So.. how much is too much?

[wilsons]

So tonight is kinda of a rare night for me. I went to a bar and have a few drinks with some friends. One that was leaving my work place. It was his last day. Being I don't do this much, I had basically 6 bottle neck beers in about 2 1/2 hours. I hung around an hour and a 1/2 aftar that til I went home and had nothing more knowing I had to ride home, but how much is too much? How do I know when I've had over the legal limit to drink? I'd rather be safe than sorry and find out whats good and bad, but then I don't do this much either.

 

I know that people's bodies handle it differently so it varies for most people. How do I find out where I stand in that little equation?

[lawnchairboy]

use your favorite internet search engine and search "zero-order kinetics" in regards to pharmacokinetics or pharmacology. Basically, your body can detoxify a fixed amount of ethanol per unit time...

[bobiverson]

Enough is never enough

[russell_bynum]

Personally, I could care less about being under/over the legal limit. My personal rule is 8 hours, bottle to throttle.

 

Gravity doesn't need any help making me fall over.

[GelStra]

I was hugely impressed by all the candor here.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

use your favorite internet search engine and search "zero-order kinetics" in regards to pharmacokinetics or pharmacology. Basically, your body can detoxify a fixed amount of ethanol per unit time...

 

I have an excel spreadsheet I found somewhere on the web where you can input your drinks and times, and it generates a plot of BAC. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the whole thing, but it's an interesting toy if nothing else. If I do things right, it's attached to this post as a zip file. see www.winzip.com for a decompressor program if you don't have one.

 

I tried entering something close to what the OP stated (though the inputs are only allowed in whole hours): 6 beers in 2.5 hours, 1.5 hours wait. Plot says BAC at the end of this period is about 0.1%. This is (or was) the legal limit in some states, but in many states the limit is lower.

695148-alcomahol.zip

[wilsons]

Re: What's your limit?: I drink = no riding.

 

I am eating my own words tonight. Shame on me. How dissapointing.

 

I guess lately life has had a way of affecting how I respond to my own actions. a lot of why I dropped alot of projects outside of work that I was involved with. Don't want any more stress than what I have already, and am trying to find things to manage those levels of stress.

 

This (alchohol) sure as hell shouldn't be one of them.

 

This was a nice little wake up call.

[Amac]

It varies, but what works for me is to limit my consumption to the # of wheels on the machine. Unicycle = 1, Motorcycle = 2, Trike = 3, Car = 4. Course this rule gets thrown out the window when the wheel count rises above 4 - and aircraft and alcohol never mix (12 hours bottle to throttle is my rule for that).

[Darren]

In my opinion bikes and beer dont mix. I never have a drop of alcahol if I am out on the bike,

Darren

[RichEdwards]

In my opinion bikes and beer dont mix. I never have a drop of alcahol if I am out on the bike,

Me too. I keep it simple because after one I can't keep count.

[BFish]

6/1 was my 9th year anniversary of no alcohol. i always had two too many anyhoo. one of the reasons i never had a moto until recently. back where i grew up "one for the ditch" was the common cry. to each his own, but IMO booze and bikes don't mix well.

[tallman]

There are lots of self test kits out there like this.

http://www.homedrugtestingkit.com/GA_alcohol_info.html

 

This is an old time favorite around here for moralizing, demonizing, rationalizing, and chastising.

Asking yourself to judge when you've had "enough" is like the old adage about a lawyer having a fool for a client if they choose to represent themself.

Don't party until it's parked.

[Albert]

I'm an officer in a local social club near my home and, as such, attended a training class for our bartenders that was put on by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. They have rough guidlines for servers to determine (again roughly) when someone is over the legal limit. The rule of thumb is as follows:

In every hour your body processes the equivalent of one drink. Note: one drink is defined as one 12oz beer, 1.5 oz shot or 6 oz wine. This calculation is extremely subjective and takes no account of body weight, tolerance, etc. etc..

 

By this calcluation you would have the equivalent of 3 1/2 beers over your first 2 1/2 hours. The additional 1 1/2 hours you waited resulted in your equivalent consumption on leaving the establishment as 2 beers so you can be the judge.

[Geezer]

My guess is that when you call them "bottle neck beers" that's too much

[GelStra]

No nuttin' the same day I ride. Which, uh, really sucks if I start drinking at 10AM!

[upflying]

Since I am stupid and goofy when I am sober, I don't need alcohol to exaggerate my predisposition. For medical reasons, I don't drink at all now.

When I was younger, I did ride while intoxicated but not over what I considered the .08 legal BAC. I made it home safe but why increase your risk with any amount of alcohol in your system?

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I have no argument with those who choose not to drink before riding. It is certainly the safest.

 

I have no choice in the matter if I am to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with my evening meal. I don't have a car and I can't leave my bike at the restaurant. So, I will ride home with a couple under my belt. Diabetes and the medication I take to help control it limit my consumption to a couple of beers or a couple of glasses of wine. I also consume food with and leave immediatly after that last drink. My ride is rarely more than 10 miles on roads that are both non-challenging and well known to me. Given my body mass and the time frame, I am certainly not even in the legal sense, drunk. Am I impaired? Well, I would like to think not but probably am to a small degree. I certainly ride as if I were, taking no chances.

 

IMHO, this is a matter of choice. There are no hard and fast rules. As adults, we should be able to make responsible decisions and accept the consequences of those decisions should something go awry.

[WeirdHarold]

I went to a bar and have a few drinks with some friends.

I often do that. And like Ed, I don't have a car either, so I usually ride to and from the bar. Therefore, I order orange juice. I often ride home after having had four or five OJs. Occasionally I drink the bar out of their OJ supply, and have to change to water. But I never drink any alcohol within several hours of riding.

 

I feel under no compulsion at all to have alcohol just because the people I'm with are having some.

 

But then, if somebody else is driving, my favorite is Shiner Bock.

 

Don

[onmyrt]

If I may be allowed to jump up onto my soapbox for just a moment…

 

 

I was brought up by an alcoholic father and learned through my experiences with him that

the ‘disadvantages’ of alcohol consumption far outweigh it’s ’advantages’.

 

Yes I realize that not all consumers are ‘alcoholics’, but I’m still searching for a single example of someone’s life that has ‘improved’ due to alcohol.

 

Therefore, I guess my answer to the question at hand would be “Any!! is too much”.

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Albert]

I’m still searching for a single example of someone’s life that has ‘improved’ due to alcohol.

 

I couldn't find any TANGIBLE "life improvements" associated with, good steaks, motorcycling, sex or any of a thousand other consumptions or activities, but I enjoy them guilt free just the same. You are right, comparing drinkers to alchoholics is like comparing skydivers to suicide jumpers.

[ScottM]

Well, I guess there are as many opinions as there are people on this question. Personally, I don't drink and ride, ever. I drink to get me through the times I can't be riding. But, there was an article in a bike magazine in which they demonstrated with novice and experienced riders that after one drink, everyone rode the course better. After one it was all downhill.

Scott

[crashtap]

This is a very interesting and thoughtful topic. As a son of a long time alcoholic, I witnessed the worst possible outcome from heavy drinking. But, I managed to enjoy it myself in moderation, even though I am positive I have a "disposition", genetic or otherwise, for addictive behavior.

 

Anyway, alcohol has been an important part of my life. I collect wine, but I'm not a wine snob. Sharing with friends, beers with neighbors, martinis before a steak, all are a little bit of a preview of heaven. And let's face it, alcohol in moderation relaxes and reduces our inhibitions and sometimes make social intercourse more fun.

 

Yes, it can be abused. But life is all about choices, it's part of the circle. Were your helmet, or not. Have a beer or two, or not. All we can hope is each of our own individual choices happen to be made with good judgement, and if not, no one but yourself gets hurt.

[David]

I’m still searching for a single example of someone’s life that has ‘improved’ due to alcohol.

 

"Beholdeth, I don't thinketh I'll maketh thee the social chairmaneth."

 

--Jesus*

 

*a genuine wine lover, confusing all Baptists for life

[BobsST]

For me, at 160 lbs. and 56 yrs. old, six long necks would have me totally $hit faced and in no shape to ride. In fact, I'd be hung over enough that I probably shouldn't ride the next day. Gettin old is just grand.........

[russell_bynum]

--Jesus*

 

*a genuine wine lover, confusing all Baptists for life

 

That always cracked me up. All these do-gooders running around saying how drinking is terrible, sinful, etc.

 

I'm sorry, but what exactly did Jesus turn the water into? And remind me...what did they do with the water after he transformed it?

[Gregori]

They just don't like folks to be praying to other gods.

 

The porcelain ones...

 

G.

[WeirdHarold]

--Jesus*

 

*a genuine wine lover, confusing all Baptists for life

 

That always cracked me up. All these do-gooders running around saying how drinking is terrible, sinful, etc.

 

I'm sorry, but what exactly did Jesus turn the water into? And remind me...what did they do with the water after he transformed it?

 

 

We're getting way off the topic here, but ....

 

During college in the late '60s, I used to date the daughter of a Church of Christ minister, and she and I discussed this very question. She assured me that the stuff they called "wine" in those days was really unfermented grape juice. So Jesus turned water into grape juice. No alcohol involved.

 

Don

[Amac]

She assured me that the stuff they called "wine" in those days was really unfermented grape juice. So Jesus turned water into grape juice. No alcohol involved.

 

...which they kept unfermented in the absence of refrigeration how, exactly? Not to mention the concept implicit in the discussion of wine at that event...you've saved "the good stuff" for last, but the host usually brings out the good stuff first (before we're all a little toasted)...

 

Yep, now we're really digressing

[MattS]

I had basically 6 bottle neck beers in about 2 1/2 hours...

Basically, 6 is probably too much. 1 -- or 2 if it's Christmas -- is a good rule of thumb. In my mind, the problem isn't my skills/impairment, because I can always slow down and be safer. The problem is if the asshat-of-the-month runs a stop sign and causes you a problem, your BAC will cause you a problem, putting you automatically at fault. That, to me, is the biggest risk of all.

[270]

one.

[tonyla]

So tonight is kinda of a rare night for me. I went to a bar and have a few drinks with some friends. One that was leaving my work place. It was his last day. Being I don't do this much, I had basically 6 bottle neck beers in about 2 1/2 hours. I hung around an hour and a 1/2 aftar that til I went home and had nothing more knowing I had to ride home, but how much is too much? How do I know when I've had over the legal limit to drink? I'd rather be safe than sorry and find out whats good and bad, but then I don't do this much either.

 

I know that people's bodies handle it differently so it varies for most people. How do I find out where I stand in that little equation?

 

a 12 oz beer,1oz hard liqour, and a glass of wine all have the same alcohol content. your body obsorbs one per hour.

 

thats it, simple no coffee food or cold shower changes that

 

just time. with your example you should have waited another

 

3.5 hours

 

Tony

[wilsons]

Jesus. Glad nothing happened, but I'm still kickin myself over it.

[Lynn]

--Jesus*

 

*a genuine wine lover, confusing all Baptists for life

 

That always cracked me up. All these do-gooders running around saying how drinking is terrible, sinful, etc.

 

I'm sorry, but what exactly did Jesus turn the water into? And remind me...what did they do with the water after he transformed it?

 

My in-laws are rabid about this one-which means that we put all the alcohol in our house behind cabinet doors when they come for a visit. If they ever actually search the cabinets-they deserve to find it.

 

My husband used to tell me that they had an entire book dedicated to the idea that every time wine was mentioned int he bible, it was really unfermented grape juice. I thought he was kidding-until he found it on the book shelves of their home for me.

 

I did not actually read the thing-so I am still not sure how the author maintained that unfermented grape juice was kept in the absence of refrigeration.

[tallman]

Getting this back on track...

Remember, a BAC of lower than the legal %concentration is not a defense.

You can still be cited and convicted of DUI with a lower BAC.

When your BAC exceeds the legal %concentration the presumption by law is that you are impaired.

Experience with drugs or alcohol is not a defense.

This is like speed limits.

Richard Petty can be cited for driving above the limit and his experience is not a defense.

Conversely, he could be cited for certain traffic violations even if he were driving below the speed limit.

Any alcohol detectable in your BAC can be used against you if you are stopped for other traffic violations or if you are in a traffic collision.

In some cases insurance does not cover your actions if you were operating the vehicle illegally (impaired).

The risks certainly are easy to ascertain.

The benefits? Not so easy.

Best wishes.

[ofccat]

Another thing to remember is even though 2 people my be the same exact weight hieight, etc.. the alcohol will affect them differently. IE: One could handle 6-7 beers and it would have no affect while the other has 1-2 and is trashed. I personally do not drink while driving my bike as one has to have a 100% reaction time while on the bike.

[wilsons]

Well, hopefully I've learnt my little leason here, and wont be a jackass and do it again.

[soboy]

I'm no saint, but I have always had one rule about motorcycles and alcohol - don't mix the two. I have done a lot of things in my life that would not qualify me as a boy scout, but I can honestly say that I have never ridden a motorcycle after drinking any quantity of alcohol whatsoever.

[Mark K]

I'm no saint, but I have always had one rule about motorcycles and alcohol - don't mix the two. I have done a lot of things in my life that would not qualify me as a boy scout, but I can honestly say that I have never ridden a motorcycle after drinking any quantity of alcohol whatsoever.

 

.......also my personal rule.