Wireless earbuds while riding?
#76
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,261
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18428 Post(s)
Liked 15,582 Times
in
7,337 Posts
In some jurisdictions. Here in Philly you are technically required to have a bell or some other devise capable of producing a sound audible for a certain distance, but you may not use a whistle or siren. My guess is that last part was included a long time ago to prevent confusion with police officers.
#77
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,509
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7353 Post(s)
Liked 2,481 Times
in
1,440 Posts
GlennR you seem to be saying the cause of your being sideswiped is the road condition (too narrow). Am I right? If so, I recommend you take the lane in those places, and use a mirror. Don’t let people try to overtake you where there isn’t room.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Likes For noglider:
#78
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,509
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7353 Post(s)
Liked 2,481 Times
in
1,440 Posts
Yes, and it’s not only required, it’s also a good idea. If you try it, you will see what I mean. I have eight bikes, and each one has a bell, except for our tandem, which has two.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#79
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
#80
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,618
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10970 Post(s)
Liked 7,498 Times
in
4,194 Posts
Bells are fine by me for sure. They are quite obvious when someone approaches from behind.
#81
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: reno, nv
Posts: 2,303
Bikes: yes, i have one
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1139 Post(s)
Liked 1,182 Times
in
687 Posts
not to be a nit picker but what does "until not too recently" mean exactly? ear buds are just head phones that fit into your ears. and head phones have been around a very long time. i'm pretty sure folks have been riding with head phones/ear buds for in excess of 40 years.
#82
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Allen, TX
Posts: 2,636
Bikes: 2021 S-Works Turbo Creo SL, 2020 Specialized Roubaix Expert
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 762 Post(s)
Liked 4,041 Times
in
1,430 Posts
not to be a nit picker but what does "until not too recently" mean exactly? ear buds are just head phones that fit into your ears. and head phones have been around a very long time. i'm pretty sure folks have been riding with head phones/ear buds for in excess of 40 years.
#83
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,207
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 138 Post(s)
Liked 16 Times
in
13 Posts
not to be a nit picker but what does "until not too recently" mean exactly? ear buds are just head phones that fit into your ears. and head phones have been around a very long time. i'm pretty sure folks have been riding with head phones/ear buds for in excess of 40 years.
#84
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: reno, nv
Posts: 2,303
Bikes: yes, i have one
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1139 Post(s)
Liked 1,182 Times
in
687 Posts
To be a nitpicker, the Walkman was first released 40 years ago. Was it common to ride around listening to a Walkman 40 years ago? Those headphones rested lightly on the ears, and certainly didn't shut out ambient sound. The old style headphones were big and had 1/4" cable connectors to hook up to your home quadraphonic amplifier and reel to reel tape deck. No one was riding around headphones listening to their stereo 40+ years ago - their extension cords were not long enough to keep them powered.
i guess to continue to nitpick...the gold Walkman at the top of the page is what i rode around with. 3.5mm plug with head phones that fit into your ear, not the large head phones you elude to. this thing was so sweet i practically had this thing on all day every day. a mechanical marvel with spectacular audio. with no cassette inside it was nearly the same size as a cassette in its little case as the photo shows. so that was 1982 (before i searched it up i though '83). that is nearly 40 years ago. prior to that, many years in fact, i had a transistor radio (dating myself?) with a simple crystal earpiece while riding, not the best audio by far but adequate for the times.
https://www.jameco.com/z/FEL-971102-...oaAmCtEALw_wcB
#85
velo-dilettante
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: insane diego, california
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: 85 pinarello treviso steel, 88 nishiki olympic steel. 95 look kg 131 carbon, 11 trek madone 5.2 carbon
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 3,114 Times
in
1,683 Posts
truth.
#86
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 173 Post(s)
Liked 57 Times
in
40 Posts
I ride with earbuds in. I use the Shure se215. They have a wire to connect both buds. They work great. I also have tried the Samsung galaxy buds, and those too are nice.
If I'm on a section of road where there's no shoulder or dedicated bike lane, I'll pop the left bud out to listen to traffic. I do, however, also use a Garmin Varia radar that's synced to my wrist watch and head unit. The watch will vibrate (in case I miss the head unit notification). The head unit tells me how many cars are approaching, their relative distance and relative speed. I do head-checks, over my shoulder, whenever necessary. I find my spatial awareness to be more in tune than others. I feel confident and safe using both earbuds, but just for absolute safety I will occasionally only use one earbud.
If I'm on a section of road where there's no shoulder or dedicated bike lane, I'll pop the left bud out to listen to traffic. I do, however, also use a Garmin Varia radar that's synced to my wrist watch and head unit. The watch will vibrate (in case I miss the head unit notification). The head unit tells me how many cars are approaching, their relative distance and relative speed. I do head-checks, over my shoulder, whenever necessary. I find my spatial awareness to be more in tune than others. I feel confident and safe using both earbuds, but just for absolute safety I will occasionally only use one earbud.
#87
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,624
Bikes: iele Latina, Miele Suprema, Miele Uno LS, Miele Miele Beta, MMTB, Bianchi Model Unknown, Fiori Venezia, Fiori Napoli, VeloSport Adamas AX
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1324 Post(s)
Liked 927 Times
in
640 Posts
I have and do ride from time to time with earbuds in and listening to music. I keep the volume to a reasonable level and can easily hear cars approaching. Plus I use a Varia radar which works fantastic. The new Apple earbuds have a transparency mode which allows sound through.
Hearing impared people ride safely and some of my friends which require hearing aids never wear them riding due to wind noise. But to each his own.
Hearing impared people ride safely and some of my friends which require hearing aids never wear them riding due to wind noise. But to each his own.
I would not wear anything that would lessen ambient sounds or possible distract me when riding my bicycle.
Cheers
Likes For Miele Man:
#88
Senior Member
I ride with a bell and use it when ever I encounter pedestrians or cyclists on an MUP or on the street. Often people do not hear it because they have ear buds in their ears, so when I go by, passing in either direction, I cant' be sure that they know I'm there. Any sudden movement into my path is possible for any number of reasons. It seems reasonable to me to be aware of your surroundings when moving or when encountering others who are to insure safety.
#89
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Portland
Posts: 1,115
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 451 Post(s)
Liked 364 Times
in
227 Posts
Passing people is just a huge risk area for me. Anymore, if I am on a MUP, I pretty much slow to a crawl when passing peds/pets. They almost never hear me when I shout which side I'm coming on. Totally unpredictable. I'm afraid I am going to hit one of them. I give other cyclists a huge berth when passing them. I just think that passing is a very dangerous thing these days. Better safe than sorry.
#90
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520
Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo
Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times
in
4,672 Posts
Passing people is just a huge risk area for me. Anymore, if I am on a MUP, I pretty much slow to a crawl when passing peds/pets. They almost never hear me when I shout which side I'm coming on. Totally unpredictable. I'm afraid I am going to hit one of them. I give other cyclists a huge berth when passing them. I just think that passing is a very dangerous thing these days. Better safe than sorry.
Likes For WhyFi:
#91
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 8,922
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4717 Post(s)
Liked 1,882 Times
in
998 Posts
That's why many here preach to just avoid the MUPs as much as possible. In my area, there are times when a short trip on the paths is the safest and/or most convenient way of getting to/from roads that are more suitable for riding. In those instances, I hop on the path, ride conservatively, and save any spirited efforts for the roads.
I ride the MUPs for about 3 miles at the beginning and end of many rides, but as a warm-up/cool down, and to avoid a few traffic lights.
Likes For noodle soup:
#92
Senior Member
In my humble opinion, a cyclist needs all his senses to be at 100% while riding. If there’s anything preventing that, even ever so slightly ...you’re really not doing all you can to be the safest possible.
Likes For one4smoke:
#93
On Your Left
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Long Island, New York, USA
Posts: 8,373
Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR, Sram eTap, Zipp 303
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3004 Post(s)
Liked 2,434 Times
in
1,187 Posts
Saw these at the local running shop. Not sure if they are any better.
#94
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
If you're on a bicycle, especially outside, you're not doing everything to be as safe as possible. Everybody accepts a certain amount of risk. Some people are willing to accept more than others, and that's ok.
#95
Senior Member
#96
Senior Member
#97
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,684
Bikes: Paletti,Pinarello Monviso,Duell Vienna,Giordana XL Super,Lemond Maillot Juane.& custom,PDG Paramount,Fuji Opus III,Davidson Impulse,Pashley Guv'nor,Evans,Fishlips,Y-Foil,Softride, Tetra Pro, CAAD8 Optimo,
Mentioned: 156 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2326 Post(s)
Liked 5,005 Times
in
1,783 Posts
Bingo, I ride 95ish percent of the time with earphones in and it's all good. The wind noise when I don't keeps me from hearing behind me anyway I've notice over and over again. But I also use a helmet mirror and feeling totally freaked without it. It's a much, much better tool for seeing what's coming behind then my useless hearing.
__________________
Steel is real...and comfy.
Steel is real...and comfy.
#98
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,684
Bikes: Paletti,Pinarello Monviso,Duell Vienna,Giordana XL Super,Lemond Maillot Juane.& custom,PDG Paramount,Fuji Opus III,Davidson Impulse,Pashley Guv'nor,Evans,Fishlips,Y-Foil,Softride, Tetra Pro, CAAD8 Optimo,
Mentioned: 156 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2326 Post(s)
Liked 5,005 Times
in
1,783 Posts
To be a nitpicker, the Walkman was first released 40 years ago. Was it common to ride around listening to a Walkman 40 years ago? Those headphones rested lightly on the ears, and certainly didn't shut out ambient sound. The old style headphones were big and had 1/4" cable connectors to hook up to your home quadraphonic amplifier and reel to reel tape deck. No one was riding around headphones listening to their stereo 40+ years ago - their extension cords were not long enough to keep them powered.
__________________
Steel is real...and comfy.
Steel is real...and comfy.
#100
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,684
Bikes: Paletti,Pinarello Monviso,Duell Vienna,Giordana XL Super,Lemond Maillot Juane.& custom,PDG Paramount,Fuji Opus III,Davidson Impulse,Pashley Guv'nor,Evans,Fishlips,Y-Foil,Softride, Tetra Pro, CAAD8 Optimo,
Mentioned: 156 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2326 Post(s)
Liked 5,005 Times
in
1,783 Posts
For the OP, It's been 20 or so years now but one thing we were developing in my military days was a bone mic setup for our guys to use during HALO jumps. The mic sat on the top of the head under the helmet. Worked well for most guys but one. We used to tease him that his skull was too thick. When free falling wind noise is way higher than what any of us will experience on a bike. Anyway, I'd imagine that tech is much more advanced now. We were also working with a ear piece/bone mic that sat in the ear.
__________________
Steel is real...and comfy.
Steel is real...and comfy.