Rapha Festive 500 Challenge.

dahat

dahat wrote: »

Joined, not a hope of completing it tbh but I'll get 250k in I'd say.

2 days in, nothing done but got the go ahead from the Mrs to do 500k in 5 days without threat of divorce!!

Starting tomorrow with club spin, likely 110km then 8am starts each day. Such an undertaking should result is the Xmas excess being burned off and a little extra as well hopefully...

sann

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

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!!

Weepsie

Day 1, woke up all groggy and had stuff to do before heading to parents house for a few days. Managed a very wet 20 km that was very enjoyable. Day 2, woke up feeling like death. I'm dropping out and just going to enjoy my cycling in when I'm all better.

wanderer 22

Slow & hilly 65k on the cx bike today; lovely day for a spin but I was close to bonking on kilmashogue :-o
https://www.strava.com/activities/811816545

sann

Nothing today. Too much other stuff on. Conditions were perfect. Legs needed a rest anyway. Back to it tomorrow.

Planet X

Just got in before the sun dipped, 153k down to Monasterevin and back.
Gorgeous day for it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/811953025

Too much "backlaneing" for my liking. though nice and quaint it's hard enough.

devonp

day 3, around the bay, 103Km, urban cycling=too many traffic lights....

nilhg

Had to be home before lunchtime so today's spin was a 95km loop down to the South of Kildare.

https://www.strava.com/activities/811732198

Hopefully I'll be less confined for time tomorrow so might get a bit over the halfway mark, depending on how early I can get out if there's frost

easygoing39

I dont know,but the wind since Xmas Eve has been a bastad.In other years I had to work the 27th Dec,so had 450km in the bank after the 1st 3 days.This year I'm at 130km and its all because mentally the strong winds have me head wreacked!!! Hoping for less wind for the week ahead so I can get to 500km.

dahat

118k done today...Jumped on the Carrick Wheelers spin right at the end as they went past us and a bit of stupidity nearly brought me down though happy I was able to jump across here n there at pace.

All set for another 100k tomorrow with a club spin for Wednesday so giving myself every chance of getting the 500k in on time.

wanderer 22

Another 65k spin today ; 308 needed in 4 days...

Planet X

Well done.
Getting out tomorrow for, hopefully a ton+.
Spent the morning wiring up my front and rear dynamo lights........and fighting a slight hangover

wanderer 22

I have to get a 100km in tomorrow or its not going to happen :-p

nilhg

141km through Kildare, Offaly and Laois today, the first 50km or so were as cold as I've been on the bike for a long time, just couldn't seem to get or stay warm, made a pit stop in Mountrath for a big bowl of soup and a mug of hot coffee and that seemed to do the trick, felt a bit better after that, the idea of making a run for home that had been forming in the back of my head receded and I completed the intended route. Found it a hard day though, worse than the stats would suggest, hopefully I'm not cooking some sort of bug, time will tell I suppose.

https://www.strava.com/activities/812822100

Started the day with 179km done in round figures, after today I've 179km to do to finish, so not a bad days work.

Got over 11K for the year today too and 98,000M climbing, it'll be tempting to try and get a day in the hills to round that out before the weekend, will have to wait and see how the body and legs are first though.

dahat

Day 2 for me....

Out early doors and noticed I have a saggy chain in 34 11 and with my LBS closed I'm in two minds as to wether I can continue on the winter bike.

102km done on a spin to Tipp Town and back via Cahir with a trip to Kilsheelan to extend the Kms, average of 29.43km which was a little to quick tbh giving that I have another 280km to do.

Hauki

I had high hopes for this challenge as I had literally nothing planned for the week. I figured that this would make good warm-up for the upcoming 2 weeks that I'll be spending cycling in Tenerife. But no, flu and fever settled in as soon as I got off from work on Friday and there's no end in sight for this

nilhg

94km with 3 lads from the club this morning leaves me with 85 to go, sooner it's done the better, legs starting to feel it, especially trying to keep up with fresh lads.

https://www.strava.com/activities/813697876

Planet X

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

All solo rides

About 80k left. 420 ridden.

Playing a Christmas Squash Tournament starting Friday 3:30, Old Belvedere. Could be tight!

devonp

day 5, 86Km today (tired) after a rest day y'day
might try PlanetX's route to knock it on the head with something a bit flatter but want to avoid R roads if possible...on we pedal(hopefully)

Planet X

Yeah.....I did a massive 382m elevation gain today in 152K.

dahat

Out today and another 106km to add to the total.

3 of us on a club spin and did the last 35km solo, legs feel surprisingly good given 3 consecutive days of 100km plus spins, 327km done at this point.

I am going to try get a 120km spin tomorrow to make the last leg on Friday a gentle coffee spin.

Roll on tomorrow...

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.