Pamestique 

I like to mountain bike. I like to listen to nature; hear the birds, wind rustling through the grass, animal noises, whatever. Within the last 5 years, here in So Cal, there has been a large number of people who have gotten into biking (I am sure Commando you know who I mean)... most have had no prior experience (like alot of riders, I started out on the road many years ago). They lack any comprehensive of trail etiquette including knowing who has the right of way, how not to tear up trails, etc.

That said, I have noticed more and more, these riders coming out with a boom box on their box blasting music for all to hear... what's up with that? "NO I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO MUSIC - especially not yours!" Please riders, if you require the distraction, please use ear buds - please! Don't harsh my mellow...

daihard 

Exactly my sentiment. I don't do mountain biking, but whenever I ride on the trail, I enjoy the nature around me. The breeze, the smell of the glass, the clear blue sky, and what not. I do like music, but when I'm out riding, there's no place for it.

TrojanHorse

Good to know, thanks.

Rootman

Another thought that I had, besides my hearing difficulty I find that modern cars are often so quiet that I don't hear them sneak up on me, especially hybrid ones. I don't need to have my safety further compromised by having ear buds and music too.

Jan Feetz

+1!
People who wear earbuds while they ride a bike, are similar to people who text or talk on the phone while driving an automobile: Distracted, not paying attention and dangerous.

Lesper4

I only wear them when I am running, typically in the evenings or on a stationary device. On the bike I would much rather enjoy my surroundings. same goes for hiking, I cant stand it when people bring portable speakers. I am trying to get away from all that.

SKV11000

I'm fully against earbuds, always have been. I've had way too many close calls where someone didn't hear me call "ON YOUR LEFT" and swerved into me in surprise as I passed.

subwoofer

Not to go off topic, but that example has nothing to do with being able to hear, but simply riding too fast to be safe.

In advanced driving/motorcycling, there is a rule or driving/riding plan:

What can I see?
What can't I see?
What may be reasonably expected to happen?

And considering these points, you must at all times be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear (or half the distance on single track).

The world out there is not a race track and if you ride as if it is you will come-a-cropper.

I apply these principles to all forms of transport and they serve me well.


This of course doesn't change my view that you should not listen to music with earphones while riding.

Rollfast

That's why I have a vintage Pioneer car stereo to install. I'm not riding a nature trail anyway and can use the weather reports around these parts anyway.

I think we've come a long way from Dire Straits "Skateaway" anyhow. I remember too well all the little cars with '800 watt' subwoofers rattling them into piles of junk driven by seemingly deaf people and how I wish I had become an ear doctor...I'd be rich now. I'm not out to shatter windows, just like some good background and I know my eyes and ears have to keep focused too. I haven't had a small radio or booxbox on the bike in a while though...boxes get vibrated to death.

Rollfast

A lot of drivers I encounter here have to be waved at (or hollered at) before I'm acknowledged here so as long as I move at a constant clip and keep it down I've rarely if ever had much criticism and it goes off when I stop at a destination or to talk.

calamarichris

I must respectfully disagree with your comparison, Jan. Ear buds are indeed irresponsible, but not nearly as distracting as texting & talking on the phone. I just saw a dumb driver nearly kill herself and another person in front of my office a few minutes ago.

Chaco

No question about that -- apples and oranges, especially when you compare texting and/or dialing a phone to listening to music.
I've always wondered what the real safety argument against earbuds was (and like I wrote above, I don't use them while riding), and I have to say, the only one that makes sense to me is that you can't hear verbal warnings from other cyclists. That's why I would never wear them on a MUP or in a group ride. But on a country road when riding alone? I just don't see the problem. After all, if the car behind you is going to hit you, you can't tell from the sound they make. The biggest problems I've had with cyclists wearing earbuds is not from people who are riding expensive bikes in kits, who keep their line, but rather from people on cruisers and hybrids who wander all over the road.

Pamestique 

And I can say the people i have problems with normally are those with the kits and expensive bikes... but doesn't matter as all types use MUPs....

Again the point is they are illegal even if you use one bud and keep the music low. Music or talking on a phone or listening to something other than car and ambient sounds can be dangerous. I know myself how distracting music can be... I know as well, listening to ambient sounds has saved my butt more than once... example: riding out on a quiet farm road during a weekday two months ago... I was sortof "zening" out listening to the tires roll and watching my line and I heard "rrrr -rrrrr- rrrr- RRR- RRR - RRR- RRR..." I looked and coming up beside me with a tractor pulling a discer... I pulled over and watched the discer weave in and out of the bike lane... it could have easily struck me. Had I been listening to music I most likely would not have noticed until it was too late.

daihard 

Ah, so it's those recreational riders' fault again. I ride a hybrid and don't wander all over the road, but I must be an exception...

Chaco

Sorry, no offense meant. I was simply pointing out what I've experienced. I didn't say every hybrid or cruiser rider was a problem. But when it comes to maintaining a line and not salmoning, I have never once in 8 years seen that from someone on a road bike in a kit. I have seen lots of other stupid things from people who fit that description, so I'm not saying they're perfect by any means. And I hasten to point out that's just my experience in north county san diego. It's probably different elsewhere.

daihard 

Thanks for the clarification. I admit I've probably overreacted on my side. It just saddens me that just because I ride a hybrid bike (which I absolutely love, by the way), some fellow riders seem to look down on me. Good to know you're not one of them.

I'm sure there are a lot of hybrid cyclists who behave stupidly. On the other hand, I do frequently witness race riders in full kit riding in two lines and taking up more than half the width of the trail. Given how terrible the Seattle drivers are, this difference between your experience and mine may not be surprising at all...

Jan Feetz

Calamari!, Hoe gaat het Jonge?
Just as dangerous because of personal experience. Recently I was forced into traffic on PCH by a rider wearing ear buds who did not hear my "on your left" call out. I called out three times, slowed down and startled her out of her zombie-like trance. When she took her hand off the bars to remove the ear bud, she nearly ran into me and said: "Pardon Me?"........what a dombo!

Pamestique 

Taking this thread alittle off line... I ride different bikes. I have a nice road bike, several mountain bikes and a commuter. I like my commuter bike - I call it "Frankenweenie" as its made up of alot of old tossed off parts. But for some reason its the most comfortable bike I own and it can actually roll fairly fast... so sometimes, for kicks, I take that bike out on rides. Now when I am on the nice road bike, I never get these comments but when riding Frankenweenie I get those condescending words of encouragement... it's the same hills I do on the nice bike, and about in the same fashion (gearing is different) but now I get "keep going...almost there!" "You doing good... not long now!" "Almost at the top!"... It's interesting how people just assume if not riding some fancy carbon bike the rider is a newbie and inexperienced. What gets me more is that I am riding with a friend who has a nice fancy carbon bike but is just starting out (which is why I use Frankenweenie - she is alittle slow right now) and she struggles up the hills but does not get the encouragement...

I guess I am being alittle too sensitive about this...

daihard 

Ik ben het met u!

I encountered a rider just like that on my commute home yesterday. She was going slow in the middle of the bike lane, with ear buds stuck in her ears. I called "On your left" out loud twice. She moved slightly to the right, so assuming she heard me, I started to overtake her on the left. Then all of a sudden, she swerved to the left. I got almost sandwiched between her and the curb (this bike lane is on the left side of the road, and to its left is a median strip separated by a concrete block).

Glad I had enough power left to accelerate and get myself out of there in time...

Null66

I make enough mistakes on my own.

I tried riding with earbuds, I missed hearing the cars coming up on me from behind.

Was considering earbuds during part of Saturdays century, but then only on the Neuse River trail and in the out land before most people awake. But we do get a number of people (and groups) pretending the trail is their own closed course dedicated to their personal training.

After reading this thread so far, Probably won't "tune out" on Saturday.

bhop

Earbuds are only unsafe if they're too loud. If anyone has used apple earbuds, they'd know that you can still hear almost everything around you when they're at a reasonable level. I can hear every car behind me that's not a hybrid. I can hear my chain when I pedal, but I can still hear some music.

I recently put a bluetooth speaker in my backpack to test it out on a commute to work and honestly, I heard less of my surroundings than I normally do with my earpods in.

.. but yeah, they're still illegal. I usually take one side out if I see cops.

calamarichris

Het gaat zeer goed opa, en ik hoop mooielijk met jij ook wel.
I'da Cinzano'ed her, or at least given her the polite hip tap. I have no compunction about putting my hands on people intent on playing oblivious-rollerball.

Chaco

Wow, we out-A&S'd A&S!

Jan Feetz

Great thought! But I only carry CO2 now. Besides whats the use of ruining a perfectly good Silca? Tot seens!

calamarichris

Not quite yet...


"Cars suk. Cars are evil. People who drive cars suck and are evil. Yay-bicycles. Bicycles are pure & good. lol Yay-bicyclists, cuz they pure & good, and thei should take up the entire lane. NE1 who doesn't take up the entire lane also sucks and is evil."

There, now we're at least on par with A&S