Strava Profile
"The Spirit of the Challenge for me was connecting with the shear enjoyment of riding. Taking the roads less travelled and hang the weather. With the right equipment and motivation it is amazing what you can see and achieve"
I hope you enjoy my story and are inspired to get out and feel the wind on your face. I have shared my thoughts on the kit I used below (Rapha, Castelli and Endura).
- Enjoy:
A week before Christmas I came across the Rapha Festive 500 Challenge. Now firstly I have to admit to being a bit of a fan for Rapha kit as you might gather from the pictures and video. Simply put I like the quality, fit and how it makes me feel. So seeing Rapha and Challenge together prompted me to investigate further.
That evening I was not into figuring things out and when it was not completely obvious what the deal was other than something to do with 500KM between Christmas and the New Year, I moved on. I don't know why but the idea of riding 500KM over the holiday period stuck with me. Deciding to find out more I learnt that it was a Strava Challenge and that the finishers could claim a Rapha roundel.It seemed a worthy challenge and if I could complete it I would beat my own personal best for distance over consecutive days. The fact that Rapha offered a roundel also seemed kind of cool making the challenge a little more special. I decided to speak to my coach. He thought it was a great idea. He told me he had completed the challenge for the last couple of years and would be doing it again this year. He then did what coach's do best, he inspired me (thank yo Jim). That was all I needed, with my coach's blessing and my wife Sarah's support it was game on.
Now I had to strategize on my game plan and think about what the challenge meant to me. Having finished the Cyclocross race season I was in need of reconnecting with the simple pleasure of riding. After talking more with Jim I landed on a plan. I wanted to use the time to ride roads and trails I don't normally ride and where I could carry a higher average speed allowing me to balance my time on the bike with time with my family.
With the plan in place I prepared for my first ride with the aim of banking some miles early should I not be able to ride a day or something came up.
Excited to get going and also wanting to spend time with Sarah I was up at the crazy time of 5am on Christmas Eve with the goal of being home before lunch. After racing in a skin suit and spending time on the indoor trainer putting on my new winter gear felt cumbersome but I soon appreciated it. It was surreal riding in the dark and driving rain as I headed out for a ride to Fremont (Seattle) on the Burke Gilman Trail. During the summer the trail is packed with walkers, runners, bikers and well you get the picture. At 6am on a cold, wet Christmas Eve I had the trail to myself and as it went from pitch dark to dawn I was having a blast taking in scenery, lights and wide open trail and the rain just added to the experience. Around 8am the rain stopped and I was approaching the Fremont Bridge, my turnaround point in the ride.It was at that point mother nature decided to mess with me. There is no easy way to say it other than to say it, so yup I needed to go, and I mean I needed to GO and not just a pee. A sudden cramp, announced the fact that it was now an urgent need. Now at 8am there was not an abundance of choices and even if there where I am not sure I would have wanted to use them. But any port in a storm right, well there was no ports and the urgency was growing along with a spark of panic. I had no option but to push on. A short while later I reached the end of the trail and saw bikes leaning up against a shop window. Could it be? was it possible? I rushed to the window, with backs turned inside I banged on the window. When the rider turned around I was amazed to be looking at one of the riders I raced with. I was saved. Now if you have ever been in a similar position you can imagine the wave of relief that washed over me. Business taken care of I was then ready to face the ride home.
A chance meeting and lets face it rescue I joined them as they headed out on the start of a morning ride. It turned out that our paths would cross for a few miles and it was great to have the company. After we parted company the final miles rolled by and I decided to take the long way home which was almost a mistake as about 15 miles from home I started to run out of steam. With wobbly legs I made it home to be greeted by Sarah with a bucket of water and a sponge ready to clean my bike down. My wife is awesome as I could not have cleaned the bike if I had tried but I did not have to worry, she took care of it all whilst I collapsed after the ride.
Christmas morning I headed out bright and early. The ride started dry but that did not last long, in fact it lasted about 15 minutes and then the heavens opened. I was surprised at how good I felt after the previous days ride and for my second day I decided to explore the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. It was fun to add a gravel trail to the route and I explored a part of the trail I had never ridden before. Towards the end of the planned ride I still had some gas in the tank that allowed me to add some additional miles before heading home.Boxing Day, I know it is not observed in the US but hey it's our roots. With a prior engagement to teach Foundation Training I did not have much time so I planned an early start and got in the distance arriving at the studio in time to teach my classes. Still feeling good.
December 27th, I hooked up with a friend. The weather was dry for the first half of the ride and it was great to ride with someone. After a stop at Snoqualmie Falls to take in the sight he peeled off at the halfway point and I pressed on alone taking in a mix of gravel and road. Rain was forecasted and sure enough the weather went from dry and cold to cold, wet and windy. After fighting a driving head wind containing rain and sleet I was happy when it came time to head home satisfied with overcoming the conditions.
December 28th, with a break in the weather Sarah offered to try out her new electric bike and ride with me along the Burke Gilman trail. We met up at Marymoor Park and headed out. It was great to be riding with her and the electric bike allowed her to ride at my pace. What could be better, I was able to get in the distance and spend time with my wife. The battery life was not as good as we had hoped but we made it back clocking the miles I needed.
December 29th, with only 30ish miles left I headed out to finish up the challenge 2 days early, with an evening ride. It was a good feeling and checking in with my body I was happy with how I was holding up. On my final day of the challenge I was treated to a wonderful sunset over the lake. Arriving home I was proud of the achievement and looking forward to putting together the video diary.
Equipment Used Rapha
Pro Team Soft Shell Jacket
Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad
Brevet Gilet
Pro Team Soft Shell base layer
Merino Socks
Long Sleeve Pro Team Jersey
Team Sky Lightweight Snood
Team Sky Brevet Gilet
Winter Base Layer
Winter Hat Black
Deep Winter Socks
Winter Gloves
Merino Liners
I discovered Rapha this year and was impressed with the designs. Dipping my toe I purchased a top and was hooked. It quickly became my new favorite equipment. During the summer I purchased the Pro Team Soft Shell Jacket and Winter Tights with Pad ready for the winter. They both work wonderfully. They have kept me warm and dry without compromising movement and they look great. Christmas this year was a Rapha Christmas and I was very excited to try out my new kit on the challenge. There is not a bit of kit I am unhappy with. Worthy of a special mention are the deep winter socks and winter gloves and the merino liners are well plush. On the flip side, I am not sure if I should have gone large on the jacket despite the sizing guidelines, it fits great but might be a bit tight which makes accessing the pockets a challenge. The Pro Team Soft Shell base layer works great but seems a little short in length, that could be by design and I plan to call Rapha to find out. As for the Tights whilst they are hands down the best I have worn they do seem a little drafty around the nether region. I have ordered a second pair to allow me to rotate them and also to compare the fit.
Castelli
Rosso Corsa Gabba Jacket
I have nothing but good things to say about the jacket. It is light, comfortable, warm and keeps me dry, oh and I like the look of it. It is a lighter jacket than the Rapha Pro Team Soft Shell but works well and is a good addition to my wardrobe. Since I purchased the jacket at a store I was able to try different sizes and ended up purchasing a size up.
Endura
Commuter Rain Pants
Winter Gloves
I purchased the rain pants for cyclocross race warm up. On Christmas Eve it was raining so hard that I decided to use as them as the last thing I wanted was to be soaked and cold. I was concerned that they would be uncomfortable and fail to breath causing me to overheat. I was pleasantly surprised as I was able to ride 82 miles in them without feeling overly constricted or overheating.
The winter gloves performed adequately, I was pleased with the warmth but I found my hands getting wet quickly. The addition of the Rapha Winter Gloves was a significant upgrade and replaced the Endura's. They are not bad and are now my backup gloves but they are nowhere near as good as the Rapha's especially with the merino liners which are just simply the most comfortable liners I have owned.
Rubber Side Down
and
MaxLifeOut
No comments:
Post a Comment