The Rapha Festive 500

Oh noes! throws tantrum

???

Fair enough. Chapeau for getting all of them.

I really must ride over to you and collect that lightweight bum-perch at some point...

Something to carry on a Sunday ride and put under the cup off tea at the break.

Rapha doesn't endorse tea.

Artisanal coffee or gtfo?

The postcards were a much nicer idea as they gave you some context - number of riders etc, be nice to see them return at some point.

That's a good haul

Any chance you 1 x 500 this year? I'm thinking about it.

Slim. I'm in Oz and did have a look for some audaxes but the thought of riding around in 40 degree heat for a day doesn't fill me with joy and if I was to do a partly night ride, I'd need to take lights and light mounts and think about how to carry food because there's nothing around which means bags of some kind and my bike is fucked so I'm already planning on carting back a 10spd groupset to replace the worn out 9spd groupset on my road bike there so I dunno. Too much hassle basically.

Yes much better weather in Europe.

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It'll be my second xmas in Oz in a dozen years. Also going to explore some of Asia (on foot).

Fuck Europe.

Could do 2x250km and skip the light situation

Thought you like Mallorca and Poland? 500 is 36h I believe in audax you can easy do that with lots of sleep during daytime. We of course will go tekkno and not sleep at all.

Yeah, it's more that doing 500k over here when the weather is a pile of shit is a nice excuse to get out in between parties. Doing the festive 500 in Oz though when it's cutting into time I could be spending with friends and family I don't see very often is a different matter.
I was planning on getting some riding done but perhaps not the F500 this year.

Enjoyed the 500 2 years ago. This year it will be a purely vicarious experience.

I am thinking of it.

Good man. Are you on the ACH mailing list?

I do like them but I'm not going to either for xmas.

I had a look and found the TransOz audax route goes through my parentals town...
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/5544749

my first realistic chance of doing it this year as less family nonsense to do. reckon i'm gonna go down a strategy of 4 or 5 mid sized rides. no epic slogs and no pointless 20k tootles. Would love to get a few hours in on xmas morning but can't see it happening.

I'm going to try to include the South Downs way (or, rather, sections thereof) this year.

Looks good but you really could get lost on that one.

If anyone could get lost on an out and back in the outback it's me.

perfect get out clause this year - am having knee surgery on the 20th December

i cant be arsed this year