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The Turkey Takeoff

Thanksgiving in the USA traditionally marks the end of the harvest season and a celebration of the safe passage of the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World. While those in the UK and Europe don’t necessarily honour the occasion (although Thanksgiving is celebrated in Liberia, a nation founded by liberated US slaves) the things we all get more liberal with this time of year are the portions of poultry, easing off on the riding and slouching down in front of the TV.
Which is why Rapha and Strava are challenging you to ride as much as you can this holiday and take off that turkey. Burn 9000 calories between Wednesday the 23rd and Sunday 27th November and riders who complete the task will receive a Rapha Turkey Takeoff badge.
So even if you’re not residing in North America this Thanksgiving, take on Rapha and Strava’s Turkey Takeoff and give those winter calories the bird.
See more info here » www.rapha.cc/turkey-takeoff
Register at Strava:
Registration begins at Strava tomorrow, 17th November 2pm PST/10pm GMT.
At this page: www.strava.com/rapha/turkey (not yet live).
Get your Turkey Takeoff badge:
To receive the official Turkey Takeoff badge, please create a rapha account and email your home address to turkey (at) rapha.cc along with any written, photographed or digital documentation. We will blog the best submissions.
Gobble, gobble!
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Comments
Gem Atkinson
16th November 2011 03:34pm
love it! consider this fatty IN
Ian Winfield
16th November 2011 05:52pm
Easiest way to calculate use ?r2 or pie R squared.
Multiply pork pie, over roast dinner with square crackers and it equals a large circumference, or in laymens terms a f@t belly.
In order to reduce the circumference of aforementioned gut, cycle 250 miles, burn off 9000 calories and get a badge into the bargain.
If your in England, you may have the additional problem of work and the wife(far tougher than any Continental ride) standing in the way of 20 hours of riding.
Stefan Rohner
16th November 2011 08:14pm
9000 = 250miles? ;)
Martin James
16th November 2011 08:28pm
hmm, I like food, I like riding, but which is the best there is only one way to find out…
David Sangan
16th November 2011 09:04pm
If you plot your personal details, height, weight, age etc into a Garmin Edge 500 it will calculate your average calorie burn across your ride taking in to account average speed, elevation gain, length of ride between stops, air temperature etc. Of course it’s only a rough guide but 250 miles can come out at about 9000 Cals.
More to the point can nobody in the West enjoy an event like the American Thanksgiving without consuming vast quantities of badly processed junk food anymore?
Surely one of the great side benefits of cycling is that we become more aware of our bodies, our health, our environment and our place in it and that mindless consumption is both a bore and anathema to that consciousness.
Why not take pleasure in the festival in a modest way but still take on the ‘Turkey Takeoff’ ride and there by enjoy it all the more?
Eric Clay
16th November 2011 09:36pm
Count me in. I needed a reason to bring my bike to the in-laws and now I have it!
Brian Palmer
16th November 2011 09:46pm
i'll be on holiday with no bicycle. timing is everything it seems.
b
Rodman Bittner
16th November 2011 10:06pm
This morning I was ruminating on the Festive 500 for 2011. Getting a tentative plan ready.. when along comes The Turkey Takeoff. Kudos to Rapha. I'm in.
Florian Goessmann
17th November 2011 01:16am
It does sound like fun indeed and I am on holiday during that time; so it might just work out!
Regarding the Festive 500. That was a great motivator last year. Unfortunately, I never received my badge!
David Bolles
17th November 2011 03:24am
easy.
Lewis Paterson
17th November 2011 06:54am
They reckon that an hour of 12-14mph riding on levelish terrain burns 600 calories, so by that logic your looking at around 15 hours in the saddle. With work to plan around I think I'll put in one big hilly ride of 5-6 hours around the Trossachs and then do a handful of cycles to work and back. Should work out ok. Will use Sunday morning to make up any slack. One of the ride is going to be mountain biking around Slamannan, hope that's not too frowned upon!
Stefan Rohner
17th November 2011 07:15am
funny Srava program, how does it work? they calculate with gps…. so distance in car should be the same, ot not ?;) did 15 test km, strave says i did 6km! ha!
Bruce Rychlik
17th November 2011 12:55pm
Rapha states: "Four average size potatoes/mash serving = 40 calories"
There are roughly 160 calories in a average potato - let's say 150 for easy math - four average potatoes would be at least 600 calories excluding butter or sour cream or cheese.
Riders will be getting a break on this one.
gary caudill
17th November 2011 02:51pm
Scheduled to work over 30 hours over Black Friday weekend… BUT I'M IN! Getting it done in cold OHIO!
joseph melnyk
17th November 2011 06:20pm
gary caudill: i'm right with you! (northeast ohio. you?) the difficult part won't be the riding, it will be the cold and the limited daylight.
also, it seems something like this will give rise to the temptation of: "another slice of pumpkin pie? well, i really shouldn't… but i am riding 250 miles this over the next five days. give me a large slice! extra whipped cream!"
Simon Hillier
18th November 2011 09:24am
I'd love to have a go at this, nothing like a little challenge to motivate the mind.
Although, I am getting married next Thursday (24th Nov) which will be right smack bang in the middle of the challenge, no way will I be able to convince my bride-to-me to bring my bike along too !!!
Qhat if I post the 9000 proof a little late ?
gary caudill
18th November 2011 03:28pm
joseph melnyk: I'm down in Columbus… I'm getting away with a big ride on Thanksgiving then going to try and get in some rides in the dark… GET THE LIGHTS OUT!…
James Fifield
18th November 2011 05:01pm
Just picking up my shoes tonight having moved out from the UK at the start of October. What a great initiative to get me out and riding again. Thanks guys!
Riley Ballard
19th November 2011 04:00am
I'm in. A few commutes to work, the Potosi climb and Red Rock loop outside of Las Vegas where I live should do it. Great challenge! Can't wait!
Lewis Paterson
19th November 2011 03:04pm
Not finding the Strava app for the iPhone to be much cop. Went out this morning for a training run with a Steven Strathie. He ran strava, I ran Cyclemeter, both in iPhones. Strava lost GPS connection several times, cyclemeter never skipped a beat. I assume as "evidence" of the 9000 calories, screen shots from Cyclemeter and supplementary text would suffice, or does all have to be logged through Strava?
Michael Garcia
21st November 2011 04:37pm
How do you register?
When is www.strava.com/rapha/turkey going live.
Calum McRoberts
21st November 2011 04:42pm
It's not 250 miles when you are 114kgs!!!
Stefan Rohner
21st November 2011 04:57pm
rain, rain, rain rain and more rain…. until Sunday on Baleares ;)
Lisa Rodgers
22nd November 2011 07:28pm
Another great challenge! I'll try my level best to burn off all those calories and will write up my 'experiences' in another blog page - if anyone feels like reading: [http://raphaturkeytakeoff.blogspot.com/]
Have fun everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!!! Gobble gobble gobble!!!
Marie-Claude Grégoire
23rd November 2011 06:55pm
Not easy to ride in a snowstorm in Halifax, NS… but will do lots of running instead! that counts too no?
(hey, I even ran in my rapha wool socks last night… ) :)
Ad Vermaas
23rd November 2011 09:05pm
Love this! Count me in! :-)
Daniel Horndasch
24th November 2011 01:27am
I'll do what I can to put a dent in the challenge, but my riding is curtailed temporarily. I'll be taking over mechanic/driver duties for the Rapha-Focus cyclocross team for a few days; Brian & Tom are getting some much deserved R & R.
Hmm… Does trainer time count?
Daniel James
24th November 2011 03:37am
Got my first ride in yesterday and 55km came out at 1200 calories or thereabouts-not having a Garmin means I had to do it manually in Strava….Christmas present to self.
Anyway….got the clothes completely wrong ( 3/4 bibs, LS jersey, gilet and oversocks) and nearly froze to death coming down a mountain in the middle of rainstorm! It took two hours, a ton of food and merino wool from head to toe to get anything approaching warm. Full winter gear for the weekend!