a1penguin

I ride on the road with cars and need to pay attention to traffic sounds. Non-gas powered cars scare me.

aubiecat

People, this is "How to Overreact 101."

36Oly_Rider

Bike karaoke...keeps me from crying going up hard hills...

TMonk

no music while riding here

DrIsotope

I ride on the road with cars, and in direct spite of the music coming out of the speaker in front of my bars, I still somehow manage to pay attention to traffic and everything else. Almost as if I'm capable of task-switching or something. I do not fear electrics nor hybrids. The most frightening thing on the road is the smartphone. Because it can instantaneously make a person forget that they're operating a motor vehicle.

Riding with music ≠ distracted riding.

Listening to Pandora also does not indicate that I'm somehow bored when riding. I average 15 hours a week on the bike and I like to listen to music. Here's a novel idea, I could combine the two! Oh, I did!! And I do!!

big chainring 

Sing of course.

We got married in a fever,
Hotter than a pepper sprout,
We've been talking bout Jackson,
Ever since the fire went out,
I'm goin to Jackson,
Gonna mess around,...

Velo Dog

This. I've never understood why anybody would use earbuds or plugs while they ride.

Velo Dog

You keep believing this....

79pmooney

One big difference between riding bikes and driving cars: other road users choose their actions to not hit or be hit by cars. It messes up their day. So, for the most part, oblivious drivers get a pass.

Ben

Machka 

If you've been here since 2009, you should have received that memo.

Machka 

Personally, I like Birdsong.

deapee

I'm not much of a music person. I enjoy some while driving, but when riding my bike, I don't want any distractions...such as fiddling with any controls or cords or anything, I just like to ride. I used to wear earbuds at the gym, but that was mainly so people wouldn't talk to me. Even when I'm on my trainer, I don't have any music going. I've been meaning to catch up on an old podcast I used to listen to, maybe I'll start playing the podcast on my trainer.

905

Because they enjoy it and in their experience it isn't distracting or dangerous. I've never understood why anybody would have a problem with an adult making up his or her own mind, but then, that's why we have never-ending helmet threads, too.

cave12man

Touche

scuzzo

i really like that tune that starts off with the car skeech... and the sound of the bike skidding along the pavement.. and the solo.. of the ambulance.. with Whoo, Whoo, Whoo.. just because some ass hat decides that his ride music is more importtant then his safety or the people around he shares the road with.. but if you want... go head... the odds are aready against us out there as it were... put it all on 13 red...

fietsbob

I brought my Pocket Mandolin with me to Ireland to sit in at pub jams, during my bike tour, (that included Scotland), does that count?

Hiro11

All right, I'll bite. Just because it's "your choice" doesn't prevent other people telling from you it's a bad idea in a public forum like this one. There's (roughly) 6,000 thread on this forum covering this very topic, the OP should not have started another one. Also it's very easy to predict how these threads are going to turn out, they all result in the majority of people here telling the poster that this is a bad idea.

Jasper Storm

If a cyclist is competent and no threat to me, I could care less if they listen to headphones.

I never do on the road strictly for legal reasons. I think of how some motorist's attorney might try paint me to a jury, should it ever come to that.

If I'm doing winter base miles on an MUP, I'll listen to a $20 clip-on MP3 w/ $3 earbuds, but the minute I hit the streets, I put it away in a jersey pocket.

texaspandj

And all that can happen while wearing or not wearing earbuds. As someone posted, common sense should prevail when deciding on anything, but it rarely does. Personally, I only use earbuds when I ride alone on farm to market roads, for me that's 90 percent of the time . The other ten percent is riding with a group or riding Sunday family rides pulling a baby trailer on the mup. However even on the Sunday family rides I play music out of a cylinder shaped speaker I put in one of the water bottle cages.
Frankly I wouldn't enjoy living anywhere it wasn't safe to listen to music on solo rides.
Btw as difficult as it is to say, with no earbuds on and hearing a car behind me is Not gonna stop me from being hit by a car. Where I ride I do not worry about not hearing a car behind me, I worry about someone driving a car and texting.

Dan333SP

I love this song! Have you heard the live acoustic version?

cave12man

Thanks mom.

scuzzo

better question to ask would be.. how many folks who have been hit by a car... still listen to earphones on a bike ride?
or how many folks who have been hit by a car choose not to wear a helmet after that experience..
one you get tagged by a big metal beast... you just dont take that chance and you dont handicap your self with ear plugs..

its too freaking close out there.. and hospitals are no fun..

SpeshulEd 

Sorry guys, but I don't think riding your bike and listening to music is the problem, I think the problem is the fact that it's ingrained into our heads that we can be distracted when we drive and thats ok.

Oblivious drivers DON'T get a pass.
A 4000lb metal cage won't save your life.
And neither will airbags.

Sorry, but that thinking is bull**** and I can't believe people on this forum actually argued in favor of those reasons.

And if you honestly think not listening to earbuds is going to somehow prevent the distracted driver looking at google maps on their phone as they drift into the bike lane behind you at 50mph, or that you'll be able to hear them 20 meters back and be able to move in time, then you're delusional.

I wear earbuds when I ride alone and never once have I not felt safe. I use common sense when I ride and move in traffic as a normal driver would. When I approach a portion of road that might cause me to swerve out into traffic or cause me to do something else unexpected to drivers, I check over my shoulder and observe my surroundings. Never have I once felt endangered in doing so.

texaspandj

Or how many people have been hit by a car while not wearing earbuds and had a helmet on? Yes I meant the car.
Or what's the price of beans in japan?
Oops this was supposed to be a comment after scuz.
Exactly speshuled. We can close the thread now.

scuzzo

i could give i pigs left nut if you felt unsafe or not.. you are a danger to every one around you... its just a stupid practice... but if you choose to wear earpugs in traffic... then by all means... dont wear the helmet or gloves.. just commit fully.. please.. you are delusional to think that you are on the ball enough to know every thing is going on with some crap spewing into your head, while 2000 lbs beast moving at 40 mph or more, with their own distractions.. cell phones, porn what not.. who know the guy might be on meth... and wiith those choads on the road i sure has hell would at least like to hear them coming.. enough to dive in the ditch..

but do the no helmet thing too..
its great to not wear a helmet they and have the music flowing into you while you are launched at hell, 35mph.. into gods cheese grater..