Gadzooks! You're so right! My brain should be a great emptiness as I grok the zen of the pavement!

Seriously, I long ago found that long rides produce solutions to all kinds of problems of work and life - not that I focus on them during the ride (I actually do come close to grokking the zen of the pavement!), but as they simmer in my back brain during the ride, solutions "magically" appear either during or shortly after the ride. Why on earth would I give that up to listen to someone wailing their woes?

Never

What if I told you, I've had some of my best thoughts while listening to music?!

I would say, "Well bless your heart!"

(Southerners will understand!)

This, exactly. If you depend on sound and not sight to make movements related to traffic, then you will die. Sound is greatly distorted while cycling, from thinking something is behind one when there is nothing to thinking that alls clear from the silence when in fact a truck is approaching. Ear buds are a non issue, one ear, two ears, loud or soft , do what you want, just always look before moving, then look again.

Sometimes yes, mainly podcasts, but not when climbing or doing hard efforts. For some reason it bothers me. When I do its the right ear with one ear bud made to use both left and right channels.

1-BUD Gold Single-Ear Stereo Earphone

Hell no. I need my ears to listen for danger and also don't need additional source of distraction. I bike on city streets with traffic. Even if I were to bike on no-auto path at a slow speed, I doubt I would listen to music. Two wheeled vehicles are very unforgiving.

I have a Sony Xperia z3 smart phone secured to my handlebars by a Quad lock for my 13.7 mile commute. I would never use earbuds.

On solo rides I almost always wear earbuds. For group rides, I do not (don't want to be antisocial).

The funny thing is that if you were to try and talk to one of these people during a ride, the first thing they'd do is pull out the ear piece.