May 8, 20178 yr Well the bike came into its own this weekend. Unusually for me I was out twice without family in tow. Friday night was a beer festival a town away. I did it mostly through parks for safety . But don't remember putting the bike away.mor why I have a scratch from forehead to chin.mim guessing a low branch. Saturday was a school reunion only about 2 miles but uphill on way home. So I arranged to leave my bike round the back of a friends house as pub wasn't looking to secure. I said I would be back for it at 10ish. In the end it was midnight and their dog heard me and kicked off nice and loud. Still that's a few taxis saved lol.
May 8, 20178 yr In my younger years (early 30s, so I should still have known better), I came back from London after a night out and rode 4 miles back from the station. Mrs FW called me as I was just entering our village, half way home. She was in an utter panic when I finally arrived home, it apparently took me an hour to ride 2 miles. I don't appear to have fallen off at all and I don't recall stopping, so I have no idea how it could have taken that long! I wouldn't do that again though.
May 9, 20178 yr Only been hammered once while out on bike..never again..fell off..musta only been going bout 3 miles an hour though so didn,t hurt myself..i remember it was impossible to peddle in a straight line..or anything resembling a straight line..
May 9, 20178 yr Author Just to say. As a drinker of 35 years. And one that drank heavily and often for the first 20 of that. I was not hammered. My idea of drunk now is 5 or 6 pints. I'm.afraid the memory thing also.happens stone cold sober these days.
May 9, 20178 yr So, what's the law ref drinking and electric biking? So, what's the law ref drinking and electric biking? 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.
May 9, 20178 yr Author I was definitely in control. But of course well over the driving limit. I guess you would get a caution or a fine. But they couldn't do.anything to your licence. As your.not using it.
May 9, 20178 yr So, what's the law ref drinking and electric biking? Do it as much as you can. Seriously though, They can't breathalyse you, so as long as you can stand up and talk to them, you're pretty safe from prosecution. I don't know what the exact offence is, but it's something like drunk in charge of a bicycle or just drunk and disorderly. Even then, prosecutions are pretty rare. Those that I heard about had warnings first, so they only prosecute as a way of protecting you. It might be different if you caused an accident in which somebody else got injured.
May 9, 20178 yr I work with a lot of ex coppers. Little they can do unless you let them breathalyze you. I also did the hammered cycle once about 4 years back. Fell off and did about 250 quid worth of damage to my bike. In a flat park with no people or obstacles for miles I have self imposed 2 pint limit now
May 9, 20178 yr Two pints sounds a good limit to me. I've got a bit complacent about having a few jars and then biking home recently, but I fell off my e-bike in the pub car park on Sunday. I had been beer-garden drinking all day, mostly shandy but probably still the equivalent of about 5 pints all told. Rode home the long way afterwards down back roads, didn't trust myself amongst traffic. Only hurt the next day. If I hadn't made an idiot of myself in the car-park I might have thought I was okay to ride on the main road, then caused an accident. Bloody stupid really. Won't be having any more than a couple from now on.
May 9, 20178 yr My front fork still bears scars of red wine abuse... When I ride back from S. Sebastian the first several km are on bike paths so by the time I get to the road I am back in shape to handle traffic. Riding the bike back 38 km sure beats walking back and yes I have done that (once).
May 9, 20178 yr Always use my bike to go to the pub (that was the reason for getting one to be honest). Usually have about 6 to 8 pints of Guinness but as i have been drinking that sort of amount for nearly 50 years it doesn't seem to affect me as much, also its a maximum of 3 miles each way depending on which pub I use. Guess I am just lucky (and a fat git)
May 9, 20178 yr how much is a pint of special brew in a pub? do they even sell it these days as last time i was in a pub was 1992 lol.
May 9, 20178 yr how much is a pint of special brew in a pub? do they even sell it these days as last time i was in a pub was 1992 lol. Can't say I've noticed Special Brew for sale in any pubs I've been to in many years, but then again, I've never looked or asked for a pint of that foul concoction. I must have been in my teens when I last had a pint of that, so at least 30 years ago.
May 9, 20178 yr bummer well if they got none of that and ur buying ill have a pint of vodka I've got bottles of the blinking stuff in my cupboard, I was given a box a few years ago at Christmas from a Sub Contractor, to pass out to my staff, no bugger wanted it!
May 11, 20178 yr how much is a pint of special brew in a pub? do they even sell it these days as last time i was in a pub was 1992 lol. Local Sainsburys http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/carlsberg-special-brew-4x440ml
May 12, 20178 yr We had a "few" after work at Christmas and I road home (in hindsight it was a stupid idea..). My max speed was 22 mph before that night, had a look a few days after and it was 32mph.. Never again!, 2 pints tops from now on.
May 12, 20178 yr Did it once and will never do it again. Quite literally almost died through my own stupidity. Works night out, rode the bike to the nearest tram station, got tram into work. Fair few beers after work, got tram back, got on bike....pedal dropped off on way home. Tried to push it, ride it with one pedal. I am a diabetic....too much beer and then low blood sugar was a really bad combination. Ended up lost and in a right state. Was lucky that a polish delivery driver was passing by, in the middle of nowhere, well after midnight. Thankfully he stopped to find me sprawled out on the side of the road, threw the bike in the back of his van and me in the front...filled me with sugar and took me home. He was a life saver. Was quite literally a life changing event. Never again.
May 28, 20178 yr Around 20 years ago we were invited to a party about 4 miles from home on the far side of the valley where we live. The property we were visiting had a long drive and at such social gatherings the cars were parked nose to tail along the drive. I didn't fancy being trapped with 6 or 7 cars behind me so decided to go by bike. The evening progressed and I consumed the largest part of a bottle of Highland Park. Despite this I felt fine, neither up nor down really, and when the time came to go home I put on my hi-viz suit, switched on my lights, and headed off thinking to myself "this is a piece of piss, nae bother tae the big man". It was after a mile or so I began to feel a bit tired and in fact all I wanted was to lie down and sleep but I knew I couldn't that. I started down the hill into the valley and by this time the fresh air and exercise had taken their toll and I was now steaming drunk. I remember trying to steer away from the verge but in that drunken way in which your body refuses the brain's instructions I drifted off the road and onto the verge. The front wheel went into a drainage grip and stopped. I of course continued travelling at my previous speed right over the handlebars and landed on my back. Drink also distorts time, I lay there thinking that wasn't so bad, I don't think I've hurt anything, and that's when the bike landed on my face. I really don't know how long I lay there but I was aware of several cars going past, but nobody stopped. I eventually pushed the bike off and tried to survey the damage in the pitch dark. I could feel a lot of blood around my face and I was now bloody sore as I started the long walk home pushing the bike. Once in the light at home I could see the mess,there was blood down my front, I had 2 black eyes, facial cuts and bruising and I'd lost my glasses. As for the bike, the front wheel was goosed along with the front light and a few other bits and pieces. What did I learn? If I'm on wheels that I'm in charge of then drink will not be taken. wheeler
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