If you are not allowed to go for a ride on Christmas Day and have to spend the day with boring distant relatives, try our five excuses to go riding.
- Play Santa! Offer to dress up as Santa and deliver the presents to your house on your Christmas-decorated bike … but take the long way round.
- Barbecue supplies. Hide the matches and barbecue fire starters, then make a show of not being able to find them. “Damn! I’m going to have to whip down to the garage and get some supplies.” Even if you have a naked bike with no luggage space, you can still fit a packet of matches and fire starters for the barbecue in your jacket.
- Cabin fever. Twenty-odd relatives crammed into a house on Christmas Day can induce “cabin fever”. Suggest to everyone that they go outside for a walk, run, game of backyard cricket or offer pillion rides. I’ll bet you get takers for pillion rides, at least from the kids! Just make sure they are aged eight or above.
- Disappear for a “nap”. You were up late last night doing the “Santa thing” and were woken early this morning with kids unwrapping their presents, so you’re probably a bit tired after a big lunch. At least that’s what you tell everyone as you head off for a couple of hours’ nap. Slip out the bedroom window and silently wheel your bike down the road before starting it.
- Find God. Tell the family you’ve found God and need to go to church. Take the bike and say a quick prayer as you dash out on your favourite mountain pass and may God forgive your sins! After all, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. The rewards of riding will far outweigh the hiding you’ll cop when you return!
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Do you ride on Christmas Day? How do you get away? Leave your comments below.