Tandem Cycling - Anyone using iHome for iPod or something similar

I bought an iHome real cheap (under $30 shipped) and installed it on a water bottle mount. It lasted two weeks, sounded very weak and tended to distort. Are there any better products out there?

Thanks.

I just clip the holster of my Blackberry Tour to a wire tie on the stoker's handlebars, and wallah! Satellite radio via the Sprint Network and Pandora. The speaker is loud and clear enough for both of us to hear, and the stoker can manage the volume, change channels, etc as she likes. The music adds a lot to our rides, plus we have the phone and GPS capability if needed.
I just love telling people who ask about our tandem that it has Michelen tires, satellite radio, and color TV!

I have been using the Ihome for a year - sounds is amazing, still going strong. I use it out back while BBQing.

I love mine, i use it alot
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b99/Jordan300/ihome2go-thumb-480x600.jpg

We have been using these speakers mounted to the stoker top tube with the Ipod hanging from stoker stem.

http://www.active-tunes.com/

We use an iPod Nano hooked up to an iLuv portable speaker (http://www.i-luv.com/product_detail.asp?idx=1204&keyword=iSP100:%20Ultra%20Portable%20Stereo%20Speaker&category_cd=C002&cat_lev=1). It's not very loud (only really useful when climbing or cruising pretty gently), and certainly not waterproof (but niether is the iPod), but it is lightweight, pretty cheap, and available at the local electronics store. I made a bracket for that behind the captain's seatpost with a Minoura water bottle cage mount (http://www.amazon.com/Minoura-Water-Bottle-Cage-Mount/dp/B001392T2O) that I already had and some all-purpose (plumbers) strapping. An old computer mount, some more strapping and a couple of zip-ties were sufficient to put a mount on the handlebars that the iPod slides in and out of, but is a nice tight fit.

I don't think I'd ever ride with music playing from speakers on the bike, even if it was good opera music. Something about being out in nature makes music from speakers intrusive, plus the wind noise in my ears even makes having music from earbuds difficult to listen to without cranking up too high.

But having said that, it might be cool to have really powerful woofers attached to the bike so that you could impose big rattling bass sounds onto all the motorists as you're waiting at the stoplight. I wonder how much the bike would vibrate?

I never do critical mass rides, but I once rode alongside a guy who had his bike rigged to blast music during the CM's. One more reason not to do those rides...

L.

+1.

I think it's inconsiderate to go riding in the countryside with a speaker strapped to your bike.

I did once go for a ride with someone who insisted on listenting to Phil Collins on his ipod for 6 hours while riding through the beautiful Italian countryside. Had he inflicted 'Easy lover' and Phil's other greatest hits on the rest of the group we would have had no alternative but to let both his tyres down at a water stop and steal his pump. For that reason it's better to use headphones IMHO.

I was initially unsure about the idea of installing speakers on our tandem but now I'm a total convert. For sure it's not always appropriate to use them; sometimes you really need to let nature take centre stage. However, they really do add something to ride energy levels, and it's fun to play DJ and try to find songs that are appropriate for cycling.

Fave riding tunes (in no particular order):

Every Day is a Winding Road-Sheryl Crow
Another One Bites the Dust-Queen (played after summiting a large climb)
Enter Sandman-Metallica (the whole 'Exit light, enter night' thing is appropriate for riding through a series of tunnels)
Daisy Bell-by anyone (it contains the words 'Bicycle built for two'. Enough said.)
Beautiful Day-U2
Everybody Hurts-REM (good near the top of a 1500m climb)

There are lots more on my playlist as well. Anyone else have riding-related favourites?

Yeah, I usually pause the music when approaching other riders, My road rides are mostly on Rail Trails that don't have many riders. It's good for riding with a few freinds. I keep the volume somewhat low. I really like it.

I agree that consideration of other riders is key, and there are times when silence is golden. That having been said, I find that just about anything by Green Day helps me power through a training ride. For the tandem, my stoker is partial to Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, etc. Atmosphere music. That's the beauty of Pandora - you can seed it with a song or artist, and it plays music of the same style, tempo, etc. Good variety without having to surf the same list of static mp3's on your handheld.

I can't listen to music when I ride but that is probably more a matter of my pace. I'm too concentrated on turning over the pedals to be able to hear the music. The sound is actually annoying.

For the rarer times that I'm just coasting about, these work:

Queen - Bicycle Race (http://www.lyricsfreak.com/q/queen/bicycle+race_20112525.html)
Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere (http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/talking+heads/road+to+nowhere_20135072.html)
Dire Straits - The Bug (http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dire+straits/the+bug_20040772.html)
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/pink+floyd/comfortably+numb_20108779.html) and Run Like He** (http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/pink+floyd/run+like+hell_20108795.html)

We're considering it for longggg rides only when we're all alone. I agree, it is annoying when someone rolls up playing hip hop or a Brittney Spears song :-O

We ride with music anytime that our ride takes us on a sustained climb (be it on the road or mtn tandem). It makes the climbs go WAY faster. Most of the songs that my lovely stoker has picked out have a good beat for climbing (once in a while I make her FF past a song...).

Play lists range from Green Day, Linkin Park, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam to name a few. We do frequently get requests - but rarely do we have the requested song...

The set up is just an ipod and a small portable speaker in my (captain's) jersey pocket or tucked in the outside pocket of my camelbak on the mtb tandem.

Macally IP-A111 Portable Stereo Speakers

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=120397&d=1254405098

With two small velcro straps it fits perfectly under the captain's saddle on the rails. No volume, only on-off switch; volume is controlled by the iPod and therefore can't get to loud. Very lightweight and inconspicuous. Inexpensive. Need to run a stereo extension cable to wherever your iPod is stored (I've had mine in a handlebar bag).

Most of the time we don't use it, but it sometimes helps my 9-yr-old daughter to want to ride when she can play her favorite music.

I have bought a second one and plan to find a way to rig it onto the handlebars of my touring bike.