Author Topic: Festive 500 2020  (Read 9779 times)

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Festive 500 2020
« on: 13 December, 2020, 10:28:56 am »

Anyone else planning to do the festive 500 this year? What are people's plans?

The last two years I tried to complete it within the first 3 days. But I'm going to have to work on the 24th, so won't have that option. The last couple of years I started about 3am on the 24th.

Am thinking a 50k after work on the 24th, a 200k on the 25th, 150k on the 26th, and then finishing off with what ever's left on the 27th.

For the 200k, I'll look at the wind, get a train to somewhere, then cycle back with a tailwind.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #1 on: 13 December, 2020, 10:40:42 am »
Much of the Festive distance will be commuting to a fairly deserted office, a near-60km round trip. The rest will be subject to weather considerations.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #2 on: 13 December, 2020, 11:01:50 am »
Some days I have to work and some days I'm off. Probably I'll do a 200 on the 25th after logging the first ride on the 24th.

Chris S

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #3 on: 13 December, 2020, 12:25:37 pm »
We've been mulling over options. Doing it indoors - whilst it's a thing - seems like cheating to us. Like doing it in the Southern Hemisphere (yeah yeah, we don't buy the whole "Oh, we can't ride today because it's too hot" bollocks - it's still daylight for more than an hour, unlike here).

'Rona restrictions have meant we've pretty much cancelled any Christmas visits/visitors, so this year would be a good one for it, as the Festive 500 always seems a bit fucking antisocial wrt to Christmas visitors. It's OK if you're fast like my nephew, and can crack off 70km in a couple of hours over the Fens, but for the likes of me (especially now we're in amongst the hills and I'm fat as fuck) it's going to take ages.

We're hand wringing TBH.

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #4 on: 13 December, 2020, 12:45:04 pm »
No roundel, and I don't like the idea of indoor rides counting - so no. :P

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #5 on: 13 December, 2020, 12:51:22 pm »
I'm actually fit enough this year, but the prospect of being miserably cold to ride nowhere interesting with the skoggy roads and idiot drivers just doesn't appeal.

Geriatricdolan

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #6 on: 13 December, 2020, 02:53:05 pm »
No roundel is a big let down for me... I'm a bit like a dog, I need the treat...

Anyway, I'll have a go... I have a 40 mile loop around Coventry which takes in roads which are not overly filthy... I can do it clockwise and anti on alternate days and should add up to 500 km in 8 days.
I might throw in a longer one if the weather is decent, so I can buy a day off...

But no roundel...  :'( :'(

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #7 on: 13 December, 2020, 04:22:01 pm »
Working at a university (mandatory holiday from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day!), the Festive 500 is usually a piece of cake. I might even make it a Festive 1000 this year since there is little else to do.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #8 on: 13 December, 2020, 04:26:58 pm »
Working at a university (mandatory holiday from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day!), the Festive 500 is usually a piece of cake. I might even make it a Festive 1000 this year since there is little else to do.

My big concern is that this year it's not possible to warm up in a cafe/bar every few hours. Means I'm going to have to be even more self sufficient than normal.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

bairn again

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #9 on: 13 December, 2020, 04:30:45 pm »
I’ll have a go at it.

Christmas Eve is a half day for me so will aim to get maybe up to 100km in.

No riding planned 25th but might sneak a short ride in on the 26th as the rest of the house is unlikely to surface much before noon.   

A 200 on the 27th, a recovery ride of 50km the day after and whatever daily distance is required 29-30-31 to reach 500.  While they are all work days, a long lunch break or early finish is pretty much custom and practice. 

While the 200 will be solo, im hoping that the majority of the rest will be on the tandem. 

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #10 on: 13 December, 2020, 04:34:20 pm »
If we go Tier 3 this will mean staying in Greater London*. I already have a couple of 200s planned that follow the inside of the boundary (made pre-Covid, for fun!) so this might be the time to do them.

OTOH no plans to see family this year so I have most of the 8 days available, which I don't normally.

(* I think, it's only explicitly not allowed for "travel")

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #11 on: 13 December, 2020, 04:49:05 pm »
I've entered, 9th attempt with 6 roundels and two failures (Weather and motivation)
Not done any planning, I have a regular 100km Christmas morning ride which I'll do weather permitting. Not sure about an Audax this year, too many Covid complications, I'll probably keep it local. I have five afternoons deliveroo, which will probably get me close to the half way mark, I'm tempted not to count that. though then wouldn't be able to award myself a badge for completing at the slowest speed.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #12 on: 13 December, 2020, 05:01:06 pm »
I begged for the days off work last year so I could claim it for once.

It involved:
67km ride to visit my gran on Boxing Day

A 206km DIY from Fife to Fort William - Boring as feck up the A9 and across the A86, wind behind.

A failed 200km to Torridon from An Gearasdan that ended in a howling gale as my second attempt to escape Achnasheen in a Torridonish direction proved as stupid as trying to pushing into the wind on the Kinlochewe road.

174km followed by :shrug: back down to Loch Carron in the back of a van that had been to Contin to recce the strathpuffer route
and then 36km over to Torridon.

Leaving me with 17km to do which involved deciding not to bother with the idea of riding Applecross and sitting in the café which between there and the hostels is probably where I picked up the colds that floored me until April.
But anyway I rode up to Loch Claire and back to claim the 500.

70k a day in the garage for some logo on Strava? nah.

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #13 on: 13 December, 2020, 06:10:22 pm »

My big concern is that this year it's not possible to warm up in a cafe/bar every few hours. Means I'm going to have to be even more self sufficient than normal.


Last couple of weekends I've had take-away coffees to stay warm. It works well, especially at (bigger) train stations where you can get some shelter from the weather as you're drinking. My main worry is that the (Dutch) government will close all non-essential shops. In the worst case scenario, we can still do multiple local loops and warm up inside our own houses.

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #14 on: 13 December, 2020, 06:19:11 pm »
On yesterday’s 200 I took a flask of hot chocolate with me. Maybe you could do similar?

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #15 on: 13 December, 2020, 07:13:31 pm »
No idea what it is.

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #16 on: 14 December, 2020, 12:20:57 am »

My big concern is that this year it's not possible to warm up in a cafe/bar every few hours. Means I'm going to have to be even more self sufficient than normal.


Last couple of weekends I've had take-away coffees to stay warm. It works well, especially at (bigger) train stations where you can get some shelter from the weather as you're drinking. My main worry is that the (Dutch) government will close all non-essential shops. In the worst case scenario, we can still do multiple local loops and warm up inside our own houses.

To make multiple loops interesting I should cross borders.
What works good is taking a termos flask with you with hot tea/coffee. And use some busshelters or other forms of shelter for your breaks. I'd certainly carry a warm bodywarmer so you can actually sit down without freezing. And enough fluids for the whole ride
Take away food is still available nearly everywhere so this option still exists. I'll probably do one +200k ride where I'll plan to pass through the Eindhoven railwaystation to be sure of an open supermarket + hot food during about halfway.
But let's see what the new rules will be. Closing of non essential shops is nearly certain, at least for my province, otherwise it'll be way too crowded in all bordertowns with the masses of Belgians and Germans coming over for shopping.

Geriatricdolan

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #17 on: 14 December, 2020, 07:32:16 am »
It's 40 miles a day... are you guys not overthinking it with bus shelters and thermos?

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #18 on: 14 December, 2020, 07:38:02 am »
It's 40 miles a day if you get to ride every day.

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #19 on: 14 December, 2020, 08:47:13 am »
I have 4 days off work, and work for me is 8-5 with half an hour for lunch.
This far north, that's all the daylight hours at a screen.

125km/ day seems OK, but once you factor in the patisserie I'll be cooking, a substantial quantity of damson vodka to consume and the local hills, it all looks a bit unlikely. Or dark. My eyes can't cope with that much night riding.

We'll see.

Also: No Roundel. I might have to make myself one.

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #20 on: 14 December, 2020, 08:58:57 am »
Phew. Might do it now. Who doesn't want to earn this baby :


Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #21 on: 14 December, 2020, 09:08:42 am »
No idea what it is.
It is another "challenge", like the summer one that Cycling Weekly did.  They include indoor cycling  :facepalm: 500km 24-31 Dec.  When I started riding, on the Christmas youth hostel tour we did that and much more.  I know- rose tinted specs and changing times.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #22 on: 14 December, 2020, 11:24:42 am »

Ivo, Slugbait,

Looks like it's about to get a lot harder for us...

https://nos.nl/artikel/2360591-bijna-alles-dicht-harde-lockdown-tot-en-met-19-januari.html

To make multiple loops interesting I should cross borders.
What works good is taking a termos flask with you with hot tea/coffee. And use some busshelters or other forms of shelter for your breaks. I'd certainly carry a warm bodywarmer so you can actually sit down without freezing. And enough fluids for the whole ride

I carry my big fluffy jacket in a 5l dry bag on the front of the bike. Put that on when I stop. Keeps me from cooling down.

It's 40 miles a day... are you guys not overthinking it with bus shelters and thermos?

Yep, but if you miss a day, you have to spread that 62.5km over the remaining days. Less of an issue if you miss day 1. But if you miss day 7, you now need to do 125km on day 8. This is why I try to front load as much as I can. A 200k on the 24th of the 25th, means I then have 6-7 days to do the final 300, If I can get to >300k by the end of the 25th, than it's much more achievable.

In 2018 I was the 7th woman world wide to complete the festive 500. In 2019 I was the 91st woman world wide to complete.



This was entirely unexpected, So many people take part, I'm not a fast rider or anything, but it seems by having no family commitments and putting in big distances on day 1 and 2, it helps a lot. For some it's just a challenge to complete the distance. For me it seems to now be a case of how fast I can complete the distance.

In 2018 I rode to Leipzig over 3 days. In 2019 I rode up the Rhine to Liechtenstein. My xmas day ride from Bonn to Mainz last year remains one of the most memorable rides I've ever done. Crossing the Rhine at the end of a long day with Hans Zimmer's 13 minutes to the moon them playing was amazing. Such a beautiful ride.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #23 on: 14 December, 2020, 12:52:20 pm »
No idea what it is.
It’s the fault of Rapha

https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/stories/festive-500


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Karla

  • car(e) free
    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Festive 500 2020
« Reply #24 on: 14 December, 2020, 12:56:18 pm »
It's something that has been running for many years and is discussed on here every year.  Do keep up at the back!