megalowmatt

I started using my phone to listen to music on the commute several months ago but found the little speaker on the phone just wasn't cutting it on volume. I found an inexpensive, round Bluetooth speaker on Amazon and this thing works great. I started with it in my pannier but it tended to muffle the volume then I eventually tried an old water bottle as a container - just cut the top off, drop the speaker in, slide the top in the bottle and away I go. Sounds good and the battery lasts for a while.

thrllskr

Yes, I use a bluetooth speaker on my daily commute. I would never do the earbud zombie on a commute but, speaker, yes. I ignore the dirty looks I get and when I think about it...I sometime cannot hear my speaker because of road noise from cars. Makes the 5 am commute in the dark a little more fun. I like the water bottle idea.

megalowmatt

I didn't want to do the headphone thing either. This speaker is incredibly loud and having it in the bottle the way I do even helps the projection.

bmthom.gis

I have bluetooth earbuds. I keep the right side in, and danglethe left side inside my jersey. Haven't had a problem with not being able to hear oncoming traffic.

GuyDebord

I sometimes use this one, it works fantastically well: UE BOOM: 360° Sound Wireless Speaker | Ultimate Ears

Papa Tom

I use a wired speaker I bought from a Korean seller on eBay. Operates on two AA batteries and puts out a ton of volume, although I never run it louder than the road noise around me.

I would like to find a "kit" that includes two Bluetooth speakers that can receive from one transmitter at the same time. One of the speakers would go on my wife's bike, so the signal would have to throw about 30-40 feet to allow for the distance she constantly lags behind me.

Expect to get a typhoon's-worth of comments about how you shouldn't be listening to music on your bike. I've been doing it, using one gadget or another, for at least ten years and the volume of the music has never even remotely led to any type of near miss or collision during my commute, on tour, etc. The trick is to keep the volume under control.

megalowmatt

I figure I'm going to get the comments but personally I don't believe it adds any additional distraction to my riding. Wish I would have thought of it years ago.

Mr. Hairy Legs

I've often thought about cranking Slayer or something similar as I ride... strictly for the looks.

BikeLite

Please share amazon link to round speaker you chose?

TenSpeedV2

Since I use a messenger bag, I put a Timbuk2 phone pouch on there, and just use the speaker of the phone. The pouch sort of acts like an amplifier for the speaker. I don't need to have it loud since it is right in the upper chest area. Makes hearing the music much easier, even in traffic. Found that I had to lower the volume in fact because of the distance to my ear.

I do like the water bottle idea though, and might do something like that if I could (no mounts on my bike for one).

hardboiled718

At first I saw the title of this thread and thought you were on the phone while riding, phew.
That is a nice idea. I usually ride with out music or use headphones but leave one out so I can still listen to traffic.

BobbyG

Very clever! What is battery life like? BTW, back in the 1989 I bought a Mustang and wanted lots of bass, but I didn't have money to spend on a mega system, so improvising on something I read in a magazine (remember those?) I bought a double coil bass speaker from Radio Shack (remember them?) and screwed it to the underside of the driver's seat frame. I could feel the bass from my cassettes (remember those?) and yet the overall volume was down and I wasn't blasting the neighborhood with sound. I wonder if a small bluetooth bass booster could be clamped to the seat rails, the underside of the seat or some sort of flat transducer could be sat on to give you full and focused bass. I myself use one earbud (curbside) and spoken word only podcast (especially the Nerdist and WTF and some NPR).

exarkuhn15

That's my approach, too. I can always hear traffic noise. I liken it to riding alongside a buddy, because it's just like someone is talking next to me on the right, but my left is free to hear surroundings. I also don't keep the volume that loud, which helps.

megalowmatt

Here it is:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think the manual says 6-7 hours and I would say that's about right. My commute is ~25 minutes each way and I would guess the speaker is on around an hour each day. I commute 2-3 days a week and I've charged it once every week to week and a half.

And yes I remember Radio Shack. Every time I think of them or see a store I'm reminded of this Onion article...

https://www.theonion.com/articles/eve...ill-in-b,2190/

natemeister

I use to use the UE boom, and still do on occasion, but have upgraded to a Jaybird bluetooth headset. Only stick one ear bud in my right ear, but makes the commute bearable.
Just didn't like the added weight of adding the UE boom, but its cool when riding with a friend and we take turns streaming music to it

KenshiBiker

+1.

I do the same. I even do it with corded earbuds sometimes (depending on the battery state of my BT earbuds and duration of the ride).

noisebeam

I've use this for all my solo rides. Fits perfectly in bottle holder.

keyven

I bought a bluetooth X-Mini WE and it's great for putting into my bag's netting - tiny, loud and clear, but more importantly the color matches my bike. I then use my Pebble watch to change songs and volume James Bond-style.

bconneraz

no speaker for me; I also run one earbud in my right ear.

megalowmatt

I saw this when I was looking for mine. Looks great but it was too expensive.

megalowmatt

That's really cool and I like how it can clip on to things.

spudman1

When riding solo I sometimes use a speaker I found that was made for cycling. It's called the buckshot and I'm sorry I don't have a picture, but it includes a band for attaching to the handlebars. You can point it right at your head and it it also a speakerphone and water resistant. The only downside I've found is that it doesn't have the best bluetooth reception so I have to be picky about placement. It doesn't have the sound of the UE speaker above, but it's fine for bike travel and a LOT smaller.

noisebeam

Yeah, it is pricey, but it put out loud and good quality sound (relative to size) and lasts 6hr+ on one charge and can charge other device using USB. Took it on a 330mile tour and kept my phone charged.
Prior I went thru two $20 speakers which both died after 12 & 9 months.

keyven

I'm surprised not more people have heard of it but the sound quality - and more importantly, the bass - is solid (for a tiny speaker).

The brand sprung from military technology when they were testing sound dampening effects and discovered a way to deliver bass by using a vacuum.

Nowadays that technology is quite common but almost a decade ago when I bought the first iteration, it was mind-blowing.

noisebeam

no one is getting any audible bass from a handheld full range speaker in open air. at best frequencies >150hz, which may give the impression of bass.