mechanicalron

I use my ears way to much for earphones so they are not for me but you can eat whatever you like

imi

^^ this, and sometimes I feel so happy riding my bike that I start singing

d2create

Currently I run the wire of the green headphones i posted at the bottom of page 1 in this thread down the inside of my shirt, out the bottom and into my right pocket of my mtn bike shorts. Inside the pocket is my first gen ipod shuffle. It's easy for me to find the control buttons through the material of the shorts so i can control back and forth song selection or turn the music on or off all without taking my eyes off the road.

And if I want a change of music I have my iPhone in the rear facing pocket of my handlebar bag so it's easy to grab while riding. So that's another option.

The one from fat cyclist posted at the top of this page looks annoying.
First the ipod on me would be drenched in sweat, that's not good. They are not waterproof.
Second, my head is shaved like the guy in the pics, so that would leave a really weird tan line!

aoeuhtnsi

I would say that you should really consider the conditions you ride in, and whether or not it will be affected by plugging in.

I'm a daily commuter in NYC. The route i take is pretty efficient, but has few bike lanes. At one point, i rode with earphones for a couple of months and decided that i didn't like it. I DO hear cars coming (particularly when it rains), and it helps when i'm crossing small streets to know whether or not i can go directly through a light. Riding in the city is never boring, music or not. I feel good about being more aware when i'm riding, because let's face it, neither cars or pedestrians are looking out for cyclists. I like to let other cyclists know I'm listening and aware of them and know that they are aware of me as well.

LesMcLuffAlot

No music on my rides thanks. If you can't ride without music perhaps a spinning studio is more to your liking and safer.

porq

I've been using these for two years now and they're great: slipstreamz. You can hear cars, have conversations and still have music/radio/audio books on because it's ambient noise and not in your ear.

They also help reduce some wind noise.

aley

Without headphones, you can only hear a car 1/5 of a second before it passes you? You should really consult an audiologist - there are so many amazing treatments for this sort of hearing loss these days, and it's a shame to go through life not being able to hear.

For comparison, I get a good 5 seconds or so of hearing tire noise, and if it's a JAM revving his engine or some such, I can hear them farther back than that. It's quite useful, for instance, to know that I should check my lane position and hold my line carefully even if I haven't done a visual check. It tends to be my cue to look and verify what's behind me.

rumrunn6

right earbud only and keep the volume low enough so you can talk to someone

Jarery

Wow, you peddle so slow you can hear cars 5 seconds prior to their passing you ? You really should consult a personal trainer. There are so many amazing treatments for this sort of strength loss these days, and it's a shame to go through life not being able ride at 25 mph.

d2create

Ok, it's a stupid argument to begin with but FYI, you just dug yourself deeper.
If he is hearing the car that much longer than you, it means he must be going quite a bit faster than you. The faster he's going (as long as the car is going faster than him) the longer the car will be within earshot.

Jarery

Do you ride a bike? Your hearing is directly proportional to your speed due to wind noise. Nice try buckwheat, thanks for playing, please drive through.

d2create

Head turned slightly, no wind noise. Tail wind, no wind noise. Prius, very little noise. Semi truck, lots of noise... way too many variables to base your argument on that.
And with the same wind, I have noticed no difference in wind noise and ability to hear cars when going 15mph or going 25mph.

Your argument still is a fail. It was a good try though.

And for the record, i'm with you on not so much you can do about cars coming up behind you.
But getting your panties in a bunch and trying to insult me is not getting you anywhere either.

Tex_Arcana

Sigh!

About every 2 or 3 months a new "music/riding" thread. Every 2 or 3 months the same responses. What are you learning from this that you couldn't learn from all the past similar threads?

John Hunt

Creative Research IEM's. As far as the question of safety, I've always wondered what the difference is in sound between a car that's going to pass you and one that is about to hit you.

JinbaIttai

Standard iPod earbuds are fine.

It's hard to hear music over wind noise at speed.

Not sure how drivers do it with their music on and the windows up. They must be so deaf to their surroundings. I wonder why there are so few car-to-bike accidents. Or maybe so many. . .

JinbaIttai

I'm glad I've never heard it yet. I suppose maybe some unfortunate day in the future if I had my iPod off when it happened, I could brag from the hospital that I knew what it sounded like.

Mondoman

Pretty sure riding or driving with earphones in both ears is illegal in WA state.

Looks like a kid died last year in Oregon at least in part because of wearing earbuds and thus not noticing a bus overtaking him: https://www.kgw.com/news/pdf/042808_M...ashSummary.pdf

Santaria

ALL HEADPHONZ IZ BAD!

If I can't hear the passengers laughing at me, while drivers tell me to **** myself, get the **** off the road, et al ... I'm putting myself in danger.

Now that my sarcasm is done for the week:

I use a cheap pair of Philips SHS3910s. They're external, easy to get off my head if I actually HAVE to hear something and loud enough to hear Henry Rollins shtick.

MikeonhisBike

What Ive done is install Pandora to my BB, slip it in the side pocket of my backpack, and turn it full blast through the speakerphone. It isn't that loud, but its loud enough to enjoy, so I can still hear cars from behind me.

DoB

There is this invention called a mirror.

capejohn

If you want to listen to music, I can't think of any reason not to.

Personally however, I only listen to music when I'm touring and find myself in the middle of nowhere. To me they are a wall or box that says, "don't bother me". I do too much socializing when I'm riding near home or commuting.

thompsonpost

I do the samething but with FlyCast, although I ride off road. Kind of a moot point, but can work the same way you do it.

daredevil

I like your style.

Oh, and second CCrew's suggestion for Skull Candy buds....amazing for the price.

aley

The one that tried hard to right hook me last week sounded like a decelerating car coming up beside me. Others might sound different.

As it happens, I didn't have headphones on, I heard the car decelerating as the driver prepared to turn right into where I was, and I was already on the brakes and ready to yell when she proved beyond a doubt that she was a bonehead. My braking kept me out of her rear passenger-side door, my yelling got her to abort the maneuver before I had to bunny-hop the curb, and hearing what was going on before she was in my line of sight gave me a couple of seconds to come up with a plan before I had to act.

For those who advocate riding with earphones, headphones, earbuds, canal phones, IEMs, or whatever: YMMV. If you like cutting off some of your senses that are demonstrably safety-related, that's your business. But don't go proselytizing about how hearing things isn't important to safety - it's a crap excuse for you to roll with your music, and you know it's a crap excuse. At least have the decency to acknowledge that it's a crap excuse. Then feel free to ride how you like - I'm not your mother, although I do wish your mother had taught you a bit more common sense.

thompsonpost

Does it play mp3's?