Events: Planning the 2025 Festive 500
It’s been a while since I’ve completed the challenge of riding 500 kilometers between December 24th and New Year’s Eve. This year, especially, has featured numerous challenges in my cycling world. There is a low likelihood I will cover the distance in the self-modulated time, but history shows that could be a good thing.
Several years ago, a cycling brand decided to throw a challenge into the last week of the Gregorian Calendar. Criticize the veiled advertising all you want, the Festive 500 encourages cyclists around the world to shoot for 500 kilometers in eight days. Perfectly geared to the pedagogue profession, the Festive 500 is infinitely Instagrammable. It was one of the genesis for our very own website (we did not win any award for creating a website to document our struggle). Yet today, week 52 is always hazarded with implications of completing the ride.
Each year I’ve come up with a theme that is Bucks County based. Steeped in American Revolutionary history, the war for independence has absorbed much of the thematic matter. This year, I searched for a brand new theme. Eventually I found it tucked away in a user-friendly format that could see an attempt void of intention. It came about amidst our bikeable community.
My year started with a distance deficit. The truth was: I couldn’t rouse myself to hammer on Zwift, so I didn’t. With the membership on hold, and unfortunate riding weather outside, the mileage was at a standstill. The warmer months saw immense efforts to make a comeback possible. The yearly goal total was within reach again until an injury took me off the bike completely. So much for any chance at a yearly goal. Interestingly, the next milestone in distance is a cool 500 kilometers away. Imagine that.
Meanwhile the Festive 500 should showcase Bucks County. What better way to pile miles than to utilize the ever expanding bike paths around the area. From the gravel route that parallels the Delaware River to the odd culdesac connectors known by few, Bucks County enjoys an impressive array of bike paths and bike lanes. After all, cycling events were originally designed to showcase the area with a bike race as an afterthought. Perhaps one of the rides will encourage cyclists to tour the area and search out lesser-known bike paths.
The Festive 500 has taken me to wild places. From intensely windy rides to cold rain to night miles to snow, the challenge has encouraged me to get out on the bike instead of the two indoor options: lay on the couch or slay the trainer. Five hundred kilometers in eight days always sounds doable, even when a daily total enters the ‘spirited’ category. Low likelihood of finishing is a good thing for morale, but then again finishing the distance is even more of a boost.
