Headphones & Cycling?
02-17-17, 03:32 AM
#226
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I use a pair of Jaybird headphones. They fit in front of the ear so you still have your preferential hearing and can hear vehicles and voices around you. The music just ends up being backround noise.
02-17-17, 05:02 AM
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Personally, I'd recommend not to do it. As tempting as it is - and I have been tempted several times - it does take away one of your senses, and one which is absolutely vital to ensure that you have full awareness of what's going on around you. So, my advice would be to save the headphones for the gym 
02-17-17, 09:01 PM
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Has anyone ever heard of a cyclist wearing earbuds/headphone being struck by a car? Of all the car cyclist accidents I have read about there was never a mention of it. I wear a stereo to mono ear bud in my right ear. I can still hear traffic behind me but I have no idea if their headlight is lined up with my seat or if it is 2 feet away.
02-18-17, 12:52 AM
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One of the primary reasons I prefer bicycles, and motorcycles over other forms of transportation is specifically because I feel immersed in my environment, and headphones diminish that experience, might as well be in a car.
02-18-17, 10:41 AM
#231
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I use a pair of Jaybird headphones. They fit in front of the ear so you still have your preferential hearing and can hear vehicles and voices around you. The music just ends up being backround noise.
03-01-17, 07:07 PM
#233
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The headphones that totally contain the ear canal can be a hazard. Mine, OTOH, do not, so traffic noise comes through clearly.
03-01-17, 07:13 PM
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Music can take you out of your head, or it can help you concentrate. It isn't automatically distracting. (The example I have used in the past is a surgeon listening to music while operating. Not being in the medical field, I don't know if brain surgery while listening to, say, Def Leppard, is grounds for malpractice.) Surely any cyclist who wants to stay alive is going to be able to turn that switch in his or her head to the right setting: Pay attention, this is important. So I reject the notion that it's likely to be distracting.
A better argument, in theory, is that you won't be able to hear important sounds. In practice, there are few occasions when the ability to hear a car seems to make a difference to my safety. I live in England, which has a lot of narrow twisty country roads with hedges and therefore blind bends. It's a simple procedure to remove earbuds when prudent. When cycling in the city, there is virtually no reason to have to listen to traffic in all its glory.
Music keeps me in a good mood when dealing with all that London streets can throw at a cyclist. It mutes verbal assaults. It helps me focus. (I don't know why, it just does.) It's pleasurable. I have a sneaking suspicion that what really annoys some people is that other people are having a good time.
A better argument, in theory, is that you won't be able to hear important sounds. In practice, there are few occasions when the ability to hear a car seems to make a difference to my safety. I live in England, which has a lot of narrow twisty country roads with hedges and therefore blind bends. It's a simple procedure to remove earbuds when prudent. When cycling in the city, there is virtually no reason to have to listen to traffic in all its glory.
Music keeps me in a good mood when dealing with all that London streets can throw at a cyclist. It mutes verbal assaults. It helps me focus. (I don't know why, it just does.) It's pleasurable. I have a sneaking suspicion that what really annoys some people is that other people are having a good time.
03-01-17, 07:17 PM
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As opposed to the driver booming a subwoofer audible a half-mile away, or getting a rolling hummer? The first happens HOURLY where I live.
03-01-17, 08:29 PM
#236
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I doubt that he is listening anymore.
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03-01-17, 08:45 PM
#238
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I describe it as a right and left brain issue. The left hemisphere of my brain (math/analytical side) is kept busy while cycling by analyzing vectors of motorist, pedestrians and other cyclist to avoid collisions. The right hemisphere of my brain (art/music side) gets bored without the music during road/commute cycling (or woodland sights while mountain biking).
When the right hemisphere of my brain gets bored, it starts bugging the left hemisphere of my brain to do something else and interferes with vector analyze needed for safe cycling. Thus, I listen to music while road/commute cycling to keep the right hemisphere of my brain busy.
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03-01-17, 09:47 PM
#239
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True. For those of us with restless intellect, a little distraction helps focus. For example, I can't go to sleep in a silent room. Tunes on the commute shift things into place so I can read drivers (too often, I know what they're doing before they do....)
You're the only other person in BFs besides myself that has noted this (as far as I have read).
I describe it as a right and left brain issue. The left hemisphere of my brain (math/analytical side) is kept busywhile cycling by analyzing vectors of motorist, pedestrians and other cyclistto avoid collisions. The right hemisphere of my brain (art/music side) getsbored without the music during road/commute cycling (or woodland sights whilemountain biking).
When the right hemisphere of my brain gets bored, it starts bugging the lefthemisphere of my brain to do something else and interferes with vector analyzeneeded for safe cycling. Thus, I listen to music while road/commute cycling tok eep the right hemisphere of my brain busy.
I describe it as a right and left brain issue. The left hemisphere of my brain (math/analytical side) is kept busywhile cycling by analyzing vectors of motorist, pedestrians and other cyclistto avoid collisions. The right hemisphere of my brain (art/music side) getsbored without the music during road/commute cycling (or woodland sights whilemountain biking).
When the right hemisphere of my brain gets bored, it starts bugging the lefthemisphere of my brain to do something else and interferes with vector analyzeneeded for safe cycling. Thus, I listen to music while road/commute cycling tok eep the right hemisphere of my brain busy.
Personally, I do find cycling time a good time to think, often about work-related items (on my commute)…all while listening to radio talk shows. Just this morning I posted,"Even on my mentally challenging and stimulating job, I listen to talk shows, and without, the silence is deafening".
I can not imagine having earbuds in my ears when riding around Boston in spring when the college kids are moving in.
(Kind of like popping some dark shades on on an overcast day). The one place where your senses have to be most acute and un-hindered is in the city....and in defense of the city, I like soaking in the ambience of the city and all it has to offer.
(Kind of like popping some dark shades on on an overcast day). The one place where your senses have to be most acute and un-hindered is in the city....and in defense of the city, I like soaking in the ambience of the city and all it has to offer.
One peculiarity of my sleep environment is that I like a little background light on and a talk show on the radio. If it's too dark and quiet, the darkness is blinding and the silence is deafening. I like to rise early, about 4:00 AM, so these are clues to get me up….
but the station must be of my choosing (no sports, financial, or gardening shows; TV infomercials, news, and documentary programs are acceptable alternatives for focused concentration, or sleep too).
but the station must be of my choosing (no sports, financial, or gardening shows; TV infomercials, news, and documentary programs are acceptable alternatives for focused concentration, or sleep too).
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-02-17 at 06:56 AM.
