I had no time to avoid this!

Potholes are bad enough for cars, but for cycles and faster motorcycles they can be dangerous in the extreme. I had no time to react to this pothole, indeed I didn't even see it, as it blended in with the already broken road surface textures.

How this did not damage my wheel and tyre is a miracle. I suspect a cast wheel could well have cracked, where my spoked wheels helped absorb the jarring jolt that literally winded me in the saddle. Thank God I wasn't going at speed, or it may have ended badly.

The conditions of British country roads are a national disgrace, and in Northumberland they are very bad, indeed in the numerous Morpeth to Rothbury routes beloved by two wheel riders.