The Rapha Festive 500

I agree with you tbf. Where's the challenge in riding 500k in 8 days of balmy antipodean summer?

I'm going to steal a patio heater from a pub and engineer some micro climate ultimate winter bicycle.

Well that's my bike ready to roll. Bring it on Winter!

I should probably find myself a water bottle though.

Wakey Wakey.
Not a bad day to start weather wise. Feels like quite a challenge ahead for me personally.
Good luck everyone

I would get going but I cleaned my bike yesterday and it’d be a shame to make it mucky!

Have c380km I’m planned down to my parents on Boxing Day (very understanding wife letting me have 2 days off) but not sure I’ll manage the other 120km

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https://www.strava.com/activities/1325181006

80k in the wind and rain today on a single speed. Not having ridden my bike since September, I have a mountain to climb:(

I'm a Festive 500 and Strava virgin. May I ask, do I upload the miserable facts from my device to Strava as I tick them off? Not sure how to record it.

Ta.

Chapeau!!

Is the latest fashion accessory to have those massive saddle packs now?

Or should this question be in the 'hipster' thread?

I'm out.

@Sainsburys_Ed is doing a two day ride, having some luggage is understandable. Bikepacking thread >>>

On the first day of #500 Rapha gave to me, two cars written off at York Gate

I’ve just been having a moan about that on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/sparkes/status/944909335834038273

A lazy 50km done this morning as I woke up at 7 then accidentally snoozed till 9. 80km tomorrow 100 on boxing day then ride to Leicester on the 27th which might be a shock to the system haha

I'm on the Lagavulin now.

Headed out early then had to cut things short when I lost a crown to an energy bar.

It’s now been bonded back in place and I’ll have a crack at a longer ride tomorrow.

Clocked up just a smidge over 100km today with two friends, one who doesn't really ride, I was pretty impressed with his effort. Two stops one for breakfast the other for a pint.
Carters hill is rubbish!

Messy. Fire brigade required. Both windscreens smashed so hope drivers ok. Half an hour later, fight between two Porsche drivers on the other side of the Park!

Managed 163km, I was on the road before 6:00 and back just before 12:00. Totally got the weather wrong, the forecast was for grey sky’s but pissing rain turn up about 20 minutes in. I hate not being in the right clothes.

get out

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163k! suitably impressed

Don't think I'll trouble the 500 mark but got just shy of 100 done riding Rugby to Cheltenham. Fixed and all into a headwind It was a bit of a slightly, but the coffee and turkey and cranberry latice in Shipston on stour was first rate, particularly with the local brass band choir knocking out some festive tunes.

All went wrong descending Cleeve Hill though. Chain snapped at nearly 30mph which on the fixed shits you up. All ok though and was only 4km from home so my little brother could come rescue me from where i could coast to.

Hard and mucky day in the saddle though.

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130km fixed today through the quantocks then out towards Glastonbury along the Somerset levels. Stopped at The Sheppey (which is a revelation of a pub - really nice!) for a beer and some chips, then headed back the way I came into a headwind and again into the hills. The Quantocks are really not the ideal place to be riding fixed, but I make this mistake every time I bring a bike back to visit. Tough and muddy day.

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How much for the 10 chips?

all into a headwind

Kudos for that, I rode from Leamington to Inkberrow (the village the Archers is based on) and back for Sunday lunch with a friend from the States in 'The Old Bull', so a similar trajectory.

I managed to resist asking for a pint of Shires or calling the nice lady behind the bar Sid...

The 19mph headwind on the way out was pretty brutal, but you'll know that.

The ride back was hard due to Sunday roast + two pints of 'Shires' (actually Wye Valley HPA which was excellent) in my stomach.

Also, Mary Arden's house is very wonky.

Where in Shipston serves this famous turkey and cranberry latice?

30k today, morale is low no pics, western Scotland is grim all the time save for a couple of days in May and June.

Hoping for a better return tomorrow.

Merry Christmas to you all.