A lifelong cyclist and lead designer at Rapha for many years, Graeme Raeburn originally founded the #Festive500 12 years ago as a means of experiencing the life of a professional cyclist, setting out to ride 1000km across 8 days. He had chosen one of the harshest Christmases in living memory to embark on a challenge that defined the term epic. “It was extremely tough, pretty gruelling. Going out when it was just getting light and getting back in the dark was quite challenging.” Graeme achieved his aim, but admitted pushing himself to the edge was “a bit pointless.” Since then the challenge was set to a more reasonable 500km and today, the challenge has come to mean different things to many people. “I always wanted it to be on a social level, going out as a group to explore new roads and new places. You don’t have to do the 500km. For me it’s not a mile chasing, head banging, bar chewing, macho thing. It’s really about getting out there and enjoying being out on your bike. Having the ambition to just get out there, that’s the most important thing about it.” And Graeme’s founding ethos still endures today. So, where will the #Festive500 take you this year?