Clik here to view.
Starting on Christmas Eve, the Rapha Festive 500 will return for a 13th year in 2022 with the challenge now live on Strava.
That means it’s time to sign up to tackle the 500km this Christmas period. For those who don’t want to embrace the weather, Rapha has continued its partnership with Zwift so any indoor kilometres will also count towards the Festive 500 challenge on Strava.
Local Rapha Clubhouses will also be trying to get as many people as possible to get their kilometres in with group rides from Clubhouses worldwide, except in the UK.
If that’s not enough, there is the prize of an Open UP bike for one finisher, a digital roundel for all finishers and the promise of more prizes to be announced.
For those who prefer their riding outside in the real world, check out our top tips on how to complete the Rapha Festive 500.
The 2022 Rapha Festive 500: Key information
Dates: Christmas Eve – Saturday 24th December 2022, to New Year's Eve – Saturday 31st December 2022 (inclusive)
Distance: You guessed it, 500km
How: Ride 500km over the eight days and log it all on Strava
Registration: Now live on Strava – 2022 Rapha Festive 500
How to complete the Festive 500: Top tips to conquer 500km this Christmas
Rapha + Zwift
Clik here to view.
One way for riders in northern latitudes to up their mileage without pre-dawn starts in the cold is to head to the turbo. Zwift has paired up with Rapha to give you a warmer, drier and possibly more sociable option.
There is a range of group rides available on Zwift, with four speed options led by a Rapha ambassador or a robopacer. Plus, there’s a Festive 500 virtual kit available to finishers of any group ride.
Training indoors has merit as part of a wider training plan, but as part of a challenge – for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter – a light spin on the turbo, in the virtual world, from the comfort of home is a long way from the original approach undertaken by the challenge’s founder.
The gift of fitness this Christmas
The genesis of what many would consider a pretty crazy idea came in 2009 when Rapha’s lead designer, Graeme Raeburn, set out to ride 1,000km over the Festive period as he tried ‘to train like a pro’ – full story at Rapha here.
He later discovered that even pros don't ride that much over Christmas, and so the challenge was halved when it was launched to the public in 2010 and saw just 84 people take it up. By 2021 that number had swollen to almost a quarter of a million.
The challenge is simple in theory but often tough in practice: ride your bike for a total of 500km between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and sync your rides to Strava.
Taking on 500km of cold weather riding
Clik here to view.
Packing 500km into a week is a big task at the best of times, never mind in the deep midwinter.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere the cold weather can be one of the biggest barriers to completion of the Rapha Festive 500, but the sense of achievement is all the larger for it.
Preparation – bike, kit, food, water, tools – is essential to going the distance. Luckily we’ve got a few bits of expert insight that might help you along the way.
- Read our guide to riding your first century
- Read our guide to cycling outdoors in winter
- Read our guide on how to complete the Festive 500
Clik here to view.
You can show your progress to Rapha and other riders by following @rapha on Twitter and Instagram and using #Festive500 and the brand has its Festive 500 Awards for some of its favourites.
The most inventive entries – whether that’s photo albums, poems, hand-drawn maps or pastries – will be awarded prizes.
There’s also a special collection of Festive 500 kit in the works that includes some of the essentials you’ll need to get the job done whether you’re doing it indoors, outdoors or both.
For more information head to Rapha.
Looking for some cold-weather inspiration? Head to our winter cycling hub