View Full Version : blackcircles / similar sites
Wideboy
15-10-12, 06:35 PM
has anyone used them?
Used Oponeo. They were cheapest at the time for Avon Storm's inc delivery. But took about 12 days to arrive from Poland / East Germany.
tigersaw
15-10-12, 07:34 PM
only used blackcircles to get a base price to barter with at the fitters
Mr Speirs
15-10-12, 07:39 PM
I use blackcircles. Have done since it started actually. Only good things to say about them. Although in the last year or so they have become more expensive and have stopped their rewards scheme but still my preference.
Wideboy
15-10-12, 07:43 PM
so far they have been cheaper than most of back street fitters, protyre are 75p cheaper but dont have the tyres that i want
my only concern is the weights, i once had some cowboys put hammer-ons on my alloys a fecked them up when i told them to remove them, so i always want to check before fitting that they are stick-ons, but seeing as i would have paid already i cant walk away unless i supply them with weights
fizzwheel
15-10-12, 07:55 PM
Been using Kwik Fit's website for a while now to get tyres for both our cars. Been paying a bit extra for the man with a van service to come to the house to fit the tyres rather than taking the car to the garage.
Service has been really good. Takes the chap 15 minutes or so for two tyres. I've checked the alloys afterwards and no scuff marks or damage and they use stick on wheel weights.
Prices seem competitive compared to black circles when I looked last time... also they had a good choice of brands and often have deals which give a good saving, which will normally swing it there way especially with the 19" tyres the Audi needs...
Wideboy
15-10-12, 08:59 PM
kwik fit were 20 quid dearer, bit the bullet with black circles.
i hate spending money :smt095
I normally get a price from black circles then ask the garage that's going to fit them to match the price. Normally they do.
Do they sell bike tyres now?
Cymraeg_Atodeg
16-10-12, 06:40 AM
I used black circles for my Alfa Romeo when I had it, they were good and used stick on weights for my alloys, which was good as they were bloody expensive
Wideboy
16-10-12, 06:42 AM
I normally get a price from black circles then ask the garage that's going to fit them to match the price. Normally they do.
Do they sell bike tyres now?
Yes they do now, only noticed this yesterday as they didn't do them a few weeks back when I was last looking
I use 3 that come up on serch . Find one that actually has them in stock . Genuine offers are mostly only £5 max more than the sites that promise unabtainieum Tyres .
Sir Trev
16-10-12, 06:53 AM
kwik fit were 20 quid dearer, bit the bullet with black circles.
i hate spending money :smt095
We all hate spending money, but tyres are one area I don't scrimp on. If you have better confidence in a certain brand and will relax more/drive better if you have them the extra few quid is worth spending.
After more than a few run-ins with lying a-holes in fast fit places I detest most of them now. Kwik Fit often have offers, Micheldever near Winchester are often excellent on price, and I now find a lot of the backstreet places that will haggle and come close to a price match employ barely literate morons who don't take any care and scuff your wheels...
Wideboy
16-10-12, 07:02 AM
I wanted goodyears but not many places stock the specific set that I want. Micheldever strangely were 8quid a tyre more, the Asda affiliated place up the rpad was 4 quid a tyre more.
May sound petty whinging about a couple of quid but when you times it by four it soon adds up
widepants
16-10-12, 08:16 AM
I take it then Gav , that you are doing the whole car ?
Shawthing
16-10-12, 11:21 AM
Have used Tyreshopper a couple of times for the car.
best prices and local fitting at Nationwide auto center.
Though both cases, Nationwide tried to sell me someting extra ( got to be expected these days i spose).
Sir Trev
16-10-12, 11:27 AM
Micheldever strangely were 8quid a tyre more,...
May sound petty whinging about a couple of quid but when you times it by four it soon adds up
I well know the feeling. And Micheldever are not always competitive - they are for my Mondeo but not for my Astra oddly enough. When you're paying 150 beer tokens a corner a full set does indeed get expensive and the extra time it takes to drive out there is not worth it when the fast-fit special offer is only 5 quid a corner/20 quid total different.
Good luck finding the GY's.
andrewsmith
16-10-12, 11:52 AM
I wanted goodyears but not many places stock the specific set that I want. Micheldever strangely were 8quid a tyre more, the Asda affiliated place up the rpad was 4 quid a tyre more.
May sound petty whinging about a couple of quid but when you times it by four it soon adds up
BMW 3 series runflats?
If so try ringing round the back street lads, they're normally a tad cheaper (Cheapest I know about was Hancooks for £100 each)
Event tyres are good too. They come to you.
dirtydog
16-10-12, 04:39 PM
Have used Tyreshopper a couple of times for the car.
best prices and local fitting at Nationwide auto center.
Though both cases, Nationwide tried to sell me someting extra ( got to be expected these days i spose).
I've used tyre shopper a couple of times, 1st was just for a cheapy tyre for the mondeo and he tried to tell me the other 3 tyres were almost on the limit which I queried as on of the rear wheels had been refurbed and a new pilot sport put on it. 2nd time I took loose wheels in.
Doubtless an iffy area but I try to get secondhand tyres for the BMW. At >£300 per corner [edit £350 pair]for a 5-series BMW with run-flats it becomes stupidly expensive. I got my last pair for £75 the pair, paid £20 for fitting localy and all done. About half worn but got goodyear NCTs for much less than the cheapest no-brand run-flats.
For the other cars I get a price from Micheldever then use that to price match locally. Usually works well and keeps the local guys in business. No loss to Mitcheldever as I would never have actually gone down and queued up anyway.
For bike tyres I always use Ride-In tyres in Reading. Excellent prices, excellent bloke, excellent advice but shocking toilets.
Wideboy
16-10-12, 07:27 PM
Doubtless an iffy area but I try to get secondhand tyres for the BMW. At >£300 per corner for a 5-series BMW with run-flats it becomes stupidly expensive. I got my last pair for £75 the pair, paid £20 for fitting localy and all done. About half worn but got goodyear NCTs for much less than the cheapest no-brand run-flats.
For the other cars I get a price from Micheldever then use that to price match locally. Usually works well and keeps the local guys in business. No loss to Mitcheldever as I would never have actually gone down and queued up anyway.
For bike tyres I always use Ride-In tyres in Reading. Excellent prices, excellent bloke, excellent advice but shocking toilets.
geebuss what profile are they! :shock:
fizzwheel
16-10-12, 07:29 PM
geebuss what profile are they! :shock:
20" or bigger I would have thought...
I pay about £240 a corner for the Audi, which is 255/35/19 but they arent run flats...
andrewsmith
16-10-12, 07:36 PM
geebuss what profile are they! :shock:
Be something close to 255's as fizz said.
Normally to add insult you can't swap front to rear as they're different profiles too
Wideboy
16-10-12, 07:37 PM
mine are 225/40/18 and i thought the prices i was getting took the piarse
i never use run flats, i also swap front a rears due to being rear wheel drive.
not bad mileage out of goodyears, the ones on the rear are 2/3 worn and done just over 30k miles
fizzwheel
16-10-12, 07:55 PM
Not tried the Goodyears yet, been sticking with Continental Sport Contact 3's which always seem to do OK and are about the right price.
Got a very good deal on a pair of Uni Royal Rain Sports for the fronts a while ago that were £179 each fitted.
I think we get around 15k from the fronts, but then Liz and are both heavy with our right foot and the A6 is a heavy old lump...
It came with Pirelli P Zero's on it, which I dont like the profile on as they seem very stretched and its stupidly easy to kerb the alloys. Where as the Continentals are much more square shouldered.
Wideboy
16-10-12, 08:08 PM
they're not too bad. People say they're average in the wet but I've yet to have them let go when i haven't been trying and i've not had any aquaplaning when bombing it down the motorway, the traction control does go nuts if your heavy off the line in the wet.
I'm not very adventurous with cage tyre's, but they seem good to me so i stuck with them.
fizzwheel
16-10-12, 08:11 PM
I used to run Goodyear Eagle NC2 on my Golf, never had a problem with grip on it. I'd like to try a set but I've been sticking with the Continentals because they are cheaper and like you say, £20 - £30 a corner soon adds up when you are having to do all 4. Especially with having two cars to run.
I can put 4 tyres on our Focus and it still works out cheaper than putting two tyres on the Audi... and the Focus tyres last way way longer.
Doubtless an iffy area but I try to get secondhand tyres for the BMW. At >£300 per corner [edit £350 pair]for a 5-series BMW with run-flats it becomes stupidly expensive.
geebuss what profile are they! :shock:
20" or bigger I would have thought...
Sorry folks. Turns out they were £350 a pair best price not each. 225/50/17 runflat NCTs Currently £200 each in Kwik-Fit. Luckily mine are same profile front/rear unlike the M5 and similar which are different and super-expensive to boot.
It seems that for some reason you have to get a specific version of the tyre for the BMWs some sort of rim compatibility thing apparently.
Luckily it's not too hard to come by part worns half the wear for less than a quarter of the price adds up nicely for me.
I looked into changing them for non-run-flats and apart from needing to sort out some sort of spare/repair solution apparently insurance firms can get a bit snooty about it. I'd never choose run-flats if I had a choice as they are too stiff and too expensive.
Needed a pair on the rear of my bmw 330 recently (255 35 18's). I've used blackcircles before and been happy however this time the local fitters were £12 a tyre cheaper. Don't know if it was just my particular tyre or if they were cheaper in general or if they had a promotion on but whatever....£24 saved is £24 saved.
The tyres I have always used on the BM (Bridgestone RE050A) had shot up in price since the last time I'd replaced a pair and are now around £250 a tyre so I punted for a pair of their new S001's at around £200 a tyre. For the record they are every bit as good IMO and are non run flats :)
I'll 2nd what others have said. Get a price from Blackcircles etc and then ring local suppliers/fitters to barter a deal.
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