Rapha Festive 500 Challenge.

cunavalos

Hadn't spotted this as i am an irregular Strava user. Haven't done anything of note on the bike all year and with added work pressure gained somewhere between 10-15 kg. Feeling sorry myself and with significant annual leave remaining booked 10 days in Gran Canaria over Christmas.

I am familiar with the set up here and have been here several times when lighter and fitter. I only have an old Garmin gps watch with a dodgy battery so have not been able to log all rides on Strava but my trip computer indicates 490+km completed since the 24th. i have 2 days cycling left so will probably finish with something just over 900km for the 10 days.

Weather has been grand for cycling (18-22C) if a little windy but not great for sunworshippers and armwarmers would not go amiss in the higher mountains.

As i said i have been over here before at this time of year and there are less cycists around this and from talking to the guys at the bike rental shop they say it is due to the milder winter and most europeans have able to train normally well into november / december at home so didnt see the need for warm weather training yet. There is a small smathering of pros around training away but no team camps at the moment, a couple of ex Lampre riders and two guys from Trek spotted at different stages.

Obviously finding it much more difficult with the extra weight and average speed is close to 20 km/h so 100km spins are taking 5-6 hours so a long day in the saddle but has somewhat reignited the cycling bug in me again.

DanDublin1982

Up to about 230. Hoping to get to 300+ by tomorrow and maybe close to 400 by Friday leaving me with a fighting chance of making it to 500 on Saturday.

Planet X

So, that's me finished.
https://www.strava.com/activities/814680712

4 Rides.
6 Days.
508k.

Got up this morning 7'ish to find the rear wheel flat. Got the micro wire out of the tyre. Lucky yesterday obviously.

Thanks for all the "Thankseseses". It encouraged me.
Did three 200 Audaxes at the start of the year, two single rides since then, and nothing much else.



Have a great New Year.

dahat

Day 4 of my attempt to do this on 5 consecutive days...

Out early as usual and decided to head to Cahir then The Vee via Ballylooby which was fine till about halfway up The Vee when the fog closed in quickly. Visibility was maybe 10 feet and descending into Lismore was very hairy till it cleared. I managed to clip a sheep as well which could have been messy only for the snails pace due to the fog.

Into Lismore then cappaquinn then home via Ballmacarbary, great spin and leaves me with 53km to do tomorrow.

114km at 28.3 AVG and 932m of elevation...

Planet X

You're sorted. Well done.

nilhg

Done and dusted here too, had to go to an event in the town last night (thought it was tonight), had a few pints but luckily enough got offered a lift home before I did any real harm but was slow to get going this morning. Given the circumstances I stuck mainly to the side roads, just hitting Stradbally for a strong pick me up coffee.

Once I thawed out a pleasant enough day out,

https://www.strava.com/activities/814781228

Won't know what to do with myself now tomorrow, might have to go and do some work......

wanderer 22

Well done to all so far. My attempt has fizzled out, fitness levels are shocking at the moment. Still, the rest of ye should be happy, makes you look better ;-)

devonp

day 6, done
https://www.strava.com/activities/814880013

out as far as Ballivor, Athboy, Trim, back to Maynooth(very tempted to turn left for home), onto a familar route of Rathcoffey, Clane, Ardclough, Celbridge and home...cheers to all

halvis

Well done lads, impressive. A great week for it, but still tough I bet.

dahat

halvis wrote: »

Well done lads, impressive. A great week for it, but still tough I bet.

Fine weather helps alot and I'm sure if it wasn't so good I'd be passing on it.

This is my first attempt at it so I'm quite chuffed to do it in 5 days.

DanDublin1982

Got another 80km in today so roughly 190 to go. Its doable but I just hope the weather holds out.

P_1

Well done lads. Bloody gutted I couldn't do it this year.

Wishbone Ash

Planet X wrote: »

151k today...up NCD for a change, nice peachy roads compared to the back lanes I was on in Kildare.
"Yizzer have it easy up there"

https://www.strava.com/activities/813845498....

According to your Strava route, you weren't anywhere near NCD!

Planet X

Yeah well......loosely, across the river

dahat

Completed the challenge today, 64km with an AVG of 30.9, felt good so used a little more gas than normal while trying out some big ring climbing on small digs.

Going to take a while day off now and the 2017 journey begins on New Years Day....

fat bloke

Festive 500 me hole. 70k Stephens Day and laid up since with a sore throat.

Grrrr

Eamonnator

Just back from spin. This was in doubt to the end, but I did it.
512 kms in total with 3,500 metres of climbing at an average speed of 28.3kph.
Day off tomorrow, then Duleek Parish Spin on Monday.

DanDublin1982

Got to 373 with yesterday's effort but just couldn't get myself out of the bed this morning and with plans for the rest of the day I decided to just knock it on the head. Feels weird thaty cycling is done for the year but tomorrow is another year so off I go again.

sann

sann wrote:

Day 2. 102k. Horrible. Headwind every way I turned and wasn't feeling 2 fresh from previous day. Will probably pull it back a bit tomorrow but well on track thankfully!!

sann wrote:

Day 1 . 109k. Nice conditions. New set of Zondas so I had an extra bit of motivation to get out on the bike.

sann wrote:

Day 2. 102k. Horrible. Headwind every way I turned and wasn't feeling 2 fresh from previous day. Will probably pull it back a bit tomorrow but well on track thankfully!!

sann wrote:

Day 1 . 109k. Nice conditions. New set of Zondas so I had an extra bit of motivation to get out on the bike.

Day 3 was another 102k. That was Thursday.
Knew I was leaving myself with 180k left and only 2 days.
Didn't manage to get out yesterday so I knew the game was up.
Day 4 (Today) 105k.
So that's a fail for me.
No excuses bar pure and other laziness midweek.
Ah well it's still 400 odd k in a week that I'm sure won't do any harm.
Well done to all who completed.

nilhg

Might as well finish this out, 104km today on the club spin took me to 617km for the challenge, got me over the 100,000M climbing for the year as well.
Lovely day for the job, in a lovely part of the world.

https://www.strava.com/activities/816770845

ford2600

nilhg wrote: »

Might as well finish this out, 104km today on the club spin took me to 617km for the challenge, got me over the 100,000M climbing for the year as well.
Lovely day for the job, in a lovely part of the world.

https://www.strava.com/activities/816770845

No work done I suppose?

Shame on you, best Xmas weather ever 😀

nilhg

ford2600 wrote: »

No work done I suppose?

Shame on you, best Xmas weather ever 😀

Went hedgecutting yesterday, all the cyclists heading up Dunmurry Hill were giving me dirty looks so I decided to leave them in peace and go cycling myself today...........

Eamonnator

nilhg wrote: »

Went hedgecutting yesterday, all the cyclists heading up Dunmurry Hill were giving me dirty looks so I decided to leave them in peace and go cycling myself today...........

I always give hedge cutters a dirty look.

wanderer 22

Great Festive 500 story! http://road.cc/content/news/215079-there-are-heroic-failures-and-then-theres-cyclists-attempt-do-rapha-festive-500