drunken riding
 

not to state the obvious, but riding a fixie drunk seems imminently more safe and controlled than doing the same on a geared bike.

bmx's are pretty good for boozin' trips too...

Hey! Can I have some of what you're smokin'?

some context for my ramblings: my friend wrecked himself drunk last weekend on his road bike. i was right alongside him, just as drunk, if not moreso. so this has sparked a debate amongst friends about geared vs. fixed while drinking. but as they say, preaching to the converted.

I have a lot of experience with this, and I'd say fixed and brakeless seems the safest for me. The added paranoia helps things.

I mentioned to a suit in a bar a couple days ago that there were groups of people that get together and go on drunken rides - his reaction was 'Isn't that dangerous?' Me - 'Safer than in a car, and if you have a group of people it's safer still...'

Don't talk to the people in suits, they're gonna sell you an SUV.

Riding anything drunk can be dangerous. Heck, if you're drunk enough, walking, or even just sitting down can be dangerous. ;)

However, bikes aren't too bad while drunk, and you are more likely to bang yourself up than some innocent bystander. Personally I think a regular single speed, maybe with a coaster brake + front brake would be safest to ride. Something with a relaxed riding position, big tires, and no gears, like a big ole cruiser or something.

At burning man I rode quite a few different bikes while in varying states of drunkeness, and the easiest was a big girl's cruiser. The hardest were the 3 speed tall bikes and the tiny BMX pixie bike. The coaster brake on the cruiser made for easy riding and impressive skid-stops.

Anyway, have fun out there, and don't get run over.

peace,
sam

I'd have to be willing to buy one first. I tried to convince him that he wasn't too old to ride a bike, but don't know how well that worked. Somehow I doubt he went out the next day and bought a track bike...

OK, I'll try to be a little more serious, now.

Yeah, I see your point, logicproblems, and I agree with you to a certain extent.
But, as phidauex pointed out - nothing is safe about either option.

Maybe you can say a fixie might be a better option when drunk,
because it is more simple - and you might think you have a better road/bike/mind connection,
which is already compromised by being intoxicated.

I wouldn't neccessarily say your friend wrecked because he was riding a geared bike,
unless he was in the process of shifting, or braking, etc. Then maybe...
but I don't think you can prove a causal relationship there.

ps.
If anybody has seen the movie, Pollock (Ed Harris 2000):
Remember that scene where he's struggling to bike back home, drunk, holding a case of beer bottles?
Great fun...

Long Answer: it's true, he didn't necessarily crash because he was riding geared. but a car was approaching from the opposite direction (i think he thought there would be a head on collision) and so he braked suddenly then swerved and, then well, down. i just feel that riding fixed, at least brakeless, encourages less recklessness (at least in some riders) and that *maybe* his accident would have been prevented by what herent calls that slight paranoia

Short Answer: i think you just focus more.

i think you have more control on a fixie. more stable ride.

True, true...

Which part is true? I'm confused.

Takes pull off the bottle, considers changing avatar back to Jameson....

you should.. you stare at that thing all day at work.. do you really want to see it more?

I have a specialized adult sized big wheel that is a blast to go bar hoppin with.

Do you know that Ed Harris actually cut his hand pretty badly on the broken glass during that scene?

Do it, dude. I don't even know who you are half the time because of that weird ass avatar. What the hell is that thing? A big building? Some type of medical device? A submarine?

Please go back to the Jameson avatar. All will be right at bikeforums.net if you go back to the Jameson avatar.

its the copy machine he works with.. copy machine? maybe thats the wrong word.. but i do know thht when he is at work.. he is in a room with that thing

i can't remember dropping my road bike as much as either of my fixed gear bikes while drunk...and i never have lost a road bike....and have lost both my bikes one having been told by the police "if i see that bike move before my shift is up, reading my name off of my id...you're going to jail.." that after he helped me up off the sidewalk...that being said...i went to another bar...and forgot where the hell i left my bike...talk about panic...i place this on the pulling the covers down and seeing you're not in bed with that hot chick at the bar you were talking to...but some gawd aweful creature that you must now try and find your clothes quick and get the hell out...before (1) they wake up...and (2) anyone can see you....thinking about it...the lost bike is worst...

all this pales in comparison with leaving my job at the medical marijuana dispensary i work at now...there are some days i leave work and i swear my bike ride turns into a magic carpet ride....cause i just look up and i'm home....

Did you get a new job?

SBL, I take it from your avatar that the Wonder bread experiment produced some interesting results, eh?

i thought everyone knew i worked for a medical marijuana despencery by day.....have been since oct...

So you have three jobs? Coffee shop, Nickies, and the dispensary? Without riding to/from work, you'd never have time to ride.

our coffeeshop has a dispensary in it....so i only have 2 jobs...the only days they overlap are mon & tues thank goodness...

so all i need is a presrciption?

What, is something wrong? Who's SBL? That's me in the avatar, silly boy! I really don't see what the problem is.