Festive 500 2020
ugo.santalucia
Posts: 27,897
in Road general
A bit disappointed they no longer offer the woven roundel, they could have at least made it available for sale for a fiver or so... on the other hand the logo is so bad that it's probably for the better, what's that brown thing supposed to represent?
Anyway, who's planning on having a go this year?
Anyway, who's planning on having a go this year?
left the forum March 2023
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Someone could knock up a design for a roundel and make it available to buy on one of those merchandising websites. Downside would be that anyone would be able to buy it.
Work and family commitments usually mean I don't have the time for a serious attempt, but even Christmas Day this year looks promising for a couple of hours out.
Fitness is good, but I haven't done long distance this year, so 50 mile in this cold feels a bit of a stretch... hopefully it will be mild over Christmas... I'll have a go either way, worst case scenario I won't complete it
For me, this doesn't sit within the spirit of the Festive 500 that I've done every year, come rain or shine.
I might have done it had there been a woven badge though - I'm a bit of a collector, and I've got them all, plus all the Rapha Rising ones, did I mention that I 'won' the Rising in 2012 and 2013
The Zwift thing is ridiculous, but as I understand it's because of the various lockdowns...
I am however sure it will stick and every year it will be available as an option... and that will be the end of it, as a real world challenge
I am not sure. You have no chance.
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/pin-buttons
Cube Attain
Cube Attain
Bit of a hassle, but might give me something to do over the winter... I might talk to Rapha... obviously without their logo on it makes little sense
The items are usually pretty expensive though, probably covering the one off nature of each thing that's someone buys.
Ask rapha if you can have "ugo's festive 500" on them.
Physical roundel for physical rides, virtual badge on Zwift/Strava for the virtual rides (1000km for both). Sounds fair to me
Edit:- It was the other way round. Rapha made a charitable contribution if you chose not to get a roundel. I must have chosen to do both.
I am not sure. You have no chance.
I don't think that's very 'Rapha' to be honest.
I should add I have never attempted the Festive 500, that's about an average monthly distance for me at this time of year. I do a metric century every month, and chuck in the odd Imperial one in the warmer months, but I can't imagine doing 5 x 100 km rides in 8 days; it takes me about 3 days to get back on the bike after a long ride. So I can appreciate that anyone in the northern hemisphere that commits to this challenge and then completes it deserves a nod of respect. But indoors?! Most people I know are about 50% quicker indoors, so it will take them less time, less commitment. Never mind the faffing about with all the kit you need for outdoor riding, the extra time it takes to clean the bike/keep it roadworthy, the little nagging doubt that if it goes wrong out there at this time of year, things could get tricky, if not dangerous. What happens if something goes wrong in a Zwift session, you just get off.
I am not sure. You have no chance.
Regarding the Zwift thing - getting these miles in over Xmas has been tough some years with the weather, especially balancing riding opportunities against Xmas commitments. I see Zwift 500 as a real cop out.
I'll go to work as usual between Christmas and New Year, delivering late Christmas orders for the larger national carriers who haven't met their deadlines, while getting abused on the doorstep, as if it's my fault that peoples orders are late, when all we do is the last mile delivery.
500km? I probably do close to double that every year regardless as it's still so busy. This year will be no exception.
I hadn't even been aware that hitting 500km was some perceived challenge.
Go me
Cube Attain
Cube Attain
https://www.westerley.cc/festive-500-challenge/
However the indoor stuff counting is a game changer for me so I might have a crack this year.
For some they have no other alternative.
I've just checked last Christmas' data and I did just over 650km from the 27 - 31 Dec purely for work.
Add in some leisure riding on the other 3 days (I'm a sad, boring f*cker with no family commitments) and 1000km is quite achievable, I think.
Over a 10hr working day that's about 8mph with 40 miles being made up of delivery rounds and the rest made up with individual deliveries.
I'll be generous and round it down by 20%, call it 800km, so 500 miles instead.
Not too shabby
Thank the Lord for electric assist!
Always find it odd asking people to sponsor you to do something you do anyway for recreation.
Yeah, me too...
100% agree but you said it was a cop out not an achievement.
Of course half of the world population live where there is no winter to speak of or it is currently summer and certainly Rapha doesn't want to alienate that market.
And now the lockdown is the perfect opportunity to be even more inclusive and allow for indoor miles to count too. This will stick, whether we like it or not. Plenty of Rapha customers who never venture on the roads.
Ultimately they don't care about what a minority of us "real winter cyclists" think about the all matter. They want to sell clothes