What's the most you would risk cycling after?

Kieran_Burns

Topical subject given the time of year and the thread just below..

Given that cycling while under the influence is not an offence per se, but the following might clear things up:

The Licensing Act 1872 makes it an offence to be drunk in charge of a bicycle (or any other vehicle or carriage, or cattle) on a highway or in a public place but this old law also forbids any public drunkenness - even in a pub - so is clearly never enforced.

In law a bicycle is defined as a carriage for use on the highway but cyclists are not in charge of 'mechanically propelled' vehicles so, in law, do not have to adhere to exactly the same rules as motorists, including 'drink drive' rules.

Section 30 Road Traffic Act 1988 says: "It is an offence for a person to ride a cycle on a road or other public place when unfit to ride through drink or drugs - that is to say - is under the influence of a drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle.

asprilla

I tend to be a bit 'enthusiastic' with my cycling when I've had a drink. This makes me crash.

I don't drink and ride.

msmancunia

I know what you mean about enthusiastic - I got a PB from Manchester to Oldham a couple of summers ago after two thirds of a bottle of wine and two very large Mojitos. I didn't get changed and rode home with my dress tucked into my knickers.

Scared me silly though and haven't done it since.

CiB

Have twice - no, thrice - ridden home from work-related events due to being too drunk to walk. Except for falling off three times in one 100 yard stint halfway home on the one that was the Christmas do it wasn't a big issue. Haven't done it since about 2002 iirc.

Once met up with a mate in a pub one lunchtime planning to have a quick one before setting off on a 50 miler, and ended up leaving at about 3:30 due to other mates dropping in as they passed. We'd sweated the beer out inside the first five miles.

ydrol

I once did Paddington, Euston to Bromley after several shorts (free drinks!), and night traffic (flows faster). I was OK and in control but I wouldn't repeat it. It's easy to get a bit tunnel visioned. I guess the nature of the return journey is a big factor!

UndercoverElephant

Dreadful to admit, but I've cycled home from works' dos after many, many beers. I can go in a straight line OK, but my legs lose power and I start feeling almost... *shudder* ...average.

Kieran_Burns

I don't feel so bad about Monday night now. Admittedly it did involve navigating a short, sharp unlit downhill with a 90 degree bend, a dual carriageway, junction 24 of the M1 (NOT the M1...) and I popped the cork so was bursting for a pee the whole way home...

veronese68

I 'know someone' that rode home from a stag do after a few too many and managed to fall off all on his own breaking a rib in the process. Well, I was trying to avoid riding into the river. I mean, he was trying to avoid riding into the river. Obviously I would never do such a thing, nor will I tomorrow. Well maybe a few.
Have I mentioned our pub wobble? 5 pubs and 11 miles, but almost entirely off road. That's a right laugh.
Talking of which, anyone else for the Roebuck after work tomorrow?

bigmat

True story this - my Belgian mate had a student initiation that involved downing 2 lagers, 2 white beers and 2 dark beers, then various shots of the local spirits. This kick started a long boozy evening. He then cycled home and almost made it, but managed to go over his bars a few minutes from home, face planted and ended up with a handful of teeth. At which point he did what any sensible person would do - he got in his car and drove to hospital!

I had similar episodes when I was over there. On one occasion I woke up the morning after rugby training covered in bruises. I was only as I started sobering up that I remembered I hadn't actually done any training as I had been too drunk and slowly remembered riding my bike into a pile of other parked bikes. Another time I was appalled that not only had someone stolen my bike, they had also stolen my lock and locked their own bike up with it! You can probably figure out what happened there - fortunately they brought the bike back after I had reclaimed my lock.

I tend to adopt the approach that if I wouldn't drive I won't cycle these days. We are far less of a risk to others but probably a greater risk to our selves cycling drunk compared to driving drunk. My last hurrah was probably cycling home from my Christmas party last year after missing the last train. I still have nightmares about that...

rolf_f

Well, it's not the same as driving is it. Sat in a comfy chair, with the heating on, and the music playing isn't the same as getting on a bike in the middle of winter and pedalling. I tend to be a danger to kerbs for about a mile and then pretty much back to normal whatever that is.
There's a cool event in Haarlem where everyone has a little orange pennant on their bikes to identify themselves as part of the group and they all ride round town on a night long pub crawl.

ugo.santalucia

When I lived in Amsterdam, I was younger for a start and I used to cycle at night in a state... I remember vomiting on the handlebar

R4skob

The problem with the cycle hire scheme is it has resulted in me developing a habit of using them to get home from nights out.

not wise, but a hell of a lot of fun

itboffin

Until you forget to dock it correctly and you get charged for a new one :?

R4skob

itboffin wrote:

Until you forget to dock it correctly and you get charged for a new one :?

I don't think that far ahead when it comes to the choice between a bike and public transport

Initialised

I honestly have no idea!

pblakeney

At a Christmas soiree with cycling friends we went for the full meal with wine instead of coffee and cake or roll.
One bottle of red wine each later, we set off home.
No incidents, no occurrences. Absolutely fine.

PS:- I drink. No problem.

The Rookie

A friend at Uni tried to ride home with a skinful, rode into a (fully illuminated) skip that had a ramp down, fell off and woke up the next morning in a bit of a mess (it was full of brick rubble), I stick to a pint or equivalent when I'm riding.

gbsahne001

When I was drinking it didn't really matter what I'd drunk and even if I was having trouble walking I'd still be able to ride. Luckily other than the occasional clipless moment (in straps and clips) and me falling off into snow, nothing untoward happened.

Now that I no longer drink, it doesn't affect me in the slightest.

Pufftmw

My last company Christmas party, I'd just handed my notice in and as it was a free bar, so I took advantage of it and the sense of relief. About midnight I changed into my cycle gear, went outside and tried to set off. As that wasn't possible, went back inside for a couple of hours to "sober up", then when I could balance enough, got on my bike and cycled from Kensington all the way back to Lewisham. The actual cycling was ok, I am very cautious with junctions, lights etc but it was about 2 degrees, chucking down with rain and a vicious headwind. I was soaked through and frozen, got undressed outside the front door then had a hot shower and was surprised when my g/friend kept pushing me away.

This year's Boris bike from Shoreditch to London Bridge it also rained, was cold/soaked and had to stand on a windy platform to get the last train home.

Its not the riding that's the problem, its the weather this time of year.

Anonymous

I think my most drunken escapade was a couple of years agio. It was 1 am and I'd had a skinful of beer and jaegerbombs after a big client signoff. Canary Wharf to Fulham. one of the partners had to help me wipe the chunder off my shirt earlier in the night which I didn't realise.

Fell off a few times as I kept hitting the pavement. It was also my last day at that site so I fully loaded my bag up with all my things (shoes, lock etc) which made it quite heavy.
I got home and crashed through the house and ended up brushing my teeth with the hot water and left the tap on. Housemates were not happy about that!

arran77

I voted more than 5 and then realised that the question wasn't how many do you drink during a summer afternoon 'ride'

tlw1

I was truthful

daddy0

I have ridden home after many more than 5 drinks, but that was in my 20s when I rode BMX. I think I'd stick to less than 4 now - crashing a road bike would be a bit less forgiving than stacking the beemer and more easily done.

Kieran_Burns

I really am slightly shocked at how many drink more than 5 to be honest. I felt 'okay' when cycling home but there's no way I'd drunk any more.

Mind you, I was drinking Ales, none of these namby pamby southern lagers...

hjghg5

My scariest ride was drunk on a boris bike. I'd traveled down for a client christmas event. Very very boozy do. I was in a hotel. Maybe about three quarters of a mile, not far at all, from the venue but I decided that I didn't want to stagger in heels. And stupidly I'd not only signed up for a boris bike key but taken it out with me.

Drunk, in heels and a dress and entirely unused to london traffic. It may have been a short ride but I still nearly crashed more than once. It wasn't long enough to sober up either. I threw up when I got in.

I will still cycle after a couple (particularly on my commute) but will try to avoid being quite as drunk as that again!

roger_merriman

I can get home with out roads, so I would wobble home, via parks and deer. Pushing the bike on pavement.

Now I'm teetotal since last year. So choice of softies!

ddraver

I usually ride after 4 or 5 ales and am ok enough.

However (and I'm not at all proud of this), When I lost my job and I really did nt have money for the tube I rode to a birthday party at the German beer bar up by LMNH. My mate took pity on me and shouted me more than a few steins and shots and being somewhat miserable I went for it. At about 1 am I started attempting to ride home. I fell off three times before I managed to get going and (god knows how) managed to get to Holborn where I fell off at a red light having had many a bus and taxi drive around me leaving me very wide berths and giving me a large amount of abuse. I gave up then and found one of those courtyards they have there and went to sleep on the pavement cuddling my bike.

I awoke at about 6 am and rode the rest of the way back to Wimbledon feeling worse than I ve ever felt before. At 12, i had to get up to go to work in the bar...

Goes in my file of things I ve done that I'm really not proud of

tootsie323

At the risk of quoting a classic Wham! hit, last Christmas.

Late Christmas evening at the house, family and friends, we'd all had a few. Found ourselves running low on booze and 'baccy and I drew the short straw to fetch replacements from a 24-hour garage.
Made it there in one piece, bought the necessary stocks, then made the mistake of attempting to bunny-hop off the dual carriageway on the return leg. On a frosty evening.
Shook myself down, remounted and made it home with no further issues. Unfortunately I had managed to break the bottles I had in my backpack as a result of the tumble. For good measure I developed a nice shiner over my right eye in time for Boxing Day.

Agent57

I rode home after 4 pints the other night; but I only had to do a few hundred metres on the highway. After than it was cycle path all the way (2 miles).

PBo

Didn't you miss:

5+ I'm a better cyclist when drunk...

off the options?

iPete

Isn't 5 pints when you reach the top of the bell curve?