'That doesn't look right'.

Mark glanced at my rear wheel and spotted one of the bearing seals was fitted badly.

I took the wheel off and he removed the seal. It was completely the wrong size and I had never realised. It had been fitted quite a while ago.

More worringly he then discovered one of the bearings was completely knackered. I had asked Clayton Enslin to replace all the wheel bearings 1,000km ago as part of my big preventative maintenance plan before heading north through Africa.

It had clearly never been changed and would have failed, probably in the middle of nowhere and more likely have caused me to crash.

I was really angry but also relieved it could be fixed.

Another lucky escape.

Visit www.fowb.co.uk for more details on this and previous trips.