Stranded with a bad tyre near Buckingham?
Buckingham sits where three A roads cross: the A413 running north to south, and the A421 and A422 running east to west. Outside the town they're mostly single carriageway, unlit, and shared with lorries heading for the A43 and Milton Keynes. A blowout on one of those at night, or a flat discovered on the drive in Maids Moreton on a Sunday morning, needs sorting without a trip to a garage. Ring us whenever it happens. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and send the nearest fitter out with a replacement tyre.
We aim to reach you within 60 minutes in most cases. Rural locations and traffic can add to that, and we'll be honest about timing when you call.
Stopping on a country A road
Single-carriageway roads with 60 mph traffic and few lay-bys need a bit of thought:
- Don't stop on a bend, a hump or just past a junction. If the car is still moving, creep on to a straight stretch, a lay-by or a wide field gateway where oncoming drivers will see you in good time.
- Hazards on, and sidelights too after dark. Everyone out on the verge side and well away from the road, behind a hedge or gate if possible.
- If you carry a warning triangle and it's safe to walk back, place it at least 45 metres behind the car on the same side. Never use one on a motorway.
- On the A421 Tingewick bypass, a short stretch of dual carriageway, leave at the next junction if you can rather than stopping on the carriageway.
Driving on with the tyre flat will almost certainly finish it off, and may damage the wheel as well.
What happens when the fitter arrives
First the tyre is inspected. If a nail or screw has gone into the central three-quarters of the tread, the hole is under 6 mm and the tyre hasn't been run flat, it can usually be repaired to British Standard guidance. Our article on tyres with a nail or screw explains the limits. Otherwise a new tyre is fitted on the spot, chosen from premium, mid-range and budget ranges and covered by the manufacturer's guarantee. Balancing and disposing of the old tyre are free.
If the car has ended up somewhere it can't be worked on safely, such as a narrow verge on a bend, our breakdown recovery can move it to a safer spot.
Before we arrive: locate the locking wheel nut key if your car has locking nuts. Check the glovebox, the door pockets and the tool tray under the boot floor.
Lorries, verges and hidden damage
The A421 and A422 carry lorries as well as local traffic, and on narrower stretches drivers often edge towards the verge to give a wide vehicle room. It's an easy habit to fall into, especially at night when oncoming headlights make the road look narrower than it is. Broken road edges and potholes along the margins can pinch a tyre against the rim, leaving a bulge in the sidewall or a slow leak that shows itself hours later. If you've had a jolt off the edge of the road, check the outer face of the tyre when you next stop. A bulge means the tyre needs replacing before it fails.
Buckingham, its villages and surrounding roads
We cover the town and the villages around it, including Maids Moreton, Gawcott, Tingewick, Padbury, Akeley, Stowe and Thornborough, and out to Winslow. On the roads, that means the A421 bypass and Tingewick bypass, the A422 towards Brackley and Milton Keynes, and the A413 to Winslow and Aylesbury. We also cover Brackley, Milton Keynes and Bicester.
Tell us these four things
- Where you are: road number and direction, the nearest village or a what3words reference.
- The tyre size printed on its side, for example 215/60 R16, or the registration.
- Whether it was a sudden bang or a gradual loss of air.
- Whether you're off the road and somewhere safe.
Get a fitter out in Buckingham now
Call 07989 606060 at any hour, or send us a WhatsApp message with your location. We'll confirm the price before the fitter leaves, with no hidden fees, and you can pay by card, cash or bank transfer. For a booked fitting, see mobile tyres in Buckingham or our mobile tyre fitting service.
