It’s Christmas Eve, which for around 70,000 cyclists worldwide means just one thing – the start of the Rapha Festive 500.
> Rapha Festive 500 back for an eighth year
But, given that it’s currently early afternoon in the UK and the middle of the night on the West Coast of the United States, if you’re in Europe or the Americas, you may wish top look away now.
Because, while you were sleeping, the 500 kilometres that participants are tasked with racking up from 24-31 December had already been completed by several cyclists in the Far East and Australia.
Currently top of the leaderboard on Strava is Patrick Ng from Malaysia, with an impressive 584 kilometres. He’s followed by Tokyo-based Philippe Masawa.
Meanwhile, Ian Parnell and his friend Cameron Hinde from Brisbane, Australia, rode laps of a circuit at a local park to polish off the 500 kilometres, with Parnell edging over the 10,000-kilometre mark for the year in the process.
He wrote on Strava: “Let’s do Rapha 500 in a day Cam said..it will be fun he said! #aerofordays Thanks for all the tows friends and Nundah crit regulars.”
It won’t be lost on cyclists in the Northern Hemisphere wrapping themselves up warmly to start the challenge today that the Australian pair will be enjoying rather different conditions – more hours of daylight, and an average high of 30 degrees Celsius during December, although rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Queensland in the days ahead.
23 thoughts on “Some cyclists have already completed the Rapha Festive 500 … on Day 1”
That Patrick Ng dude wrote 1
That Patrick Ng dude wrote 1 ride with 3 gps’s 2 of his rides are flagged, don’t just believe the numbers!
KoenM wrote:
Hmmm… Three rides, each taking around 10 hours, on the same day. I see why you’re just a touch suspicious.
Call me a wimp, but 100 km
Call me a wimp, but 100 km today was quite enough…
Daveyraveygravey wrote:
I’m more concerned that you mount a pump to your frame and your cages don’t match 😉
Let me guess, they rode it
Let me guess, they rode it themselves, have no friends and are social train wrecks. They do realise no one else really cares don’t they?
fustuarium wrote:
U jelly bro? Matter of fact we had loads of friends come down to ride with us. Cool comment tho.
cam00 wrote:
He cared enough to comment on a news story that he’d cared enough to read and someone else cared enough to write.
#doesnotcare
“with Parnell edging over the
“with Parnell edging over the 10,000-kilometre mark for the year in the process.”
Is that considered a lot ? I’m on 13,500 miles this year. But I only managed 100 Miles today.
Housecathst wrote:
You’re right, 6,000 miles isn’t what you’d consider a major achievement, back when I was commuting the short 9 mile a day to route to college in 1986 I knocked out about 5000 miles that year with a single ride at the weekend tagged on the day after or before playing a game of rugby. This was on a Raleigh Winner.
Given how much better bikes are and how much more serious some are (clearly very given 300miles on xmas eve) and a country that’s not known for shitty weather it’s hardly something to broadcast as a big deal.
Well done on the miles, I never topped 10,000 in a year but came close a fair few years.
Housecathst wrote:
You’re my hero
Very little on Strava can be
Very little on Strava can be trusted. It’s all a bit of a yawn really. Nice ad for Rapha though…
This Rapha 500m thing isn’t
This Rapha 500m thing isn’t much of a challenge is it, they should have made it 500KM
I am a bit tired of super
I am a bit tired of super epic rides just to tick the bucket list.
I would rather hear that somebody locked his car and picked a borrowed bicycle for his first 5km commute to work rather than any 3 or even 4 digit miles epic ride.
Just jealous that these guys
Just jealous that these guys have the weather to make 500km in a day remotely desirable.
Done it with no sleep in
Done it with no sleep in British weather, it was absolute shi** out there
https://www.strava.com/activities/1326880497
Isn’t it a little cold for
Isn’t it a little cold for willy-waving?
andyp wrote:
you need the Rapha ultimate willy warmer – their most versatile bad weather willy warmer, redesigned for the needs of the modern rider, it combines wind- and waterproofing with incredible breathability, efficiently transferring moisture vapour away from the foreskin while keeping the elements at bay.
Waterproof and wind-resistant with comfortable stretch
Highly breathable fabric regulates temperature during hard efforts
Taped internal seams to keep out the worst of the weather
Concealed front pocket
Debossed logo on shaft
Drainage holes in ball pockets
beezus fufoon wrote:
Only available in smaller sizes. Obvs.
beezus fufoon wrote:
you can gain 5 watts by getting circumcised – the air doesn’t get trapped inside the foreskin causing a balloon effect which increases drag. Plus it’s a more streamlined shaped, generating nice vortices behind the glans to give you a bit of extra boost.
ConcordeCX wrote:
— ConcordeCX
Too much thought gone into this.
Only 8431.5km for me this year so far. I must be a pathetic example.
Leviathan wrote:
yes, sorry about that. Too many pigs in blankets over Christmas.
ConcordeCX wrote:
Leviathan wrote:
8k and you’ve still got cutting to do? Blimey!