Office Christmas Party Packing

[Verena]

Has it been done??

Should it??

I'm thinking of giving it a go on Saturday....

[GregMay]

I've previously bivied after a staff do. By far a reason not to get so smashed that I couldn't cycle where I needed to go.

I have also slept in a ditch in my 20s after a X-mas do, but that was not exactly by choice or plan. Or in anyway related to bikepacking :)

[RIP]

Ride there, have a great time, doss under the table, ride home in the morning. That would count.

Keen to hear a few more details about Greg's ditch circumstances...

[Verena]

I've previously bivied after a staff do. By far a reason not to get so smashed that I couldn't cycle where I needed to go.

That's what I'm thinking....it's a Saturday lunchtime do, so it'll be either an excuse to leave early, or all eventualities covered if it's so good that I want to stay out late...

Can wobble along the canal quietly with no risk of being done for drink driving, and plenty of places to sleep...

Although I'll never consider canals quite as safe as I used to after reading those stories on here...of low bridges to bang heads on, falling in while clipped in etc.etc.

[riderdown]

Although I'll never consider canals quite as safe

Wise

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-45173888

[GregMay]

Keen to hear a few more details about Greg's ditch circumstances...

Ex-cycle courier. BIG night out in Dublin with mates at end of office parties effectively shut down the trade. I lived not far away, along the coast, cycling home along cycle track beside sea-wall segregated from road about 2 or 3am. Got about half way home. Gave up (aka "can't be arsed cycling another 5km home"). Found a "nice" looking ditch beside the dunes and fell asleep.

Would up exceptionally cold a few hours later, and with a very bad hangover. AND still had to cycle home.

I do not suggest any of this as a good way to start a weekend.

[Tractionman]

Although I'll never consider canals quite as safe

Wise

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-45173888

and something similarly sinister recently reported in Edinburgh:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7j406ywdo

[sean_iow]

You guys think the canals are bad.... wait until you hear how dangerous the roads are.

V will be cycling on a Welsh canal, in winter, that's to cold even for psychopaths Only the most deranged and unhinged section of society will be out and about in those conditions... bikepackers

[voodoo_simon]

I’d probably be questioning whether to attended the staff party over where to sleep

[Lazarus]

I lived in a boat for years and canals are.as safe as the countyside m However canals near or in (big) cities and heavily populated areas are the same as any heavily populated area and not places i would choose to kip.

[Verena]

and something similarly sinister recently reported in Edinburgh:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7j406ywdo

"He was eating a packet of Walkers cheese and onion crisps and he wasn't blinking," she said.

[jameso]

I slept out on a bench once, by the train station where my last train terminated after missing my stop because I was smashed and fell asleep. That was the year our xmas party was in a Bierkeller and we had a few steins. It was cold, the station security guy had seen it before and my Montane Extreme jacket was something I was glad I'd grabbed on the way out. The next train was early the next morning, far too early to be up / sobered up

[RIP]

V will be cycling on a Welsh canal

The choice of the word "on" there is interesting, compared to, say, "next to". On our little jaunt last weekend, as we rode along next to the Brecon Canal, the water was absolutely still and in the dark it looked just like a road. A couple of times I found myself thinking "oh, I really ought to be making the most of the nice smooth road rather than hugging the kerb" .

[sean_iow]

In a traditional forum tangent, which part is the canal? Is that just the channel or does it include the tow-path?

When we say road we can be talking about the carriageway, footway and verge as a set forming the 'road'. But people often say road to mean the carriageway.

[RIP]

Good question. I'm voting for "doesn't include towpath".

"A towpath is a path or road that runs along the bank of a canal, river, or other inland waterway".

Pedantically I think you ought to be towing something if you're using a towpath. Obviously a boat would count, but happily for us so would a bike trailer.

Next question, have you ever towed a boat with a bicycle?

[RIP]

In a traditional forum tangent

Given the time of year, here's a traditional forum tangerine

[GregMay]

Prefer Tangerine Dream myself but each to their own.

[fatbikephil]

Although I'll never consider canals quite as safe

Wise

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-45173888

and something similarly sinister recently reported in Edinburgh:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7j406ywdo

Blimey, I'm in my 50's and I rode along the tow path when I was a youff at Heriot-Watt Uni - you used to get shouted out by people in there '50's and '60's as it was only semi-official (in theory you could get a permit from British Waterways to cycle on their tow paths, but we never bothered) so it's a bit odd that someone who was also a youff back then has got uppity with someone cycling on what has been a cycle route, a core path, and to which access rights apply for yonks.... Must have a nosy down the tow path on the way to the SWB tomorrow to see If I can engage with him

[Verena]

Reporting back safe and sound if a little tired from last night's work Christmas party...
Not proper party packing in the end, just a ride to and back, and very good fun it was too...
Decided to leave the bivvy bag at home, partly as I've only just nearly last weekend's cold, partly as it turned out I had company, and partly as I thought, well it's a lunch, so even after a long leisurely meal and a few drinkies afterwards, there should be plenty of time to get back home early ...

Not ten minutes from home, the SWWBs may be interested to hear that there was a fallen tree partially blocking the Clydach Gorge cycle route, but I was able to squeeze my way through. Met up with my partner in crime and we went for a slow steady bimble along the canal, actually in some sunshine . There were lots and lots of trees down however, so plenty of carry overs needed, me finding ever more clumsy and decidedly non elegant ways of doing so, and one was impassable to we had to back track and go on the road for a bit.
Got to the pub, locked up the bikes, I dived into the ladies to get changed into my finest, and just made it to table when the prawn cocktails were being served up...

You can imagine the rest probably, a civilised meal turned into a pub crawl with a succession of "gone on then, one more", and before you knew it we were all up and dancing and yelling along to Black Betty...

It was quite amusing how incredulous just about everyone was that we were planning on riding back home that night... especially when mention of the canal was made... a couple of very very drunk girls were repeatedly taking us to one side and telling us how VERY WORRIED!! they were for our safety, and made us promise faithfully to text them when home safely...

We both reassured everyone that doing such things were fairly normal behaviours for us at least, and somehow the story of me sleeping on the A40 roundabout a couple of years ago made then rounds ... not sure if that helped, or made people doubt my sanity even more..

It was really nice to end the evening with a lovely quiet ride back in the dark, on the road though as canal, fallen trees, alcohol and darkness were not an ideal combination...

Called in at my friend's for some tea and toast at midnight, then gratefully accepted the offer of the spare bedroom.

[GregMay]

No accidental ditch sleeping, I applaud you :)

I'll try to do the same on Wednesday.