Driving in London, and what it means for your tyres
Speed humps, cushions and raised tables are everywhere in residential London, and taking them too quickly or at an angle is a reliable way to damage a sidewall or knock the tracking out. Add the potholes that open up on bus routes every winter and it is no surprise that uneven inner-edge wear is so common on London cars. If the steering pulls or the wheel sits off-centre, have the alignment checked when the tyres go on.
The whole of Greater London is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and the central area also has the Congestion Charge. Neither changes what tyres you need, but both change how far it makes sense to drive for a fitting. A garage two boroughs away can cost an hour in traffic and a charge on top, which is exactly why mobile fitting is so popular here.
Low-profile tyres on larger wheels are now standard on many cars, and London is hard on them. Kerbs at tight parking bays, sharp-edged ironwork and the constant stop-start of the inner city all take their toll. Check pressures monthly, since a soft tyre is the one most likely to suffer a pinch cut on a pothole edge.
Mobile tyre fitting in London
In London the main question for a mobile fitting is where the van can stop. Controlled parking zones, red routes and double yellow lines cover a lot of the city, so give us the best address at booking: a driveway, an off-street bay, a residents' bay you can arrange a visitor permit for, or your workplace car park. The fitter brings the tyres, fits and balances them beside your car and takes the old ones away for recycling.
Workshop fitting near London
If your street makes a kerbside job impractical, a workshop on the network may be the easier answer. Each one shows its distance and its fitted price before you commit, and a garage visit is the right call for wheel alignment, which London's humps and potholes make a regular need.
Where this page covers
Roughly 15 miles around the centre of London, across WC2, WC1, EC1, EC2, SE1, SW1, W1, N1, E1, NW1.
Areas: Camden, Islington, Hackney, Walthamstow, Stratford, Greenwich, Lewisham, Brixton, Clapham, Wimbledon, Croydon, Richmond, Ealing, Harrow, Barnet, Enfield
Main roads: M25, A406 North Circular, A205 South Circular, A40 Westway, A13, A12, Blackwall Tunnel