Road Cycling - What do you listen to?

I like long rides (the better I'm getting) and was wondering what other riders do on a 20-70 mile ride?
I dont take any kind of entertainment ie music/radio and I'm wondering if listening to music helps your ride in anyway?
Just curious :rolleyes:

Helps you get hit by a car.

I listen for the sound of cars coming up behind me.

"Sound" advice by Feltup and MixedRider. Don't distract or block any of your senses when you are riding.

It is a surest way to meet an emergency room doctor.

I used to ride motorcycles with fellas that listened to music while they rode. :( Pay attention to the things around you. I tend to get songs stuck in my head. I wind up repeating them to myself over and over again while I ride. :D It drives me nuts.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to say that those who wear headphones whilst riding are looking to prove Darwin right.

Longrider, I'm with you. I usually listen to a variety of stuff in my head, depending on the ride. Today, though, the weather motivated me enough that I didn't need any internal rhythm.

I listen to music and it makes my ride even more enjoyable. Some days I just listen to the radio other days I will take my own music with me which is usually some form of classic rock or alternative.

Most people on the forums will say it takes your focus away from the road, but you have to do what YOU want to do. Just remember that the music is an added distraction so be more aware... don't listen to it on busy roads or at full volume, most of the time I leave the left earpiece out.

For most riders, it's a distraction, even if they're not aware of how much it takes their attention off of the road in front of them and their surroundings. Just be aware; if it works for you, awesome. Just be careful out there. :) It distracts you more than you notice, until you get hit or crash because of it.

I have a very close friend, who has a brother, who lives in a nursing home. He had a wife, two kids, and a very successful career. He was riding on a deserted country road, and got hit by a drunk bastard in a pickup. He now has the brain capacity of a 6 year old. His wife left him, and she doesnt let the kids come to see him. It doesnt matter where you are riding, you need to be as aware as possible of the things around you. I dont know if he was listening to music or not. I just know that I dont want to be in the room next to him. :(

If a drunk driver is going to hit you he is going to hit you. Such is life. So you decided not to listen to music, congrats ... I now know your opinion but it will not sway my decision to listen to music. I agreed that it's a distraction and requires more awareness, now move on.

not only is it dangerous to ride with headphones on, it's illegal. at least it is in California (although the law seems to specify headphones covering both ears, so perhaps DJ-style one-ear headphones are OK?).

i would advise against reading or watching DVDs while you're riding too.

I don't listen to music while I'm riding although I have been on rides where people have rigged or strapped stereo systems to their racks. I sometimes ask to ride along with them for the tunes. On one back-to-back century I saw that a person built a whole sound system out car stereo parts with loudspeaker and all (batteries must have weighed at least 50lbs) and trailed it behind him in a B.O.B. trailer. He had the controls wired to his handlebars and was taking requests. I imagine it was a high-capacity MP3 player since he rarely had to refuse a selection.

I admit that sometimes I do do something that's quite dangerous although I try and take precautions. Lately, I've been snapping pictures on the move with my digital camera. I am sometimes going at pretty high speeds when I do this. Admittedly, on the last STP ride, as I was cresting the top of the Longview bridge and heading into Oregon, I put the camera away just before the 50MPH descent. :D I did choose a camera that is easy to "quick-draw" with one hand and have gotten pretty good at Ninja/Jedi-style draw-switch on-shoot-switch off-stow all in a fairly fluid and quick motion. Although I do average at least two shots of the inside of my jersey pockets per ride. :D

Originally posted by rippo
i would advise against reading or watching DVDs while you're riding too.



:D :D :D

Originally posted by Ba-Dg-Er
Most people on the forums will say it takes your focus away from the road, but you have to do what YOU want to do.

Yeah, that's what the driver of that Escalade who was talking on her cell phone between sips of coffee was thinking, right before she ran you over.

RichC

I started listening to the sound of a freight train running around in my head while I ride. I seem to go faster when I hear it. :D

Sometimes I wonder if its a real train or not. :eek:

I don’t ride with any music but the idea came across my mind more then once. Did anyone tried to leave one ear open. If you have those headphones that go inside your ear, leave only one in so that the other ear will be free. If you still can't hear what's going on around you try lowering the volume. As some of you said, riding with music is a big distraction and dangerous. True, however I must point out that the same effect can take place in a group ride where all the members are chatting away and not paying any attention to what’s going on around them. So, if you want to be really safe ride solo without headphones. If you ride in a group try to keep the chat to a minimum.

Originally posted by Chuvak
If you ride in a group try to keep the chat to a minimum.


Cut the chatter, Red-Two! Accelerate to attack speed. This is it, boys!

I have a skate board helmet that has speakers in it. I use either an mp3 player or a small radio attached to the bike stem. The music isn't too loud to block out traffic sounds since you don't have to use earphones.

I listen to the other riders panting heavily to keep up. <GRIN>

When my mind gets infected by some horrible song while riding, I drown it out by chanting my mantra in my head. It also helps get you into a zone and brings you a few more turns of the wheels closer to enlightenment.

One of the nice things about not having "entertainment" (as if cycling isn't) on a ride, is that the repetitive movement helps you get a little closer to your inner self. I get a lot of insight on long rides.

Rich

Originally posted by Rich Clark
Yeah, that's what the driver of that Escalade who was talking on her cell phone between sips of coffee was thinking, right before she ran you over.

Thanks for your warm wishes ... keep in mind the same can happen to any of us just as easily. You might just get the chance to **** yourself before the Cadillac emblem is engraved in the back of your skull.

i love the hum of the tires on the pavement..... it's such a sweet sound. sometimes i wish i had wind blockers over my ears so that i could hear the hum over the noise of the wind :)

Just another reason to turn your head sideways.

I never listen to music while riding so I can hear other vehicles. Normally I end up listening to songs in my head, normally something I just heard on the radio or cd player while driving to the ride in my car...that can get annoying if its not a choice song...lol

I keep expecting the Headphone Nazi to show up on this thread.

I will risk my reputation (what reputation?) by admitting that I will listen to my mp3 player on very low volume using headphones that are an open design. I am an audio engineer by trade so I am kinda sensitive to the aspect of outside sound blockage. The headphones I use are pretty bad at blocking outside sound. Also... I only wear them on a bike path with no cars. I can carry on a conversation with someone easily when I am wearing them while the music is on.

Personally I don't see this as a black and white risk issue. I think if you are careful you can listen to tunes at low volume and be at a very small risk.

But if you are listeneing on some types of earbuds or 'in ear' phones or at high volume you ARE blocking your hearing.

That all aside... here's the 5 albums in my mp3 player right now:

King Crimson "Discipline"
Sneaker Pimps "BECOMING X"
Annie Lennox "Bare"
Chevelle "Wonder What's Next"
Peter Gabriel IV "Security"

Flame away,
cAPS

Thanks everyone, seems that most people feel it would be a distraction. I guess the sound ov v6/v8 engines will have to be my music

once i had a 2 hour air guitar solo going - wrapped it up as i returned to my driveway.

Originally posted by Ba-Dg-Er
Thanks for your warm wishes ... keep in mind the same can happen to any of us just as easily.

I don't think so. I think it's more likely to happen to someone who's listening to music while riding, thinking to himself "I have to do what I WANT to do" (to paraphase your earlier post). And less likely to happen to a rider who's focused, undistracted, and thinking "I have to do what's safest."

RichC

Originally posted by Rich Clark
I don't think so. I think it's more likely to happen to someone who's listening to music while riding, thinking to himself "I have to do what I WANT to do" (to paraphase your earlier post). And less likely to happen to a rider who's focused, undistracted, and thinking "I have to do what's safest."

As I said before, such is life. I am not going to worry about everything that could happen ... I am certain every one of us don't live life to the safest possible extent because if we did we wouldn't be riding a bike to begin with. You will not convince me not to listen to music, it's what I do ... and if I get hit, so be it. It's not like any of you will ever know one way or another, so don't worry about it.

Riding on public streets, is dangerous enough. Riding on public streets, without the ability to hear, is not one of lifes little risks. You are taking this discussion too personally. I dont care if you sky dive naked, with no parachute, while using your ball sack for wings, (much like a flying squirrel). :D It's just a discussion. Im not going to send the radio nazi's to your house. :)

All these responses, and only one answered his question! Far be it from me to break the trend.

When discussions about headphones come up, it makes me wonder why more people don't ride with mirrors, aside from the fact that it clashes with the pro kit.

So I'm not supposed to take it personally when I am told that a driver of an Escalade is going to run me over?

The fact remains that none of you know how or where I ride. Sure I listen to music because I love music and I love cycling, but I listen only on nonbusy roads where I know that the majority of drivers are curtious, and I listen at a lowered volume with only one earpiece in. I can hear cars, I can hear riders, I can still hear horns, sirens, etc.

Certainly I could get run over by an Escalade the next time I am out on a deserted road listening to my music, or I could get run over by a Focus at a busy intersection without the music. I could be distracted by sweat in my eyes, trying to reach for a water bottle, or just trying to crest a hill at a new top speed. But the same could happen to any of us, these are the risks we take as cyclists.

For an individual to come right out and say I will get hit is like wishing it upon me and if that's what they want, so be it. But don't get upset if I take it personally.

I usually listen to the last song I actually heard as it plays over and over in my head. Sometimes this can be quite painful, but it's usually something good--lately a lot of Springsteen.

I don't have much confidence in the drivers on the road as it is, much less if I don't hear them coming. Not to mention my own road-riding ability is less than expert at this point.

Originally posted by Ba-Dg-Er
For an individual to come right out and say I will get hit is like wishing it upon me and if that's what they want, so be it. But don't get upset if I take it personally.

I'm sorry you took it that way. I certainly don't assume that everyone who says to me that "riding in traffic will get you killed" is wishing me dead.

I was making a point about the effects of distraction and insulation from one's environment. The point stands, and whether you take it personally is entirely up to you.

RichC

Originally posted by cAPSLOCK
I am an audio engineer by trade so I am kinda sensitive to the aspect of outside sound blockage. The headphones I use are pretty bad at blocking outside sound.

hey cAPSLOCK...we're in the same line of work!

i used to run with headphones (paths, beach, not road) but i found that it was too annoying...music distracted me from what i was doing. i LOVE music (i must, if i'm willing to make it my day job). but i couldn't stand it when i was running, and i think i'd be the same way on a bike.

but i'm sure i'd get busted by the cops if i tried it, and they wouldn't let me keep it in jail. (is it a hanging offense in Cali? i don't know)

Well.. this year I've taken to riding with headphones occasionally on my solo rides. I keep the volume fairly low and I can still hear traffic coming up behind me. Does it distract me? A bit, but in a good way in that it helps pass the time a bit easier on the longer rides. What can I say, I simply love music. Does it help my riding (if that's the original question)? I guess so, in that I can get into a groove on interval or climbing days which makes it a bit easier mentally, and the long endurance rides can be more interesting.

Another thing.. if anything, my awareness while riding has actually gone up despite using headphones occasionally. I now use a mirror that fits discretely in my sunglasses (what can I say - I race :D), and I now notice *all* traffic that comes up behind me. I'm more visual oriented, and this helps my comfort level on the busier roads moreso than being able to fully hear environment sounds. Yes, thanks to my mirror, I've noticed erratic drivers as well as white line huggers - and gave them room!

IMO, if you do use anything that obstructs hearing, you need to be sure to especially watch intersections and make eye contact with drivers. But that's a good rule of thumb to use anyways.

Riding has inherent risk to, each and everytime you roll down the driveway and onto public roads..

Originally posted by Rich Clark

I was making a point about the effects of distraction and insulation from one's environment. The point stands, and whether you take it personally is entirely up to you.

RichC

Just curious.. would you make the same argument about using a mirror versus not using one? I don't think it can be argued that using one does not raise one's awareness of environment.

I listen to the voices in my head. Going anaerobic silences them.

Originally posted by LaFlore
I now use a mirror that fits discretely in my sunglasses (what can I say - I race :D), and I now notice *all* traffic that comes up behind me.

Which one do you use? I've tried the Third Eye Micromirror dot-mirror and really couldn't get it to work. I'm thinking of trying the CycleAware ViewPoint to see if it's any better.

So what do you do rippo? I am a studio owner in the Dallas area, and I am just now in the process of building a new little site on my property (shh don't tell the code enforcers). If you are interested I will show you some pictures when I get it all up and running. I also play drums, keyboards and write some music myself.

On top of this I LISTEN TO MUSIC WHEN I RIDE!!! WOO !! HOOO!!!

Current list has changed... todays ride will include:

Vangellis "Blade Runner"
Shpongle "Shpongle Tales"
Gomez - Various tunes
Beulah - Various tunes
Holst - "The Planets"

cAPS

Originally posted by LaFlore
Just curious.. would you make the same argument about using a mirror versus not using one? I don't think it can be argued that using one does not raise one's awareness of environment.

Not sure the two things are analogous, but I certainly agree that mirrors are very beneficial, and I always use one (a Take-a-Look glasses-mount).

You don't spend 100% of the time looking in the mirror; you use it when you're about to make a move, to "check six" before merging left, or when approaching an intersection to make sure there's nobody about to right-hook you. And many riders seem quite capable of achieving the same level of situational awareness by turning their heads, and are skilled enough to look behind them without swerving.

So I don't think mirror use and music listening are comparable. You don't play music in order to ignore it, and to whatever extent it claims your attention, to that extent it's distracting. Obviously, a lot of people think they can control their focus despite the distraction; drivers generally feel the same way about their coffee and CD players and cell phones. And most of the time, they can.

At the same time, I believe most drivers are operating on the belief that even if they get into an accident, they won't really get hurt. They're protected by the cage. They're not really gambling with their own lives.

Obviously this is often not true, but it's never true for a cyclist.

I disagree with whoever earlier said that cycling itself is risky anyway. I think an expert vehicular cyclist is safer than a driver, and I've seen at least some statistical evidence to support that belief. I'm not willing to give up any of my advantage, however, by adding distractions. One reason I'm safe is that my focus is entirely on the ride.

RichC

Originally posted by khuon
Which one do you use? I've tried the Third Eye Micromirror dot-mirror and really couldn't get it to work. I'm thinking of trying the CycleAware ViewPoint to see if it's any better.

It is the Third Eye model. It certainly takes getting used to, as it relies highly on peripheral vision (for my facial dimensions, anyway). I use smallish Smith Toaster sunglasses, and even with those it works quite well. Well worth it, in my opinion. My main challenge with the mirror is keeping it from falling off when I'm washing my sunglasses, as the adhesive is aging.

With the mirror, I still have to turn my head a few degrees, but hey, that's way better than doing a full head check to view traffic behind me. Especially when you're riding two-up in a group.

Heh, I've also noticed moves happening behind me (left side anyway) in races.. shh. :D

Originally posted by LaFlore
It is the Third Eye model. It certainly takes getting used to, as it relies highly on peripheral vision (for my facial dimensions, anyway). I use smallish Smith Toaster sunglasses, and even with those it works quite well.

I have Rudy Project Kerosenes and sometimes I ride with the Rx inserts (most of the time I ride with contacts) so I positioned the mirror a little further out to clear the inserts. I'm wondering if the wrappiness (closeness of fit? extreme angle?) of the wraps is the problem. I've already gone through half the supplied adhesive pads trying to find a good position for them. I'm starting to wonder if they're worth it. I've gotten pretty good at turning my head to steal a glance from many years of not having ridden with a mirror. I think I would still end up turning my head anyways. I think of mirrors (at least when I'm driving) as part of my scan to monitor and maintain my SA but I will always physically glance to clear my maneuvers.

Originally posted by khuon
Which one do you use? I've tried the Third Eye Micromirror dot-mirror and really couldn't get it to work. I'm thinking of trying the CycleAware ViewPoint to see if it's any better.

Your success with the View Point depends on the size and sweep of the lens as well as the shape of your skull. It worked great for me on a pair of cheap knock-offs I bought at Big 5, but I can't use it on my new Bolles. Because of the deep wrap-around of the Bolle lenses, the mirror has to be very close to my eye. So close that it actually interferes with my eyelid movement. That is just too annoying, so I'm back to my clip on mirror.

There is only one spot on the lens where the View Point will work. It does not have enough variability of movement to give you any choice on location.

Rich

Originally posted by Rich Clark
Not sure the two things are analogous, but I certainly agree that mirrors are very beneficial, and I always use one (a Take-a-Look glasses-mount).

You don't spend 100% of the time looking in the mirror; you use it when you're about to make a move, to "check six" before merging left, or when approaching an intersection to make sure there's nobody about to right-hook you. And many riders seem quite capable of achieving the same level of situational awareness by turning their heads, and are skilled enough to look behind them without swerving.

RichC

You'd be surprised.. my little mirror is so convenient to use (few degrees turn of head) that I'd estimate that I see 90%+ of traffic coming up behind me - thanks to very frequent mirror checks. I've grown so dependent on it, in fact, that I feel nekkid without my mirror. I mean, having a visual on traffic tells you so much more than simply hearing it. Numerous times I've spotted erratic drivers, along with those who seem to want to give me a "close shave" as they come by. Anyway, I didn't intend this to turn into a mirror thread.. :)

For me, sure the music is distracting from the suffering on a hard training ride, or maybe from boredom on a long ride. I'll make the claim that it doesn't necessarily distract me from my surroundings, as my visual system picks up the slack. I simply look around a lot more, especially at intersections. Not to mention I keep the volume low on my headphones.

Originally posted by cAPSLOCK
So what do you do rippo? I am a studio owner in the Dallas area, and I am just now in the process of building a new little site on my property (shh don't tell the code enforcers). If you are interested I will show you some pictures when I get it all up and running. I also play drums, keyboards and write some music myself.


i produce electronic music...'techno'. got a little studio in the back yard where i make all my music. a pre-existing back unit that i just filled with audio equipment. and (so as to keep this bike-related) that's where i keep my bike!

I can barely hear cars coming up anyway due to the wind. I sure don't want anything plugged in to my ears while riding my bike!

Cool Rippo... I also write a little electronica perhaps you would enjoy it. Not Techno exactly... but you might like it anyway:

http://mp3.com/laterain

Used to be lots more there... but I wont pay to have more than three. ;)

cAPS

This maybe a stupid question (whats new) but when your talking to someone in your car or singing to loud music in your car (comeon, I know you do it :-] ) dosen't that distract you aswell ?.
I'm not sure about how distracting music is after reading this thread and doing some research on the web. If you get into a mental zone with OR without music, I read you may end up tuning your surrounding out?
interesting topic I started, love that you guys get engaged, this is why I think this place is so cool, (learned about mirrors on slasses aswell)

Originally posted by astonv0l
This maybe a stupid question (whats new) but when your talking to someone in your car or singing to loud music in your car (comeon, I know you do it :-] ) dosen't that distract you aswell ?.


yeah that's all distracting too! "they" (whoever "they" are) recently did a study, saw it on tv so it must be true. cameras were put into cars to see what people were really doing. the most common cause of distraction, i.e. people taking their eyes of the road, was to eat, fiddle with the radio or controls, or fish around for something lost under the seat. cell phones came much lower in the list. so there are lots of distractions driving, and i'd say the same is true for riding. looking too long at attractive people on the beach, for example. checking to see what gear you're in every two minutes. obsessing too much about why your back wheel feels flat but doesn't look flat. i think the idea is to minimize the distractions. and putting on headphones seems like adding a distraction that is both constant and unnecessary.