The Rapha Festive 500

My dad had a stroke in July and yesterday I got a call from my mum saying that she thought he'd had another one.

He is in Ipswich hospital but going home tonight which means 50m to ingatestone and back, 1st class train with free coffee, 30m to their house and back. That leaves me with 20m to do on Saturday.

Every cloud and all that

Hope he’s ok.

Thanks. It was a seizure rather than another stroke so he should be ok.

I'll give him the roundel

Out in the Essex lanes today to rack up another 130 to bring total to 300k. It was ridiculously sketch, and was supposed to be 160 but one of my clubmates fell on sheet ice. Bad news for him; broke his hip and is going into surgery tomorrow. Think I'll be sticking to town unless there are warmer days.

It’s a really good route, super easy to follow and surprisingly flat. It gets hilly from Taunton though so it would be tough in one go, it was pretty tough just to get to Taunton, but given the achievements of some on here, it’s hard to say anything is impossible!

Well done everyone. Ain't going to happen for me this year, but managed to get out today, roaming the Somerset Levels once the ice had gone. Great to be reminded that it's fun to ride a bike.

Just hasn't been worth risking it on the roads the past couple of days. Had a great 40k in Epping today with my Tripster and collie. Only 330 more to go.

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Read a disproportionate number of stories of ice, falls and bone breakages this year.

I relocated to South East of France on Wednesday for NYE, finally seeing some gradients after the pan-flat countryside around my parents'. The 500m col was okay, the 1000m a little less so...

At 343km now.

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Looking out the window this morning there isn’t any ice, just a hurricane and pissing rain.

Pro tip.
Don’t leave your bum cream in the car overnight!

Goretex over shorts are brilliant, my rapha city jacket not so much, must need reproofing.

So how many of us appear on the LFGSS leaderboard, thats me in 13th.

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Aborted, girlfriend stacked it on icy road with a nice shiner to show for it.

If you're not from London's famous London you shouldn't be allowed in that Strava group.

5th and now having a few days off before doing 1 more ride

In that case I guess I'm currently in first position

Currently 15th on LFGSS, up to 389km after 60km of the worst weather wise of mine so far.

On 339km
https://www.strava.com/activities/1331778026

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Round and round and round we go: https://www.relive.cc/view/1331948529

I guess this is the kind of prejudice that set you apart from the rest of us 18 months ago.

Today I discovered my house to Regents Park for 16 laps and back is exactly 100km

Yes only global excellence counts.

Finished. Piece of piss in Australia. Enjoy shivering today and tomorrow folks*

*I won't be so smug when I move back to the uk next week.

Should be based on postcode, oh wait.....

English air in my tyres.