The Rapha Festive 500

Sacking it off. It was cold today and I’d rather be at home with a drink and a cheese board

Regents was Chopper City, Utah

200km done.
Tier 4 audaxing in london is shit

53 miles on a fully loaded cargo bike dropping off gifts and collecting shopping etc. Hard work.

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50 miles into a 60 mile ride my saddle rail clamp bolt fat-shamed me, luckily only meters away from a bike shop, unluckily it had closed for Xmas already. Uber XL to the rescue

0 miles done. Started off steady.

Well done all who braved it

What’s the run equivalent of this? Festive 50km? Just curious, need a little run target for the school hols

I reckon it'd be about 125km / 77 miles

That's going by a century ride being roughly equivalent to a marathon. I reckon that's probably a bit far though.

50 miles?

I watched a few hundred metres of two-lane road disappear under lapping brown river Severn water.

It was weird. I've never watched a flood like that (in real time) before.

50km around Regents this morning as I bottled going out to Epping with two flats. Both seem to have sealed now though. Planning another 50km this evening to drop off a present

Yeah it’s scary in places, that’s why I ditched ride #2 today, it seemed a bit irresponsible to be riding unfamiliar roads in the dark in those conditions. 70km behind schedule now but I’d left myself 2 days spare.

Christmas presents dropped off near Matlock, 125km in bag. Had planned on about 100km but needed to detour around the iced over moors this morning.

Phone battery couldn't handle it though and gave out half way home, so officially only up to 84km. \o/

Did the Pearson "Weald" route, modified to include Box Hill (because why not) -- Freezing 120k in under 6 hours with 7am start, the headwind was demoralising. (50 minutes spent on takeaway coffee in Reigate, two floodings and some photo/food stops)
Not sure if it was above-board tiers-wise though, fed up trying to understand the guidance.

Came back and got my flu shot, so we'll see how the rest goes (fever and all). Cinnamon is open everyday for the rest of the year, so multiple bun runs are possible.

lmao everyone's ride reports making this sound v appealing

106km today, cold feet - what is this?

A) Passion: a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for someone or something.
B) Hobby: considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment
C) Chore: a tedious but necessary task
D) A strange mixture of everything above

Well done to all who got out. Was nice to have a bit of a reason to ride outside having spent the last 2 months on the trainer (I am soft). Did not feel like riding this morning but had prepped everything last night so did the old ‘I’ll just do 10k...’ trick and ended up with 100 in the bag. Cold wind in Kent today but otherwise lovely to be out.

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Reading these posts is making me feel quite pathetic for riding the turbo...

72km this afternoon going through Woldingham Valley. Lovely ride but found it absolutely brutal, haven't got it in me this year. I've barely ridden outdoors in the past 3 months and just can't deal with the cold and wind. Also getting some pretty serious hand pain.

Cheese and port for the rest of the year, good luck and chapeau to all who plough on.

I’m literally only doing it as its something like 12,000 calories worth to offset the 15 different bits of cheese in my fridge currently

Still beats not riding at all...

the inside of my fridge smells like a war crime due to its cheese contents

12.1km around Peaslake before lack of food made me pack it in, I suspect I won’t make the 500k this year.

-5c forecast tomorrow.

DNF written all over this year

Take your cheese out of your fridges you absolute animals.

I don’t mind if it ends up DNF for me, it’s making me feel motivated to get out in the weather which I’ll inevitably enjoy once I’m out of the door. That and getting baked at 7am and rolling round the countryside traffic-free.

The 80mph winds forecast for Boxing day have made me sack off the gentle walk I was planning. If you head out on your bike that day, you're properly mental