Long-distance touring is an activity fraught with difficulties, not least of which is the challenge of getting things mended in remote locations. Thankfully, the river of human ingenuity runs deep one, as, reassuringly, does most people’s helpfulness.

These pictures come to us from Kirk Pyne, who was touring Japan when his rear pannier broke: “I managed to rffect a repair with some assistance from a local garage using sign language and huge amounts of gratitude. This involved using a piece of steel and some heavy duty wire, and lasted successfully for another 3,500km!”

That’s the top picture. Kirk’s woes weren’t over, though, for the other side of the rack also broke a few thousand kilometres later. With no inventive local garage to hand on this occasion, Kirk had to take matters into his own hands – on length of reinforcing bar and a quantity of cable ties (always a bodging favourite) and the lower picture was the result. Top work!