eofelis 

Your MC cats are only 15lbs? Our MC, Ivan, is 19 lbs, on a starvation diet (so he tells us).

SaiKaiTai

Phone stays in my jersey pocket, mostly as a lifeline. My dog stays home. I really, really love music. I have no problem with wearing ear buds when riding but I do keep it low. Oddly enough, even wearing the earbuds, I find I am still able to see the world around me with no problems to speak of. That said, I am really, really bored with my Shuffle playlist and am too lazy to change it so no music on the road for in quite some time.

Nightshade

It takes so little thought to do dumb and dangerous stuff while riding a bike (or driving a car) that is happens with ease by all to many people.

People just don't get that "piloting" a car or a bicycle can get you hurt or killed so one needs to pay attention to surroundings and course corrections.

stapfam

Locally we have a lad aged about 10 years old and He never heard me approaching. About the 3rd time I came across him from behind he had a Sign on his back.

I Am DEAF
please give me room.

I now treat everyone that does not hear me calling to them as Deaf.

AzTallRider

One of my favorite music groups is "*****ama", from New Orleans, and they have T-shirts that say "Got Bone?". Who'd a thunk that Led Zeppelin on trombone could be so awesome...

Wogster

I am one of the six people left on the planet that does NOT have a cell phone, if I had one, and it rang, it would be easy enough to pull off on the side of the road, and then talk. Same as in the car. I don't have a dog, if I did walking the dog while on a bicycle is cheating I like to hear the traffic around me, I hear a car, take a look in the mirror to see where it is, decide it's not going to bother me, then ignore it. If it's going to compete for road space, I can get out of the way, so no music here...

bigbadwullf

Women(disclaimer: not all, well 99.95%) engaged in any conversation, especially with other women are TOTALLY oblivious to their surroundings and time. It's like they are caught in a time warp.

I would love to see a study done on this. This really intrigues me. Women are very verbal and mentally engaged when in a conversation. I would love(once) to experience what that is like....only once.

John_V 

I only wear them on the MUP and if I see anyone in my rear view mirror, which I check frequently, that is getting close, I always wave them around me to let them know that I see them. I don't wear earbuds off the MUP. I don't listen to music when I am doing my Saturday club rides either as I would rather converse with the other riders during the ride (it's a very casual ride). I do use the magnetic speakers when I do long distance and charity rides. It's like playing a radio in your car at a normal* volume. You can drive and hear the surrounding sounds and yet still hear the radio.


* Definition: Does not cause your eyes to pulsate in and out of their sockets with each beat. Does not cause your teeth to vibrate enough to chip a tooth. Insures that you will not need a hearing aid at age 25.

OldsCOOL

I ride with my Iphone clipped around to the back with the earbuds wire coming up from behind. I love music. If there is a hilly section I'm playing the appropriate pandora station.

I work with juvenile probate and being on call every other week means I'll have to answer the phone now and then during rides.....but from a stopped position on the side of the highway.

berner

This is a very interesting issue because, I've been assured, the human race is very intelligent with the capacity to deal with highly abstract concepts. In other ways we seem to be stupid and unable to deal with the idea of consequences of actions or inactions. On the individual basis this will be, for the most part, merely inconvenient or irritating. On a national level, inability to deal with consequences is merely inconvenient of irritating at best or completely devastating to the national entity. This is why the great powers have failed throughout history. My conclusion is we are basically nuts.

Caveman

I have a cell phone in my jersey pocket if I'm riding alone (turned off). I want to be able to call my wife or a buddy if I have a mechanical I can't fix roadside. I have no desire to respond to any call/text/message while I'm riding. Nothing is that important. If I'm expecting an important call I don't go riding until that business is dealt with. I leave my phone at home when I ride with others.

I do wear earbuds, both ears if I'm riding alone, one ear if I'm riding with a friend. I keep the volume low enough that I can carry on a conversation with one in and I can still hear traffic with buds in both ears. I don't ride with earbuds on group rides. It's bad form, possibly against the group rules and somewhat rude IMO.

Just because some of you can't hear or multitask while riding doesn't mean the rest of us can't safely ride and listen to some music. You ride your bike (safely) and I'll ride mine (also safely).

oldster

other day ran across female rider with an iphone or some such thing on the bars riding along typing on the keyboard...............jeeze!!!
Bud

stonefree

So the great powers have failed throughout history because of ear buds? Or cellphones, which is it? Just kidding. I'm basically nuts myself, so I should know.

larwyn

I turned my phone off a few years ago, soon after I retired, never plan to have another. I will never understand why anyone would actually want a divice with them which can interrupt them wherever they are, whatever they are doing, at the drop of a hat. Could have something to do with the fact that I was on call 24/7 for 25 years or so.

Ear buds are another thing. I see them as closely related to a blindfold, maybe even worse. Hearing is second only to sight when it comes to detecting/surviving the threats that life sends your way. I refuse to block either whether biking, driving or walking.

A dog which enjoys towing a bike by his leash is great. Someone who wishes his dog enjoyed towing a bike by his leash will soon have that notion bled out of him. I believe that one, in fact, maybe all of them are self regulating in the end.

BluesDawg

No music device on the bikes. I have plenty of music in my head that I can hear whenever I want. Riding with ear buds, headphones or even speakers strikes me as very dangerous and frankly, irresponsible.

zonatandem

Multitasking!
Bicyclists are not the only guilty ones . . .
Observed drivers on phone/texting/smoking/eating/drinking/fiddling with music/reading map/ applying make-up, even one guy shaving! Dogs on their lap and looking and leaning back correcting the kids!
No solution; just be careful out there!

Seve

Signs of the times . . . People on Bicycles with: dogs on leashes, cell phones. ear buds .?

Yes ..... !
The dogs don't like btw.

rickstermax

I use my ipod and earbuds. I keep the volume low and I constantly look over my shoulder before making a move around a parked car or whatever.

billydonn

This, according to the advertising, enriches their lives.

NOS88

I've offered this in other threads some time ago, but will revisit it again. I think one of the things western civilization has lost is an appreciation for solitude. Perhaps, Elise Boulding, a significant Quaker writer, has put it best:

"Solitude is the most beautiful condition of the human spirit. I understand now what St. Augustine really meant when he said, “Every time I go out among men I return less a man.” He was trying to say that in solitude he understood humanness, but easily lost track of it when confronted with his fellow specimens of humanity."

A great deal of my cycling life is aimed at riding to achieve a space for solitude. I can't do this if I ride with others, have ear buds in listening to music, talk shows, or audio books, or ride as competition. I find that when I'm successful I remember what it means to be human outside of my singular view of self. Hence, I tend to pick routes that afford me the best opportunity to reach that state of contemplation which always enriches me (sometimes I'm more lucky with this than others). As I said, I think western civilization has lost an understanding of the value of solitude and many find it difficult to quiet themselves to be open for such contemplation.

miss kenton

+1 You took the words right out of my keyboard.

OldsCOOL

Yes, it can be done. Thank you.

And you have survived the extreme caution of near death riding experiences

When I ride in our small town it is only for fun or for getting out on the open highway. When wearing the buds and cranking my favorite Pandora du Jour I'm like you say, looking behind me. I'm already to the extreme right edge as close as I dare and never ride to the left of the fog line.

On the occasional bike path rides I will ride to the right at all times and when opposing traffic approaches I'll take a peek behind me to be sure some racer wannabe (shoot, that's me) isn't charging hard at 20+mph up my tail. Other than that, no probs whatsoever.

cyanemi

There was a commercial for a klondike bar and the husband had to listen to his wife -really listen for 5 seconds to get one. He almost imploded.

Garilia

I love my music. I have over 21,000 songs on my iPod, and I am wearing ear buds as I type although I am not listening to music, I am reducing noise from the rest of the house. My iPod and earbuds/headphones (I have several different styles) all stay home when I am riding. As has been noted on here, I find the majority of earbud wearing riders, walkers, and joggers to be at best mildly oblivious, and at worst distracted to the point of being dangerous. I know in most states it's illegal for drivers to wear earbuds/earphones while driving a car, and bikes ARE considered vehicles.

My cell phone is ALWAYS on silent/vibrate. It comes with me in a little pouch (along with my driver's license, my debit card, and a few dollars) in cases of emergency.

I don't want my dog with me on any of these rides. Around my neighborhood, I've started to see people riding around "walking" their dogs on Segways and motorized skateboards. I have also seen a woman riding a motorized bicycle around the neighborhood. I don't get any of that. I'm not sure what the point is of any of it, other than to assist you in being lazier when you could be getting a bit of exercise.

OldsCOOL

This is CLASSIC