Commuting - OK what's your deal with headphones?

I have read how the forum leader feels about wearing headphones and at the risk of getting thrown out I am going to come clean.

I wear headphones. Feels so good to finally admit that...

I'm not talking about heavy metal music blaring through my head, but simply NPR turned down low enough that I can hear my freewheel whine when I'm coasting. I'm certain I have better awareness of my surroundings than any car and a cat couldn't approach me without me hearing it.

So what's your take on this? Come out of the dark you headphone wearers, if we band together Joe can't boot us all!

Every time I try phones it seems to create to much wind noise. I too don't listen to music when riding, just talk radio. It used to be nice to listen to MLB (Indians), now it is not so enjoyable.

Cars scare me too much to listen to music. I want to hear what is coming, plus I need to know what motorist are saying so I know if I should flip the bird or not.

My take: nobody believes they're distracted right up to the moment the accident occurs.

Maybe it's just NPR at low volume in the background, but then somebody starts talking about something and you're really interested and you concentrate on making out what they're sayiing and WHAM you're red paint on the highway.

Comparing cyclists to drivers in this context is meaningless. It's not OK for drivers to be distracted, either. It's not OK for *anybody* operating in traffic on the road to be distracted.

RichC

This is concerning headphones and cars.

I thought it was illegal to wear headphones while driving a car. But now, you can wear headphones, or, have to wear head phones while using a cell phone.


WTF?

Sometimes I listen to music, generally just one ear has a headphone in it but sometimes two. Everytime I have been involved in an accident with a car is when I didn't have headphones in...

Since there is only one or two roads around here that you can ride, it kind of breaks up the monotany.

I was thinking of strapping a walkman and some little speakers onto my handlebars for when I'm just cruisin down Hawthorne Blvd. Maybe drop the frame down lowrider style, put a plush seat on the rear rack, bust some Al Green or Marvin Gaye on the stereo, and procede to pick up some chicks.

Honestly, though, I think a walkman would be too distracting. If you just keep riding the music comes to you through the sounds of trees rushing by, the ground rolling rythmically underneath you, and all the sounds around you melding together to make all the music you need.

Originally posted by gonesh9
Honestly, though, I think a walkman would be too distracting. If you just keep riding the music comes to you through the sounds of trees rushing by, the ground rolling rythmically underneath you, and all the sounds around you melding together to make all the music you need.

lol

I really wish that were true for me.

Well, I guess it is. The lyrics go something like this "GET ON THE SIDEWALK, A-HOLE!"

and for the chorus, "BEEEEP-----HOOONK-------VROOM"

:D

ehenz (in a bitter mood).

Originally posted by captsven
This is concerning headphones and cars.

I thought it was illegal to wear headphones while driving a car. But now, you can wear headphones, or, have to wear head phones while using a cell phone.


WTF?

It is just a headphone, not headphones you wear when on a cell phone. You can still use just one headphone if you want to listen to music in your car. Same goes for a bicycle. Just one ear needs to be free to listen to things around you. To drive you just need one of everything, eye, arm, ear, leg.

Originally posted by Rich Clark
My take: nobody believes they're distracted right up to the moment the accident occurs.

Maybe it's just NPR at low volume in the background, but then somebody starts talking about something and you're really interested and you concentrate on making out what they're sayiing and WHAM you're red paint on the highway.

Comparing cyclists to drivers in this context is meaningless. It's not OK for drivers to be distracted, either. It's not OK for *anybody* operating in traffic on the road to be distracted.

I agree with the above 100%. Personally I've never really seen the attraction of headphones while riding in any case. I'd rather hear the sounds of the ride and yes, be able to use all my senses. I can listen to the Manic Street Preachers when I get home.

i use headphones, but its only when riding casually on the sidewalk

never use headphones when on the road

its pretty easy to assess when its dangerous and when its not

Some jackass broke into my apartment and stole my headphones along w/ a buncha stuff, so now I can't listen while I ride. Good thing or bad thing? I haven't decided yet.

Those were expensive headphones too ... $50, Sony Fontopia ... hella comfortable. :mad:

I must admit I have used them in the past and I don't see any difference between wearing headphones, and cars being able to talk on cell phones or stereos in cars with it cranked so hard it causes my ears to bleed. But then that doesn't make us any better or right to do it. It frustrated me when a driver is yakking on there cell phone, headphones or not and cuts me off because they are not paying attention. So like Chris (and not ever hearing any Maniac Street preachers mp3 here I come I will pay homage to his country) I will wait until I get home before I tune in Midnight Oil!

I wear them if I want to! I can tell no difference with or with out them as far as hearing a car aproching. I get so much wind noise with out them it's just the same.

You can be distracted by anyting, you can even "zone out" when you ride with out any thing on your ears!;)

Originally posted by Repp5
Come out of the dark you headphone wearers, if we band together Joe can't boot us all!
Hello - my name is Rodney - and I'm a .... a ..... a headphone wearer.

This is one of the bike stereo set ups available which allows you to use your favorite player/tuner with speakers on the bike in a safe fashion. You can set it up on both drop and flat handlebars. I would imagine it is safer than having phones in your ears...

http://www.bicyclestereo.com/

BB

http://www.bicyclestereo.com/GRAPHICS/bike.gif

I used to have a pretty elaborate radio system mounted onto my handlebars. That bike got stolen. : ( Now I just use a walkman with mini speakers in my mini front basket. I cant hear it well in traffic, but on the side roads I love it. People look at me funny though!

Well for me biking is to get away from noise not to take noise with me, I want to hear the natural noises made by various crittors, but I also want to know exactly where a car is and how far back it is.

Headphones are illegal while riding where I live, guess I'm getting old and dorky but I obey the law. Could you imagine if you had to go to court over an accident and it was in the police report you were wearing headphones when the law clearly states they are illegal?

I went for a ride this morning and the wind was blowing so hard from the north it wouldn't have made any difference if you had head phones on or not! BTW I did not, but wished I did!:D

Since I commute in city rush hour for 8 miles each way, total awareness is a big issue for me. No headphones. I probably use my hearing as much as my sight to avoid cars. Some days when I am in the zone, the commute is a thing of beauty. It is almost like I am flowing through traffic, seeing and avoiding all the bottlenecks, stopped cars, pedestrians before they get in my way. while hauling ass the whole time.

On longer rides in the country I enjoy the sound of the bike on the road. It becomes almost meditational. I figure the sound of a radio of music would just detract from that.

By the way, I see people riding with headphones on in the city and I think they are crazy. I also smoke'em on the road on a regular basis because they are generally going slow(er) :D

To each his own though. Be safe!

I would never, ever ride with headphones, etc. I wouldn't even consider it. Sounds provide so many clues as to the whereabouts of traffic and the changes to traffic situations (cars slowing down, speeding up to set up for a potential right-hook, etc.) that I'd feel very unsafe with anything impeding my hearing. No way!!!

I don't wear headphones.

This way I can hear the impending failure of my Al frame :rolleyes:..

Actually, I don't do it because I like to hear all the sounds of the street in the morning and afternoon. The voices of children playing, the sounds of families and the activities they do (at 5 am, I've heard more than an Alarm clock going off, if you know what I mean).. It's all part of the experience.

While I enjoy music, there is a world out there that we choose to envelop our selves in by riding a bike, I can't for the life of me understand why you'd shut out a portion of it? Riding a bike is putting you self INTO society raw, not sheltered like a car. Ever notice how much more you see on a bike than a car? Would you put blinders on? Why wouldn't the same apply to earphones.

Besides that, if I listened to the wrong music, I'd probably get into trouble. I mean, who can listen to the blues brothers sound track and not want to take off "on a mission from god"! Or if you listen to Primus "Jerry was a race car driver", or Ministry "Jesus built my hot ride" and forbid if I ever heard "Holiday in Cambodia" while on a bike. I can understand motivation or inspiration and the like, but I still think it's just not a great idea. Of course, I run red lights, so I'm probably the last qualified to speak from a saftey perspective.

Using headphones while driving a motor vehicle or a bicycle is illegal in our neck of the woods. Communication devices covering ONE ear are legal, however. And even on bikes, radios are legal and used by a few.

However, even though I like to have radio while working or even while driving a car, I never felt any interest for listening to music (or news) while riding. I think this is part of getting connected to the environment or feeling part of it.

As for boring rides on busy roads. I think my rear view mirror gives me more information that road noise. But I would probably need to set the music too loud to be comfortable anyways. The two solutions I would see for such conditions are noise-cancelling earphones (might be bulky?) and simple ear plugs.

BTW, using two ear plugs isn't as bad as it sounds. Ear plugs reduce the sound level by 15-25 dB (depending on type of plugs and fit), but all sounds, including background ones are reduced equally.

Regards,

Thanks for your thoughts on this subject! After reading the various opinions on this thread, I have done the last few commutes without the headphones.

While I'd argue whether I am any safer, I will agree that the ambient sounds of nature, especially the birds, are superior to anything my radio has to offer.

Guilty!! I'm a headphone wearer while bikin or bladin. Doing either without my music is like taking a bath without water. I don't do either without my high energy music to keep me moving. Fortunately, it's never been a distraction for me or has caused me any problems. When I'm riding in a (traffic free) area, like a park, my music is on.

When I'm riding in traffic, my music is low enough so that I could hear what’s going on around me. Why? There are knuckle heads on the roads.:beer:

i wear them from time to time. I will ride them on my commute so i dont miss the Bob & Tom Show in the mornings. might even on the way home as im not very good company even to myself. that and with out something to distract me i tend to think and thats hardly ever a good thing

Originally posted by ngateguy
I must admit I have used them in the past and I don't see any difference between wearing headphones, and cars being able to talk on cell phones or stereos in cars with it cranked so hard it causes my ears to bleed. But then that doesn't make us any better or right to do it.

So I'm a little confused here ngateguy, you used to wear them, do you still wear them?

Originally posted by uciflylow
I went for a ride this morning and the wind was blowing so hard from the north it wouldn't have made any difference if you had head phones on or not! BTW I did not, but wished I did!:D

Wow! Is this the same guy who said,"I insist we wear them (helmets) when we ride......The end." on Confessions of a helmet Hater?

I don't understand the contradiction of a safety stance here.
:confused:

Trails yes, roads never.

Too many of those horrible SUV drivers out there...



like me

Wow! Is this the same guy who said,"I insist we wear them (helmets) when we ride......The end." on Confessions of a helmet Hater?

First, don't take what I said, out of context! I DO NOT insist anyone but MY children and MYSELF wear a helmet.

I think this is compairing apples and oranges. I beleave the helmet does offer some protection if you have an unfortunate head strike. I don't think having head phones increases you'r risk of an accident.

I have never had an accident on a bike. The close calls I have had are from seemingly blind people who cut, or pull out in front of you. I actually reached out and smacked the tail light of a PU last week who turned in front of me and never looked at me.

Originally posted by uciflylow
First, don't take what I said, out of context! I DO NOT insist anyone but MY children and MYSELF wear a helmet.

A lot of us want to have a choice, and we're all entitled (except those in an all ages mandatory law juradiction) but you wear headphones while wearing a helmet.

Rich Clark's reply was good, nobody believes they're distracted right up to the moment the accident occurs. If your reasons for wearing a helmet are similar (wearing one for that moment you never saw coming and having a little extra protection when it does), I just don't get the logic for wearing headphones.

I'd rather prevent something from happening in the first place. As was posted in the Drivers Poll post,

"The most basic -- and violated -- safety rule is to pay attention, to watch what's going on around you," said Ray, the Indy driver. "At the speeds I travel on a race track, if I take my focus off the road for a fraction of a second, it can be fatal. Street drivers need to know that their attention to what's happening is just as crucial."

It's the same on the bike. Headphones reduce your ability to pay attention to what's going on around you.

Make you a deal, closet biker.

If you promice to allways wear a helmet and promote there use, I will gladly give up ever wearing headphones again along with preaching about how disaster is just waiting around the corner for anyone who uses them!:D

You don't have to wear head phones to be distracted!

If I am doing a ride over 50 miles I will take my head phones and listen to them for a stretch. Interesting thing to note: I have some weird allergies that make my ears get itchy during the spring and wearing the earphones helps reduce the inflamation of my ears after rides. I have battled with whether it was a good idea or not to do this. I tend to just listen when I'm on secluded back roads and keep it at a volume that allows me to hear approaching traffic. Doesn't seem to be any differernt from being in a car with the radio on at a respectable level, does it?

Originally posted by uciflylow
Make you a deal, closet biker.

If you promice to allways wear a helmet and promote there use, I will gladly give up ever wearing headphones again along with preaching about how disaster is just waiting around the corner for anyone who uses them!:D

You don't have to wear head phones to be distracted!

Well I don't know about that but, I think you should still have the choice to do what you want (even if someone else thinks it's a dangerous thing to do) and I don't think you're going to hurt a motorist so, it's your skin (at least you're getting exercise)
:D

I think it depends on how much you value your life.

Not wearing headphones, wearing a helmet, wearing bright clothes, having bright lights all improve your chances of survival. I don't really see any debate.

Of course if you don't want to wear a helmet cos your head gets hot, you don't want to wear a bright jacket cos you think it makes you look like an idiot and you want to listen to headphones cos you're bored then good luck to you, but you obviously don't value your life too highly.

That's what it comes down to, in my opinion of course.

My attempt to reduce redundancy.

http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19630&highlight=headphones


Please see my previous post.