One of Rapha’s designers created the Rapha Festive 500 in 2010 to ‘embrace winter riding and adventure’ , and we thought we would steal … I mean, build on that idea 😇 by creating our own Festive 200/400 to celebrate the year, and also revisit some of the events and rides the year offered (and no, not Melton at this time of year 😂).
So, we have put together 8 rides, to start on Christmas Eve, and finish on the 31st, and each ride is themed and will be around 50km long.
We will be revisiting our everesting hills, the Abbo TT course (which also served very well for the development rides!), the club sandwich and others, and of course there will be pubs, cafes, and probably some mince pies.
The idea is that if you can, on average, join every other ride, you will complete 200km, and if you manage every ride, it’ll be 400km. And, if you are crazy enough to be attempting the Rapha 500, don’t worry, there will be opportunities to add to the miles for you mad people…
A huge thank you to our ride coordinator Tom Stead and to the Chairman for putting this together 😊
Wednesday, 24th of December: Crown to Town, Midday, Market Square
In honour of the St Neots Xmas Eve pub crawl tradition, we will ride to the Crown in Northill and back again to meet at the Barley Mow for a pint.
Route can be found HERE
Thursday, 25th of December: All I want for Christmas is to ride my bike!! 9am, Market Square
Or maybe a new bike would do it. I loved Pat’s comment the other day on the chatter channel saying “If anyone is shopping for me i wear a 56 specialised tarmac sl8” 🤣
Route can be found HERE
Friday, 26th of December: Boxing Day Buffet – pick and choose, 9am, Market Square
Feeling a bit stuffed or in need for something a bit different? On boxing day two Routes will be on offer, one off road, and one on road, with a nod to the hell of St Neots this year.
Offroad Route is HERE
Onroad Route is HERE
Saturday, 27th of December: Turkey Club Sandwich, 9am, Market Square
If you are not sure what the club sandwich was about, you can find more information HERE. The festive version means you could, if you wanted, skip the effort and ride as far as Greens in Cambourne, sit there for a nice turkey sandwich or a cup of coffee and wait for the maniacs as they ride their effort, then join them for the return ride. Route can be found HERE
Sunday, 28th of December: Christmas Leftovers Club run, the usual time, Market Square
The usual club run is still on, and routes will, as per usual, be announced in the bulletin on Friday. And of course this is your perfect opportunity to make up the miles as there will be the usual medium and long routes as well as the short ones available!
Monday, 29th of December: St Neots Lights Ride, 16:30, Market Square
An idea we borrowed from Norman and Lottie (who some may remember, but who moved to the north a couple of years ago!) – this ride will take in the lights of St Neots and surrounding villages. It is an evening ride, so make sure you have lights on your bike, and two routes will be available, one of them suitable for the development riders. Routes TBA.
Tuesday, 30th of December: The Hare and Tortoise, 11:30am, Market Square or 12 at Bean theory
We will start this ride with a cafe stop, just to be different, at Bean theory, and we’ve put this at lunch time to give an opportunity for those who are working on that day… almost as good as a meal deal at your desk, right?
We will venture out from bean theory to be doing laps of the Abbo TT course – if you are aiming for the Rapha Festive 500, here’s your chance to add some extra miles.
A last chance to ride the course (just kidding. I know we kept saying that several times this year 😇😂 )
Route HERE
Wednesday, 31st of December: New Year’s Revolution, 9am, Market Square
And the seasons finale… a revisit of the Everesting hills. This ride is a little further so you can clock up the extra miles if you need them, and so that we can take in all three hills, in case you didn’t already have enough of them ;-)
Route HERE
