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playing music on the commute? speakers?

Old 10-06-15, 06:20 AM
  #26  
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The only time I consider it rude to play music out loud is on a mountain bike trail. It seems terrible to drown out the sounds of nature in the woods. On the road, pssh. It doesn't matter. My best friend has a radio mounted to his handlebars. I use headphones. Listening for traffic isn't all that important if you just assume there is a car behind you at all times. I might use a speaker if I had one, but I don't. If someone doesn't like what I'm doing, AYHSMB
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Old 10-06-15, 06:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Rich Gibson
Good grief so many politically correct riders!

I... Don't think you know what that means if you think it has any relevance to this conversation.
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Old 10-06-15, 06:52 AM
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Originally Posted by alan s
It's rude to play music on your bike that others can hear. It just amazes me that some bike riders are completely oblivious of how offensive it is.

Yeah, I agree. These guys who ride in the middle of nowhere love telling us what we think is wrong. Most of them would be weak in the knees after one city commute.
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Old 10-06-15, 07:03 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by lostarchitect
Yeah, I agree. These guys who ride in the middle of nowhere love telling us what we think is wrong. Most of them would be weak in the knees after one city committee.
I guess that I agree with this ^. While I don't use music or books on tape while I ride, I can see how others might enjoy that on a longer, otherwise mind numbing commute. To each, his own.

For me, I think it's a question of whether or not I want to be conscious of that screeching sound right before I'm dead and seeing God face-to-face. I'd rather have several milliseconds of warning...
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Old 10-06-15, 07:44 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by alan s
It's rude to play music on your bike that others can hear. It just amazes me that some bike riders are completely oblivious of how offensive it is.
As opposed to what else is there, loud motorcycles, music bass beats thumping from cars, dogs barking, people yaking on their phones. And now motorcycles with loud music. Just chilax, bro.
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Old 10-06-15, 07:58 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by alan s
It's rude to play music on your bike that others can hear. It just amazes me that some bike riders are completely oblivious of how offensive it is.
Don't ever travel 1000mi west and ride in Iowa then. So many riders here listen to music, you wouldn't be able to function. MUPs paved in all directions and music playing all over the place.

When I am on roads, even in the suburbs, its difficult to even hear music from my phone's speakers. A Bluetooth speaker works well, but when at stoplights, even that is mostly drowned out even when on the loudest setting.
All that noise isn't coming from me. Noise happens on roads.
I agree that a cannon speaker booming out The Final Countdown at 120db is unnecessary and rude, but so is the car whose trunk is rattling bass like its falling apart. That just doesn't happen often. Rather, you can hear a song for 10-15 seconds at most as you pass a cyclist or they pass you. 200' down the path or road, you cant even hear the music anymore. If that's the worst thing to happen to you on a ride, feel blessed.
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Old 10-06-15, 07:59 AM
  #32  
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My head is a never-ending juke box so that's enough for me. Too much distraction to listen to actual music in my opinion.
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Old 10-06-15, 08:27 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Don't ever travel 1000mi west and ride in Iowa then. So many riders here listen to music, you wouldn't be able to function. MUPs paved in all directions and music playing all over the place.

When I am on roads, even in the suburbs, its difficult to even hear music from my phone's speakers. A Bluetooth speaker works well, but when at stoplights, even that is mostly drowned out even when on the loudest setting.
All that noise isn't coming from me. Noise happens on roads.
I agree that a cannon speaker booming out The Final Countdown at 120db is unnecessary and rude, but so is the car whose trunk is rattling bass like its falling apart. That just doesn't happen often. Rather, you can hear a song for 10-15 seconds at most as you pass a cyclist or they pass you. 200' down the path or road, you cant even hear the music anymore. If that's the worst thing to happen to you on a ride, feel blessed.
Let me add one thing...most of my commuting is on bike paths, which are fairly quiet and serene. If I was on a city street, it would just blend into the other noise, so not as much of an issue. I simply don't want to listen to your music, breathe your smoke, smell your BO or wipe off your spit. Wear headphones (if you must), don't smoke while riding, wear deodorant and look before you spit. These are common courtesies.

Also, signal your turns. I collided with a guy yesterday who suddenly decided to slow down and make a hard left turn onto another bike path. Fortunately neither of us went down, but the guy had headphones on and must not have heard me calling out a pass. Didn't even check before making a sudden course change.
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Old 10-06-15, 08:46 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Leebo
As opposed to what else is there, loud motorcycles, music bass beats thumping from cars, dogs barking, people yaking on their phones. And now motorcycles with loud music. Just chilax, bro.

Nobody is getting worked up, no need to "chillax". Yeah, there are a lot of noises out there. That doesn't mean blasting music from your bike isn't just as rude as doing it from your car. Do what you want, but be aware that many people find it rude and annoying.
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Old 10-06-15, 08:51 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
That's one thing I do miss when bike commuting. It's listening to the radio. There are so many good interviews that I have to shut off when I have to head out. I have a portable speakers that can attach to the handlebar but there's so much static I can't listen no matter how I position the mp3 radio. Once I just switched to music and had Jimmy Hendrix on. Pretty cool.
If you're hearing good interviews on the radio, you must be listening to NPR. Or maybe Jimmy and Barf IN THE MORNING, Q ONE OH SIX POINT FYUVVVVV! (Or maybe not).

Most NPR programs can be podcasted, if you can tolerate the delay. Wait, Wait Don't Tell me is one of my staples. Sometimes I listen to Radiolab. And it's hard to beat Marc Maron for interviews (if you like his comedian/film/music interviewees, and his nsfw language)
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Old 10-06-15, 08:55 AM
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I have strapped a phone/speaker case to my handlebars and use an iPod.
I keep the volume low enough that in noisier sections of the ride, it's barely audible.

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Old 10-06-15, 09:05 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by lostarchitect
Nobody is getting worked up, no need to "chillax". Yeah, there are a lot of noises out there. That doesn't mean blasting music from your bike isn't just as rude as doing it from your car. Do what you want, but be aware that many people find it rude and annoying.
It's just music. Rude and annoying? Not seeing it. Just pedal somewhere else? There is a difference between listening and blasting. Not my cup of tea, but just pedal past. Not anymore annoying than the I Pod zombies I encounter on the MUP everyday. Now, everyone who hears my off key singing loves it. Roxanne anyone?
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Old 10-06-15, 09:23 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by lostarchitect
I... Don't think you know what that means if you think it has any relevance to this conversation.
Oh yes I do. P.C. > Insisting that others go to great lengths so as not to offend...in this case others' ears while riding.

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Old 10-06-15, 09:34 AM
  #39  
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Someone posted a picture of one, but no link

Small bluetooth speakers for bicycles - Buckshot | OutdoorTech

I use this everyday. I dig it. As for annoying other cyclists, I rarely see any other cyclists. This speaker has buttons that allow me to control the music. I can pause my music when around others or at least turn it down.
It also has a mic, so when bluetoothed to my phone, I can take calls (well, sort of). The wind on the mic makes having a conversation kind of impossible, so my reply is usually, "I'm on my bike. Let me stop and call you back."
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Old 10-06-15, 09:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Rich Gibson
Oh yes I do. P.C. > Insisting that others go to great lengths so as not to offend...in this case others' ears while riding.

Rich

Ha. OoooK. What you're describing is actually just encouraging others to use common courtesy. Remember common courtesy? No one is "insisting" anything, and the kind of "offense" being given in this case is not the same type that "PC" refers to.

"Politically correct" has to do with, you know, politics! Particularly racial or cultural politics, and the usage of certain words, some pejorative and some descriptive, which have come to be considered slurs by the specific groups they refer to. For example the term "redskins" is considered a slur by many Native Americans. "People who listen to music on bikes" is not one of these groups or classes.

(Also, FYI, the > symbol means "greater than" not "equals".)
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Old 10-06-15, 11:06 AM
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Originally Posted by lostarchitect
Yeah, I agree. These guys who ride in the middle of nowhere love telling us what we think is wrong. Most of them would be weak in the knees after one city commute.
lol! Agreed
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Old 10-06-15, 11:18 AM
  #42  
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So yesterday, my neighbor had his music blasting. I'd listened to it long enough. Rather than get upset about it, I decided I would get on my bike and go for a long ride down the MUP. What do you know? Just as I cycle about 3 miles to get on the MUP, the guy in front of me has a bluetooth speaker attached to his rear rack. I recognized it immediately, it was a "big jam box." I own one, too. Of course he had his music blasting for everyone to hear. Fortunately, I was on my road bike and was able to get past him and out of hearing distance within a minute or two. Why is it that people believe that everyone wants to hear their music... or whatever it is they are listening to?
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Old 10-06-15, 12:02 PM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
If you're hearing good interviews on the radio, you must be listening to NPR. Or maybe Jimmy and Barf IN THE MORNING, Q ONE OH SIX POINT FYUVVVVV! (Or maybe not).

Most NPR programs can be podcasted, if you can tolerate the delay. Wait, Wait Don't Tell me is one of my staples. Sometimes I listen to Radiolab. And it's hard to beat Marc Maron for interviews (if you like his comedian/film/music interviewees, and his nsfw language)
I'm not listening to the radio because I can't solve the intense static problem I have. I would be listening to CBC Radio One if I could.

But when it becomes rude for others on the MUP to hear, consider all the trouble we already have with walkers not being able to interpret your "OnYourLeft" or your bell. If someone is approaching a pedestrian from behind with a loud radio or music, he or she is going to turn around to look. If he or she has earbuds on it wouldn't make anymore of a difference. It would seem a lot more friendly than yelling.
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Old 10-06-15, 12:56 PM
  #44  
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i don't listen to anything other than the cars and other sounds that are around me. I don't and haven't ever listened to headphones while on the bike. I think playing music out loud is rude. I have seen people walking with music playing really loud. I don't want to hear that junk either.
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Old 10-06-15, 01:19 PM
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If the music is played at a reasonable volume I don't have a big issue with it, I just don't get it; I can't identify the need to have music going all the time.

Not sure why the world around you isn't stimulation enough when you're on a bike. I wonder the same thing when I see guys skiing / snowboarding with music on a beautiful day. Why isn't what you're doing in the place you're doing it enough?

No music for me when I run or bike, but I do listen to music when I swim laps, though, so what do I know

To each their now, as long as we can agree that guys on Harleys with their stereo's blasting are DB's.
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Old 10-06-15, 02:37 PM
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When I ride alone I listen to music on my earphones, but only wear the right one, I can hear traffic pretty well this way. When I'm out with my SO on group rides we use a speaker to play music on a moderate level (it's only for us, anyway). Currently I use one that a coworker lends me strapped to my handlebar and connected via bluetooth to my phone (while I wait for the cheapie speaker I ordered from Aliexpress to arrive lol). Other riders haven't complained, if anything they show interest in what we're listening to. To each their own.
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Old 10-06-15, 02:37 PM
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The OP asked if other cyclists used speakers on their bikes. My reply is that you shouldn’t do this for three reasons:
  1. It is not safe. If I were playing tunes during my daily rides, I would be dead several times over by now. Most recent: last month I was just about to turn left. I was positioned close to the yellow centerline with my arm out to signal a left. Just as I was about to start the turn, a minivan blew by me on the left. That’s right: I was passed on the left on a narrow road with a solid centerline, speed bumps and a blind corner at the bottom. The van was coasting on the downhill. I only hesitated on the turn because I heard some faint rustling to my left.
  2. Unless you are riding in the middle of nowhere, it is rude. So obviously rude that it shouldn’t even be considered.
  3. Finally, the DUI cyclists that do ride with speakers invariably have appalling musical tastes. Not Haydn and Mozart, but some Johnny-six-pack hillbilly caterwauling.
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Old 10-06-15, 03:03 PM
  #48  
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I do and I started a thread on the bluetooth speaker I use back in January. As for bothering other cyclists, I've see probably 2 other commuters on my route since 2009. It's not something I would use mountain biking or around other riders, though.

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...r-commute.html
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Old 10-06-15, 03:35 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by megalowmatt
I do and I started a thread on the bluetooth speaker I use back in January. As for bothering other cyclists, I've see probably 2 other commuters on my route since 2009. It's not something I would use mountain biking or around other riders, though.

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...r-commute.html

Yeah, sounds like it works for you. I never counted the number of riders I see on a typical commute... Certainly more than 50. But I'm riding from Brooklyn to Manhattan, and the roads are busy.
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Old 10-06-15, 04:30 PM
  #50  
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UE boom



Works nice on pedestrian pathways as people don't pay attention to bike bells too much.
Fits in water bottle cage, and plenty loud.

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