Road Hero Space Saver Spare Wheel Kits

Spare wheels are increasing falling out of favour with car manufacturers. Less than 30% of new cars have a spare wheel, full size or space saver, and this is likely to fall much further over coming years.

Driving down the cost of production, reducing weight and increasing storage space all mean that the spare wheel is sacrificed and replaced with either a can of tyre sealant spray (slime) or just fitting run-flat tyres as standard. But, is this compromising safety and convenience?

I don’t need a spare wheel, I have run-flats!

Run-flat tyres are a good solution, allowing for miles of safe travel at a reduced speed, despite the puncture. However, the downside is significant. Run flat tyres, by design, have to have extremely strong side walls to support the weight of the car in the event of no air being in the tyre. This means that the ride comfort of the car is compromised, you feel the bumps in the road a whole lot more. Plus, in the UK you may have noticed one or two pot holes? Hitting a pot hole with run flat tyres greatly increases the risk of damaging or even cracking your alloy wheel.

OK, so you don’t mind the hard ride and you’re super careful to avoid every pot hole and live in the town with perfect asphalt and no speed bumps? We’re very jealous. However, run-flat tyres are expensive! They cost, on average, 25% more than the same size and brand of tyre in a standard design. No less grippy or sporty, no less safe, no less durable, just much less cash.

Let’s take an example of a BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe fitted with 19” Continental Contact Sport tyres, 225/40/19 front and 255/35/19 rear. Current price for a set of run-flat replacements is £151 more than the same tyre in non run-flat spec. That saving pretty much covers the cost of the Road Hero spare wheel kit for that car (which can be found by clicking here).*

Can of Tyre slime is just fine... isn’t it?

It’s really neat, tidy and convenient to have just a small aerosol can as your puncture repair solution. Tuck it away in the boot and there’s more space for the weekly shopping or trips to the tip with the garden waste. Correct, but have you considered if you’ll be quite so happy when a puncture occurs whilst on holiday, miles away from home or a garage and your family are all on board? What if the can has been in your boot for 5 years, is it still going to work effectively? How fast can you travel with a punctured tyre patched up with a spray can? A good quality can of tyre slime can be expensive, plus the tyre that’s been repaired has to be replaced – it cannot be repaired. Therefore, it’s not always the cheapest option for you either, surprising as that may seem.

Here at Carnoisseur, we like the convenience of the quick-fix of the spray can, but we also appreciate the reassurance and safety of a replacement space saver wheel and tyre. The RoadHero is also for the life of the car, it doesn’t need to be replaced and will never run out at the most critical moment. The fact the wheel is slim and comes in a storage bag with all the necessary tools is also fantastic and makes storage easy.

What the people say

Rob Hull from Which?Car, not to be confused with 80’s children’s TV star Rod Hull, states that they issued a survey to which 1,393 responded, with “93% saying spare wheels should be offered as standard on all cars. Only 1% were in favour of having a tyre repair kit as standard”.

We polled our customers and the overwhelming response was that they much preferred the comfort of knowing that they could get home safety in the event of a puncture and a space saver spare wheel was the best solution. That is why we decided to stock Road Hero Spare Wheel Kits. The range covers nearly every make and model of car on the UK’s roads and tested to fit perfectly and adhere to the highest safety standards.

Just select your car make and model

Every RoadHero Space Saver Wheel Kit is designed and tested for a specific vehicle fitment, not solely relying on PCD and offset measurements, but also allowing for brake caliper clearance. The wheel and tyre size are chosen specifically for the car make and model and every kit will either be direct-fit, or be supplied with the necessary fixings to ensure a perfect fit. The full vehicle range can be seen by clicking here. Just simply select your make and model of vehcile from the drop down menu.

Road Hero spare wheel kits come complete with wheel, tyre, jack, brace and very handy storage bag and can be shipped quickly to all UK addresses.

We also recommend adding a warning triangle, if you don't already have one. The Award Winning BriteAngle LED Warning Triangle has LED lights to make sure you stay clearly visible in all conditions.

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*prices correct as of 11/04/2019