Originally Posted by
RTDub
Back in the day, if a phone call had to be made it could wait until a pay phone was located or I got home. I cannot imagine what kind of business needs to be conducted over the phone while one is on a bike. I carry my phone for an emergency, in which case I dismount and make my call.
I'm not a big fan either of music while on the bike, but at least it has one argument for it - cadence. Anyone who says they are not at least partially distracted while talking on the phone (hands-free) and operating a vehicle of any sort, is in denial.
Care to share reasons why you find it necessary to talk while you ride?
"Back in the day" cell phones didn't exist and you'd find a payphone or wait until you could get to a land line. By your logic you shouldn't even be carrying a cell phone for emergencies.
It's not about need or necessity, it's about convenience. I can talk to my sister or dad who are in another time zone while I commute on relatively quiet roads for an hour. Exercise, transportation, maintaining relationships... all made easy with bikes and technology. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Personally I don't care for music while riding unless I need some motivation while training. But with cell phones and headsets, it's virtually no different than having a conversation with a riding buddy. Obviously not appropriate for high traffic areas, but we try to avoid those on commutes anyway, right?