Ipod while commuting
#26
Older than dirt
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,342
Likes: 2
From: Winchester, VA
Bikes: Too darn many.. latest count is 11
#29
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 903
Likes: 1
From: Rochester, NY
Bikes: 2010 Kona Dr. Dew, Moose Bicycle XXL (fat bike), Yuba Mundo V3
#30
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,373
Likes: 8
From: Columbus, OH
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
I don't wear earphones on my commute, but I've been known to put together a long playlist on my Zune for solo 200k rides. My commute is only 45-ish minutes and I'm usually concentrating on whatever my specific workout regimen is: Clock-watching doing interval sprints, checking my speed doing hill repeats, etc.
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#31
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, IL
Bikes: Sputnik
Almost always listen to the ipod on my commutes. Listened to menomena last night and this morning.
BTW... I can still hear traffic just fine. But it does limit my ability to have 2-way conversations.
BTW... I can still hear traffic just fine. But it does limit my ability to have 2-way conversations.
#32
I think drivers know we're listening.
I mean, every day they've got something to say:
Get the **** off my road!
LOOK OUT!
Why is HE in traffic!
Ah ****, not him again!
I also would miss out on the guys/gals who:
Squeal their tires to show me how much speed they've built up at the stop light
When they throttle their engine hard, to show me how Pepboy's Automotive helped them achieve better RPMs
Seriously, why would you want to listen to anything less than the hateful symphony associated with the general public and driving??!?!?!?!?!
And who can forget the guy who's pushing 2k watts of subs for YOUR pleasure. I mean, he spent all that money so you could hear what he's listening to, obvsly.
I mean, every day they've got something to say:
Get the **** off my road!
LOOK OUT!
Why is HE in traffic!
Ah ****, not him again!
I also would miss out on the guys/gals who:
Squeal their tires to show me how much speed they've built up at the stop light
When they throttle their engine hard, to show me how Pepboy's Automotive helped them achieve better RPMs
Seriously, why would you want to listen to anything less than the hateful symphony associated with the general public and driving??!?!?!?!?!
And who can forget the guy who's pushing 2k watts of subs for YOUR pleasure. I mean, he spent all that money so you could hear what he's listening to, obvsly.
#33
multimodal commuter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,810
Likes: 597
From: NJ, NYC, LI
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
#34
my quads hurt...
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: 703
Bikes: 2010 langster, 2009 fuse 2, 2009 transition
i do it night and every morning for my commute. (i work the midnight shift) but i ride fixed so im always waiting for something to happen considering there are no bike trails along my route. but at night i have the advantage of car's headlights to give me advance warning.
#35
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,299
Likes: 16
Of course I do. I spend about 3 hrs/day on my bike. I don't think I could do that if I didn't have something to listen to. I can hear cars behind me well enough and on the days I don't listen to anything, I don't feel like I'm more aware, just more bored.
#36
Older than dirt
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,342
Likes: 2
From: Winchester, VA
Bikes: Too darn many.. latest count is 11
#37
Erect member since 1953
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,000
Likes: 38
From: Antioch, CA (SF Bay Area)
Bikes: Trek 520 Grando, Roubaix Expert, Motobecane Ti Century Elite turned commuter, Some old French thing gone fixie
I love podcasts and audio books on my commute. Talking doesn't blot out the surrounding sounds like music does, and I'm on a very low traffic route. I believe I'm riding safely.
#39
Run, Bike, Eat.
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: North America
Bikes: Giant Defy 3, other cheap mountain bikes, my dad has a Raleigh something commuter I sometimes use
I don't have any blind turns on my commute, and the wind blowing in my helmet sometimes makes me hear invisible cars. So, I have no problem with listening to music most of the time. Though in the winter, without peripheral vision, I go music-less.
FYI: Wearing both headphones while biking is illegal in NY state... (according to some cycling advocacy booklet or something.) So I don't ever wear both headphones in, and nor do you if you live in NY.
(Edit: and I haven't had a working iPod since an incident with a waterproof bag, a can of hawaiian punch, sharp track spikes and an iPod touch... I now use a Sandisk Sansa Clip.)
FYI: Wearing both headphones while biking is illegal in NY state... (according to some cycling advocacy booklet or something.) So I don't ever wear both headphones in, and nor do you if you live in NY.
(Edit: and I haven't had a working iPod since an incident with a waterproof bag, a can of hawaiian punch, sharp track spikes and an iPod touch... I now use a Sandisk Sansa Clip.)
Last edited by Giant Defiance; 01-13-10 at 07:13 PM.
#41
Bike Commuter
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 49
Likes: 1
I do it all the time on my commute, in a city were I've lived for years. When I started biking I swore it off for safety, but after a few weeks I became knowledgeable of the roads and started to listen to music. I noticed I relied more on my sight than hearing. As a result, I have a habit of periodically looking over my shoulder, which has probably preventing many accidents. 1/3rd of my daily commute is above 20mph, where my hearing is pretty drowned out from wind anyway.
Technically, its illegal in my state (NY) to have both ears listening to music while bicycling. But cops in my city don't really care and I consider it fairly safe.
Technically, its illegal in my state (NY) to have both ears listening to music while bicycling. But cops in my city don't really care and I consider it fairly safe.
#43
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,978
Likes: 4
From: Atlanta
Bikes: Cannondale T700s and a few others
Check your local laws, It is illegal in GA.
https://www.google.com/search?q=headp...ient=firefox-a
https://www.google.com/search?q=headp...ient=firefox-a
#44
So in states where it's illegal to ride with headphones, I wonder if it's illegal for hearing impaired people to ride biycles? Or operate motor vehicles for that matter?
I commute about two hours a day when I work and can't imagine not having some music or podio books along for the ride. I can't hear anything above the wind noise so I don't feel as though I'm missing much.
I commute about two hours a day when I work and can't imagine not having some music or podio books along for the ride. I can't hear anything above the wind noise so I don't feel as though I'm missing much.
#45
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Check your local laws, It is illegal in GA.
https://www.google.com/search?q=headp...ient=firefox-a
https://www.google.com/search?q=headp...ient=firefox-a
https://www.nefrpc.org/pdfs/bikeWays/safetyLaws.pdf
Last edited by clunkalong; 01-14-10 at 08:50 AM.
#46
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 111
From: North of Boston
Bikes: Kona Dawg, Surly 1x1, Karate Monkey, Rockhopper, Crosscheck , Burley Runabout,
Don't listen to music while pedaling. I like to listen to other stuff like my natural surroundings. I also like to listen to my tires, the studded tires sound like popcorn. I like to be able to focus on the present.
#47
I focus on the present as well, just with a better soundtrack.
#48
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 961
Likes: 0
From: the Georgia Strait
Bikes: Devinci Caribou, Kona Dew Plus, Raleigh Twenty
Has anyone used this?
https://www.ihomeaudio.com/products.a...6&dept_id=1007
https://www.ihomeaudio.com/products.a...6&dept_id=1007
#49
Older than dirt
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,342
Likes: 2
From: Winchester, VA
Bikes: Too darn many.. latest count is 11
Has anyone used this?
https://www.ihomeaudio.com/products.a...6&dept_id=1007
https://www.ihomeaudio.com/products.a...6&dept_id=1007
#50
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,863
Likes: 6
From: Washington, DC
Bikes: Some bikes. Hell, they're all the same, ain't they?
I think the difference is that deaf people don't choose to be deaf, but us iPod/music listeners chose to use them. They want people to choose the best option available.
The trouble is, some people are too stupid to ride safely anyway, whether they're listening to an iPod or not -- but nobody blames the rider. So, if they just happen to be wearing earphones and have an accident, then golly, it must have been the music's fault, because nobody can be inherently stupid.




