My mountain bike is out of action at the moment. The back tyre is flat and the front wheel can't even be connected to the bike as I managed to leave a vital component in my girlfriend's car last week on the way back from Bristol.

So today I cycled into work on my racing bike. It's a complete change of mindset using this light speed machine rather than my Hummer-esque mountain bike. Pot holes have to be given a very wide birth rather than being gleefully ridden over, for example.

Once I got into work, a couple of colleagues made very appreciative noises when they saw the beast. It may not be top of the range, but it still goes like the clappers and has a perculiar beauty that invites comments and backwards glances from many people who come into contact with its streamlined body.