It's that time of year again! 24th - 31st. Eight days. 500km...
Although maybe interest in it has waned a bit now, it's all a bit "been there, done that" or there's no roundel anymore so it's not worth the effort?
Anyone giving it a shot?
I'm away for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so should hopefully get a couple of decent length rides in. Boxing Day is out (travelling), the weekend is severely restricted (family stuff) so there's a chance I might get to the 29th and need 3 big days in a row to finish it off... 🤔
I'll give it a go but if it's crap weather for the end of the month, I'm binning it off. There, I said it.
No.
Nothing like as challenging but I'll be doing 21 (km) at 21 (2100) on 21 (21st) tomorrow night. Bike or run - it's all good.
From then on I'll be riding my bike (outdoor when I can, indoor when it is too grim) as the weather and commitments allow without any concocted pressure or expectation.
I'm swithering about the Restrap Solstice Century (100 mile ride between 19th and 28th December) but, as convert says, weather and commitments may well knock that on the head.
Possibly, it depends if the chesty cough I've had for over a week buggers off or not.
Nope...but, according to Strava, I'm ~135km and ~1300m (vert) short of some significant annual mileage/climbing milestones, so I'd be happy to beat those.
Having said that, as I've already passed my own goals for the year so those milestones are nice "extras" which, if the weather turns out as bad as forecast, will go unmet..
I've never managed to get the time to try and do it - working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day is family, Boxing Day is club charity hill climb so I'm instantly off the pace.
Easy to be cynical but it's a challenge I quite fancy doing one year - I have the bike and the kit, just need a lack of commitments!
yes, gonna have another go. felt rough lately but stayed in today, and feeling better.
so a good ride hopefully xmas eve and see how i feel to carry on with it.
I’ve got loads of time off to do it this year but I’ve just got no enthusiasm for it.
Might have a crack at a decent ride on the 24th and if that goes to shit I’ll concede and not bother with the rest of it.
I briefly considered it but am away for three of those days with no bike, and Xmas day/boxing day are write-offs.
I could possibly scrape 6000km for the year which is my best in a long while but right now I'm enjoying some impossibly convoluted muddy singletrack rides where 60km takes all day, so I'm less minded to worry about total miles 😂
I'm swithering about the Restrap Solstice Century (100 mile ride between 19th and 28th December)
Yep, like last year I'll be going for the Solstice Century instead. Not a road rider so I have an offroad route planned incorporating as much hopefully mud-free gravel as I can figure but still expect it to be challenging conditions 😬
Nope! Round here 500 km would mean 15 km+ of ascent and I have better things to do than slog slowly up hills in rubbish weather. Anyway, I'm past 7000 km and 150 km ascent for the year, much of it off road, which is a decent showing for me.
I'm rehabbing a mullered knee, I can still cycle, but mostly just inside and, in honesty, the attraction of riding 500km on Zwift is minimal. And on top of that, it seems to defeat the whole point of the thing, which is to get out on a bike rather than sit inside staring at a TV screen etc. And even then it's dependent on me continuing to dodge the missus' streaming cold 🙁
So probably not. Bah Festive 500 humbug.
Mind you, on Zwift it'd be, what, two hours of easy flat group drafting per day, so I guess it might be a good way of doing some base endurance. So then again, maybe yes 😉 Just think of all the terrible Christmas films I could watch.
Thinking about moving it with a caveat. I have heard (on here) in previous years that for mob you can do the following.
500km =310.686 mi so for mtb convert the 310.7 miles to kilometres and ride that if off-road. So that is 310.7km = 194.2 miles which is 24.3 miles/day. Sounds OK, but would be the equivalent of eight daily loops of the Continental trail at Nant-yr-arian for example, so not easy and 2-3 hours of riding a day. I've did it two years ago on the trainer with an hour in the morning and an hour at night as I can't do more than hour and bit on the trainer. Finished off with a new year loop of the Summit Trail at NyA. So not sure which option I'll have a go at, if at all........
I’ll try again this year. So far I’m 2 for 5 over the past 5 years. Family and a body crying out for rest will, as ever make it a challenge.
Always depressing watching the Aussies bang it out over a few rides of perfect sunshine and flat terrain.
Oh, and those that do it indoors can smeg off!
Always depressing watching the Aussies bang it out over a few rides of perfect sunshine and flat terrain.
In Sydney there's a park not dissimilar to Regent's Park in London - a nice, mostly flat, road circuit, not too much traffic, very easy to roll around it for a few hours.
First time I rode it I thought that it'd make a great base for doing F500 in one go. Park the car up, use that to hold all your provisions and spares then off you go.
For the last few years Rapha have hosted an organised ride at Herne Hill Velodrome to do the whole thing in one go. It's about 1200 laps.
I have occasionally considered trying to do it in one go, just never had the right location. A quiet bit of parkland with a circular route (or a velodrome!) would be essential. The velodrome though, you need other people otherwise it's too dull for words.
Won't get chance to do the Festive 500 but did a long ride yesterday to mark the Solstice
Always depressing watching the Aussies bang it out over a few rides of perfect sunshine and flat terrain.
Oh, and those that do it indoors can smeg off!
It's definitely had a shift over the years. When it first came about it was very much a challenge for the dark days of northern Europe, taken up by the hard men and women of the road out in all weathers and by necessity much of it done with lights, rain and cold. As it's popularity grew to southern Europe and the southern hemisphere, it's just not the same thing. Anyone within reason can knock out 500km in 8 days of light and sunshine. That's just doing some riding. And then when indoor riding was added....
At the other end of the spectrum, utmost respect for anyone able to knock out 500km offroad in northern Europe of the festive period- That's 'kinhard
But as I said in my first post - it's entirely contrived as a challenge, so I guess if the goal posts are wholly different depending on your personal circumstances and geography it makes no odds - as long as taking part is adding to rather than taking away from your overall prosperity. I've just known too many men who've taken it on and fallen back on the traditional tropes of the wifey doing all the family drudge and shlepping about with relatives and kids so dad can be all alpha and get his vital riding in, expecting dinner on the table when he comes in the door and his kit washed and ready for tomorrow's absolution of duty adventure.
Yup, giving it ago but aiming to make it as easy as possible.
It will be mostly on the turbo, fast group rides for maximum kms/hr for a little effort as possible.
you can generally knock out 50km in under 90mins
its solid base training without impinging on family time (couple of hours in the morning before the rest of the slobs are really up)
Anyone in the East Midlands giving it a go with no time/family constraints, the World Peace Cafe at Etwall are open every day over Christmas including Christmas Day, so if you need a destination to aim for/warm up in, you will get a warm fire, great coffee and vegetarian food and a friendly welcome. Shame Buddhists can't make a dietary exception for processed pork products or it would be perfect.
Some single friends used it for a Festive 500 ride last year.
never been on a turbo. the thoughts of riding 300 miles indoors fills me with dread.
totally against every reason i cycle. each to their own i suppose.
back when i had kids at home, and if i was training for anything, 5am to 8am was ideal and a couple of hours after teatime.
Have done it a few times a few years back....its a good challenge but does tend to burn the candle at both ends when fitting around Christmas and family commitments ,which is doable but then your overtrained and jaded the first few weeks in January when you are supposed to be motivated! Plus i found you have exhausted your fav. routes as well which makes you feel less inclnined to go out as well in Jan into the Scottish winter. So some of the training benefit fades as well.
Its great if you can ride to your Xmas destination and use roads you have ridden less often and good time management.
Other positives is the brief wave as you pass other nutters as its gets dark and the gritters are out on a road in the middle of nowhere.
Its a great test of winter kit as well!
Kudos to the turbo crew, i did think it was abit of a cheat,until i saw a friend do it on strava and i was glad i was outside it looked like torture!
Good luck to those who do.
Memories you will not forget and a great achievement.
Not started up Zwift to see if numbers vaguely match up with signups, but ~2500 signed up for the first Festive 500 group ride on Zwift that started at 1000 GMT.
Official F500 group rides every 30mins with late join, alternating between Triple Flat Loops and Watopia Waistband!
Have just planned out a Festive 371 which takes me neatly to 6000km for the year. It's not much but that's a good year by my standards.
I think wife and family will grudgingly tolerate this is I do it mostly between the hours of 5am and 10am 🙄
Then a week's 'recovery' and start hitting the turbo again for the final three races of the CX season 😎
nice 45 miler to start my effort.
it was a pork pie seeking trip. very nice too.
couple of group rides on Zwift, 100km in now nd just noticed I'm 400km from hitting 6000km for 2025.
How handy.
Looks like Friday maybe a IRL ride, weather looks ace.
40k this morning on the hardtail. Need a couple of big road rides to get the bulk done but likely to have to pad it out on the turbo.
115 miles in the Spanish mostly-sun today. It's not warm though...
Also there is the minor problem that I'm now wrecked, that was a proper big day out with nearly 3000m climbing! Stunning route though.
65km on Zwift this afternoon
Will get outside for a couple of hours v. Early tomorrow while the house is asleep
After completing it several years on the trot I missed out last year due to having the lurgy over the period so back on it this year. I always like to get it done so generally do it in three rides (although I did do it in two monster rides once) Banged out 168km today in dry conditions, although it was a headwind from hell for the first 40miles or so.
On the Strava leaderboard there's plenty that have smashed out 500km+ rides on the first day😱
30 km on Zwift and soon learned I’m still not well! Next year.
Agree with a post above, the festive 500 is about getting outside and smashing some distance in the cold and wet winter. Doing it on the turbo might be allowed but it’s not what it’s all about.
Last time I did it I tried to front load it. Big miles Xmas eve, a sneaky couple of hours Xmas day and another big ride Boxing Day and you’re basically done.
Either way, good luck to all out there going after it.
the festive 500 is about getting outside and smashing some distance in the cold and wet winter.
I've just done 110km in the Spanish sun...
That said, I'm travelling home tomorrow so the remaining 200km that I need to finish it off will have to be in the UK winter.
Whilst we are enjoying our grown up Christmas, we've just been out for a cheeky 50 on the tandem. On Christmas Day - I know... 😆
Kudos to the turbo crew, i did think it was abit of a cheat,until i saw a friend do it on strava and i was glad i was outside it looked like torture!
I can't be arsed with it. For perspective though, my knee means I'm keeping power below 200 watts and being careful about putting too much pressure through the pedals, but I could easily jump on a 1.5 watt per kilo group ride and average, on a flattish course - something around 32 or 33 km/h, that's less than two hours per day over the course of it. It's quite dull, but very easy in physical terms. By contrast, if I do it on roads and trails round here, Peak District, and the weather's bad, it is genuinely hard.
It's basically easy on Zwift, but mind-numbingly dull and, imo, agains the spirit of the thing anyway.
the festive 500 is about getting outside and smashing some distance in the cold
Went out at 7am this morning. Pretty much sheet ice everywhere. Some horrifically arse clenching country road corners. Rather than spend Christmas day in A&E I headed home and only managed 25km outside today. I'm sure it's nice further south of Glasgow
out at 5.30 this morning for a hour. super quiet road but proper cold.
more to come tomorrow.
Nothing yesterday (due to flying back from Spain).
Today I did a couple of laps of the Blue at Dalby, first one with my niece, a final lap by myself before it got dark. However it was a great first lap, my niece has really come on. She's beginning to use the dropper post properly and is gaining the confidence to just let the brakes off and let the bike roll through stuff.
So that was a nice bit of afternoon riding.
180km to go. Chances are that tomorrow will be minimal or zero riding (family stuff...) leaving me the final 3 days for two rides of 100km.
i reckon i will fail again. only done 100 miles so.
cant see me doing 200 miles in 4 days. just cant seem to get motivated.
Managed a spin around Dalby this morning before all the family stuff. Leaves me with 150km to go so I'm having tomorrow off then a big ride on 30th (100+ km) and a cafe ride with a mate on 31st.
Actually really enjoyed it this year. The MTBing has been a change from normal but especially doing the day with my niece was brilliant. None of it has felt a chore, put it that way!
I wasn't going to do it this year no patch so no motivation, so reality is 4 rides and 370km ticked off, with three days left I suppose I might bother now.
I'm out.
205km in and the motivation is gone.
Too much other stuff going on to properly commit & flogging away on the gravel bike is sucking the joy out of it.
Same kommage for me Phil. Been sidetracked by virus and also work tomorrow. And then I’ve got the kids on Tuesday. So I’m out as well I think unless I do 2 x 100km on the turbo and then finish off on Wednesday - the two turbo days do not appeal. A pity - as conditions have been good but I have got done solid endurance riding in and will do a decent ride on New Years Eve regardless.
Another 100mile (so 16something km) in the bank yesterday. Hopefully get out for the last 100 mile either tomorrow or New Year’s Eve
managed to get to the half way mark. with 2 days to go.
but i just cant be arsed to try for 150 miles in 2 rides so another fail.
I've managed 10 miles on my folding e bike and should be adding another 7.5 miles on the commuter bike tomorrow!
I think I'll need all of 2026 to reach 500 miles 🤔.
I should make that objective my minimum non e bike distance in 2026.
Completed my version this morning, 500km in DECEMBER. 500 over a midwinter week, with all the other demands on time, is a fair achievement, must involve some fairly bleak and purgatorial rides. Well done to anyone who hits it!
Down to 51km to go, and whilst the roads have been dry, and the lanes I have been exploring quiet, the lack of sunshine and the constant northerly breeze don't make for the best of times.
Down to 51km to go, and whilst the roads have been dry, and the lanes I have been exploring quiet, the lack of sunshine and the constant northerly breeze don't make for the best of times.
I've quite enjoyed it. NE winds for me are a royal PIA but apart from Xmas Eve, it's not been too strong. Temps have been 5 - 9ish, feels like 4 or 5 degrees colder with that wind direction but you can dress for the cold n'est ce pas? At least it's been mainly ice free here - apart from last Saturday which was a bit sketchy early on.
I've 70 miles to do tomoz then mebbies 20 on NYE to finish. Feels like it's been fairly straightforward this year. That's done it, I'll be under a bus tomorrow...😬
another 60km knocked out in the end, so I am done, and done early for the first time ever.
Now for a stupid question, is there any point me going to Rapha in London next time I am in that direction to get a patch, or would I be wasting my time?
Completed this morning, 7 rides in 7 days with a total of 521km. All done solo and outside. Pleased to get it done with a day in hand as previous efforts took the full 8 days. The NE winds have been a real pain.
Fraction over 100km today. I'd planned for 115 but I just couldn't face the last bit, I was running on empty and I've got a cold (almost certainly courtesy of my snot-ridden little nieces).
That leaves me with 48km to do tomorrow instead of my hoped for 35-ish but no worries. I'd already planned a cafe ride with a mate so I've got a little extension to take it to 56km (sadly there's only one, quite long way around the hill so it's that or just up and down the road until I hit 48.1!).
Today was a slog. At least it was dry.
I decided yesterday morning, about 10km in to a planned 4 laps around Richmond park that would be the end for me - I'm about 270km in.
In order to finish, it's about another 12-15 hours on the bike and with three 8 hours days of work, I just wasn't that bothered about another badge on my Carradice.
The rot set in early on xmas eve when I only got about 70% round my target of 200km - it was a bit windy in the Surrey Hills. Maybe I should have just ridden to Windsor and back on the flat 6 times..
Now for a stupid question, is there any point me going to Rapha in London next time I am in that direction to get a patch, or would I be wasting my time?
They will have patches. Quite when they will actually have them is anyone's guess!
I've always got one from Rapha Manchester, there's usually an email about it.
Thanks, is this a general email to finishers they send out, last time I actually bothered was when they sent out the patches in the post. I do remember them being mid February if you were lucky..
So I did my 70 miler today which leaves just over 20 tomoz. As above, I wasn't feeling it for the first couple of hours but just got on with it. That's the thing about cycling, patience is your friend. As for the badge, I've never bothered. I do it as a way of focusing over the break and I don't need a little reward for being a good boy. Apologies to those that favour them. Each to their own and all that 🙃
well done to all who complete this. it is a bit of a tough ask over xmas. well done
Yep, well done to the finishers. I had a go but work and illness put paid to it. Next year!
Now for a stupid question, is there any point me going to Rapha in London next time I am in that direction to get a patch, or would I be wasting my time?
The London Rapha shop had them on the counter at the coffee shop about a week before Christmas last year when I was in there!
Done, 509km.
Two road rides in Spain
Two MTB rides (Dalby, first day with my eldest niece)
Two rides on the gravel bike, just local roads/trails.
Got to be honest, the last two days were a slog. Got a head cold (I almost always end up with a cold whenever I visit my nieces) so I was just plodding along. Did a ride with a mate today out to a cafe just to get the last 50-ish km and he was so much stronger and faster than me that we were barely riding together at all. OK, he was on a winter road bike, I had the gravel bike with chunkier tyres but every hill, he'd just disappear leaving me trudging up it.
The two days of much shorter distances due to the MTBing left me with a bit to do to finish it off. Thankfully I'd banked two big days up front.
Best day - either Christmas Day in Spain or seeing how much my niece has improved on the MTB.
Worst day - yesterday was a right old slog.
Aaaaannd I'm done too. 316 miles total, 8000 for the year. Cracking last day today; max 3°C feels like -2°C and fantastic sunshine/blue skies. I even had a puncture at 299 miles for a bit of drama/jeopardy 😬 Bit icy early so left late morning and wibbled about like a drunk novice. Enjoyed it this year, not wet/cold/windy like normal...
Bonne annee to everyone 👍
Done a dusted for another year. 511km (318miles in old money) in three, 100mile + rides. All were quite uneventful thankfully. Was also nice to come back from the rides dry, there’s usually at least one that’s had me grovelling in awful weather
The Rapha stores have the woven patch in stock, I've just got mine from Manchester.
It's quite nice this year.
Edit: photo insert not working...