On 13/08/2019 09:11, Spike wrote:
On 12/08/2019 21:01, Rob Morley wrote:
On Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:19:05 +0400
Spike wrote:

Later examination of
the offending tyre showed a tiny manufacturing defect that when in
use was slowly abrading a very small area in the inner tube, which as
a result had finally let go in a big way - fortunately at low speed
rather than those of the motorway.

Which is why we always check the casing and rim carefully when replacing
a tube, and carry a spare tube or two alongside the puncture kit.

The tyre that failed was the one that came with the machine, and there
had been no problems with it until the M6 incident. I guess the previous
owner had only used the Velo for short journeys. It would seem like a
summer day and a long motorway journey were too much, and the tube was
compromised by this.

The day after, I went searching for the cause, which proved difficult to
find, and it certainly never showed with the fingers test or a casual
visual inspection - it wasn't a case of a 'sharp bit' being easy to
find, but more of a very small (1 mm?) slightly roughened patch that was
hard to find.

Some 60 years after first taking to the road I still ride a bike, and
must have been very lucky as I can only recall three punctures in that
time, this incident being one of them.

I'm still grateful to those two Z-car officers for their help and
assistance.

Hitching (unsuccessfully) somewhere near Dartford about 2:00 AM my GF
and I attracted the interest of a police patrol - they questioned us
and then (having decided we weren't up to no good) gave us a lift most
of the way to Dover, which I thought was jolly decent of them.

They don't make 'em like they used to...police officers, I mean...


very true very true ....bunch of silly boys and gurls....