# Rapha Festive 500



## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

*Ride 500km between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve*

http://app.strava.com/challenges/2012-rapha-festive-500

That's 311mi in 8 days, or ~39mi/day. Not too difficult so long as it stays dry and somewhat warm out.


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## myrnabaldwn (Dec 10, 2012)

Its very much difficult I think. Because at a time I can ride only few km's like say 15 or 20 something.


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## Cross_Reference (Nov 27, 2012)

It would be doable if I had my bike with me during the holidays themselves, but sadly i do not...


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

I'm likely to do that much mileage that week anyway, so why not.


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## RaptorTC (Jul 20, 2012)

This one is definitely going to depend on weather for me. If it snows then I don't think I'll even be able to find 40 miles of plowed, safe for riding roads and I'm not about to ride around in a circle for hours upon end.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Tough to commit to a ~40 mile/day average in the Northeast, at that time of the year. I haven't been able to string together 7 consecutive riding days since Sandy hit. I've already missed more days to bad weather than I missed all of last winter.


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## viciouscycle (Aug 22, 2009)

Just a bump as I completed this for the first time...maybe my last.

12/24 ---65+ miles. Temps in the mid 20-low 30s (F)and foggy Mid morning ride 4 hrs
12/25--- 22 miles. Foggy and 20 degress
12/26---- 65+ miles 5:30 am start, foggy and 15 degrees 4 hrs
12/27...day off
12/28 -----22 miles, late afternoon ride 25 temps and fog
12/29 -----22 miles 5:30 am start, 15 temp, black ice on pavement, rode back and forth on a 2 mile stretch of gravel.
12/30. crunch time 103 miles 7 hrs, temps 20-30 (f) Combo gravel Fondo course and then pavement. Bonked big time around mile 80, limped home
12/31 ----10 mile snail ride

My riding gear was Spec Defroster trail boots and boot socks, feet never suffered
Rapha deep winter bibs, non paddded and a set of bibs under neath.
Thermal cross jacket, UA metal base layer, 100 fleece long sleeve.
Planet bike gloves. PI Skull call.

I was never really cold except the last day and that was mostly my upper body from moisture and too many hours on the bike. This was tough, not sure I will try again, the weather has to be just right, especially here in the PNW, eastern WA. We had 2 others complete it as well.


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## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

Last year when I posted this, I ended up finishing 16% of it due to snow. We get a lot of that "wintry mix" b.s., and once it's on the ground, it sometimes takes forever to clear up, and I don't want to ride on it.

This year, the weather was brutally cold, but it was totally dry, so I committed to it. Next year will be weather-dependent again, but so long as it's dry, I'll go for it. It's definitely a miserable experience for most of it, though.


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## HyperSprite (Nov 20, 2013)

Here is my result, had to do it in 5 days because of work obligations.


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## SBard1985 (May 13, 2012)

I epically failed this challenge. Last time I rode was Dec 17. 
At least the snowboarding has been good!


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## jcooper90 (Sep 11, 2013)

I finished...but feel bad....So-cal riding doesn't compare in horror stories to the rest of the folks posting.......

Finished in 7 days....501km.....And I just started riding in September (with my first road bike)


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