I "banked" February on Saturday, here's my day copied from lunacy chat.
I was so sensible this weekend. I was entered for the very foodie Flapjack 100km Audax from Chippenham on Sunday, with it being 46km each way it's easy to round up to 200km.
By Wednesday I was thinking even I was not lunatic enough for forecast 50mph winds and seriously wet, given I'd be riding home at least 2 hours in the dark into rain and storm headwind. So I developed a Plan B as Saturday weather was looking lovely, well lovely for February. No ice, sunny spells, no rain and a stiff south westerly. I submitted the same DIY route I did this time last year to make sure February was in the bank, and again persuaded the husband to accompany me with a promise of breakfast at McDs in Bath at 30km after the Railway Path. Through the Two Tunnels and turned west at Norton St Phillip and the climbing started. Once up onto the Mendips, with the vast majority of the climbing done by 70km mark, I let him whizz off down to Chew Valley and home in time for rugby after 100km and I whizzed down Cheddar Gorge (no hail this year) and battled into the headwind round to Glastonbury. a fairly quick cafe stop for very lovely and effective GF almond protein brownie and a pint of tea at Heaphys.
Then the chase was on to try and get my speed up and minimise dark riding. A crosswind all the way to Burnham on Sea, I made sure I ate something every hour now so a quick stop in Highbridge on the bike path to admire the boats. Through Burnham, up to Brean and the loop round to Weston. Suddenly it got very snarled up at the end of the prom towards the pier. There was a very effective Climate Emergency demo on opposing the proposed expansion at Bristol Airport, the whole parade was crossing the road with security holding traffic at the pier, so I passed all the traffic and waited patiently at the crossroads, I had a lot of time for this hold up. The attendants kept apologising and I said no need.
I stopped and took some pics of the choreographed "flight marshalls" and banners over the wall and waved encouragement and went on my way. Past the ruined pier and I was thinking what it would be like to be here tomorrow (ie Sunday) when Storm Ciara arrives.
I'm hammering as fast as my solid body allows, last year the main road to Congresbury was horrific in the dark and rain, it's still light and exactly the same weekend. It didn't get dark until after Clevedon and I'd had the benefit of tailwind, whoosh. A quick photo of the pier at dusk and half a roll to get me home, and the last hill out of Clevedon and the very familiar roads back to Nailsea finishing with my commute. The kilometrage was only 0.9km over 200, but enough that I don't have to do any circuits and bumps round the houses.
I really made the most of a great day, given 8 people out of 150 did turn up to start Flapjack on Sunday but the forecast weather had well and truly arrived and was forecast to get even worse than previous forecast, so was cancelled.
I do find riding long distance on the levels hard though, my quads were aching on Sunday, but I was chuffed to get in under 11 hours elapsed time and 9 hours riding time, 22.2kmh. I'm loving my Aftershokz headphones for such riding, I can still hear cars as they are bone conducting, I rode like the wind to the border of Mexico
Music got me home from Glastonbury.
Unethically flat 1200m and minimal distance 200.9km but plenty good enough for imperial
Having not ventured deep into Herefordshire for a while I'd forgotten about the "make do and mend" road maintenance philosophy, but the scenery invariably provides ample compensation. And with the total absence of any discernible wind, at times the peace was simply breathtaking.
110 miles & probably more 'unethically pancake flat' than @Aravis ride 
