DonkeyShow

why are you talking about headphones? I use a speaker so I can be aware of my surroundings still.

big john

Don't draft this guy.

TMonk

I always ask: "mind if I catch a lift?". almost nobody does that to me though. I still usually don't mind.

SapInMyBlood

Neither treadmills, nor planes, existed when Bernoulli made public his ideas on fluid mechanics.

eduskator

I think this is a generalization because most headphoners are unexperienced cyclists and/or jerks. I ride with headphones 99% of the time because it helps me stay focused. Volume is always low and I can hear all noise coming from behind. Never did I even get close to having an accident with a car, cyclist or pedestrian.

Go ahead, tell me I'm a &$%*/$*%!"

On a more topic related question, I don't draft people I don't know, and especially not without their consent. I think it's rude.

big john

I guess your sarcasm detector isn't working, either?

Rides4Beer

No, and don't ask me, just stay off my ******g wheel. It's rude, and dangerous.

If I'm out riding by myself, it's because I want to ride by myself. You want to ride in a group, go find a group. You shouldn't ask, and I shouldn't have to be bothered to answer.

Altho, having had it happen on occasion (without asking or acknowledging), I just ride them off my wheel, never see them again after that. It's funny, the people who would be able to hang, aren't the kind who would hop on a stranger's wheel in the first place.

eduskator

+1 on that. Hitchhikers who wants to improve their Strava PRs the easy way. ''Thanks for the lift!''

SoSmellyAir

I try to politely announce my presence if I am within a bike length behind someone else, not because I want to draft, especially not during the current pandemic, but because I am waiting for a safe opening to pass. But it feels presumptuous to tell someone else that I am planning to pass them.

genejockey 

That's what loud freehubs are for.

SoSmellyAir

I don't want a freehub that sounds like a miniature minigun whenever I take a break from pedaling, which is fairly often.

genejockey 

I've got everything from 'Swarm of Murder Hornets' to damn near silent. These days I figure the *gleep!* sound from my Garmin Varia announces my presence most places.

Atlas Shrugged

It would be awesome if we can turn this played out thread to a headphone yes or no thread. Things would liven up quickly. For the record I am headphone yes. AirPod Pro’s combined with Varia Radar, the only way to ride! Give me a multi day long distance solo ride combined with a Spotify Premium account, nothing could be better.

WhyFi

Do you get Varia beeps though your earphones? I get TBT instructions through my earphones, but not Varia warnings.

Atlas Shrugged

No such luck yet. Been using the Varia since they first were announced and have developed a habit of always checking whenever changing my line also when I do hear the car approaching checking if it is more than one and the speed.

WhyFi

Bummer. Garmin needs to get on it to pipe those through.

genejockey 

No on headphones, and you should all get off my damn lawn!

genejockey 

I'm loving my Varia. It's the one thing that's gotten me to put my head unit on the bars of my C&V rides, which I kinda enjoy running with nekkid bars. I'm still a data junkie, though, so if I do that I stuff the head unit in a pocket.

SoSmellyAir

My environment makes it pointless to use a Varia because it would "gleep" at least once every 10 seconds; maybe I should just say "meep meep" like a road runner.

You earbud guys must have pretty sharp hearing; I can barely hear the ubiquitous Tesla on its stock low rolling resistance tires approaching at 50 mph (i.e., local speed limit) above the ambient noise with nothing (except a tiny amount of ear wax) in my ears. So no earbuds for me.

WhyFi

Nope - it's not pointless, even in heavy traffic.

SoSmellyAir

Perhaps "pointless" is too strongly worded; I meant (as I have mentioned before in other threads) that I would likely tune out the Varia.

1. Does the Varia have a separate alert for even faster or erratic driving?

2. Does the Varia warn about an extra slow driver that has obviously left a giant gap to the next car ahead? That is the tell take of a texting driver in this neighborhood.

genejockey 

It not only *gleeps* when faster moving traffic is <150 yards behind, but also a graphic appears on the right hand side of your head unit, showing how far behind it is and how fast it's approaching. Multiple vehicles give multiple dots, each with its own approach speed. The sides of the head unit light up orange, or if the closing speed is really fast, red. Once past, those change to green, and then go away if it's clear.

It doesn't replace looking over your shoulder, but it does make it more just a confirmation - a glance tells you if you're clear vs. the longer look necessary without it.

EDIT: Where it comes in handiest are times like when you're having to change lanes to make a left, or if you roll up on a slower rider and want to pass. Then you can have a look at the graphic and see if you're clear, look over your shoulder to confirm, then go.

SoSmellyAir

This definitely sounds (1) extremely useful for the once per ride event of cutting across a wide, 3 vehicular traffic lane major thoroughfare from the bike lane to left turn lane, but (2) much less useful during the rest of my ride when I am humming along in the high teens while traffic in constantly passing me at or slightly above the speed limit of 50 mph.

genejockey 

Ever pass other riders and have to go out into the traffic lanes to do it?

SoSmellyAir

Good point. But rarely; out on the streets, my speed is in the bottom 20 percentile. For doing that I definitely would turn and take a good, long look.