Road Cycling - Music on Rides

Who listens to music while they ride?

I do if it's a ride where I'm on a bike path 90% of the time. I turn it off when I'm on the road w/ traffic.

Yes but with only one ear bud. On protected/closed roads I ride with both.

1) I enjoy riding without the need for external stimulation;

2) I enjoy living.

Does singing count?

Does singing count?

Only if you take requests :)

I hire a flatbed truck carrying a live band to drive in front of me while I ride. Does that count?

i don't.

i tried it once, and in addition to being a bad idea on public roads, my earbuds kept falling out, and it's a hassle whenever you want to change songs.

I have had success using one earbud on my right ear so that I can hear traffic on my left (behind me). The best thing that works for me is to take the earpiece from a cell phone headset and put it on the stock pair of iPod headphones. It helps to keep the earbud in place.

I would, but I don't like messing with the wires.

I would, but I don't like messing with the wires.

You can buy headphones with the MP3 players built in.

I would, but I don't like messing with the wires.

iPod shuffle. I clip mine to my bibs at the waist and run the wires under my jersey. The ear buds wrap around the helmet straps. Everything stays put, nothing in the way or even visible, controls at your finger tip.

I wear the iPod on long rides and night rides. I have a habit of looking behind me all of the time anyways.

I wear the iPod on long rides and night rides. I have a habit of looking behind me all of the time anyways.

So, did the handprint on your ass ever come out?

Personally, I like the sound of my tires on the road & my chain spinning.

So, did the handprint on your ass ever come out?


LOL. That was looong ago when I raced MTB.

Never on a group ride. Sometimes on solo rides. It depends on my mood and location.

Sometimes going without is nice, but usually I'll listen to music....have been building some playlists that are at my cadence and it helps with my rhythm (yeah, I'm a new guy!). Ipod nano (8gig) hooked up to some westone UM2 in ear monitors....they stay in TOO well! I only wear the right earbud usually, but if I feel pretty clear of traffic for a while, I'll do both.

Hour 5, early season base miles, zone 1/2. iPod died on hour 3. I am officially insane.

If I did long rides every once in a while, I would ride without music. On your 4th 5hr ride of the week, on the same roads... yeah, I need my Pod.

Hour 5, early season base miles, zone 1/2. iPod died on hour 3. I am officially insane.

If I did long rides every once in a while, I would ride without music. On your 4th 5hr ride of the week, on the same roads... yeah, I need my Pod.


Yup.

Hooray Beer.

I do if it's a ride where I'm on a bike path 90% of the time. I turn it off when I'm on the road w/ traffic.

Why? Personally, I think the bike path is the worst place to listen to music. That and on group rides.

We have dedicated bike lanes on most roads in San Diego though so I'm not really worried about traffic behind me when I'm riding alone and listening to music. It's not as though hearing a car right before it hits me would do me any good.

If I see you with earbuds in, I will scream in your ear to take them out. I hate that! Scares the **** out of me to be on the same road or trail with people who haven't a clue what's going on, and aren't interested in finding out. One of my buddies got very badly injured by someone listening to music. It's illegal in Washington State while riding on the road.

If I see you with earbuds in, I will scream in your ear to take them out. I hate that! Scares the **** out of me to be on the same road or trail with people who haven't a clue what's going on, and aren't interested in finding out. One of my buddies got very badly injured by someone listening to music. It's illegal in Washington State while riding on the road.


If you scream in my ear, chances are me wearing earbuds are the last thing you need to worry about. Blood and fecal matter is easy to clean off of Sidi's.

If I see you with earbuds in, I will scream in your ear to take them out. I hate that! Scares the **** out of me to be on the same road or trail with people who haven't a clue what's going on, and aren't interested in finding out. One of my buddies got very badly injured by someone listening to music. It's illegal in Washington State while riding on the road.:rolleyes: Perhaps the police should give you a medal for your valiant law enforcement efforts.

If I see you with earbuds in, I will scream in your ear to take them out.


incorrect


(Apologies to Botto)

If I see you with earbuds in, I will scream in your ear to take them out. I hate that! Scares the **** out of me to be on the same road or trail with people who haven't a clue what's going on, and aren't interested in finding out. One of my buddies got very badly injured by someone listening to music. It's illegal in Washington State while riding on the road.

Yeah, I'm with Cypress on this one. I think I'd kick your sorry ass if you tried that ***** with me while I'm riding.

Never on a group ride. Sometimes on solo rides. It depends on my mood and location.

+1

Illegal here, at least on the street. I probably wouldn't even if it were legal. I just don't see the need. Cycling's monotonous in a good way.

If you scream in my ear, chances are me wearing earbuds are the last thing you need to worry about. Blood and fecal matter is easy to clean off of Sidi's.
I am with Cypress on this one.

You should search for music or ipod or mp3 and you'll find all the opinion you need.

I ride with earbuds every ride. I like to listen to music, so i listen to it while i ride. I don't think it makes me unsafe. I can still hear cars, and can still hear my chain if it's crossed. The wind is just as loud as the music.

The biggest reason I don't think that is unsafe is because even if I heard EVERY sound while riding it wouldn't spare me from an accident. Say I hear a car coming up behind me, am I going to think to myself....

"uh oh, that car sounds 2 feet to the right farther than it should, it's going to hit me. i don't need to look back to see where it really is, because i can hear it"

No chance. I can hear cars w/ or w/o music playing, doesn't make a difference. Just look behind you when you hear a car and make sure you're riding where you should.

There's a difference between riding with music and not paying attention while riding.

If you scream in my ear, chances are me wearing earbuds are the last thing you need to worry about. Blood and fecal matter is easy to clean off of Sidi's.My, my, aren't we aggressive here on the internets. Just what we need are more people who will kill others to defend their right to behave dangerously. I say "scream in your ear" because you wouldn't be able to hear me say "on your left." You tell me how that's a safe way to ride. I want to hear it. And tell it to my injured buddy, too. You call me out and it's not a joking matter.

Anyone who rides with music in town, on a busy road, is asking to get hit. That's just stupid.
I ride with music out of town, up in the mountains, way out in the plains, etc. Places where I get passed by 4 cars every hour.
Like I said before - you try riding 20+ hour weeks at low intensity, without music, without going absolutely insane. There is such thing as too much time to think.

I only listen to music as a stoker on our tandem, never when riding my single. The new iPod shuffle is great - so small and stays out of the way.

I prefer riding along enjoying glorious silence away from music, ringing telephones, coworkers, fax machines, computers, and other auditory assaults!

Anyone who rides with music in town, on a busy road, is asking to get hit. That's just stupid.
I ride with music out of town, up in the mountains, way out in the plains, etc. Places where I get passed by 4 cars every hour.
Like I said before - you try riding 20+ hour weeks at low intensity, without music, without going absolutely insane. There is such thing as too much time to think.It's fine if you want to listen to music when riding along on country roads. You swerve for a pothole and get taken out by the trailer mirror on a black 4X4 driven by a meth-head teenager who's been shooting horse testosterone in the boy's locker room since he was 14 and isn't about to move over one inch for a frigging bicycle - hey, not my problem.

Except that it's one more of those statistics that keep a lot of people from taking up what should be a reasonably safe sport.

But if I come up on you and you've got earbuds in so you can't hear me coming up - I'm going to yell at you, because then you're endangering me, and your all-American right to do any dang fool thing you please stops right where my nose begins.

your ears are your early warning system. don't listen to iPods, even on a bike path. OK on the train, or the bus, but when you are in control of a vehicle, with other vehicles around, it's just selfish and dangerous to block out the world.

mind you, if you get removed from the gene pool for doing this, and no one else is affeced, maybe you should wear them. Darwin award time!

your ears are your early warning system. don't listen to iPods, even on a bike path. OK on the train, or the bus, but when you are in control of a vehicle, with other vehicles around, it's just selfish and dangerous to block out the world.

mind you, if you get removed from the gene pool for doing this, and no one else is affeced, maybe you should wear them. Darwin award time!
Care to give an example?
Besides the wind is more of a abstraction to hearing then ear buds. Specially going in to it.

Horse.... dead....

But if I come up on you and you've got earbuds in so you can't hear me coming up - I'm going to yell at you, because then you're endangering me, and your all-American right to do any dang fool thing you please stops right where my nose begins.
Hey if you don't like freedoms that America gives you are free to move to some other country. I hear those damn Commies will be happy to restrict your freedoms. :roflmao:

Horse.... dead....
http://www.560sec.com/albums/944-LT1/beating_a_dead_horse.jpg

I turn it up as loud as I can stand so that I am oblivious when I get killed.

I turn it up as loud as I can stand so that I am oblivious when I get killed.

Yes I am pretty much with NomadVW on this one. I cycle solo a lot so that last thing I will hear before lights out is Frank Zappa playing Peaches en Regalia..........

no chance of music while im on the road, way too dangerous.
here is an example... having music playing and a big freaking dog
comes from behind and rips a hunk out of your leg. I have come
to pick up dog collar sounds very well. The least little jingle and
im looking around.

iPod shuffle. I clip mine to my bibs at the waist and run the wires under my jersey. The ear buds wrap around the helmet straps. Everything stays put, nothing in the way or even visible, controls at your finger tip.
i just have one question, doesn't the shuffle get wet from sweat? i don't see any way possible of keeping it dry there, unless you wear a layer under your bibs, or you keep it in a plastic bag...

i always use a shuffle when i ride alone, but never on a group or club ride, and i always clip it to the strap on the back of my helmet. i usually wear a headwrap under my helmet, so it doesn't get wet from sweat, at least not wet enough to damage it...

i know someone that wears an MP3 player when he goes on rides with friends, and i personally find that rude, but to each their own. the last time he wore it on a club ride, he hit a car and got dropped, so i guess what goes around comes around...

only on solo rides

According to insurance reports deaf bikers have no more accidents than those of us that can hear.
Having said that, I rarely listen to my nano on the road.

Yeah, I'm with Cypress on this one. I think I'd kick your sorry ass if you tried that ***** with me while I'm riding.
Im with you on that too, if you ever tried that ***** with me while Im riding, Ill get Cypress to kick your sorry a$$.



























:p

The way I see it, the only good thing about riding with music is the fact that you won't hear the vehicle just before it hits you. Waking up in the hospital not knowing what happened is much better than making an attempt to get off the road when you hear a vehicle hit the shoulder behind you. Or any other noise which gets your attention.
I'll keep riding with the sound of birds in my ears.

You should search for music or ipod or mp3 and you'll find all the opinion you need.

I ride with earbuds every ride. I like to listen to music, so i listen to it while i ride. I don't think it makes me unsafe. I can still hear cars, and can still hear my chain if it's crossed. The wind is just as loud as the music.

The biggest reason I don't think that is unsafe is because even if I heard EVERY sound while riding it wouldn't spare me from an accident. Say I hear a car coming up behind me, am I going to think to myself....

"uh oh, that car sounds 2 feet to the right farther than it should, it's going to hit me. i don't need to look back to see where it really is, because i can hear it"

No chance. I can hear cars w/ or w/o music playing, doesn't make a difference. Just look behind you when you hear a car and make sure you're riding where you should.

There's a difference between riding with music and not paying attention while riding.


I agree!

It's fine if you want to listen to music when riding along on country roads. You swerve for a pothole and get taken out by the trailer mirror on a black 4X4 driven by a meth-head teenager who's been shooting horse testosterone in the boy's locker room since he was 14 and isn't about to move over one inch for a frigging bicycle - hey, not my problem.

Except that it's one more of those statistics that keep a lot of people from taking up what should be a reasonably safe sport.

But if I come up on you and you've got earbuds in so you can't hear me coming up - I'm going to yell at you, because then you're endangering me, and your all-American right to do any dang fool thing you please stops right where my nose begins.

Just curious, what would not having earphones on change that would make this situation any less dangerous or life threatening?

I've been passed and passed people on bikes many times and usually most of them don't even hear me when I call out "on your left" anyway.

Hold a steady line and pace while you're riding and you'll likely never have a problem...regardless of whether you are listening to an ipod or not.