continued...
Well, F**K it,the responsibility, the responsibility, I just had to go back and find our abandoned Russian friend. Brian, Lindsay, Alan and Sam all volunteered to come with me - thanks fellas - it's the Agreeable way.
The usual puncture repair fiasco...
1. couldn't get any air in the tube. really tight tyre - difficult to remove.
2. stripped out inner type and filled it with air.fine. checked tyre walls. fine.
3. refitted inner tube. pumped up.fine. then pulled the valve off. Specialized long valve. don't buy them - the worst inner tubes ever made in the history of the world. it's official.
4. stripped out faulty inner tube. fitted new one. couldn't pump it up. Alan's pump not working, then it was (just not fitted properly). etc etc
finally got going after about 45 mins - we laughed and laughed - you know the sort of thing: you've got a little pump , your pump technique's crap, it's getting hard, it's coming, your pump's not working, there's nothing wrong with my pump it's the way your holding it - a sort of collective hysteria.
nearly home and Mikel punctured again!! no inner tubes left - he's got wider than usual tyres: 28mm. we'd had enough. we decided to give up and abandoned Mikel to walk to Salfords for the train. Remember the Cold War! we jeered as we cycled off sick of being nice.