MTFCA Forum

Does anyone know anything about Blockley Tyres? They are advertised as a superior tire and it appears not made in Vietnam. The company says that they last longer and perform better. Apparently available in 30 x 3.5 and 30 x 3 clincher type, called a beaded edge in England.

See https://www.blockleytyre.com/product/30x3-5

The Blockley website says almost all. In other correspondence, they revealed that their clincher tyres are also made in Viet Nam, as they could find no other manufacturer anywhere willing to make them. The difference is in having their own moulds, their own specifications and quality standards, and the determination to produce a much better quality offering.

Allan from down under.

Neil, their website shows only 30x3-1/2" tires far as i can see. I believe we were still waiting for 30x3" tires at last report, as well as firms to distribute them in the US.

Allan, do you have distributers in Oz now ? Have you heard any more about 30x3" tires ?

I went all over their website. Even for vintage tires they want width, style, etc. Obviously the only way is by phone. Then it would probably be shopped by boat since air cargo is $$$

Aye, there's the rub. Currently 149 Pounds Sterling = $193.04 US. I wonder how much freight will run to get a set across the pond and then two to three thousand miles over the plains ??

Unless Blockley can ship a container full of tires to a US distributer, I fear shipping will price them out of reach. Things to ponder while my Universal T-drivers wear ever thinner, and I wait for Blockley to make 30x3" tires.

I wonder how much freight will run to get a set across the pond and then two to three thousand miles over the plains ??

I don't remember the numbers from when I looked into this a few months ago, but I don't think it was enough more than domestic shipping to be a deal breaker. The extra cost to avoid would be the import duties which kick in above a certain value. Because of that I would buy two or three tires at a time to avoid the duty that would apply to a full set.

The link in my initial post will get you to the 30 x 3.5 tires. In the text on that page it says that the 30 x 3 tires are "also well advanced." Not sure what that means.

Thanks Steve ! Obviously, we're going to need good information and a lot of tact to make purchases of Blockley tires stateside. I hope things work out. I really like the look of their tires.

". . . also well advanced. . ." I'd guess that means don't give up on 'em yet !

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:46 pm

I'm pretty sure shipping to the USA from Britain costs much less than from OZ.

i was replying to Rich's question about OZ.

Stuckey tyres have a big range of performance/racing tyres, including Blockleys in a range of sizes and applications. They have 30 x 3.5s in stock at the moment, but all have a name against them pending payment.. In correspondence with them, I was told stocks come to Australia from England. It would make good sense if the market develops enough to sustain a larger shipment, to have them shipped directly from Viet Nam to Australia.
It always peeved me that made in New Zealand Firestones were sourced from the USA through the suppliers there.

Allan from down under.

Mark Gregush wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:06 pm

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:46 pm

I'm pretty sure shipping to the USA from Britain costs much less than from OZ.

i was replying to Rich's question about OZ.

Even though these tires/tyers would be purchased and shipped from the UK, the country of origin (predominant manufacturing value) is Vietnam.
"The United States imposes tariffs (customs duties) on imports of goods. The duty is levied at the time of import and is paid by the importer of record. Customs duties vary by country of origin and product. Goods from many countries are exempt from duty under various trade agreements."
The amount that the duty would be charged against the following (product value + shipping cost + insurance). I have found that calculating Import fees is best left to the Wizard of OZ. My guess on tires into the US from the UK made in Vietnam is at least 10% of the (product value + shipping cost + insurance)

You can sign in and request a quote for cost to ship tires to USA. You then have the option to accept or reject quote. I do not need tires at this time, so I will let someone else do this.

So, shipping a pair at a time would run $502.34 at the current rate of exchange. Would there be any other charges or fees involved do you suppose ?

So, shipping a pair at a time would run $502.34 at the current rate of exchange.

As of yesterday the exchange rate was 1.29, so two tyres at £149 = $384.42
£90 shipping x 1.29 = $116.10. Adding tyres and shipping I get $500.52. I believe import duties start at $500, but I don't know for sure if that includes the cost of shipping. I haven't looked into import duty rates. That's a homework assignment for whoever wants to take the time.

I bought four tires and four tubes. Total cost including shipping and duty was just under $1,300.00. Lucas Tire in Long beach, CA is a distributor for Blockley tires. However they don't handle the 30x3.5 Blockleys as they prefer to sell you their POS Riverside tires

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 19, 2020 4:12 pm

So, shipping a pair at a time would run $502.34 at the current rate of exchange.

As of yesterday the exchange rate was 1.29, so two tyres at £149 = $384.42
£90 shipping x 1.29 = $116.10. Adding tyres and shipping I get $500.52. I believe import duties start at $500, but I don't know for sure if that includes the cost of shipping. I haven't looked into import duty rates. That's a homework assignment for whoever wants to take the time.

The amount the duty is calculated on the following (product value + shipping cost + insurance) per US department of Homeland Security (responsible for Customs). So I purchased some seats from the UK not realizing that they were made in China the exporter made an error on the declaration in regards to the currency paid, but that's unimportant. The seats were purchased at $600 + shipping on eBay and included seat adjusting brackets. I attached the Customs declaration so you can see the result. As you can clearly see that the duty percentage was based on the merchandise country of origin (China) and not the country of export (UK). FedEx handled the export & import documents the mistake they made was indicating that the items were purchased in GBP instead of USD. I filed for a refund over a year ago, lots of BS, finally got someone to agree on the error the refund was "approved" in July. I was t old 9/10/20 that I would received a check in 2 weeks.

When doing your cost calculations don’t forget to factor in the life expectancy of the Tyres / Tubes.
Many of us in WA are in the process of changing to Blockley. We can get a set of quality Tyres and 100% Butyl Tubes for under
$2000 Australian. The confidence gained knowing you have the best available and the likelihood of Tyre / Tube failure is
money well spent in my view. The bonus of course is at 67 years of age, I will actually never wear the Tyres out!!
Alan in Western Australia