fat

i've got a bluetooth earpiece (jawbone era) that handles media audio in addition to the usual phone audio. any audio coming out of whatever media player i have on my phone goes through my bluetooth earpiece.
i use the supplied hoop to keep it anchored to my ear. audio quality is great, no wires in my way and my other ear is open to my surroundings. i like to keep the volume low enough so that i'm always hearing the tires and the wind.
to eliminate the distraction of changing songs, i just use pandora radio and it knows what i want to hear.
i'm a new guy here, but before i got my bike, i was doing this for walks/hikes (sometimes in the dark) and found it to be fantastic.

Shakeyone

I like playing music through the phone speaker mostly cause I dont have to call out passes on the MUP as often unless I am going faster. Nice when out of breath. Now if only MUP pedrestrians would read forums so they would stop having unleased dogs before my spokes make dog stew, and PITA tries to have me jailed or the damn side by side walkers with headphones thinking they own the whole damn trail and get pissy when your trying to pass. Sorry for OT, guess having to unclip every 5 feet got annoying today and had to vent.

Mr. Beanz

I tell ya , the riders that say they wear ear phones because there is no one else around are the most likely to cause a mishap. I've heard it a hundred times, "oops sorry, I didn't realize there was anybody else around"


I've had that happen quite a few times. "Oh sorry, didn't realize there was anybody around". .....Uh yeah, usually when someone is shouting shouting "onyerleft " while ringing a bell, that means there is somebody else around. You just didn't know hear us coming.


I will say I have encountered a few riders with one piece or controlled levels so that they were very aware of their surroundings. But many more that were not.

FrenchFit 

Right earbud manufactured for stereo to mono: https://www.scansound.com/earphones/s...h-eartips.html

CommuteCommando

Ear buds are a bad idea. If I want music, I hum to myself. Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony (used in the Drafting Scene in Breaking Away), is a particular favorite.

digibud

I live in a mostly rural area. It's very unusual for me to pass or be passed by another cyclist. When I ride alone I often wear a single earbud. Sometimes both. When I ride into town I -never- ride with music. So you can see, people are split on the use and the safety issue. I would suggest that not using music is indeed a bit safer. I use a bar-end mirror and that is helpful in allowing me to view upcoming traffic. I used to fly hang gliders full time so adding a single ear bud is far, far from the most dangerous thing I'm willing to do.

SeanBlader

I have a co-worker who reportedly has bone-conduction headphones. I will however just setup my HTC One to blast music when it's mounted to my stem for any tunes I want while riding.

Podagrower

Never have liked earbuds, and agree with those who think wearing them or headphones is unsafe. But I like my music, I stream something online or play mp3's that are on the sd card in the phone. I try to make sure I'm the only one able to hear it, because I tend to like the lyrics that aren't safe for the little ears.

Mr. Beanz

I've asked other riders about headphones and a common reply is "what do you care if I get hurt?". I don't,................ I worry about you hurting me.

AstroEng

I don't and don't think I'd feel comfortable doing so except maybe on a trail... I get a lot of situational awareness from the sounds around me - cars approaching, slowing down to turn (hopefully not right in front of me), when a platoon of cars is coming and its not even worth looking to change lanes, etc...

plumberroy

Against trail rules on some mup's around here
Roy

Neil_B

With or without the exposition repeat?

I'm fond of humming or singing Bach, especially when I'm alone. The Brandenburg Concerto #2, the opening movement of the 3rd Partita for violin, some other shorter works, and a few hymns got me through the C & O Canal Towpath in 2008.

Then again, I'm a baritone, and I've been known to pay tribute to Mozart, Gilbert and Sullivan, and the Broadway tradition when the spirit, and bicycle, moves me.

youcoming

I'd rather listen to the sounds around me. I can always listen to music but the sounds of tires on Tarmac, the whirl of the wheels, the chain and gears, the wind, the birds. That's all the music I need on my bike

AWB

I do occasionally use ear buds while on the bike way, however, the volume is always turned down so low that I can just hear the music.

When I ride out on the roads I wouldn't even consider using them, some of the modern cars are too quiet as it is.

CommuteCommando

I once rode a motorcycle from San Jose to LA via I-5. Longazz stretch of nuttin. At one point I found myself singing, scating, dowoping and beboping countless variations of Brown Eyed Girl. This went on from before Bakersfield all the way to Tehachapi.

If youre a Bach fan, go to youtube and search "kottke jesu joy jack fig"

FrankHudson

I'm another who just uses the internal speaker on my smartphone sitting inside a handlebar mount sometimes. Not very loud or hifi.

SlipKid65

I only listen when riding late at night on the MUPs or nearly deserted neighborhoods I frequent. I never use earphones though. I made an iPhone mount for my bike using the belt clip that comes with the Otterbox. It is very secure, and clips in and out easily. I use the built in iPhone speakers. It's loud enough to hear fine in light/no traffic, but gets drowned out a little when cars go by. I can hear cars coming, and in any case, since I ride primarily late at night, I see the headlights in the mirror long before I would hear cars over the wind noise.

fietsbob

Rural road, 6pm return on commute, 12 miles . books on tape (cassettes).. circa '91..