The average roadie equates riding a bicycle to piloting the space shuttle, using their razor sharp wits to cheat death.
classic :beer:

The dangers of listening to music while riding have been exaggerated beyond belief.

+1. Really, so long as the volume isn't cranked up all the way, you're hyper-aware of your surroundings (important at all times in traffic), and you follow the same rules cars are supposed to, there's no problem using headphones while riding.

But, like others have said, some states have headphone laws for cyclists.

The wife got me an Ipod for my birthday to use while biking and exercising, but I think I am going to tell her to take it back. I'd rather hear the environment, or me huffing. Do any of you use one? Pros and cons? TIA

I use mine all the time except when I'm commuting. When I commute I use sidewalks, cross roads and the like and I want to be aware of my surroundings. When I am riding on the bike paths during lunch I only pass the occasional biker, walker or jogger.

I love listening to music and don't get to do it often enough so when I am biking AND listening to music it's a complete joy.

Yes, I own one. No, I will never use it while cycling (static trainer being the only exception) because I want to stay out of the Darwin awards.

http://www.darwinawards.com/

+1 I love listening to it at home and work but never ever while on the bike. I need to stay sharp and keep my wits about me at all times when riding.

I have actually stolen my daughter's mp3 player to ride with a couple of times (Man that makes me sound old.) It is an Sansa Clip 2 GB with built in FM tuner. One of my excuses to keep from exercising on Sunday afternoons, is that I am a huge Nascar fan. My wife says that moving to Alabama corrupted me and turned me into a redneck, but oh well. I now listen to the race on the radio while I ride. I use only the right earpiece and set the volume so that I can still hear what is going on around me. It has gotten my off the couch for some of my most enjoyable rides.

I don't ride with my ipod. I have trouble hearing (sometimes sounds cut out on me entirely in my left ear, and sometimes I hear a tremendous cracking noise in the same ear), so I save the ipod for the gym or for walking. Which is too bad because I love listening to it (and I also like listening to dj steveboy's podrunner and Groovelectric podcasts).

Check the use of headphones in your state. In California it is illegal to have headphones of any kind in/on both ears. A friend of mine got a $270 ticket from the police for having her Ipod in both ears while cycling.


Really? Wow! I didn't know this. Glad to know. Do you think this applies if we're on MUPs?

To the OP: this discussion is regurgitated on BF pretty regularly. I have found that those who are against the use of earphones are indignant (and vocally so) toward those who don't have a problem with it. Although I personally don't have a problem with it, I do have one thing: never where earphones when riding in a group. I don't care if you take yourself down, but don't do it when riding next to me. :D

(My thinking: hearing a vehicle overtaking you will not make a difference in whether it hits you or not. You cannot understand the trajectory of a vehicle from behind based on whether you hear its engine. Just ride a straight and predictable line and you'll be just as safe as if you were not wearing earphones.)

I use mine all the time except when I'm commuting. When I commute I use sidewalks, cross roads and the like and I want to be aware of my surroundings. When I am riding on the bike paths during lunch I only pass the occasional biker, walker or jogger.

I love listening to music and don't get to do it often enough so when I am biking AND listening to music it's a complete joy.

I don't know about Ohio, but I do know here in California it is illegal to ride on a sidewalk. I personally think it's probably more dangerous than not.

Maybe where you are at in Cali it is more dangerous on sidewalks, but where I was at in Ontario, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable on the streets during the morning and afternoon. Midday or nights fine, but during normal commuter traffic, I can envision being hit due to careless drivers. Cars doing 50mph and not used to bicycles on the street equals disaster when you consider a high percentage of those drivers are busy yelling at their kids in the backseat, reading the paper, using a cell phone (text or talking), etc. I personally don't like the option of being the hood ornament for a bright colored H2.

I bought one and occasionally use it when riding alone. I use only the drive-side ear bud so I can stay partly alert to the road. I find that I often don't hear cars approaching anyway due to wind noise. The beat helps me maintain a good cadence (I tend to slack when riding alone). Most of my riding is in very rural community areas so I don't have a lot of traffic to contend with.

I don't know about Ohio, but I do know here in California it is illegal to ride on a sidewalk. I personally think it's probably more dangerous than not.

I'll certainly check on that. When I do my morning commute I am the almost the only one there. I am choosing the sidewalks over the road where though I do have legal rights, it would not be a smart or courteous choice for that route.

I'll certainly check on that. When I do my morning commute I am the almost the only one there. I am choosing the sidewalks over the road where though I do have legal rights, it would not be a smart or courteous choice for that route.

Sidewalk riding can be extremely dangerous, cagers don't expect bicycles to be riding down the sidewalk at high speed (anything faster then a walking pace), having your bicycle stopped by the side of a car that suddenly appears in your way:eek:, is a great way to single handedly pay for your doctors' new Porsche.:cry:....

If an area is very dangerous for cycling, then either pick a different route (google maps becomes your new best friend), or call your city councilor, and see about getting some bike lanes painted (make them think it's their idea, goes a lot faster).

I enjoy riding too much to want music while riding. I enjoy music too much to want riding to distract me from the sounds.

yes! perfect.

i can understand listening if you're commuting or something, and you aren't necessarily having the time of your life, or maybe if you need something to keep your cadence up, but out on a nice recreational ride with birds and animals and people saying hi? no sir.

(plus, yeah, i like being able to hear EVERYTHING. traffic, people who seem potentially threatening, and pieces of my bike falling off. i can't hear EVERYTHING with music on, quiet or not, so i'd always be pulling out the earbud going "what was that?!")

I have an iPod but I only use it while on the rollers, which I rarely ride. On the stationary trainer I watch Spinervals DVDs and I would never wear headphones on the road. just the idea scares me.

Sidewalk riding can be extremely dangerous, cagers don't expect bicycles to be riding down the sidewalk at high speed (anything faster then a walking pace), having your bicycle stopped by the side of a car that suddenly appears in your way:eek:, is a great way to single handedly pay for your doctors' new Porsche.:cry:....


I 100% agree. However in this area, and you would have to see the route, it's not so bad. In other areas like the city where I have to ride a block to get to the bike path, I ease along or walk it depending on how busy it is. On the route I sometimes take to work it is very wide open so I can see what else is on the sidewalk and can react. Not many people on them and I can usually duck into a parking lot (empty at that time of the morning) if I wish. With all that I'd say my (and others) risk is about the same as riding on a normal road. I refuse to road share where I have to actually be on the road.

I don't see the big deal here. Use judgment/common sense. Wearing both headphones and cranking up the volume is a good way to isolate yourself from what's going on. Using a single headphone and keeping the volume reasonable won't dull your awareness or create an unsafe situation. In some circumstances the music might even help a fatigued rider stay focused and not wander on the road.

I probably listen to music or npr on a single headphone on 1/3 of my commutes. I can't see how it possible increases the danger. Having done the route thousands of times I know what to expect and how to ride it safely.

On a nine and half hour ride late last summer, I would have died of boredom without the music.

I probably listen to music or npr on a single headphone on 1/3 of my commutes. I can't see how it possible increases the danger.

For you, maybe it doesn't. For someone else, it might. Wearing an ipod would increase the danger if it interfered with your hearing, or if you're distracted by what you're listening to. Someone else could be riding the same route, listening to the same content on the same ipod at the same volume, and find that their hearing or concentration or both was impaired to the point where their safety was reduced. Or, someone else could be riding in a different environment, or riding in a different way, or listening to different content or at a different volume, and the introduction of an ipod would reduce their safety. "It's safe" or "it's unsafe" are bogus statements -- "I feel that it's safe/it would be unsafe for me" is valid.

If a car is coming at you at 40-60 MPH and blows the horn while his tires squeal, hearing it or not hearing it, head phones or no head phones, nothing is going to save your *** from becoming a hood ornament.

As I stated before I wear a set of ear buds that have a decent set of foam around them. My music is not loud and I can hear just as well if not better than you can because the ear buds actually filter out wind noise. I find riding with some tunes to be ok for me and helps with my cadence as well as someone else has also pointed out.
Most of the posts hear blow things way out of actuality with the "what if " thing. Most of you only assume nothing can be heard and never have worn a set of earbuds to actually back up your statement and if you did half of these post would not exist on this thread..:rolleyes:

It's the same as listening to a radio while driving a car. We've all heard car stereos blasting from over a block away. If you crank up the volume on your Ipod, obviously you won't hear what's going on around you.

IMO, bicycling with the volume on your Ipod at a reasonable level allowing you to hear ambient sounds in your surroundings, is no different to driving a car with the stereo playing at low volume.

I use one all the time, the music motivates me a lot. Although I only have one earbud in and have the volume kind of low (hey I love my rock music!).

Anyways I know lots of object to me using it but I do find that I ride better with music then without!

i use my mp3 player on pretty much every ride, thought i generally have the volume relatively low, especially at night, but if theres light traffic and a wide shoulder i have no problem blasting it and just keeping to the right so that passing me on the left isn't an issue for anyone. only time i don't use it would be on group rides since at that point i think it seems rude and if you're going to listen to music anyway you should probably just ride alone anyway.

kyle

I do use my iPod when I am on a "course" or track - but never on-road.

Bleh, I'd never ride with an iPod.... My Sandisk Sansa is sooo much better.:D

Most of my rides aren't long enough to really be worth the hassle, but maybe I'll try it when I go on a longer ride.

i dont like wearing headphones at all. they bother my sensibilities. i am philosophically anti-headphone.

I don't see the big deal here. Use judgment/common sense. Wearing both headphones and cranking up the volume is a good way to isolate yourself from what's going on. Using a single headphone and keeping the volume reasonable won't dull your awareness or create an unsafe situation. In some circumstances the music might even help a fatigued rider stay focused and not wander on the road.

I probably listen to music or npr on a single headphone on 1/3 of my commutes. I can't see how it possible increases the danger. Having done the route thousands of times I know what to expect and how to ride it safely.

On a nine and half hour ride late last summer, I would have died of boredom without the music.

iI always use the music player during my commute, makes the idiot behind me on the BUS, who must yell into their cell phone, load enough so that the person they are talking to in Hong Kong can hear them without the phone, a little less annoying.....

Music player while riding, uh uh.