Originally Posted by kf5nd
You need to be able to hear very subtle sounds... car wind noise, car engine revs (especially as they slow down, getting ready to right-hook you), car tires running off of the road onto a gravelly shoulder.
No earphones of any kind, please !!!
False. I ride with one earpiece all the time. I have ACTUALLY TESTED and I can hear vehicles approaching as far back with the headphone as without. In both cases I can hear the car at least 20 seconds before it reaches me when at speed.
Have you actually tested, or are you just assuming?
Besides, a good mirror is way more useful than hearing anyway. As someone here recently said, a car getting ready to pass you sounds exactly like a car getting ready to hit you.