crazy-legs

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It’s been going 10 years now! I’d have to go back through Strava to see how many I’ve done…

Wow 10 years; honestly didnt know that.
Just read only 84 people participated in the very first Festive 500 … will those Roundels be very expensive collector items in a few years?
I think it shows how far Strava has come in that time. When I joined in 2010 there were lots of people in the club who frowned upon it; much the same as those club members who frown upon Zwift … but over the years practically all of them have joined .. and most regularly use it to post anything from a bike ride to walking the dog.

What about festive 5000m ascent for MTB? If you live in the hills that is.

500m per day. Sound reasonable? It’s definitely achievable here in S. Wales.

Just read only 84 people participated in the very first Festive 500

I did the first, with a small bunch of the ex Imperial Cycle Club (as it was then known) it was like a fresh start, a new beginning almost. And the London/Manchester audax’y thing was being mooted..

Some of my mates still continue to do it, for them it’s a pilgrimage. And you do find that old friends do turn out for it.

Weather forecast is looking reasonable. Mild, dry(ish) if you don’t count the near endless rain of December so far…

Got 100km planned with a mate on Christmas Eve, see how things go after that.

What’s everyone else’s plans?

I’m doing it again this year. I did it in 2016 and 2017, the weather was bad both years, but 2017 most of the riding was on ice in gale force winds. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m the slowest cyclist who does it, my average speed is about 8 miles per hour – that’s a lot of hours.
I’m looking forward to it though and hoping it will kickstart a more active MMXX. Like crazy-legs I’m planning on doing 100 km on Tuesday, but I’ll be on my Tod.
Good luck everyone!

I’m going to ride a couple of extended commutes tomorrow to hopefully put 100km in the bag. Then I’ll see if I feel like riding the other 400. I rode 400km last week so I may have peaked a bit early.

I am out of this before even starting. came down with a cold on Friday, which has just worsened.
now got a hacking chesty cough, and bright green snot oozing from my nose and throat.

merry xmas……….. ;o(

@mooman not seen the Rapha rising challenge for ages. That was a tough one. Hope you’re keeping well mate.

Sort of got routes planned for this years 500. Tried it 3 times before and completed it once. One of the other times I had a crash on black ice and broke collarbone and tore my shoulder halfway in. The next time I just got bored. Completed it in a very wet year and I recall cycling through fork crown deep floods. If this year looks like that then I’ll bail.

I really think they should change it to first week of January, so you burn of xmas and NY excesses, the years i have tried to do it, it just got to a point where the only way i could complete it was to be selfish to family, which isn’t spirit of xmas to me, with trying to fit around working. I think it is do-able if have time off or a very understanding family!

I look forward to seeing which loon completes it first. There’s some rather dedicated (or insane) people on Strava.

I look forward to seeing which loon completes it first. There’s some rather dedicated (or insane) people on Strava.

There’s usually a few people in the southern hemisphere who start at 00:01 on Xmas Eve and smash out the whole thing in one go.

Done it 4 out of the past 5 years. Last year was especially dull with a whole week of drizzle/fog. This year looking much the same. On the plus side it gets me away from the extended family 🙂

PS. No way is 100 miles on a bike equal to running a marathon. They’re difficult to compare, and TBF I’ve never done a marathon, but I’d say it would be at least a 200 mile ride to get anywhere near the physical and mental effort required for a marathon.

Had a go a few times and been thwarted by illness and weather. The only time I finished was 2016 before doing the puffer in the January.

Going to kick off tomorrow with 130km down to the in-laws, and the same again coming home a few days later.

Shame I have to be at the office till 12:45 tomorrow so could be a late finish/ scrape in in time for dinner!

No way is 100 miles on a bike equal to running a marathon. They’re difficult to compare, and TBF I’ve never done a marathon, but I’d say it would be at least a 200 mile ride to get anywhere near the physical and mental effort required for a marathon.

I’ve done both and I’d say you’re about right there.

All good Thom – I off bike last few months so no Rapha roundel this year

I’ve signed up, but there’s not a cat’s chance in hell I’ll come anywhere close!

Managed just over 300 miles and 20000 feet of climbing one week in summer 2018, this year the best I’ve managed is ~225 miles, of which ~198 were virtual in week commencing 9th Dec.
Depressingly, I’m not even sure I’ve done back to back days of 40+ miles outdoors this year, nevermind doing seven consecutive!
Still haven’t sorted my rear mech cable, I received the ordered DA cable from Merlin (last week?) and from another thread in here I received this ~£4 internal routing outer sleeve https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07Z4WQY7D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00 to have a go at it myself before paying labour costs at LBS, albeit I forgot to order up a pair of decent cable/outer cutters… So I’m stuck in a single sprocket, currently 22T, which hinders progress on the flat but makes most inclines doable.
Which brings me to the next excuse, it seems practically impossible to head from SO18 to the South Downs between Owslebury and South Harting and do a 40+ mile ride not covering the same roads twice, where you average less than 50 feet of climbing per mile… ~66 feet is typical.
Working Xmas Eve, albeit us posties normally get finished early tomorrow, plus I also have shifts Sat/Mon/Tues. Deliveries over the last ~4 weeks have been more mentally and physically exhausting than at any point over the last ~10 years for me (and many posties).

Weather seems pretty decent here if you are up for it, I’ve even been back in work shorts the last two shifts. Would have loved to have gone for my first outdoor road ride in weeks this afternoon after work, having amazingly got back before 1330, but I’ve had to catch up on a load of house/fish chores I neglected over the weekend and I still need to pop out for a few groceries. Mentally tortured myself yesterday, wanting to go out, but feeling mentally exhausted so couldn’t decide where to go while feeling guilty for thinking of going out when the fish need fresh water. 🙁

It’s a romantic cycling challenge, but I’ll be amazed if I ever get close to completing it any year while being a postie.

A cold strikes! I expect that’s my already very slim chances disappearing down the road 🙁

Me and Mrs are giving it a go at her suggestion. She’s only been riding a little over a year, so if she manages it it’s an achievement and a half, well proud.

So it’s the flattest possible 100 miles tomorrow. If you see a woman on a stealth carbon job drafting a guy With long hair around the levels, wave and shout hello llama!

I’m around 2 weeks off crutches with really still sore hip joint. Still having a go. Tomorrow will confirm if it’s happening 🙂

Sore chest. So we shall see. Had planned a ride in 2 hrs, but not really feeling great.

First ride done. A 68km commute to work. There will be another one home this evening.

Right, I’ve had to give myself a talking to as I’d said I wouldn’t be doing any Strava challenges as they stress me out too much, so my challenge to myself is to go riding every day between now and the end of the year, to try new routes and to enjoy it 🙂

The breaking strain of a wet KitKat.

Executive decision for me. Is that it’s -4 outside and the roads are frozen solid

Also as I’ve decided my targets for 2020 don’t really involve any(fast) long distance bike rides I’ll be using my family eacapes for longer runs.

I did 70k in what can only be described as a typhoon this morning at 06:00 it was supposed to be 100k+ but the weather was soo bad, I aborted and came home after 70k. Im gonna try and do the other 30k on the MtB this evening once everyone has gone to bed.

There’s three people have done it already. One in Germany with a single 514km ride, one in Auckland with a single 500 and one in Japan with two rides totalling 502km.

Insane.

I did 67 miles this morning with a mate down into the Kent/Surrey lanes. Roads were filthy in places but it was a nice ride, decent weather. So that’s a fraction over a fifth of the distance.

I feel for everyone suffering crap weather, because it made the whole thing miserable last time I did this. Ice in particular.
However, the weather was kind to me today 107 km done. I’m happy with that.
Going out for a wee cycle with my daughter tomorrow morning, probably 20 to 30 km.

I’m 80k in felt like 280!🤔

Bon chance one and all.

150km down, a very breezy loop round the Wye and Severn and over the bridge. I have also found the wet weather limits of my new Mille GT jacket! Character building I think is the term!

An 80km commute home this evening puts me just under 150km in. There will be a ride tomorrow morning but it won’t be a big one.

163 Km in today. Conditions pretty good, managed to stay warm enough. Over ran a bit in the time & the last hour was made using the force to make it home (I had be seen lights but no main light☺).
Short ride tomorrow morning while Mrs H is at work.

Well done everyone! 105km done this morning down south in that there Hertfordshire. It was a road group ride, which made it a bit easier, but the roads were filthy & the wind severe. Hopefully another 50km tomorrow morning solo.

100.5km done. I swore I wasn’t doing it if day 1 was not nice. 0715 and I’m riding in the rain. Had a “you will be home by 1145 which only meant I spent 1 course at in-laws lunch with 3 numb fingers. Tomorrow is an easy 50km gravel.

100 mile done. Started out horrible, thunderstorm, wind, rain. Fine after that. Mind you, flattest century I’ve ever done. 1400 feet and 7 hours. Hub deep flood at one point. Mrs did amazing.

100km today on a flat grimy ride round Cheshire. I can’t see where I’ll find the time to do another 400km but I’ll keep ploughing on…

100km this morning round South Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, the furthest I’ve ridden in about three odd years, in terms of distance. I went anti-clockwise, when I should’ve gone clockwise, so had a headwind for the last hour or so, which destroyed my resolve. Lots of others out and about though, on what was a generally decent day (apart from the wind).

Not sure I’ll be completing this year, had originally planned a 100km starter for yesterday, 2 poorly kids and MrsMomo sidelined with a stinking virus meant that my plan of taking the long route to ride to the in-laws got changed to a 48km ride from the in-laws while everyone else went to church.

No bikes today, hopefully get out for a decent ride tomorrow to keep it on track.

Quick 40k blast this morning before the madness starts. 370k to go.

Just under 80km this morning, crack of dawn out around Richmond Park with some RCC clubmates. Lovely sunrise, worth being up that early just for that! And home before all the madness really kicks off!

20 mile cycle with my daughter, who brought along Santa hats for us to wear. A nice atmospheric start, with a bit a sea mist. Got entangled with a large group of Christmas runners at Crammond. Sun starting to shine through. Lovely.
That puts me at 140 km so far, pretty much bang on target.
Merry Christmas everyone.

Going out now for a couple of hours. Was up at 4:30 with one of the kids. Not what you’re thinking. I drove him to work at Heathrow!