Wireless earbuds while riding?
I promised myself that I wasn’t going to reply to this perennial popcorn thread, but these two paragraphs by @velopig had some unique comments that I have posted about previously:
Originally Posted by
one4smoke
In my humble opinion, a cyclist needs all his senses to be at 100% while riding. If there’s anything preventing that, even ever so slightly ...you’re really not doing all you can to be the safest possible.
Originally Posted by
velopig
I assume you have two mirrors one for each side. Varia radar to give early warning. Flashing headlight and taillight. Wear a reflective vest and a fluorescent jersey and socks. Etc...
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I use both left and right rearview mirrors, in my case Take-a-Look eyeglass mounted ones. I got the idea from a cycling companion who used only a right hand mirror. The additional right hand mirror affords a pretty good rearward view, but is particularly useful:
Reasons #1...#7...
My main argument for a mirror, particularly in the urban environment is summarized by Jim’s Law of the Road: “No matter how well paved or lightly-traveled the Road, a vehicle is likely to pass you on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right.”
One other situation where hearing is ineffective, even on rural roads, occurs when being passed by one car, and I'm never sure that another one is following the first. No problem with a mirror…
Especially in Winter with my ears completely covered.
Originally Posted by
velopig
…I am still at a loss on how earbuds which let sound through or in the case of iPod Pro transparency mode actually amplify external sounds changes my risk on the roads even minimally.
I guess one could get so carried away listening to the Macarena and break out into spontaneous dance moves thus causing an accident or getting mowed over from a car.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
"
What do you do to avoid bike boredom?"
...So the OP requests suggestions for avoiding boredom,yet @robnol disparages (with double negatives) the suggestion by @I-Like-To-Bike, of a common modality used by many on BF, risking morphing this thread into another wearsiome popcorn thread...
Admittedly in my recommendations about boredom on a bike I don’t suggest listening to audio devices, for fear a gum-chewing impaired cyclist might follow my endorsement.
Nonetheless, I have previously posted, not as a recommendation but a justification:
Originally Posted by
BobbyG
I also listen to spoken word podcasts at a low volume in my curbside ear. I can hear traffic fine. On the rides I don't listen, or if I don't like the podcast and pull the earbud out I don't feel I gain any extra situational awareness.
My guess would be that picking one horn out of the Manhattan cacophony of horns, and echoes off the buildings, would be daunting in and of its self.
Whats more, I feel that when listening to spoken word podcasts in my curbside ear at a low volume, I can hear traffic better than when I'm in my car with the windows up with no music or podcasts.
However, it's been my experience that when a music clip is played, even in one ear, I start to loose my situational awareness. I think it has something to do with the way the human brain works....
Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
...
I feel safer wearing headphones than not, because my brain sometimes it can rely on my hearing to hear cars behind me, when the only thing that's actually affective is to actually look.
Wearing headphones makes my brain realize that I'd better look - which is far far safer than hoping a car passing me is making enough noise to hear it.
You can't rely on your ears for knowing what's behind you, you have to look.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Well said, @
PaulRivers.
I agree that a controllable external auditory source can help to focus on the task at hand, rather than distract.
For myself, I work at preparing reports depending on careful detailed analyses, and I always have a talk show on.
It definitely focuses me, even though I don't pay much attention; it's more a background awareness.
It seems to fill in my mind in addition to the current purposeful activity so my concentration has no other place to wander.
In fact, if there is no ambient “distraction,” the silence is deafening (and I don't have to worry about a car plowing into my desk).
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 11-30-19 at 05:36 AM.