I managed to pinch the tube over and over again - almost certainly through rushing (trying to get the job done between rain showers now I don't have anywhere under cover to do it). If I find a decent place who'll fit and balance loose wheels for a tenner each I might be inclined to use them (so long as their mark up on the rubber isn't too high of course).

[Mervinh]

£10 or so to fit a tyre not bad pinch a tube yourself thatis more than £10 gone, cos it cost ya 2 tubes. and the cheapest chinese tube is a fiver now
Merv

[416cc]

M&P were doing a kit for tyre changing that included the bead breaker, balancer, levers & tyre soap. As I have more than one bike this has soon paid for itself as the local tyre place in Sidcup wanted £25 per tyre for loose wheels using tyres that i'd bought on the 'net (but not flebay). Other shops said £10 per wheel.

Watlings in Swanley were the best as they have bike enthusiasts that look forward to bikes/bikers coming in....good selection of tyres as well.

[icenian]

Slightly off topic: Out of interest, where do you go?

On your side of the water, you ought to go to Strathearn Tyres in Crief. Excellent prices, ride-in-ride-out, and they really know what they're doing with bikes. Like a good bikers meeting place on a Saturday morning. If you turn up on a Triumph, the abuse comes free

For anyone in Edinburgh or to the south, Angle Park Tyres in Penicuik (01968 672 947) will fit a tyre to a bare loose wheel, and balance, for £10. (I think it's £15 if there's also an old tyre to remove.) They can supply tyres too but realistically you'll get them cheaper off ebay or moto-tyres.co.uk

[nasher123]

how about asking for a cheeky discount .. ?

or always get a mate whos in the motortrade, its always worked for me.

i get the tyres the exact same price they can buy them in for and they get fitted for free

[davsato]

How much do you guys pay for having two new tyres fitted? Ive been quoted £24.99 per wheel (or £10.99 if I bring the removed wheel in by myself) for new tyres. Is this right? My Dad made me fit the tyres and tubes by hand with no tyre levers at all in 1966. He said that you cant even use a kitchen spoon. Took me three hours but I got there in the end. Oh yeh Im buying the new tyres from them as well shouldant they be dowing the fitting for nowt?

what, youve bought the tyres from them and they still charge £50 for fitting? that is a total ripoff!
fitting included for supplied tyres in my local, £12 per tyre loose or £15 on the bike if you bring your own.

[Lord Stig]

Thanks Icenian, that helps a lot!! I'm about to get the worn old beast ready for an MOT (been off the road since November because I had the other half's car to use, but that's about to change...) and get to try the MOT centre around the corner in Leith. When I find someone good I normally stick with them, and now is as good a time as any for trying garages and tyre places.

Davsato - have you tried Pompey Tyres? Their prices weren't bad, and they used to fit new tyres to loose wheels for free (although that might have changed). When I did the Portsmouth-London run every day for over three years I used to be one of their best customers...