The Rapha Festive 500

^^ Yeah, I did a bit of that too.

Managed a slow 25 miles this afternoon. Must get up on time tomorrow and try and fit in 60 before the food is ready.

18.5 @ 19.5. Two bridges, a ferry and a beach. 25 to go for the year. Windy out.

^^ Yeah, I did a bit of that too.

There is something great about that route: proper head-down hard riding through the mud.

Well I left my elderly aunts umbrella in my flat so I think that's an excuse to save 15 odd quid on a return journey to Finsbury park so may squeeze in a quick 60 miler on Boxing Day before dinner to go and retrieve it

65km (40 miles) for me today. Fairly perfect conditions.

40 miles for me too. Positively balmy out there this morning. I went out in short sleeves and thin arm warmers and was having to strip off layers because I was boiling after an hour. I also saw a deer lying down in the park with a magpie hopping about on it's bum. The deer did not seem concerned.

Managed a mile to Waitrose. I see the roundel unravelling in my mind's eye...

My local Waitrose use to hire out trailers that attach to your bike to get your shopping home.

I never used it.

I couldn't develop the motivation to leave the house while it was chucking it down, so I waited for the torrential rain to stop (1pm) then headed out at 1.30.

I didn't want to ride in the dark so promised myself I'd be home by 4, so only did 40 miles, but it was utterly bonkers.

Water

(the worst of that bit was round the corner, but it wasn't really safe to take a photo).

Water

And more water

The worst bit was a few miles from home, when the water came up to my knees. There were also cars coming the other way (this was a fairly busy B road) creating quite big waves. You'll understand why I didn't get a photo of this bit...

This was my first 'proper' (if short) ride on the Pearson, so something of a baptism. Festive 500 wise, the Garmin only recorded some of it, so does that still count..?

Christ. Where are you, Fox? You'd be better off taking a surfboard at this rate.

I'm well on my way to my festive 50km

Was this in Essex, Pete?

No, Warwickshire. That's the river Avon about 5 miles outside of Warwick in the middle picture. I know Essex has been bad recently though.

It was fun, in an odd way. I was very glad of my mudguards though.

Merry Christmas to the festive 500 bunch. I hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas Day ride to counteract the gluttony of the day.

50 miles of Hampshire countryside, one dog bite, two flapjacks and I rode through three sections of road that would have been easily mistaken for rivers.

Bring on the turkey

60 miles out into the Cotswolds, one mars bar, one wee stop, no dog bites (hope it's not serious). I attempted to cross the ford at Fulready and failed, fell into over three feet of freezing cold water.

Invigorating.

Looking at it on the wet roads site there is a footbridge, but I couldn't see that as it was covered in water. Thought I'd have enough momentum to get through, turns out 8kg bike + 59kg of rider is no match for the watery power of a flooded stream :/

Phone currently drying in a box of rice, but I think it's ok. Turkey destroyed.

Christmas Day! The best day of the year for my South London Hill Loop. Came over very lazy so only did 25 miles.

Saw a RAINBOW

Edit: rainbow is barely visible in this pic. It started to disappear as I was taking my phone out! This is the first time in my entire life I've watched a rainbow vanish so this was immensely exciting to me.

1 Attachment

This guy has already finished his 500k. Stunning/crazy effort.

http://app.strava.com/activities/33907295

I plan to start this tomorrow with a Plymouth-Tavistock-Totnes-Plymouth loop that'll take me over Dartmoor. Should be around the 65 mile mark. All flood dependant!

I am going to have a crack at this tomorrow- hopefully fewer flood-water required re-routes than today: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2014437

You not riding with XH?

I cook Christmas dinner - so no ride for me. Plus the 12 drinks of christmas was a bad idea last night and spent the morning in bed.

May just pootle round the coast for 40-50 miles tomorrow or go swimming.

Day after boxing day- if he's still up for it given the weather.

Bothwell I saw a rainbow too. I'd like to think it was the same one.

XH will probably say he's coming then bedwet at the last minute.

^ Probably the same rainbow out getting its own miles in to try to beat us.

Btw I figured I would do the London Classic route from earlier this year but April was before I got a Garmin so I didn't have the GPS for the route. I searched on Strava for it and clicked on the first "London Classic" activity result thinking 'I'll just stalk this guy's map, he'll do' then I had a look at his profile and he turns out to be you. Spookeh.