When I got home from the ride last weekend, I plonked the bike in the backyard and made plans to give it a good wash and degrease - it looked (and sounded) like it had just been trawled out of the Black Lagoon.
After fluffing around for a few hours, I went back to start the cleanup and discovered that the front tyre was flat. After pulling out the tube, I found that the tube stem had separated from the tube - never seen that before. How I got home without it going flat is beyond me.
As I was changing the tube, I had a good look at the tyre and found that it was stuffed - time for replacement. It was covered in innumerable nicks and cuts and was worn to the point where it's clear lots of punctures are going to happen. I cursed the tyre as I refitted it, making a mental note to buy one this week. It was an absolute bastard to get back over the rim - I thought I was going to dislocate my thumbs in the process.
As I packed away my stuff, I found two new tyres, still in their packaging, sitting in my bike box. I'd ordered them on line earlier this year and forgotten about them....