Drinking and cycling

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

yello

Guest
S30 does not make it an offence to cycle while drunk. The offence is being unable to control your bicycle due to the effects of alcohol.
Not sure I'd want to argue the toss with plod at the roadside over the distinction! :laugh:
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
Nonsense. Show us this law please?
Don't get confused between "impaired" and "drunk to the point of not being in proper control".

Agreed.

The offence is being unfit through drink or drugs, not merely impaired.

30 Cycling when under influence of drink or drugs.
(1) A person who, when riding a cycle on a road or other public place, is unfit to ride through drink or drugs (that is to say, is under the influence of drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle) is guilty of an offence.(2) In Scotland a constable may arrest without warrant a person committing an offence under this section.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
Guilty of falling off bike after 6 pints. Only once so far. I was stationary at the time. :laugh:
I think that the gyroscopic effect of the wheels keeps you upright when you're moving. The problems kick in when you stop and gravity takes over.

I studied this phenomenon in some detail once.....


{Edit: Actually five times on a surreal eight mile ride from Balham to Hammersmith a few years ago. I am enormously grateful to the concerned pedestrians who asked after my welfare each time I keeled over at a red light.}
 
Last edited:
When I worked in a restaurant, we tended to have a lock-in after work every payday.
Many a night I cycled 10 miles home around 1-2 am with 4-5 pints inside me.
I worked on the principal that if I was in a crash, I would probably come out of it worse than an innocent bystander.

When I had a motorcycle there was the odd time when I rode with a pint or two inside me.
But I never rode it if I was over the limit.
The risk to myself/an innocent bystander was much more 50/50.

I've never driven my car with an alcohol in my system as I would walk away from a crash while an innocent bystander wouldn't.
So not worth the risk.

Luck ......... ^_^
 

Dave 123

Legendary Member
A couple of years ago, before I left Cambridge I met my son on a really sunny afternoon for a few drinks. He’d been away for my birthday, so we met up at Calverleys brewery in town.

It was a scorching day. They brew their own lovely beer......

5 turned into 6 etc.

we then decamped to his local, utterly bladdered on our bikes.

Though the weather was fine and calm, a sudden and brisk gust of wind blew me off my bike. I had impressive holes in my elbows and knees.

The bike was fine.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
But deaths and vehicles involved are recorded. Certainly in the UK. The data is also published. Pedestrians or cyclists deaths due to a cyclist are near enough none existent.
You're considerably more likely to be trampled to desth by cattle than killed by a cyclist.

Indeed, per journey mile youre about 10% more likely to die while walking sober than cycling tipsy.

Despite what the Daily Mail and helmet manufacturers would have you believe, cgcling is inherently a very safe activity.
 

Nomadski

I Like Bikes
Location
LBS, Usually
I do like a pint when I'm out on the bike on a lovely summers day, nothing more. My propensity of riding into roadside ditches could surely only get worse if I have more.

My ride today took me thru about 20 villages today, none of which had a pub. Countries going to hell in a hand cart.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Our village pub is closed, no sign of anyone daft enough to take it on. The owners want £35,000 up front, then £12,000 a year and a percentage of the profits, and they wonder why no prospective tenant is daft enough to take it on.

It's sat empty for 2 years not earning a penny, and it seems they'd rather earn all of nothing than drop the prices to a sensible level and earn a little bit of something.

Conversely, the privately owned club in the village is thriving, and doesnt suffer with 18 year olds wanting a fight and trying to sell dope - because its doing well theyre not so desperate that theyre afraid to say no to the local sheetbags.
 

johnblack

Über Member
Our village pub is closed, no sign of anyone daft enough to take it on. The owners want £35,000 up front, then £12,000 a year and a percentage of the profits, and they wonder why no prospective tenant is daft enough to take it on.

It's sat empty for 2 years not earning a penny, and it seems they'd rather earn all of nothing than drop the prices to a sensible level and earn a little bit of something.

Conversely, the privately owned club in the village is thriving, and doesnt suffer with 18 year olds wanting a fight and trying to sell dope - because its doing well theyre not so desperate that theyre afraid to say no to the local sheetbags.
Price it out of the market, keep it shut for 5 years, apply for change of use as it's no longer a viable business, convert into housing.
 
Top Bottom