Beer Question

[Panjandrum]

I ride a great deal with groups (mixed bikes) with Coast Riders. I have noticed several riders who will have a beer (just one) at lunch time. There are a couple who will have more than one.

 

I am thinking of suggesting that the Club adopt a strict "No alcohol while riding" policy.

 

I am certainly not against drinking in the afternoon/evening when finished riding for the day. Also, I know we are all adults, and should be able to decide for ourselves whether or not a single beer would affect riding judgment. My concern is that somebody might drink more than they should. A pint of a stronger beer, is quite different from a can of American beer (sorry, couldn't resist). Also to be considered is the health, age, body size and several other factors that would affect the way a rider reacts to that "one drink".

 

People can make their own decisions if they are riding on their own. But it seems to me that there is a greater risk when riding at some speed in a group, and when there is only one second between you and two other bikes. Yes, staggered formation... but that stagger doesn't make much difference when something happens quickly.

 

Any of you belong to a Club with such a policy? Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Cheers!

[SilvrT]

Well, I know (or at least figgure) I'll get a lot of flack from what I have to say but here goes....

 

I do not see this (VR.org) as a "club" but rather, a group of folks who've joined into an on-line forum because of a few commonalities. We ride a motorcycle and moreover, we ride a Venture. We have various "get-togethers" and rallys but as yet, we are not a "club" as other clubs go. The minute it becomes a club, with "rules and regulations", etc, etc... that will be the day I depart.

 

As for the drinking and riding... I do admit, I will allow myself a max of 2 beers and frankly, if anyone isn't happy with that, they can choose to not ride with me. If, because of the 2 beers, they don't want me riding in their "group", so be it... I am just as happy to ride alone and I'll see ya all at the next stop...or not.

[Aussie Annie]

Eating , then driving or riding can make a difference too

After a good meal, your body now sends all it's energy to digesting the meal...and concentration can be affected for a period of time.

 

As far as the drinking goes....we are all adults-and in most cases have a fair amount of experience [in the riding as well as the drinking!] so should not have someone else tell us what do do Leave that to the politicians

[MidlifeVenture]

I choose not to drink and if I'm with others who choose to drink I just try and leave extra distance from them .

[BEER30]

Same feeling as SilrT. Besides I"M NOT CHANGING MY NICK !

 

At our M& E's, I think we all can get crapped-faced at lunch. By the time we quit tinkering with the scoots in the parking lot after the eat'ns, we'll all be sobered up by then!

 

By the way , 2 is my limit with a big hearty meal as well. 3 max, if we are going to be there for long while. Then a 6-pack of unleaded Pepsi for a chaser.

 

 

 

BEER30

[Trader]

I figure if I have a beer or two and people don't like the way I ride.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

then they can just stay off the sidewalks!!!!!!!

 

now on a more serious note.....

 

I seldom drink anything when I'm riding...if I do...than its just one.

I figure there are just too many things out to kill me without helping by drinking or smoking anything that might decrease awareness.

[BradT]

The local SCRC group does not allow drinking at all on a sanctioned ride.

 

I personally choose not drink while I am riding but I may have one beer, but that is very rare.

 

Brad

[Guest scarylarry]

If I can crawl to my bike I can ride, after all I made to my bike.. :rotfl:

[V7Goose]

I suggest you live with your own decisions and morals instead of trying to force them on other people. If you do not like the way other people are, then stay away from them.

Goose

[Panjandrum]

I suggest you live with your own decisions and morals instead of trying to force them on other people. If you do not like the way other people are, then stay away from them.

Goose

 

Wow! not sure where morality comes into the issue.

 

I am looking at the question from a safety point of view. It's a minority that are drinking. I see no reason for me or any of the majority to stay away because a few choose to ride after a drink (or two).

[bongobobny]

Different people have different tolerance levels. I have no problem with someone having a beer with lunch, and I myself enjoy one myself, but I agree that more than 2 is not a good idea, and some people get drunk sniffing the cap...

 

Not a bad idea for a rule, and if a person can't tolerate going without during the ride, it suggests the person has a serious alcohol problem and needs help...

[barend]

I ride a great deal with groups (mixed bikes) with Coast Riders. I have noticed several riders who will have a beer (just one) at lunch time. There are a couple who will have more than one.

Cheers!

One beer???!!!! maybe you could restrict that to PBR or Bud Light. And it is only a few? Wow, next you might should want to prevent smoking while riding because youre getting second hand smoke in your face? Or maybe you could consider banning coffee, 'cause people get to hyper on that stuff and we don't need no "antsy" people riding in groups; road rage you know! And lest we forget, we should be aware of folks who pop a pain pill before they ride, smoke a joint or whatever. And we've not even touched on the mechanical safety of each individual's bike.

 

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I think your thought pattern here is kind of ridiculous. If you are that concerned with a couple of people having one beer with lunch, you need to stop riding with them (or get a life). There are already enough politicians who are trying to control every facet of our life.

[greg_in_london]

Hmmm ..

 

I think it depends a bit on where you're going. I haven't organised any runs for quite some time, but if I was organising a run to somewhere that didn't sell alcohol - bike museum, local attraction, bike meet, demonstration or whatever, then there'd be no need to stop off and get a drink anywhere (maybe until we returned !), but if we were going somewhere that had a bar - maybe a village country fair, a music event or seaside pub, then to say that 'no-one was allowed to drink' would not have been accepted by anybody - I'd have been riding home alone !

 

It's probably a bit of an age thing as well - we all (well some of us) started riding before drinking and driving legislation had much of an impact and see some of the effects as negative - reducing social interaction outside the home. Other people just see it as a safety issue, rather than something to balance the pros and cons of.

 

Personally I don't mind a drink with lunch, but I'm just as happy to find a decent cafe on a run and some are traditional bike meets anyway. The people that I watch out for on a run are a hazard whether with a drink or not though ! Mind you, in the UK, we don't do that 'staggered riding' thing and everyone has to watch out for everybody else anyway, so maybe the practical issues are different.

[CaptainJoe]

Riding and drinking isn't the smart thing to do, but, like smoking I really don't think I'd appreciate someone telling me I could not do something.

 

With lunch most people can have 2 beers and not be affected by them. Your body will process 1 drink per hour. Plus the meal itself will help absorb the other.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have been on rides, especially 4 wheeler outings, where every 15 minutes someone in the group is stopping for a beer. I only go one time with folks like these as they are there to drink and not ride. And I like to ride!

Call me uncoordinated but I can only do one thing well at a time...

 

I wouldn't make new rules, but would probably get up at the meetings, if you decide to stay, and point out all of the motorcycle wrecks that occur in your area and the cause. Then wrap it up by saying "lets be careful out there".

 

I believe being constantly reminded to be safe is better.

 

In conclusion... If there are heavy drinkers... they would be in front of me, not behind, or I'd find different people to ride with.

[ddoggma]

I was a big beer hound till I was 40. I quit cause it was too much work and money to continue. After 10 years of no booze, I now can have a beer or two without any danger of going back to the darkside....lol I will have a real beer or two on a MC ride, from time to time. With lunch etc. Most times I get a Odouls' Amber if they have it. I would not slam 3 pints of some imported high gravity beer and get on the bike. Back in the day, on my 12 speed bike, One night I could not walk straight after leaving the bar. I got on the bicycle and rode home 5 miles with no crashes....I think.

[V7Goose]

Wow! not sure where morality comes into the issue.

 

I am looking at the question from a safety point of view. It's a minority that are drinking. I see no reason for me or any of the majority to stay away because a few choose to ride after a drink (or two).

Well Sir, you are the one wo asked for "Any thoughts or suggestions?"

 

And a definition of "moral" is " of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior". This is exactly what you are trying to do - you have decided that the behavior of some people does not conform to what YOU believe is right, and now you want to force them to conform to your personal belief of right behavior. Personally, I'd love it if you would behave the way I think is right, but I would never dream of trying to force you to do it by coming into your group and trying to impose new rules on you.

 

And I do not believe at all you actually care about the safety issue. How about imposing a new rule on the group that everyone must ride 10 MPH below the posted limit? Wouldn't that be safer? There is already a law that imposes a strict maximum blood alcohol content, but you are not satisfied with that; you want to prohibit it all together. If you actually did care about the safety issue, you should be insisting on pre-ride safety inspections at a minimum, and maybe even a demonstration of basic riding skills.

 

If you want to force your personal ideas of right and wrong on other people, start a new group and post your morals right up front so that everyone who is allowed to be near you knows that is a requirement for your acceptance. Do not try to use the back door to ruin an existing group for the people who beat you there.

 

Again, YOU asked for suggestions, so if you do not like them from me or any of the other posters, well, maybe the problem is yours. I do not deliberately intend to insult you or otherwise upset you, but I do believe your thoughts and proposed actions are wrong.

Goose

[uncledj]

When I ride I'm very aware of how much I drink. I limit myself to two in any one setting before riding. I feel that any more might give me "beer courage" that I don't need.

If someone in any group I rode with tried to impose a no drinking rule, I'd go my own way.

There's way too many rules in society as it is, and to add more flies in the face of one of the primary reasons many of us ride.......that sense of FREEDOM !!!

Please don't try to make me abide by your rules. You'd find it won't work very well.

 

Peace out.

[tomephil]

Well Sir, you are the one wo asked for "Any thoughts or suggestions?"

 

And a definition of "moral" is " of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior". This is exactly what you are trying to do - you have decided that the behavior of some people does not conform to what YOU believe is right, and now you want to force them to conform to your personal belief of right behavior. Personally, I'd love it if you would behave the way I think is right, but I would never dream of trying to force you to do it by coming into your group and trying to impose new rules on you.

 

And I do not believe at all you actually care about the safety issue. How about imposing a new rule on the group that everyone must ride 10 MPH below the posted limit? Wouldn't that be safer? There is already a law that imposes a strict maximum blood alcohol content, but you are not satisfied with that; you want to prohibit it all together. If you actually did care about the safety issue, you should be insisting on pre-ride safety inspections at a minimum, and maybe even a demonstration of basic riding skills.

 

If you want to force your personal ideas of right and wrong on other people, start a new group and post your morals right up front so that everyone who is allowed to be near you knows that is a requirement for your acceptance. Do not try to use the back door to ruin an existing group for the people who beat you there.

 

Again, YOU asked for suggestions, so if you do not like them from me or any of the other posters, well, maybe the problem is yours. I do not deliberately intend to insult you or otherwise upset you, but I do believe your thoughts and proposed actions are wrong.

Goose

 

 

 

Well said Goose.

[Condor]

Personally, without passing judgement on others, I won't drink anything that will effect my reaction time while riding a bike, or behind the wheel of a car for that matter. It's dangerous enough riding a bike without adding another variable to the equasion. During the day it's water, but when the day's over, and there's no possibility of climbing back on the bike, a couple of beers taste pretty good.

[hunter 1500]

On our group rides the limit is two beers at lunch and I myself would not like riding with anyone that had more than two.

Try setting up a corse and riding through it sober and then after drinking 3 beers in a half an hour. I think the outcome would suprise you.

[Bwhite]

Goose, you ever consider running for elective position. You'd have my vote.

 

My wife and I were at a local bar Saturday morning that serves good breakfast for a reasonable price. Already sitting at several tables behind us was a group of bikers. We were there about 45 minutes and I happened to notice that one young gal ordered 2 bloody mary's before she left to gas up her bike. Probably wouldn't have paid any attention except she was one of several that didn't shut up the whole time. When we walked out I turned to my wife and told her "that's why I choose not to ride in groups".

 

I don't mind being a dry rider, but when the ride is done, it's time to relax.

 

P.S. I had the police scanner on a couple of weeks ago while changing oil on the bike, etc. Local deputy pulled about a dozen bikes out on the river road by the state park. Later he called for back up and a flat bed tow for 4 of the bikes.

 

Ride safe everyone....

[steamer]

I wish Goose would stop holding back and tell us how he really feels(LOL):crackup:

[Jerry W]

I ride a great deal with groups (mixed bikes) with Coast Riders. I have noticed several riders who will have a beer (just one) at lunch time. There are a couple who will have more than one.

 

I am thinking of suggesting that the Club adopt a strict "No alcohol while riding" policy.

 

I am certainly not against drinking in the afternoon/evening when finished riding for the day. Also, I know we are all adults, and should be able to decide for ourselves whether or not a single beer would affect riding judgment. My concern is that somebody might drink more than they should. A pint of a stronger beer, is quite different from a can of American beer (sorry, couldn't resist). Also to be considered is the health, age, body size and several other factors that would affect the way a rider reacts to that "one drink".

 

People can make their own decisions if they are riding on their own. But it seems to me that there is a greater risk when riding at some speed in a group, and when there is only one second between you and two other bikes. Yes, staggered formation... but that stagger doesn't make much difference when something happens quickly.

 

Any of you belong to a Club with such a policy? Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Cheers!

 

Could you "flamers" show me exactly where he wants to impose the no drinking rule on this organization? He mentioned a group he rides with and asked if anyone belonged to a club that had no drinking policy. I am not finding where he mentioned this group.

 

And you wonder why there are so many lurkers who don't ask questions or participate in disussions. So much for the "largest and friendliest Venture and Royal Star site on the internet" crapola.

[515Rod]

I think there are a number of people responding that may have a problem!! And maybe they should ride alone until that problem is taken care of.. AA anyone??

[Trader]

 

And you wonder why there are so many lurkers who don't ask questions or participate in disussions. So much for the "largest and friendliest Venture and Royal Star site on the internet" crapola.

 

BRAVO....a point was raised....a question was asked. There is CERTAINLY NO NEED to get personal, tell the poster off or (as I have seen in the past) insult the posters' intelligence.

 

We all have issues near and dear to our heart...but lets keep it friendly!

 

Goose...I don't know you...never met you...I would like to...but I have to say I've noticed many of your posts do stand out for their "intensity".