Failure to Success: The Rapha Festive 500 in 2020

(Image credit: Image: ArtistGNDphotography/ Getty Images)

published 4 January 2021

As I'm writing this it's the day after I finished the 2020 Rapha Festive 500 (apologies it's only being published now - Ed). This isn't the first year I've taken on this challenge and it won't be the last. For many people this year's event, like many things in 2020, will have been a little different though. Let's talk about how things went and what it takes to finish a challenge like this.

This was the third time I've taken on the Rapha Festive 500 but this was the first year it was official. The first time I tried the event was in 2018. Rapha has never recognized virtual miles in years past but I did it on a trainer anyway. My take on the spirit of the event is that it's about the hard work involved. There may have been an opportunity for a small token of completion from Rapha, for recognized miles, but was that the reason for doing it? Besides, if you could complete it in the warmer and sunnier climate of the Southern Hemisphere, why not on a trainer?

In 2018, completing 500km on a trainer garnered at least as much curiosity as outdoor riding would have. As with most things in 2020, the difference between this year and 2018 is a lifetime. Very few people spent much time on a trainer and smart trainers were much less prevalent. Even people I knew who had done it outside, in the rain and cold of the Pacific Northwest, didn't think the trainer was a possibility. For me the challenge was more about keeping my mind occupied than the physicality of it. I also made some pacing errors that I replicated in my 2019 attempt.

In 2019 sometime in late summer my cousin asked me if I'd like to take part in the Festive 500 with the crew of Rapha Seattle. I hate riding outside in the winter and I almost never ride at night. Taking on 500km, in one shot, in the Pacific Northwest winter means limited light and lots of rain. Honestly, the idea of it scared me. I'm not one to say no to a challenge though so I said yes and set about planning.

Around 4am the morning of the ride my cousin decided he wasn't ready to take on the ride. He probably made the right choice but I was already committed and decided to do it anyway. I showed up at the Seattle clubhouse without a teammate and headed out with a couple of others who were in similar situations. The first day I spent most of the time off the front riding at a pace that would have been tough at the height of my summer fitness. I was not at the height of my summer fitness. I also ate very little and by the time the sun was going down I was riding alone on unfamiliar roads.

I followed the wheel I caught for an unknown amount of time. All I remember was an overly bright flashing rear light and heavy rain. I couldn't see much of anything as we rode along a section of highway in the dark. With nearly no shoulder and pouring rain I gave myself the job of turning the pedals and following that light. Riding at night is already a weird tunnel experience but the pouring rain and inability to feel my extremities only made it worse.

When we reached the town of Forks, the same one from the Twilight movies, I parted ways with that light. Soon after that I stood in a dollar store dripping and shivering uncontrollably while I figured out where I was staying. In the morning I opted not to ride the remaining 200 miles of roads I didn't know alone and in more rain. My cousin helped me figure out what to do and I rode back 60 miles then caught a bus to Seattle. That was a low point.

Some say indoor miles are easy compared to outdoor miles in the elements. Only people who've never tried to ride serious miles indoors will say that. The challenge is just different. Instead of darkness and rain the challenge is that you can at any moment step off your bike. There's no rescue needed because you are already home. Just stop pedaling and go take a warm shower. Having that constant devil on your shoulder is one of the hardest things you'll ever have to contend with.

The first thing that was important was, as already mentioned, the team. Get someone solid who will be there with you. Get some good headphones, with a good mic, and get ready to chat away. Even better if you can find a couple of people. The next thing you have to do is pace yourself. The first year I did a couple of hard rides in the beginning then suffered after that. The second year I spent a day riding harder than I should have. This year I rode at an easy 60% of FTP and just turned the pedals.

Riding with a fan pointed at your face while the noise of a trainer and the drivetrain drones on in the background is a challenge for an audio mic. Actually, that's an understatement, it's basically a torture test. The Huawei FreeBuds 3 consistently do better than any of the other top true wireless earbuds I've tried. Using bone conduction technology means the people on the other end of the call can hear me clearly. Despite all the background noise I'm clear to them and they are clear to me. It's also a plus that I haven't managed to destroy them with sweat over the last year or so.

The Saris H3 Direct Drive trainer is among the best direct drive trainers. Previous Saris trainers were a bit loud but the H3 is five times quieter than previous generations. The actual spec is 59 decibels at 20 mph and that ends up being indistinguishable from the noise of the drivetrain. Aside from the noise there's also resistance up to 2000w or a simulated 20% slope and power that's accurate to +/-2%. Cadence measurement does not require any external sensor. These standard features come along with a great price.

Finding just the right solution for positioning your computer, or tablet, for a long ride could be a challenge. You can use a desk in some situations but if you need to squeeze into a tight area that might not work. The Saris TD1 trainer desk takes up a minimal amount of space while providing lots of thoughtful features. The build quality Saris provides is incredible. All of the components are solid and well built.

There's no way you can perform your best without airflow. When you ride outside airflow isn't an issue but indoors it can be the difference between finishing or not. The Vornado 7803 pedestal fan is a small enough package that it can fit right in front of the bikes front wheel. It will squeeze under a desk and the directed quality of the air flow makes aiming at your face easy. Once you get it aimed there's also a massive amount of available airflow. Low is 69 CFM while high speed is a face melting 721 CFM without being overly loud.

When you think about cycling jerseys it's easy to get caught up in the performance and technical aspects. Before getting into the details, it's important to remember that a jersey is a piece of clothing. It has to look good and it has to feel good and the Castelli Insider hits high marks in that regard. If a Castelli fit works for you then there's not going to be any surprises here. There's a nice slim profile that is a joy to wear.

Get past that and there are a number of indoor specific features that make the Insider jersey worth picking up. Without the airflow found outside it's easy to overheat. To address this, the Castelli Insider is the lightest jersey I've ever used. It's good for keeping you cool while riding but it also means it will dry quickly if you need to wear it day after day. Paired with the excellent fabric is a wide and sticky waist that absolutely will not ride up. Out back there are a pair of pockets that work well for carrying a phone and headphones as you come and go from the trainer.

The compressive nature is still there but instead of being an underlayer the Core Mesh 3 is so light it's more like a spacer. Wide spacing in the mesh means that the functional result is a buffer of air between your skin and your cycling jersey. This air space allows for additional circulation and even faster evaporation. The Castelli Core Mesh 3 is great for the hottest summer rides as well as the low airflow that comes with indoor riding.

The gravel cycling design of the Mavic Allroad bibshort means solutions meant for upright riding over rough surfaces. There's a thick, dense, chamois and it works just as well indoors. You might not be as upright, and the ride isn't bumpy, but when you stay locked into the same position for hours on end the features are welcome. Other gravel focused features like cargo pockets and lots of compression are also welcome as the indoor hours drag on.

The Shimano IC1 is light and breathable, like many summer cycling shoes but it's the indoor features that make them special. The design is fast to slip on so that when you are rushing to be on the starting line for a Zwift race there's no lost time struggling with shoes. They are also stable and walkable for those times when you find yourself running across the house to grab something you forgot. On top of that they are pretty inexpensive, in the realm of cycling shoes, and they work with both 2 bolt or 3 bolt pedals for extra flexibility.

One of the challenges for riding indoors for me is temperature regulation. The room I ride in is drafty and unheated. At the beginning of the ride, it's cold. As my body heats up the temperature doesn't change but the lack of airflow inherent with indoor riding means I get plenty warm. Sometimes I use a light jacket at the start and take it off midway. Socks aren't an easy mid-ride change and something that can keep my toes warm but not overheat my feet is an important consideration. The Smartwool PhD Run Cold Weather is a good choice for indoor riding in a cold room. They keep my toes warm in the cold without being overly bulky or hot.

Nutrition is hard enough any time you are on the bike. The balance between eating too much and eating too little is delicate but for indoor riding it's often forgotten. Riding indoors is traditionally so short as to not need specific nutrition consideration. When you start going for longer distances it's easy to forget to add nutrition into the mix. Make a mistake though and it's more likely to derail your riding. Instead of riding with low energy with the chance of recovery you might just step off the bike.

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Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutia of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes.

Height: 5'9" Weight: 137 lb.

Rides: Orbea Orca Aero, Cannondale Topstone Lefty, Cannondale CAAD9, Trek Checkpoint, Priority Continuum Onyx

Failure to Success: The Rapha Festive 500 in 2020

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