For the last twenty-five years I have carried the Sony ICF-SW100 AM, FM and Shortwave radio. It is very small yet powerful and only weighs 8 ounces.
I have never acquired the habit of listening while riding. I prefer to hear what is going on around me. The radio keeps me in touch with events in country while traveling. I have been alerted to coups in progress that helped me alter my routing at times for safety reasons.