Pt.sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssstttttt..

Riding back from Godstone is tough for yours truly. After bidding farewell to Andy at the top of Slines Oak Road, there's an initial downhill run followed by a minor hill and then a major one: the ride from the junction with Halliloo Lane or Halliloo Road to the Warlingham end of the B269. Still, for some reason, I had the energy and the determination yesterday to climb the hills, even the big one after leaving the farm shop caff. It must have been that almond croissant.

Anyway, I was doing fine, I even managed to cycle the length of the Limpsfield Road, into Sanderstead High Street, around the pond and down Church Lane towards home. But then I noticed it. Doing my traditional 'no hands' trick half way down Church Lane, I noticed a wobble, but ignored it – although I did place my hands back on the handlebars. Then it happened again so I stopped and noted that the rear tyre (which I'd pumped up hard for last week's Black Horse Ride) was soft. I carried on and got the bike home safely, leaving it padlocked in the garage as usual. Later, the tyre was (and still is now) completely flat. Whether I got the puncture on the road near Sanderstead or whether it was one of those sleeping punctures, ie punctures that occur earlier but are prompted to 'come out' later, I'll never know. It means I'll have to pay a visit to a bike shop and buy some leeches and, of course, it's a good excuse to clean the bike as I'll have to take the rear wheel off.

Michael Dembinski's Cannondale Caffeine - my Kona looks very similar.

Mind you, not as bad as this guy from Poland, click here for more.

The shot on the right is of Michael Dembinski's Cannondale Caffeine and shows his third puncture in one day.

Michael, born in the UK in 1957, lived here for 40 years before moving to Poland from where he blogs about the country.

If you want some insight on Poland, check out his blog.

Two years ago