Rapha Festive 500. Anyone doing it?

[Pblakeney]

I am suffering with the same problem.
I have the same type of saddle on all of my bikes and am fine for 6+ hours outdoors.

On the turbo trainer I have to stand for 1 minute every 10 minutes to keep numbness at bay!!

I think that it must be due to the bike not moving about much on the turbo trainer compared to out on the road.

I would like to do much longer turbo rides but for now I am keeping thm down to 75-80 minutes.

I think that this is a misconception. Very few, if any, cyclists will stay in one position while cycling outdoors for a prolonged period. They stop for junctions, get out the saddle occasionally and generally move around. While on trainers they are focussed on the session and it is completely different.

Certainly true for me at least. I regularly do sessions of 3 hours on the trainer but I move around a *lot*.

 

[geocycle]

I am suffering with the same problem.
I have the same type of saddle on all of my bikes and am fine for 6+ hours outdoors.

On the turbo trainer I have to stand for 1 minute every 10 minutes to keep numbness at bay!!

I think that it must be due to the bike not moving about much on the turbo trainer compared to out on the road.

I would like to do much longer turbo rides but for now I am keeping thm down to 75-80 minutes.

I find the only time I get numb from the saddle is in flatlands. Around here I’m constantly moving about so never think about it. On the few occasions I go down to the Fylde i have to make a conscious effort to stand up every 30 mins or so.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Long turbo sessions have "special" features all of their own. I regularly do 2hr sessions, I experimented with longer during lockdown but they weren't nice.

I'm wondering if similar applied to the people doing 500k round the Velodrome. I didn't check what kind of bikes they were riding but I'm going to guess they were ordinary road bikes, not track bikes. At least one was, unless there is actually such a thing as a "track Brompton".

If any of them were in fact on fixed, I find that has a similar effect as the turbo, because in both cases you can't freewheel. Although, the effect of trying to freewheel on fixed is a bit more drastic than on the turbo when it just says "have you gone? workout paused"

 

[Pblakeney]

If any of them were in fact on fixed, I find that has a similar effect as the turbo, because in both cases you can't freewheel. Although, the effect of trying to freewheel on fixed is a bit more drastic than on the turbo when it just says "have you gone? workout paused"

I guess that depends on the trainer used, or the session you are on but I can definitely freewheel and regularly do while on a descent.
It's a good time to have a leisurely drink and something to eat. No worries about cornering or braking either. 😉

 

[honeybadger]

Been doing the Rapha500 since 2016, although I did miss last year to having the dreaded lurgy so back on it again this year. Due to family commitments I always try and do the challenge in the shortest time possible so normally do it in three, 100mile rides (although I did do it in two monster rides once ) that’s always outside.This year I’ve got two rides in up to now, one on Christmas Eve and one last Sunday. Hopefully finish the challenge tomorrow, with minus temperatures forecasted first thing I’ll be sticking to the main roads though !

 

[Dogtrousers]

I guess that depends on the trainer used, or the session you are on but I can definitely freewheel and regularly do while on a descent.
It's a good time to have a leisurely drink and something to eat. No worries about cornering or braking either. 😉

My Tacx trainer doesn't like it if I freewheel and puts the workout on hold. This is a bit dumb if I'm riding a movie simulation and there is a long descent. I have to pedal, I can't brake. I end up flying round hairpins at 70 kmh. Quite amusing really.

There might be a setting I should change somewhere

 

[Pblakeney]

My Tacx trainer doesn't like it if I freewheel and puts the workout on hold. This is a bit dumb if I'm riding a movie simulation and there is a long descent. I have to pedal, I can't brake. I end up flying round hairpins at 70 kmh. Quite amusing really.

There might be a setting I should change somewhere

Presumably not a Neo 2T like I have then. 😉

 

[matticus]

Indoors?!? Officer Dogtrousers will clip my ear for the following, but:

Yes, it's clearly easier done indoors. (Does this "matter" to me? hard to say, as I think I've only done the flippin thing once, and I couldn't have done it with less free time than I was blessed with ... so it's different for everyone).
The weather doesn't get in the way indoors - most bad weather slows you down outdoors in 1-or-more ways, as well as discouraging you. And in late December bad weather is very common. Just sorting out the winter clothing is a time sink!

And then there's the MOTIVATION aspect of the "challenge"; it used to be a reason to GET OUTSIDE!!! It does me no harm if others don't see that, but I still think it's a shame...

p.s. big chapeau to the plucky audaxers who have been returning from this during the course of today: https://www.audax.uk/event-details/calendar/13618-full_fat_festive_500
https://pedalution.co.uk/events/full-fat-festive-500-pint-2/

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Although, the effect of trying to freewheel on fixed is a bit more drastic than on the turbo when it just says "have you gone? workout paused"

Only time I ever rode a fixed was at Manchester Velodrome. The guy running the session kept repeating the mantra "don't stop pedalling". About 20mins in and my confidence was up. Went to the top of the banking, rode down and did a sprint. For a split second my brain reverted to the road and post sprint I sat up and stopped pedalling. Split my helmet clean through in six places as I landed head first on the track. Unsurprisingly I never rode a fixie again! 🤕😂

 

[Alex321]

Nah.
Final day last time I did it outdoors was 100 kms in the rain at 5C and 45 kms/hr winds. Indoors does not compare.

So rather than "nah", you mean "absolutely", since you then go to say it was hard due to things you have no control over/.

 

[Pblakeney]

So rather than "nah", you mean "absolutely", since you then go to say it was hard due to things you have no control over/.

It is December. It was intentionally hard. Sometimes it is hard enough to not be worthwhile, or even dangerous. This does not apply to indoor cycling which is inherently controllable to the point of being easy if there are no time constraints.