It’s something all bike commuters have experienced at one time or another, a flat tyre. A quick commute has turned into a trudge. And all the other commuters whizz by, of course the cycling community is a friendly one and someone might stop and help you out. But what if they don’t. What if you have to push the bike, for fear of damaging the rim all the way to work.

Most shops aren’t open and lets face it, when was the last time you seen an innertube in an express supermarket. Although to be fair to the small corner shops, I found hearing aid batteries in one where the supermakets didn’t.

It would be nice if these vending machines could be placed at strategic points along busy commuter routes, at train stations, outside cycle shops, at bike lock ups. Large offices with cycle storage could have them in that same area for convenience.