Advocacy & Safety - Did you ever ride a bicycle while intoxicated?

I saw the thread asking whether bicycling while intoxicated is considered "DUI" by the law.

It made me wonder how many people actually bicycle while intoxicated.

I tried it once many years ago. What a miserable experience that was. I remember seeing the headlights of a great big eighteen wheeler coming at me head on (what was he doing in my lane?...).

I remember falling off my bike because of "balance issues", crashing, and picking gravel out of my skin.

I remember feeling a hangover while bicycling before I even got home.

I remember it was one of the longest rides of my life; like I was going backwards instead of forwards.

You hear arguments for electronic sobriety checks installed in cars. No need for that with bicycles. It is very difficult to bicycle while intoxicated. Wobble wobble fall over. Wobble Wobble.... wobble..boom.

Have you ever tried bicycling while intoxicated? What was it like?

I've ridden my bike coming home from bars and whatnot, but I never was to the point where I was wobbling and falling. Given a bike's tendency to stay upright, you'd have to be pretty damn drunk to fall like that. I haven't been that drunk in a long time. If I was so drunk that I couldn't stay upright, I think I'd find a different way to get home. When I've ridden under the influence, I feel like I was still able to maintain a good amount of control of my bike. (Of course though, when you're under the influence, your ability to judge how well you're doing is a bit clouded.)

I have not rode drunk, but on BF a long time ago I got chewed out for saying I sometimes rode my Comfort bike around the neighborhood after a few beers and one in my Soma handlebar mounted coffee cup. I dont think i am a menace to society after 3 beers on my bicycle.

I have not rode drunk, but on BF a long time ago I got chewed out for saying I sometimes rode my Comfort bike around the neighborhood after a few beers and one in my Soma handlebar mounted coffee cup. I dont think i am a menace to society after 3 beers on my bicycle.

Ha! I would like to see you riding around with a beer on your Soma handlebar mount. Make it a Milwaukee's Best brand for the pure visual impact of it. Is there any way to turn your handbars upside down like the Huber-law riders do here?

Nah, you aren't a menace riding your bicycle after three beers. Bicycle over to my place for your next three beers and I will lend you a tricycle to ride home.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l26/halfwildhalfchild/Torque2.jpg

When I've ridden under the influence, I feel like I was still able to maintain a good amount of control of my bike. (Of course though, when you're under the influence, your ability to judge how well you're doing is a bit clouded.)

I remember my friend Bob saying just about the same thing when he was going to drive his car home drunk. He insisted he was in control. Meanwhile, our friend Dan was tying Bob's shoe-laces together, so poor Bob never made it to the parking lot.

http://mlbeerpong.org/images/Chris%20Drunk%20%20Abrejos_Trip_037%5B1%5D.jpg

Neither one of those guys are me.

I have a few times, but I was not to the point where I was impaired enough to crash. I also rode on the MUP rather than the roads. FWIW with current low level of .08 I can still drink 6-8 beers in 2 hours and just be at the limit according to the various charts. I typically won't drive at all after drinking more than a single beer or a glass of wine. To me it just isn't worth the getting hassled in a DUI check point. Even though I am perfectly legal. When I visit friends in a nearby town we will occasionally cycle to a couple of pubs for dinner and a few beers. None of us are drunk by the legal standard, but I would question the ability of a couple of them to drive. I have an advantage over someone that is a lightweight. At 200#'s I can tolerate much more alcohol than some of my lighter weight friends.

Aaron:)

I dont drink alcohol and havent for years but when I
was younger I did regularly. In fact, it was easier to
balance a bicycle loaded than walk on a few occasions.
In the 70's, having a few beers and smoking a joint
then touring back country roads with some friends was
a common occurrence. Im not proud of this stuff, just
the way it was.

I don't drink, won't drink, and will never drink....much less operate any wheeled machine.

I confess I have ridden home many a time after a visit to the pub. Most often I am not inebriated, but there have been a few times when I was well and truly snookered. Fortunately, home is only a 5 minute ride and the one-way downtown street infrequently uased by motor traffic, so it is generally very safe. There have been nights when I knew I was too drunk to ride and walked home as well. I still have all my lights in operation and am certain I am aware of traffic conditions. I've never fallen or been struck. I know it's wrong, but I'm hungry, tired and in need of a washroom and sometimes walking just takes too long.

I don't drink. Therefore, I cannot be drunk. Although oxygen deprivation has the same effect....

I ride home from bars and parties, but I never get completely smashed anymore and I always stop drinking in advance of leaving so that I have some time to sober up .I wasn't always so cautious though. One new years I got so drunk I blacked out, and ended up riding home on my friends bike. I woke up on the floor next to my bed, with my friends singlespeed mountain bike in my living room. I had absolutely no memory of riding home or even borrowing the bike. After that I instituted my sober biking policy.

I also quit smoking pot, I used to get high and go on 30-40 mile road rides in the Santa Cruz mountains. I kind of miss that, but getting stoned isn't really my thing anymore, plus there are no mountains around here.

Seems that cyclists aren't very different from drivers after all.

at high school (h/s) graduation there were many beer multi-keggers (1980). after the last "visit", the ride home was "challanged" by poly-substances......

in x-usa (1982) we stopped at a few "water-holes" towards the end of the day, but displayed increased maturity in consumption vs h/s days.

NOW NEVER!

Seems that cyclists aren't very different from drivers after all.

It took you this long to figure that out?

I know a guy that got a DUI for riding his bike drunk while stationed in Diego Garcia.

Seems that cyclists aren't very different from drivers after all.

While that's true---illustrated best by the fact that everyone: motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all try to get away with what they can; motorists speed, make illegal turns, run red lights and stop signs, etc., etc., etc.; cyclists run red lights and stop signs, ride on the wrong side of the road, on sidewalks and the wrong way on one-way streets; pedestrians jay-walk, cross against the light and sometimes use bike-lanes as an extra sidewalk, among other infractions. Everyone tries to get away with what they can get away with. It's human nature---the difference is drunk riders rarely, if ever, kill, cause horrendous property damage or recklessly endanger others. The danger that drunk drivers pose upon our communities, however...

I don't drink, won't drink, and will never drink... Same here.


...much less operate any wheeled machine. I do operate various 2- and 4-wheeled machines. :)

I rode home from a party drunk once in college, never again. Scared the crap out of myself.

Never. But I have gone jogging when mid way thru a huge hangover. I felt awful. But, had over 200 bucks invested in a days scuba diving... Did not want to give that up....Did not ride back then. Gave jogging up due to a knee problem.. Would I have ridden if I had been in the same circumstances. Wisest plan would have been to forfeited the 200 bucks.. Nah.. Along with coffee and asprins, I did my three tank dive. It mostly worked. I just kept it shallow. Young and stupid.

I know a guy that got a DUI for riding his bike drunk while stationed in Diego Garcia.

Diego Garcia is biggest enough to have roads.?

It took you this long to figure that out?
Nah, though has A&S changed that much? I use to get shot for saying that.

Only on unknown, winding, cobbled streets in Italy.

This is practically the only way I get to & from the bar!
I think I could be voted the worlds best drunk cyclist..

And I stay on the pathways, sidewalks, etc FWIW....i'm only going about 1-2 MPH anyways LOL

This is practically the only way I get to & from the bar!
I think I could be voted the worlds best drunk cyclist............

I take that last statement as a challenge. If yer ever in Orange County, let me know.

Barcycling is the sport of kings. My worst episode involved about 1 big pitcher & 4 hipowered cocktails. Had tunnel vision on the way home. Then there was getting chased by a pack of coyotes at 3:00 AM through the park, & freezing in January after staying too long at a decent beach bar with the cutest little Indian waitress- memories all.

My buddy had just got dumped by his girlfriend, (deservedly so, he was an ass). We loaded up & biked through San Clemente CA on the beach. He hit a rock and fell in the surf. A wave rolled in & buried him in kelp. He was a tangle of Diamondback, seaweed, and drunken fool. As a true friend, I was there to point & laugh.

I've quieted down through the years. I still like to ride down to the local bar on a quiet afternoon & read the paper in the company of a few beers.

I don't defend this behavior. I do not apologize for it either. Sometimes, the wrong way is the best way after all.

There are varying degrees of intoxication, and varying levels of skill needed for different rides.

There's riding drunk on busy roads, and there's a slightly tipsy ride down side streets to your home... there's a bloated hefeweizen slosh on a cruiser panting up a slight incline, and the whiskey spins on a carbon-fiber road bike down a steep hill...

I know someone that has, but not personally. Much rather have someone on a bike drunk than in an automobile.

Funny this thread/poll pops up. I was just out photographing the NASCAR race for my job in Fontana (Fontucky to us locals), CA. I saw many a person riding a bike with a beer in hand, or with a special beer holder attached to the handlebars. Oh and shirtless too, naturally. Didn't mind the attractive bikini clad ones though ;)

I saw many a person riding a bike with a beer in hand, or with a special beer holder attached to the handlebars.
There IS a difference between having a beer in one's hand, (even drinking from the container), and being physically intoxicated. Unfortunately some of our BF Nannys and Puritans are unable to make the distinction.

I chose the "Why not" option in the poll. I've done it every now and then. When I was younger I took a couple of falls because of it, as in wipeout on loose gravel in the park. Nothing serious even back then. It's not against the law here.

--J

Does a coupla beers count? Never felt like I was gonna fall, or anything. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't qualify as drunk for the purpose of driving a car.

Used to ride home every Thursday night at 1 or 2am drunk as a skunk from the next town over, about 9 miles away. I don't do that any more, but I don't look at it as such a horrible thing. I actually rode faster and kept a straighter line when I was drunk, and was definitely more conscious about the surroundings. Bicycles are magic.

Cycling is operating a vehicle. While the opportunity for hurting others in a motorized vehicle is certainly greater, it's also possible on a bicycle.

I don't drive a car after drinking, and don't ride a bike either.

Of course luckily for me I live a block from East Atlanta Village so the number of bars within close walking distance is adequate :-)

I actually rode faster and kept a straighter line when I was drunk, and was definitely more conscious about the surroundings. Bicycles are magic.

LOL, only you would know.

Caruso

Har - I went to college in the early 70s. Riding stoned/high/drunk was pretty much mandatory.

Don't do it now, though. Gave up the weed ages ago and nowadays when I have a drink I'd rather be sitting on the deck relaxing.

Anyone operating on a public roadway can be charged with with either Physical Control or OVI (Operating a Vehicle under Influence). More than not, you would be cited where I live for Public Intox/Open Container.

To the person who earlier stated that 6 to 8 beers in 2 hours (120 minutes) consumed would not be "legally Drunk- Noway man, you would be a rolling .08 or greater.

Being certifed in Alcohol Breath Analyzer equipment and understanding the practical use of the gear and the principal (and consumeing beer in my off time) folks are VERY suprised when they blow .08 after 2 drinks.... The human body burns off Etheyl Alcohol from the body at the flat rate of .015% grams per hour- Nothing you do can change this rate of absorbsion

I guess a drunk doesn't have much judgement, and i also guess getting on a bike after drinking is better than getting in a motor vehicle after drinking, but geez, isn't balance important when riding a bike and doesn't drinking pretty much screw up your balance?

from http://neptune.spacebears.com/opine/helmets.html

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) records every traffic-related fatality in the country and according to FARS, it turns out that alcohol is a major player in all fatalities, not just car crashes.

Drunk drivers cause 40% of car fatalities; drunk riders cause 29% of motorcycle fatalities; drunk bicyclists cause 24% of bicycle fatalities; and drunk pedestrians cause 33% of pedestrian fatalities.

Apparently, staying sober while trying to move, or not trying to move while drunk, are both excellent ways of improving one's odds of survival.

As a matter of fact I intend to get on my bike tonight with my guitar and pedal to the bar, play, get high and ride home all without a helmet. It's not like I haven't done it before as I have never had a car. Maybe I have more experience on a bike than the nannys do.

I have not ridden a bicycle while drunk. I have, back in the day, rode my bicycle under the influence of maijuana.



Didn't everybody in the 70"s?

As a matter of fact I intend to get on my bike tonight with my guitar and pedal to the bar, play, get high and ride home all without a helmet. It's not like I haven't done it before as I have never had a car. Maybe I have more experience on a bike than the nannys do.

Might just do the same myself. Because safety is important to me, I'm leaving the guitar at home.

I'll speak for myself and no one else. I've never ridden my bicycle while intoxicated or in any other altered state of consciousness and never will. Ever.

I saw the thread asking whether bicycling while intoxicated is considered "DUI" by the law.

It made me wonder how many people actually bicycle while intoxicated.

I tried it once many years ago. What a miserable experience that was. I remember seeing the headlights of a great big eighteen wheeler coming at me head on (what was he doing in my lane?...).

I remember falling off my bike because of "balance issues", crashing, and picking gravel out of my skin.

I remember feeling a hangover while bicycling before I even got home.

I remember it was one of the longest rides of my life; like I was going backwards instead of forwards.

You hear arguments for electronic sobriety checks installed in cars. No need for that with bicycles. It is very difficult to bicycle while intoxicated. Wobble wobble fall over. Wobble Wobble.... wobble..boom.

Have you ever tried bicycling while intoxicated? What was it like?

I had the same experience ONCE, except without the falling part. the worst ride ever.

Yes. Actually many times through this past summer. However I'll add to ILTB's comment there is a big difference between being tipsy, (yes over the limit,) versus flat out sht faced COPS show drunk in which you'd being piloting cars (and bikes) into trees.

Fortunately I don't strive for the latter, but since I refuse to drive even a littled buzzed my bike is the preferred method of getting around town on warm summer nights.

And over the summer I've had a few friends join me on their bikes for nights out and crawls via bike. So I guess if this is a problem I'm contributing to it.

And over the summer I've had a few friends join me on their bikes for nights out and crawls via bike. So I guess if this is a problem I'm contributing to it.

The only problem is that of Safety Nannys and Puritan zealots fantasizing about a problem for them to solve in their time honored way - Harassment of others through enforcement of their own brand of moral purity and/or Prohibition.

I guess a drunk doesn't have much judgement, and i also guess getting on a bike after drinking is better than getting in a motor vehicle after drinking, but geez, isn't balance important when riding a bike and doesn't drinking pretty much screw up your balance?

from http://neptune.spacebears.com/opine/helmets.html

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) records every traffic-related fatality in the country and according to FARS, it turns out that alcohol is a major player in all fatalities, not just car crashes.

Drunk drivers cause 40% of car fatalities; drunk riders cause 29% of motorcycle fatalities; drunk bicyclists cause 24% of bicycle fatalities; and drunk pedestrians cause 33% of pedestrian fatalities.

Apparently, staying sober while trying to move, or not trying to move while drunk, are both excellent ways of improving one's odds of survival.

According to the statistics you've shared, then, if you're drunk, it's most dangerous to drive, safer to ride a motorcycle than to walk, and the safest way to get home is to ride your bike. :p

I regularly ride my bike to pubs, BBQ's, parties, etc, because it's my sole means of transportation besides walking, but I draw the line at 2-3 drinks. It's never enough to impair my ability to ride safely, now that I know better. A couple of years ago, I went to a party and really overdid it, and I'll certainly never do that again. I knew I was in trouble when I had difficulty even getting on the bike, and, in a two mile ride through lightly traveled residential streets, I fell down four times and ran into a parked car once. It's a miracle I didn't kill myself, and I've made a point of never repeating that little adventure.

Biking while high is the ****.

The only problem is that of Safety Nannys and Puritan zealots fantasizing about a problem for them to solve in their time honored way - Harassment of others through enforcement of their own brand of moral purity and/or Prohibition.

Kind of like this corny idea... (http://www.futuregringo.com/index.php/2008/09/13/car-free-day-in-denver/) banning cars.

A solution in search of a problem...

p.s. I forgot to brag that last June I ghost biked my other half's bike back home two miles. After four or five vodka/sodas. Or maybe that just proves I have a high tolerance and/or not sloppy with a drink!

Every full moon we have a group ride. A take on the pub crawl thing. But this is a pub roll. The ride begins around 8PM and we ride from "place to place", if you know what I mean. I can't recall anyone ever being intoxicated though.

Tonight is Fiasco #7 in Fairhaven (http://fbcfairhaven.blogspot.com/2008/09/harvest-moon.html)

Biking while high is the ****.

AKA, pulling a Hoffman...

Well the ride on thursday went fine and the one on friday and tonight I'll do it again. car free drinking and riding yee-ha. close but not close enogh to Fairhaven, wish I could ride there, also a great bike path to Mattapoisett.