The Rapha Festive 500

Ill today so no ride, need to be better tomorrow or I'm not going to make the distance.

I was just lazy today :( Mañana...

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

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

Hardly in the spirit of things is it

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

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

That guy is 50 and he did the full ride (21 fucking HOURS) in one day, in between doing farm work during the same day. According to his bio and his comments, anyway. For some reason all this seemed almost normal when I read that he's also Irish.

anyone got a ride planned for boxing day, starting from London?

Mañana...

exactly what I kept saying to myself all this time, seeing this weather.

But it looks like it's not even going to be this year, when I complete this challenge, back to work after tomorrow.

unsubscribe

Woke up this morning to find the sun shining, was out the door like a flash and zipped round a new variant of my favourite course.

The flooded sections from yesterday had mainly drained, and the ones that remained had lost considerable depth, so my feet were dry when I got home.

The route that I did needs some work, but the new finish is an improvement so that can stay.

167Km done so far.

Same here, yesterday out in essex was about as charming as watching christmas telly. Todays sun was out, albeit it a bit windy but dry(ish)

274km so far,pretty poor, need to htfu

Fuck me, that was the hardest ride since Besançon-Pontarlier. Blinding rain, 100m visability, hail, 25% climbs, loads of wind and over 4,000ft of climbing. How I love that the last 12 miles weren't recorded. Can't wait to do it all again another 4 times. I think I might tell the Festive 500 to fuck right off. Devon and Dartmoor needs to be flatter.

I did one 60 mile ride on Christmas eve, ate/drank a lot yesterday, looked out of the window this morning, and have given up. I definitely need to meditate on rule #5!

Today hurt. I couldn't really be bothered but did 100k in zone 4 with a total of 44 seconds off the bike in the 3h 35m (ish) that it took.

Started about 12.30 today and got absolutely pissed on an hour later so decided to sack it off. Possibly th wettest week we've had in London all year.

For some reason I didn't put anything waterproof on today, so when it started raining 5 miles into todays ride the longer route got binned. Instead we rode through some faintly pretty villages in fenland's omnidirectional headwind and went to admire some of the floods.

The challenge is officially over and over an hour since getting home, my skin is still red from the cold. Epic suffering, shit riding. Next year.

mine has turned into the festive 5000

that will be 5 kg of chocolate consumed while waiting for the weather to clear

I did 45km today - as it was bright out. But I didn't strava it, thought I had pressed go but didn't.
I don't really care - It takes me to about 180ish km.
Supposed to do around another 140km tomorrow - but Im not sure I have the will power to not get drunk tonight.

Who completed this last year and was it worth it? Be honest, now.

Me, I (finally, this month) got my Roundel for it as well.

I quite enjoyed the challenge, this year it's a bit shit though due to the rain.

i did it last year and go the roundel, it was a fun reason to get on the bike

I've ended up doing this by default due to my Christmas dinner being served up 81miles away, and needing to be back for work today, with a distinct lack of transport options other than my beloved bike.

Got off to a rather inauspicious start, fixing my first puncture of 2012(!) in the pissing rain at 9am Christmas morning. I daresay I uttered more religious phraseology at this point than the Archbishop of Canterbury did all day.

Anyway, as a result of this I now find myself in the top 100 saddest cunts. I think I also have double trench foot...

Finished it last year and for personal reasons, it was worth it. balanced out the food intake and also forced me to get out there and ride, and stop being such a fanny when the weather wasn't sunny and lovely.

189km ridden so far, officially 1/3rd done. Back on track, just. All this wind can just fuck the fuck off.

Well, I'm off the mark at last.

The required daily average has gone up a bit though because I didn't get out on Christmas Eve or yesterday.

Festive 500 2012 Blog

189km ridden so far, officially 1/3rd done. Back on track, just. All this wind can just fuck the fuck off.

Glad you made it home H.

May go out tomorrow, think most of my gear has dried out since Monday

I need to get about 100 miles done tomorrow, anyone keen? Maybe Brighton and the turnaround, Essex lanes maybe, herne bay? Don't really know but fuck the weather I'm heading out. Same for the 31st, looking to do about 60-70 miles...