Is anyone Festive 500-ing?

[mat_swan]

I know it's all a bit Crikey, how much but I may have a go this year. Looks like a nice little challenge- spend the days riding and the evenings working through the bottle of port I've got lined up. Wanted to last year but was on call for most of the week making long rides a bit awkward. I'm aiming for as much off road as possible although I'm not sure how practical that will be!

Is anyone doing it this year? Or done it in years past and care to regale with tales of riding late on new years eve to make the mileage?

[redefined_cycles]

I'm gona give it a go over 3 days. Was meant to do it with Chew but unfortunately I'll be travelling down to the midlands to family.

24th: Yorkshire/Dewsbury to Leicester 120 miles or so.
25th leicester to Birmigham (70 miles but only cos I incrwqaed the route a little)
26th Birmingham to Bradford and then home. 140 miles or more...

My legs are hurting just thinking about it. Just gonna go steadily but going and coming via the peak district will be exciting

We normally have a habit on riding on Xmas day. In the years gone by it used to be vaguely exciting as the roads were quiet as owt so would be great getting from trail to trail. These days thkugh, the roads are almost like a standard Saturday afternoon.

You're gonna mtb it. Woah. Amazing and rather you than me

[ScotRoutes]

I'm tempted but trying to avoid a scenario where I'm just banging in miles for the sake of it. I might have a look at a map and see if I can come up with something a bit more interesting.

[mat_swan]

I'm gona give it a go over 3 days.

I'm severely impressed! I think I would be crucified by my other half, my family and her family if I tried to do that!

trying to avoid a scenario where I'm just banging in miles for the sake of it

Ditto, although a back up plan for this winter is to try and get all of the veloviewer 'explorer' squares on my local OS map so I could make some headway on that at the same time as piling in some miles hacking round the country lanes that are in the bit of the map that isn't hilly

[redefined_cycles]

I'm gona give it a go over 3 days.

I'm severely impressed! I think I would be crucified by my other half, my family and her family if I tried to do that!

trying to avoid a scenario where I'm just banging in miles for the sake of it

Ditto, although a back up plan for this winter is to try and get all of the veloviewer 'explorer' squares on my local OS map so I could make some headway on that at the same time as piling in some miles hacking round the country lanes that are in the bit of the map that isn't hilly

Haha. But you see. My master plan means I ride away from home and only arrive back at the 311th mile or so. The second half of my master plan is that I'm doing it as a charity bike ride. Already been sponsored 1k for Syria. So that 2nd bit of the master plan works two fold. It keeps the missus off of my back (although getting away for training rides has been slightly problematic but mananged a littlw 50 miler with CraggVale today) as well as the fact that I've been sponsored already (100% donation policy from start to end) means I now HAVE to push myself and ride...

[ScotRoutes]

I've just seen the forecast for this week and next.

I suspect that my notion of a Festive 500 might be severely impacted!

[redefined_cycles]

Oh yeah. I forgot to say, XMAS doesn't really happen in my house so riding on that day isnt really a prob... On eid though, now that is a hard day to get out on a ride. But I do try and go for a couple hours before everyone wakes up

[DrMekon]

I did it on the turbo last year, which doesn't count, but meant I could eat like an utter glutton. I was trying to get a decent buffer of fitness in before a hernia op, in the interests of "pre-habilitation". The recovery from the op was still miserable.

[bearlymoving]

In a moment of recklessness yesterday morning, I signed up for it.

Any thoughts on strategy? I've been thinking I'll aim to put a steady 50 miles in each day, but perhaps it'd be better to go further than that and take some days off.

[mat_swan]

I figure if I have the time I'll try and extend any ride early on a fair bit to make up for off days.

That and ride absolutely everywhere i can when visiting peoplenover the christmas period to pick up odd miles while still being sociable.

Got a bigish cx route lined up as a backup for later in the week if the mtb miles don't get high enough.

[Chew]

Righto, day 1 down and 133 "interesting" km done.

A fast ride out to Squires Cafe in Sherburn for a bacon sandwich and a pint of tea (I kid you not)
Sure as we passed through Dewsbury at about 9ish Redefined_Cycles was heading the other way (loaded bike, big beard)

The return leg was, shall we say 'character building' into the headwind.....

[johnnystorm]

Other way around for me. Pootled into the wind to reach Hinckley and all I saw was a KTM.

Headed over to Woodhouse Eaves and had a nice boost back. 80k down.

[Chew]

Day 2.
Playing around in the woods trying to keep out of the worst of the wind. Another 33km added to the total.

[johnnystorm]

Sat out today for matters of real politik. Hopefully hit the roads again tomorrow, after all I need to try the new gloves and saddle I was bought, right?

[Dyffers]

110k yesterday delivering presents.
0k today; a 4 year old on Christmas day is workout enough.
Hopefully 50k tomorrow morning before the kids get up...must go and put the lights on charge

[bearlymoving]

Day 1 went well. Clocked up 73km riding over to my mum's for Christmas.

Day 2 not so much. 17k into my ride my chain jumped between sprockets on a steep hill, and snapped.

Day 3 will start by me trying to bodge a fix without having a quick link to hand...

[Dyffers]

Got up early, couldn't be arsed, went back to bed. Wuss. We'll see if I can be bothered later.

Meanwhile doing a bit of repair work on my road bike that already looks like its been battered for a whole winter. Kids attention currently diverted by BearHunt recorded on Christmas Eve.

[ScotRoutes]

Proper winter in full flow here today. Sandwiched by Barbara and Conor, I suspect I can write off any chance of doing a Festive 500 this year.

[Chew]

Day 3. Up to 217km with a local loop.
Gurning outwards into the wind, but a 50mph off Blackstone Edge for the return

[Bearbonesnorm]

Day 3. Up to 217km with a local loop.
Gurning outwards into the wind, but a 50mph off Blackstone Edge for the return

Good stuff, keep it up all

[bearlymoving]

I'm up to 192km now, having just returned home from my mum's, the long way. Now it's time for an enormous guilt-free pizza...

[mat_swan]

Day 1 I made 63 miles on the MTB. Yesterday sneaked out for 10 miles on the crosser, today did a good 35 on the crosser again including some excessively rooty and alippery trails- great fun. Riding down to the inlawd got me to 185km and riding home should catch me up with the target.

Weather lovely and sunny today, hope it holds!

[mat_swan]

Ride home from family gathering gets me to 194km.

Are most people doing it on or off road? Finding it a bit more time consuming than I expected getting the off road miles in so may have to hack down to brighton and back by road to make up a few later in the week.

[Chew]

I'll be about 90% on the road. As you say, its too time consuming on off-road.

Another 100k on the clock


Back to work tomorrow, so a few extended commutes to keep things ticking over

[redefined_cycles]

DONE
Day 1 Saturday. Through Peak District entering via Langsett and then on past LadyBower res and Derwent Valley. Straight to Leicester. Wind was awful for first 30 miles (awful might be too strong a term) and almost gave up. 110 miles done and around 2 or 300 quid raised.

Day 2. Relatively chilled out day. Leicester to Birmingham. 66 miles as I made it an undulating trip. Pretty nice and didn't need anything other than the Merino jersey and Lusso windproof top. Obviously my mtb Fox pants below. Thought I would run out if water totally and couldn't really see many sources. All shops were closed byt managed to find a petrol station (xmas day) that was open briefly and stockpiled water and food. Noticed a nasty dead rat wiff at the petrol station and later realised it was my NorthFace Gaunlet gloves (oooh the stench) even though they were on my hands!!! (which ither glives work as well without having to worry about freezing cold or water ingress!... maybe I'll invest in the Montane Prism but they say you shouldnt wash em

Day3: Couldn't sleep for the excitement (read: fear) of travelling back up north via the Peak District and getting stuck in wind/the dark. 3 hours sleep. Porridge with hiney for breakkie. Had company (2 ladd wanting to di the 140 mile return journey via Huddersfield and abradford then home). They were these superfast types. So when they headed to the mosque for toilet duties and sayin their prayers, I prayed quickly on the grass (was running behind them!) which also meant I'd not need to have anyone take a whiff of my gloves, nor have to take em off...

Left them at mile 7 and kept head down. Tracking their GPS location and updating one of the telegram groups. They were riding in a trainline (or whatever then roadie types call all that crap they do) for a constant 60 miles trying to cstch up to me (the solo turtle). Finally they switched off their Life360 and I got laxed, taking longer breaks when stopping for a wee. The buggers caught me up at around 67 miles but we'd made it into the Peaks by around 13:30 (just past a place called Calver).

Enjoyed watching them struggle on our lively Yorkshire hills but had to tell one lad who was trying to ride up the final 25 percenter (coming upto Langsett and Leaving the Peaks) to grow up and walk....

Bloody Garmin had flat batt at 118 miles so switched to phone. That too was a nightmare as the missu finally made it dead when I had 2 miles to completion. Rode home, got the spare Powerbank and waited whilst it charged and ate ate ate. Then at 2am thus morning did a few little loops and caught it...

Rapha500 or whatever they like to call it... Done (All praise to the God). Lovely sore legs today!!!

Oh... Raised so far between me and one of the lads that rode back up North: £7000 for the Syria Winter Emergency Appeal with 100% donation policy from start to end. Feels good!