Originally Posted by
NOS88
A little of both. I've found, however, that if there is serious stuff lurking in the background, counting is not a distraction that will keep it there long. I've always kind of thought that most people did some version of this. My wife for example read highway signs, billboards, etc. When we're traveling. Then she'll comment on one of them and I have no idea what she's talking about. A speech pathologist I ride with occassionally, counts the number of times people say, "umm" or "and ah".
It sounds like counting is your brain's neutral position. Music is just more common but math and music are similar, so it makes sense. I think the brain just constantly is looking for a task, and when the mechanics of riding (or driving) become routine, the brain wanders in search of stimulation to keep the neurons firing.