Originally Posted by
tgenec86
Boy has this thread gone the distance. I've tried riding with earbuds before, but I just can't do it. Riding for me is a total experience where I'm feeling the road, the effort, the scenery, the sounds around me. I love music to an extreme degree, but when I ride - I'm completely focused on the bike and just don't need the extra input. Phone calls on the bike? I think not. I'll call back at a stop sign or store stop or it can wait until I get home. I've been asked "but what if it's an emergency and (insert relation here) is hurt or your burglar alarm is going off" and my answer is that 20 miles from home I still can't do a d**m thing about it and have to trust that the professionals can deal with it until I get back. I'll check the phone to see who called and will pause to check a voicemail if it's practical to do so, then decide what to do about it, if anything.
This ^^^^. Plus, I actually do enjoy the sights and sounds and (sometimes) smells of my rides. It adds to the experience for me. More of a bike ride and less of a video game, to me. It's why Zwift is just not for me. I'd way rather ride in the rain than be hammering on a trainer in my garage, pretending I am in Mallorca (love Mallorca, BTW). I like riding bicycles with both wheels. Not bashing Zwift, either, as I think they are doing a service to cyclists.