So! I'm on the North Downs Link on Sunday morning heading to Bramley with my usual package of tomatoes and evisaging a nice quiet run there and back before heading home to wake my other half and go out somewhere for the rest of the day. And so it was until I was about 3 miles the other side of Cranleigh. Coming towards me fairly constantly was a stream of cyclists wearing numbers and going at quite a pace.

I pulled over repeatedly as I thought they might be racing and I didn't want to slow them down as I was only pootling along, and some of their kids were going somewhat faster than was entirely safe! I was getting quite peeved after one of these junior cyclists literally ran me off the track as he was going too fast to be able to avoid me.

Shortly after that (possibly because of my repeated trips off the track and into the brambles, but maybe not) my rear tyre flattened with spectacular speed. I cursed. I was all alone and miles from home, also over a mile away from the closest legal route off the Downs Link.

Still, I had food, water, and as it was early in the day, all the time in the world to get myself sorted out. I pushed the bike until I found a nice patch of fairly flat ground off the main track, removed pannier, and turned bike upside down. After sitting for a while with the bike's manual and having a drink, I resolved to give it a go! I am always equipped with spare tube, patching kit, pump ect so I set to.