Post by: mattc on 28 December, 2017, 09:09:27 am
In case you've never heard of this:
(click to show/hide)
This is the first year I've given it a go. I'm currently bang on schedule after 4 days, but feeling that this is harder than I expected! No bad thing of course.
My point is that I feel this has given me a small insight into Steve's world. It's not like any other riding I've done, and it weirdly distorts how/when you ride.
Shall I sit here until it gets a little warmer? I can still do a nice ride, or get a good "session" in if that's why you ride. but NOOOO! Time really is miles! The clock is ticking, even as I type this. You even realise that route-planning is wasted time.
But Matt, you've done tons of Audax kms, isn't this the same shit? Well sort of ... but you have a more defined schedule then. There is a sort of self-imposed pressure here, there is too much temptation to put off the miles until later in the week.
And then there's route choice - suddenly that hill you enjoy seems a really stupid idea. And you find yourself taking the bypass route instead of cutting through the houses. Or main roads over your usual nice laney option. A really smooth bit of tarmac has you tempted to ride up-and-down it 5 times. And of course doing an extra lap of the estate when you get home, just because! Off-road? Sod that, I'll need twice the time - better to ride on that icey road again.
You make weird choices - I'll cycle to some distant shop for stuff I don't really need, instead of walking to the local shops for stuff you really will need quite soon. I even found myself resenting our regular christmas morning walk - that's several hours of daylight wasted! I considered carrying the GPS - noone's gonna check, are they??
I haven't really found the words to describe this properly ... perhaps I should just get out there again!
Post by: T42 on 28 December, 2017, 09:33:58 am
Oh well.
Post by: psyclist on 28 December, 2017, 09:38:03 am
This year has actually been really good. Firstly, I normally work on Christmas Eve, but this year I could schedule a 200km ride to kick start the challenge. Secondly the weather has on the most part been favourable, and there are blocks of reasonable conditions over the next few days that will help.
I get the pressure element of the challenge. Assuming you miss a day or two due to family commitments or adverse weather, the average mileage needed on other days quickly escalates. I've not really thought about changing the routing to make the challenge any easier ... and hopefully now reading your experience won't start to bug me and make me keep thinking about those smooth bits of flat tarmac.
Post by: phantasmagoriana on 28 December, 2017, 09:51:33 am
Currently on 395k - today is a non-cycling day (travelling back home, involving lots of train faff) but I'll probably get 20km to the station a bit later. Was hoping to get it finished tomorrow with a nice flat A-road 100k, but the weather forecast is for heavy snow. :-\ Ah well, at least I've got Saturday and Sunday (both forecast to be rainy, but I can deal with that) in hand.
Post by: grams on 28 December, 2017, 09:58:06 am
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 28 December, 2017, 10:05:22 am
Post by: Bairn Again on 28 December, 2017, 12:02:39 pm
I'm wary of anything that tempts me out when I know its not sensible to do so (see also "RRTY")
Last few days in Edinburgh have most definitely been unsuitable for cycling, Ive not even cycled to work yesterday or today and that's only 4km each way.
Instead of the 500 Ive committed to doing a serious wattbike session at the gym each day. O:-)
Post by: mattc on 28 December, 2017, 12:04:19 pm
Each year it reminds me how dull riding miles for their own sake isIndeedy!
...
Makes you wonder; would you rather be in Steve's shoes, or Amanda's?
Post by: whosatthewheel on 28 December, 2017, 12:11:19 pm
Horses for courses
Post by: mattc on 28 December, 2017, 12:14:55 pm
Never understood the point of the R***a festive 500, as I have never understood the point of pretty much all Strava monthly challenges... if you want to go out on the bike over Christmas, then do so, if you don't, then don't see how such a pointless challenge would make you want to do so... or whether doing so is actually any good for you in the icy season.But isn't it just another variation on RRTY? [which - as our covert poster from Edinburgh mentioned - has its drawbacks in winter]
Horses for courses
Post by: Karla on 28 December, 2017, 01:12:50 pm
Post by: whosatthewheel on 28 December, 2017, 01:27:11 pm
Never understood the point of the R***a festive 500, as I have never understood the point of pretty much all Strava monthly challenges... if you want to go out on the bike over Christmas, then do so, if you don't, then don't see how such a pointless challenge would make you want to do so... or whether doing so is actually any good for you in the icy season.But isn't it just another variation on RRTY? [which - as our covert poster from Edinburgh mentioned - has its drawbacks in winter]
Horses for courses
It's worse.
With RRTY you have 30 days to find a decent one to fit in a long ride... with this you need to find realistically 5 or more days to ride in a shorter space of time. In practice you will have to gamble with being able to stay upright.
Besides, with RRTY your name will be etched forever in a restricted list of individuals... what do you get for your Rapha 500...? If at least they sent you a discount voucher... ;D
Post by: Paul H on 28 December, 2017, 01:49:15 pm
Post by: Paul H on 28 December, 2017, 01:55:38 pm
what do you get for your Rapha 500...? If at least they sent you a discount voucher... ;DI think they do send a discount voucher, though I've never used it, doesn't reduce stuff to sale prices.
As it's become more popular, the size of the badge has become smaller and it's presentation simpler.
Post by: L CC on 28 December, 2017, 01:57:56 pm
It's incredibly rude for your family, totally selfish and utterly pointless. But I do like the badges and the year that Mr Smith and I did it together it was really quite nice, and we bought the t shirt.
Miles for the sake of miles can be a total soul destroying grind.
Post by: Feanor on 28 December, 2017, 02:53:16 pm
I did it as 4 rides of between 100 and 160k, so half days pretty much.
My wife was working on the days I rode, and the kids were mostly still in bed.
Icy conditions meant I had to do repeats of the same stretch of the A93 main road out Deeside.
All the rides were bloody cold; Braemar is not renowned for its warm winters.
I got caught up in snowstorms yesterday and today for a short while!
The café in Ballater has a nice woodburner which I made full use of.
Not sure I'd bother doing it again, though.
Post by: Kim on 28 December, 2017, 03:03:59 pm
Riding the Gritted Roads And Not Too Far From A Railway loop over and over is only fun if you've just recovered from an injury and are grateful for every mile (I did quite well on getting out on the bike last winter, even if I wasn't achieving much mileage), and that's what winter mileage targets tend to result in. Sod that.
Kudos to those with higher levels of masochism/determination/not giving a fuck.
Post by: nextSibling on 28 December, 2017, 04:01:07 pm
Post by: dim on 28 December, 2017, 04:07:05 pm
This year I had high expectations to do the 500 .... but bailed out :-[
Post by: whosatthewheel on 28 December, 2017, 04:09:33 pm
Kudos to those with higher levels of masochism/determination/not giving a fuck.
I have the opposite approach.. I resent those stupidly going out in the ice and then resorting to ambulances and A&E, whilst supported by a hoard of "thumb up mate". I am pretty sure at some point someone will have to pick up the bill for their behaviour, being that in the form of compulsory helmets/protective gear to wear at all times or two wheel organised activities being banned over the winter months.
I normally refrain from giving anybody any kudos if they have been out in the ice... I don't think there is anything brave, remarkable or clever in doing so
Post by: jiberjaber on 28 December, 2017, 04:13:11 pm
This year I noticed I could crack 10,000 miles for the year by doing the Rapha 500 and hatched a plan with a 150 km starter of Xmas eve. This was the opps to what I had originally planned as I had brought a bike with me up to my parents with CX tyres to do some riding up in the moors.... When I got up at 06:00 and saw the wind I decided it wasn't for me this year, I did that headwind grind last year and the thought of 5 hours over the Yorkshire Moors in to a 20 mph headwind. On reflection, I think I made the right decision I still got some great lumpy rides in with stunning scenery but avoided over cooking and ice related incidents.
Kudos to them that get through it, it really is tougher than it sounds. :thumbsup:
Post by: Feanor on 28 December, 2017, 04:18:06 pm
Kudos to those with higher levels of masochism/determination/not giving a fuck.
I have the opposite approach.. I resent those stupidly going out in the ice and then resorting to ambulances and A&E, whilst supported by a hoard of "thumb up mate". I am pretty sure at some point someone will have to pick up the bill for their behaviour, being that in the form of compulsory helmets/protective gear to wear at all times or two wheel organised activities being banned over the winter months.
I normally refrain from giving anybody any kudos if they have been out in the ice... I don't think there is anything brave, remarkable or clever in doing so
Even on icy days, it's perfectly possible to stick to well-treated main roads and avoid high ground.
You just have to choose your days, and your routes.
Post by: whosatthewheel on 28 December, 2017, 04:26:07 pm
Even on icy days, it's perfectly possible to stick to well-treated main roads and avoid high ground.
You just have to choose your days, and your routes.
And yet you can pick any winter thread on this or other forum and read entertaining stories of how someone went down on black ice here and there (incidentally even Teethgrinder last night!).
I think unless you live on the A road and you stick to the A road for 100% of your ride, anything else is taking chances and it's irresponsible. I use studded tyres to go to work on cold days (which is anything 3 degrees or lower), but it's not something I would recommend for "entertainment"... they are pretty horrible to ride on.
Post by: Kim on 28 December, 2017, 04:28:17 pm
Kudos to those with higher levels of masochism/determination/not giving a fuck.
I have the opposite approach.. I resent those stupidly going out in the ice and then resorting to ambulances and A&E, whilst supported by a hoard of "thumb up mate". I am pretty sure at some point someone will have to pick up the bill for their behaviour, being that in the form of compulsory helmets/protective gear to wear at all times or two wheel organised activities being banned over the winter months.
I normally refrain from giving anybody any kudos if they have been out in the ice... I don't think there is anything brave, remarkable or clever in doing so
Seems fine to me if you're properly prepared. That usually means studded tyres, more than two wheels or sticking to properly clear, gritted roads. There's ice on the ground as I speak, and in these conditions the risk of injury seems lower cycling on studs than it is from walking on the untreated pavements, or arguably[1] driving a car.
Your point about A&E resources is valid, but that can be applied to all kinds of sport and leisure activities. I generally work on the principle that people who are physically active are probably costing the NHS less overall, even if they do need the occasional injury treated.
Not sure about the compulsion aspect (be it PPE or a ban on organised events). If it's evidence-based then it's surely a good thing. A knee-jerk reaction seems more likely, and I doubt there are enough BloodyCyclists visibly being injured by icy conditions for that to happen. People who want to arbitrarily restrict cycling don't care about people riding to the supermarket on studs or participating in the Festive 500, they want to get the pelotons off the country lanes, the teenagers away from the high street and to stop the commuters filtering past their traffic jams - and those are all majoritarily fair-weather cyclists.
[1] Car crashes, while more likely, tend to be at lower speed than usual in these conditions, so more damage than injury.
Post by: The Seldom Killer on 28 December, 2017, 05:32:32 pm
I think unless you live on the A road and you stick to the A road for 100% of your ride, anything else is taking chances and it's irresponsible.
Or you could check out your local councils' gritting schedules.
Actually, I haven't even had to do that. I've been out on loads of B roads and even a few unclassified roads safe in the knowledge that they'll be gritted. This is because they form part of public transport routes or key access and through routes to smaller towns and villages that still need to be kept open. Gritting and treatment of roads isn't just for A roads and having local knowledge is a good way to keep safe while out riding in winter.
I've also been observant of weather conditions and picked a few untreated lanes because the lack of rain and snow and high winds against them have meant that they've been dry despite the near and sub-zero temperatures. Of course had I been wrong and they were still wet and at risk of being icy then I would have turned back to the safety of treated roads and gone a different way. The only "chance" I'm taking is that I may not be able to follow my originally intended route. The rides I've done over the past week have been no less risky or more irresponsible than those done during warmer days.
I'm keen to stress that I am not a particularly smart or brave man and all of this information is easily accessible and applied by almost anyone else.
Post by: grams on 28 December, 2017, 07:05:02 pm
In terms of why people do it... Rapha send you an actual physical badge for free. Sine when did Rapha give stuff away?
Post by: zigzag on 28 December, 2017, 07:37:21 pm
i think it's a great incentive to kick off a new cycling season.
pics from today's fantastic ride:
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171228/6e5226e17fdf02ce0275fed677e6f100.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171228/92a81049b7857f7886d400f63dfc4dcc.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171228/fd595bef63d808d6c49dc342e6a30d85.jpg)
Post by: sg37409 on 28 December, 2017, 08:41:29 pm
i think it's a great incentive to kick off a new cycling season.
pics from today's fantastic ride:
Great advert for it. I had planned rides, but we had a lot of ice, fair amount of snow and tons of salt, coupled with working in the mornings. I've settled on some family walks this festive period.
Post by: Julian Smith on 02 January, 2018, 04:21:59 pm
However on a day of pouring rain at Kings Lynn I got the train part way home only to be met by thick snow at Cambridge.
With the mileage down I took a very early start on the Sunday and chose the 'flatter' of the two routes I planned.
Also important to record all the trips no matter how short as every km counts and it saved me having to cycle round the block.
Good fun and an acceptable challenge but not sure I would repeat it. (Not until the next time!).
Post by: psyclist on 02 January, 2018, 04:40:25 pm
The challenge got me out cycling more than I might otherwise, so it was beneficial in that respect. If it had stayed icy or terribly dreary, I would have aborted.
Post by: grams on 02 January, 2018, 06:53:47 pm
(I think doing 250 km over the same period is a better goal unless you have a completely empty calendar or can dash off 150 km rides before breakfast)
Post by: phantasmagoriana on 02 January, 2018, 07:23:22 pm
My workplace isn't open between Christmas and New Year, so I have it relatively easy. I'm not in to cycling for the sake of cycling, though: I wouldn't bother if the weather was terrible.
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 02 January, 2018, 07:31:52 pm
Post by: JonBuoy on 02 January, 2018, 07:54:21 pm
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 02 January, 2018, 08:21:48 pm
2017 was a complete bust and I don't mind, though the total is stupidly low. Such is life, in the words of that great Aussie philosopher.
Post by: zigzag on 03 January, 2018, 10:43:47 am
* i averaged 500k/wk this year anyway, so that would be just another regular week.
Post by: grams on 03 January, 2018, 11:22:32 am
Some have done it in one hit, others over a series of days, but none with rides with less than 100km and certainly they've all been "bike rides" rather than "riding to the shops". But clearly that's not the way everyone does it! And if the rules allow you to include utility and commuting kms, then why not?
I only did one 100+ km ride this year. I don't have the willpower to stay out on the road that long (or get out of the house earlier) on multiple days at this time of year. Mine was all shorter "bike rides" mixed with utility and social rides and about 50 km of laps.
Post by: johnnystorm on 06 January, 2018, 08:42:02 pm
Xmas Eve, up early and 110km done before lunch so minimal family grief
Xmas Day, sit back and relax.
Boxing Day, 145km, dry, sunny but bloody cold. Main issue was finding a shop open for snacks.
The next day was the biggy, a DIY Perm of 245km to my inlaws to make up the remaining km. Started badly as there'd been loads of rain, and about an hour into the ride it started again. My hands had gone numb by 40km in the freezing rain, after a warming coffee in Wymondham I encountered a flooded road blocked by a fallen tree in Cressington. Not long after I punctured but luckily my foam aerosol saved me from putting a tube in.
The Dutch Hills between Downham Market and Wisbech were tolerable as at least the rain had stopped. As I passed through Rutland it was clear this was were all the snow was and some of the ungritted back roads were sketchy. Slow on the way up as I couldn't stand without slipping and then on the way down so as not to crash!
Made it 228km to Sileby but the road to Mount Sorrel was flooded. So near to the finish I thought sod it and rode through. Nearly made it to the other side but my rear wheel picked up some submerged debris that wrapped the rear mech around the cassette the wrong way. The mech hanger was bent, the cage detached and by the front mech and the chain was behind the cassette. As the wheel was locked I had to carry the bike as I waded through knee deep water.
Sadly a DNF for the Audax but it was enough to take me over the 500km. Maybe next year my wife will relent and just allow 8 short rides.... ;D
Post by: Flahute on 19 January, 2018, 05:05:10 pm
2017 was my first year of Audax and first SR (Horsepower, 3Down, Poacher & Flatliner).
I've entered this dark Audax world with big dreams, blind optimism and an unwillingness to face facts, hence I'm loving it.
Although I rode the Flatliner (600 perm) and it was a bit cheeky into the headwinds, I never really had to dig in or approached a state of suffering. So I decided to do the RF500 as a bit of a test, could I be arsed to bang out mindless mileage just because ? It wasn't easy and I found it mentally hard. I did 80% of it off road on muddy, rutted French farm tracks, out and back type stuff, embarrassingly slowly. Fortunately I was ready to go 5 mins into christmas Eve, did 113km and snuck into bed for a few hours snooze before opening presents with wife and 7 yr old. I rode every day and banged it out, no fitter but wiser. This time I had to dig in and did suffer.
I had a laugh at the Malaysian (?) chap, briefly in top place on the str*va leader board who completed in 18hrs ??? and a bigger laugh at the rude comments.
Post by: johnnystorm on 03 February, 2018, 08:32:40 pm
Post by: Paul H on 03 February, 2018, 10:06:24 pm
The badge has arrivedMine too ;D The forth over five years, as this has become more popular the presentation and has become smaller, last years came with a beer mat the year before a postcard... I also notice this is the first one that doesn't have the year on it, I hope each year remains unique.
Post by: phantasmagoriana on 03 February, 2018, 10:32:32 pm
The badge has arrivedMine too ;D The forth over five years, as this has become more popular the presentation and has become smaller, last years came with a beer mat the year before a postcard... I also notice this is the first one that doesn't have the year on it, I hope each year remains unique.
I didn't get a beer mat with mine last year! :-\
Post by: Paul H on 03 February, 2018, 10:47:26 pm
My bad - it was 2015The badge has arrivedMine too ;D The forth over five years, as this has become more popular the presentation and has become smaller, last years came with a beer mat the year before a postcard... I also notice this is the first one that doesn't have the year on it, I hope each year remains unique.
I didn't get a beer mat with mine last year! :-\
Post by: JonBuoy on 04 February, 2018, 05:49:27 pm
I have one from a couple of years ago without a year on it. Very similar design to this year but different colour.The badge has arrivedMine too ;D The forth over five years, as this has become more popular the presentation and has become smaller, last years came with a beer mat the year before a postcard... I also notice this is the first one that doesn't have the year on it, I hope each year remains unique.
Some people put an awful lot of effort into their Festive 500 and I'm not just talking about the pedalling: https://pages.rapha.cc/feature/festive-500-awards-2017