Matt's Front Tyre has had enough

Well after some late night Burn's night celebrations I set out somewhat bleary eyed on Saturday morning on what was a pleasantly mild day. I made it just over an hour before riding through some standing water into a wheel-sized hole at about 20mph.

This caused an instant puncture and threw one of my bottles across the road. I ground to a rapid halt and set out to replace my inner tube. (Now, whenever I go out for a ride, I always forgot one thing - money, pump, drink, food, etc - and this time it was inner tubes!) So I got out my puncture repair kit to find that the patches were the cunning variety that fail to actually stick to anything. What to do then?

Just then a chap came past on a bike shouting "You alright there?" Before I could respond he'd naffed off up the road - thanks for that then! So I decided I would ring around a few folk to see if anyone could rescue. This honour is usually reserved for my Dad, but as he was about 350 miles away this wasn't very practical!

So James got a call - no answer. "Rusty had stayed at my flat the previous night and was still comatose in the living room when I left - I'll try him", I thought. But both he and Ryan had already left.

Next option - Mark - no answer. Kirsten - phone turned off. OK - who would actually be up at 10:30am on a Saturday morning? Anna. And sure enough she was and kindly said she would come and get me if I could direct her.

"Somewhere on the back roads between Eaglesham and Strathaven" wasn't too helpful though, especially as she had no idea where either of those places are - this is a girl who things Abu Dhabi is in Wales, so I was in for a long walk home. At that moment a cyclist in a red top, who was on his way home to East Kilbride passed and gave me a tube though, so I was saved. (If you happen to read this - please get in contact - I owe you a tube!)

I quickly got the tube in, tyre on and pumped up and then on inspecting the tyre found a rather large hole caused by the, erm, hole. So back home it was.

And I felt awful so it was an afternoon of lounging on the sofa for me instead of getting a new tyre which also put paid to Sunday's ride too. I'm off to the gym now to make up for it though.