Events: The 2020 Rapha Festive 500 Day One

(2020) Ride Distance: 33 Miles/ 277 Remain

In any normal year, the Mount Gilead Community Church atop Holicong Mountain would be tidying up on December 24. The tiny one room church opens twice each year, and Christmas Eve hosts a candlelight service within the structure that has no electricity nor plumbing. The African Methodist Episcopal church has served the community since its update in 1852 using the same foundation at the log cabin it replaced. Parts of the building go back to 1835. The church features a sweeping view to the north, a symbolic panorama. 

But this is not a normal year. This year my sixth Rapha Festive 500 attempt had to pass the church since the Rapha event starts on December 24. For eight days - December 24 - 31 - cyclists try to cover 500 kilometers. In the past the event only accepted outdoor miles. In the past the apparel company mailed patches to finishers who registered. But this is not a normal year. With lockdowns potentially eliminating regions, Rapha accepts indoor miles. Perhaps due to the rising popularity, the little patch is now digital on Strava. Seeing a weather window on the first day, I gambled and headed straight for Mount Gilead.

One cannot finish the Festive 500 on the first day, but many eliminate themselves by skipping day one. With the pressure of heavy precipitation forecasted soon, the trusty steed was pointed south into a headwind. Roads were flooded from the unusual warmth as last week’s snow cried down roadsides. Cyclists were out, possibly logging miles. Runners were out dodging puddles, hardly aware of my approach as their earbuds canceled sound. These opening miles are important toward the total. 

Winding around the Bucks County Roads was enjoyable. Descending the ridge to Buckingham helped negate the strong headwind. Putting in hard efforts helped pass the opening half of the ride that planned to make a northerly turn near New Hope. Trying a new approach the pedals were pushed urgently up Holicong Mountain to Mount Gilead Church. The old adage of uphill speed equating to faster average speed was observed. Before I cleared the area, I prioritized a photo of Mount Gilead and its view.

For Rapha’s Festive 500, Bucks County Underground Railroad locations are being prioritized. Mount Gilead was a well-known stop on the Underground Railroad starting in the 1830s. It is believed many fleeing slaves sought refuge around the base of the mountain but maintained contact with the church. The township of Buckingham was remote enough to offer protection to those moving northward; fugitives found employment on nearby farms and aid with the local Quaker population. The stop before Mount Gilead was most likely Yardley, PA, on the Delaware River. 

This year has been difficult to put into words, but when I circled back to the photo Mount Gilead, the scene perfectly represented 2020. The shuttered African Methodist Episcopalean church was not being prepped for the vigil later that night. Instead, the only activity was a white man in a flannel who hurriedly exited his SUV in the slushy parking lot. He made his way along the rudimentary headstones of generations long ago. As I pulled my phone out to snap a picture, a fresh grave caught my attention. Sure enough the middle-aged man was walking toward it. Flowers atop the new dirt were pink. This, I thought, was 2020 wrapped into a moment. I snapped an isolated single photo and decided to move out of the way, letting the man have the graveyard to himself. 

The route went down the backside of the mountain toward New Hope where the historic locomotive whistled past. Here is where the route turned north and inherited a comfortable tailwind back up the ridge. The effort stayed consistent, thinking the rain was right off the back wheel. More runners. More cyclists. Everyone was getting miles in. I wondered how long the man paid his respects in the graveyard.

These were the important opening miles of the Festive 500. I was already dealt an important experience, and it occupied my mind on the return home. Hopefully the Festive 500 logs considerable miles if experiences like that continue. As the route explores Underground Railroad locations, the names of history are brought out again. Hopefully the Mount Gilead Church will be able to have a candlelight vigil on Easter, the other day the doors are opened and parishioners are welcomed in.