General Cycling Discussion - riding with music

i am just curious how many riders wear headphones while you ride. i was thinking of doing it while i mountain bike, but i am just afraid of not being able to hear other riders and/or the cables getting annoying. but if you do listen to music, what do you listen to? when i use to run, there was only one thing that i listened to. Rocky, themes from the motion pictures...

btw - my first post!!!

Welcome jcm44. You've picked a marvellous topic for your first post. First off, there's been a couple of threads on this recently, so a search on 'headphones' should give you plenty to read.

From what I can tell, the most dangerous thing about riding with headphones is that if you mention that you do it on these forums you'll get called all sorts of nasty names.

My advice (for whatever it's worth): try it out for yourself. See if you like it/feel safe. Do it or don't do it based on your own observations, but if you do do it, keep it to yourself. Take the advice of others, including this advice, with a grain of salt.

Personally I wear headphones for commuting. I haven't been mtb'ing for a while, but I generally didn't listen to music when I was. If it was a long, solo, expedition type ride without too much technical stuff, I probably would, but I've never done that.

My own personal favourite music to listen to while riding: Talking Heads/David Byrne. DB's 'Uh-Oh' album pretty much sits permanently in my walkman with other albums getting an occasional run . I also tune into Triple J most mornings on the way to work. Adam Spencer and Wil Anderson crack me up.

Originally posted by Allister
Welcome jcm44. You've picked a marvellous topic for your first post. First off, there's been a couple of threads on this recently, so a search on 'headphones' should give you plenty to read.

From what I can tell, the most dangerous thing about riding with headphones is that if you mention that you do it on these forums you'll get called all sorts of nasty names.

My advice (for whatever it's worth): try it out for yourself. See if you like it/feel safe. Do it or don't do it based on your own observations, but if you do do it, keep it to yourself. Take the advice of others, including this advice, with a grain of salt.

Personally I wear headphones for commuting. I haven't been mtb'ing for a while, but I generally didn't listen to music when I was. If it was a long, solo, expedition type ride without too much technical stuff, I probably would, but I've never done that.

My own personal favourite music to listen to while riding: Talking Heads/David Byrne. DB's 'Uh-Oh' album pretty much sits permanently in my walkman with other albums getting an occasional run . I also tune into Triple J most mornings on the way to work. Adam Spencer and Wil Anderson crack me up.

AH! i should have searched! sorry about my newbie mistake, the [H] guys would be flamming me pretty bad right now. thanks for the advice though.

Originally posted by jcm44
when i use to run, there was only one thing that i listened to. Rocky, make sure you punch the air when you reach the top of the stairs

There is nothing more stupid on this earth than to ride with headphones on!! Forget about not hearing other riders...it is the big trucks that flattens you......
I suggest that you invest in a indoor trainer if music is your thing.

Originally posted by poululla
There is nothing more stupid on this earth than to ride with headphones on!!
See what I mean?

i dunno i'm new to the whole biking thing so i'm just curious... but are there really alot of trucks to flatten you when you mnt bike? The trails around here that i've seen anyways dont have vehicles other then bikes on them. I personaly think it would be more stupid to ride with out a helmet then to ride with head phones.

What I don't understand is why someone would want to ride with headphones on, listening to music. I love the sound of the lake lapping the shore, birds chirping, the geese coming back from their wintering, the sound of the wind in leaves and the buzz of my freewheel. That's all the music I need.

If I was in heavy, noisy traffic, I think I'd like to be able to hear what was going on for safety reasons.

I have 500w of surround at home and a vast collection of CDs and vinyl. That's where I listen to music. When I'm riding, I'm riding.

I guess it's a personal preference thing, and I don't have much of an opinion either way, except for the guy with headphones who didn't hear my warnings who almost swerved into me last year. That was stupid and antisocial.

If you choose not to wear a helmet you are really only endangering yourself. If you take a spill and end up dead or injured I could care less.

If you are riding with the tunes cranked on your Walkman and cause me to crash because you couldn't here my warnings, then you WILL have a nice lawsuit on your hands. You will lose bigtime in court and be paying out the a$$ for many years. Another thing to ponder in the above scenario is that you could be charged with criminal negligence or reckless endangerment - either of which could be a felony in your state. If that happens and you are convicted you will have the rest of your life to deal with no more voting, no foreign travel, no firearms ownership...the list goes on.

I would say it is your choice, but, if you cause an injury to someone because of what you choose to do on the trails or elsewhere while cycling you will probably get hit in the wallet or worse.

Plus, many states in the US have laws against riding or driving with headphones.

Choose your poison wisely and be prepared to take responsibility for your own actions. The consequences could be rather harsh.

i can hear people yell when i have head phones on... and there are no birds chirping, leaves russling, and pretty sounds to listen to where i bike, some cars, but its not heavy traffic either... very few bikers around me too. I dont wear head phones, but in my given surroundings, i dont think there would be anything wrong with it, as long as i wasn't trying to make myself go deaf with my music.

I've been known to wear them from time to time. I don't listen in heavy traffic areas and the music is not deafening either when it is on. For the most part, I wear them on open roads when I'm alone where it's me, the pavement, a few cows from time to time... and a passing car every so often. Personally, when I don't wear them, all I hear is wind anyhow. And I can hear cars coming.

Think of what the typical motor vehicle driver is doing.... listening to the radio, smoking a cig/drinking coffee, talking on the cell, trying to drive a stick, dealing with crabby kids in the back seat, etc... now THAT is scary! :eek:

Sarah