There have been two recent contrarian threads on the Road Form, “How can you ride with music” and “How can you ride without music.” So IMO, the arguments have been well-debated. I recently got an I-pod and have been voraciously seeking tunes with cycling in mind. My criteria are listed in this post (in reply to the first of those threads):

Personally, I feel that cycling tunes motivate me to get out onto the road more and have significantly improved my riding. I am seeking suggestions for tunes to add to maintain the variety. Not to sound greedy, but I have about 250 already. Several threads have appeared on BF suggesting cycling tunes, but frankly I have never heard of about 90%. For example see the current thread,

"What's your favorite music to workout to?":
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/596503-whats-your-favorite-music-workout.html

As noted above, I like Big Band and Classic Rock, so I am posting here on the Fifty Plus Forum for suggestions.

I have already exchanged playlists with one subscriber on this Forum who has somewhat similar tastes, but mostly New Wave tunes. She did like three of my selections and picked them up. What I propose is that if you are interested in exchanging playlists, just save your list, or selected tunes, as an Excel Spreadsheet, then copy and paste the Title and Artist columns on your Visitor Message window and post it. Finally, reply to this thread if you have done so to let us know. Alternatively, are there certain artists you like?

Mine is up and I was able to post my entire list of 250 in alphabetical order by Artist, divided into songs before and after 1950. Just click on my screen name and then View Public Profile. My Fifty Plus correspondent gave me the needle about some of my selections, so comments are welcome too. “Hit me with your best shot! / “Fire away!”

Are you just looking for a list of tunes that fit the criteria or .........?

Whatever you've got. Those are my own particular criteria to put a tune on my playlist. Besides maybe someone else may like it if I don't. .

I have my software for my ipod on my work computer so tomorrow I will try to get the info and post.

I ride low usage, rural rail trails and love the serenity of same. Thus I have never once ridden with music. However, if'n I were to ride roads, I would give much more consideration to riding with music. Although I must say that I don't know how to distinguish "cycling" music.

I know when I drive, I like to listen to Dylan, Jackson Browne, the Allman Brothers, and some blues. Those strike me as "travelin' music."

There are some nature sound tracks that might be good for cycling. Bird song, wind in trees, flowing streams, etc.

I've got a couple Jackson Browne tunes, some blues and I have considered some Allman Bros, in particular (?) Jezebel-- is that theirs?

I can't believe how inexpensive the MP3 players are getting. I recently picked up a 2GB Sansa Clip for $30. And to my amazement, through my high-end headphones, the audio quality was better than two different iPods I compared it to, which included a far more expensive iPod Nano that I purchased for my 17 yr old.

Have you listened to Ten Years After, George Thorogood and then there is Jeff Beck. He can be out there but also has some very smooth tunes. And also Eric Clapton.
I do not listen to music while riding either and think , to me anyway, it would be a deterent because I need the silence to hear cars coming from behind and with music I would get lost in the songs and lose focus on riding safely.

I've got Tulsa Time by EC; I'll check out the other artists at the I-tunes store.

I often ride to a podcast entitled Cadence Revolution. It features indie electronica. I wouldn't recommend it for easy listening but it can be pretty entertaining when you're riding.

No thanks. I prefer the music of the machine.

But off the bike, I'm into euro-trance electronica.

"Jessica." Um, I believe "Jezebel" might be quite a different kind of song. "Jessica" is an excellent song to motivate one to work a little harder on the bike. One day, my son passed me from the opposite direction in his car. Later that day he said, "Mom, you looked like a flying banshee on that bike." I was listening to "Jessica."

Great thread,Jim!
I will post a list as soon as I have the time and access to my music.

I can play any music I want to hear while riding from my own memory. I like listening to the sounds around me as I ride.

There is no finer music than the soft whirring of tires on pavement with the wind at your back. I'll record it and send it to you.

And, like Bluesdawg, I have an ipod in my brain. It's on shuffle, though, and I find myself singing the oddest stuff.

Other than that, I can't imagine listening to music while dropping off the backside of a mountain pass, rapidly picking up speed on bad pavement.

This took some time to get into text format but you decide what is worthy to put on your ipod. Started out as a 60 min. list that is now 4+ hours total. A mix of up tempo and some tunes to slow you down for several min mixed in.

1. WeeJams - Star Spangled Banner (1:34) Local Pittsburgh DuWap Band - Inspiring SSB Version
2. The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up (3:32)
3. Al Stewart - License to Steal (3:55) Kill all the lawyers song
4. Andrew Lloyd Webber - I Don't Know How To Love Him (3:40) from JC Superstar
5. Fleetwood Mac - Bare Trees (5:04)
6. John Mellencamp - Pink Houses (4:44)
7. The Outlaws - Green Grass And High Tides (9:48)
8. Joy Of Cooking - Brownsville / Mockingbird (5:51)
9. Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop (5:31) w/ USC Marching band
10. Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing (4:03)
11. Shawn Colvin - Round Of Blues (4:45)
12. Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care (3:19)
13. Mike Oldfield - Bell (6:59) Tubular Bells II
14. Matraca Berg - Along for the Ride (3:45) Best cycling song ever?
15. Ramsey Lewis - Sky Islands (4:22)
16. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (3:47)
17. Fleetwood Mac - Tusk (4:22) USC Band again
18. John Mellencamp - Hurts So Good (3:39) Hill climbing music?
19. The Band - The Shape I'm In (4:01)
20. Mason Williams; Mannheim Steamroller - Classical Gas (3:31)
21. Traveling Wilburys - End Of The Line (3:26) Maybe should be moved to the end?
22. Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number (4:33)
23. Shawn Colvin - Sunny Came Home (4:23)
24. Steve Winwood - Higher Love (5:51)
25. Sergio Mendes - Magalenha (3:39)
26. Earth Wind & Fire - Boogie Wonderland (4:47)
27. Ten Years After - I'm Going Home [Live] (9:57)
28. The Kennedys - Mr. Lucky Man (4:08)
29. Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns And Money (3:29)
30. Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower (3:58)
31. Jimi Hendrix - The Star Spangled Banner (3:46)
32. Traffic - Mozambique (4:23)
33. Shooglenifty - The Pipe Tunes (4:56)
34. Elton John - Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (11:07)
35. Elton John - Grey Seal (4:00)
36. Dick Dale & the Del-Tones - Misirlou (2:40)
37. Shawn Colvin - Round Of Blues (4:45)
38. Beth Nielsen Chapman - Life Holds On (4:42)
39. Travis Tritt - Burning Love (3:34) Great version
40. Dwight Yoakam - Suspicious Minds (3:51)
41. Trevor Jones - Promentory (6:12) The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)
42. Trevor Jones - The Kiss (2:48) The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)
43. The Kennedys - Life Is Large (4:19)
44. Leo Kottke - Hear The Wind Howl (2:39)
45. Leo Kottke - Busted Bicycle (2:40) Self explanatory
46. Nanci Griffith/The Crickets - Well...All Right (2:15)
47. Delanie & Bonnie - Only You Know And I Know ( Live Version ) (4:42)
48. Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath (4:22)
49. California Guitar Trio - Classical Gas (2:55)
50. The Subdudes - All The Time In The World (4:37)
51. Berlin Philharmoniker - Track 15 (14:58)
52. The Beatles - Good Day Sunshine (2:09)
53. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Crossfire / Stevie Ray Vaughan (4:10)
54. Russ Freeman - Sahara (5:01)
55. Fleetwood Mac - Great Balls Of Fire (3:37)
56. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (6:24)
57. John Philip Sousa - Hail To The Spirit Of Liberty (2:40)

Arguing about listening to an audio device or not is one of the great popcorn traditions on BF from my experience. A subscriber commented once about his listening experience sans audio device, saying if he wanted to experience the same thing without the hazards of cycling, he could just sit on the side of a busy highway.

Hi oilman,

Thanks for your effort. In perusing your list, I saw about six or so bands that we both had on our lists, but no songs. I was particularly gratified to see that someone else had a John Phillip Sousa March. I have both fast and slow songs too, but I shuffle mine because I enjoy the surprise of what comes up next, and IMO, all are good for cycling on any route I take.

I'll bring your list with me next time I visit the I-Tune Store. I was hoping that this thread would become a resource for the musically inclined to share their tastes.

Now, I just can't stay quiet here! I found many of Oilman's playlist selections that I like and will add to my own. I am interesting in checking out the song that he considers to be "the best riding song". However, the inclusion of a John Philip Sousa song in that list surprises, nay, astonishes me! Not so much that it is there, but that a JPS song is found in both forum posted playlists!!!!!
I am no stranger to unusual riding music. For example, I have Carl Orb's "Oh Fortuna" on my own Ipod. Moreover, as I have told Mr. Boston previously, I find the music of Mr. Sousa uplifting and stirring. When my children were in marching band, I used to pray they would play a Sousa set instead of the intolerable "Salute to Billy Joel" we were forced to withstand. But I cannot imagine listening to Sousa while riding unless I had first woven red, white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of my wheels and attached miniature flags to my handlebars! We all have our own taste in music, but Sousa on the bike? Is their a sect of cycling fife enthusiasts that I am not aware of?

Actually the streamers and bunting don't add that much drag. "God Bless Vespucciland."

Like to get a section on the I Pod of 80+ for the slopes round here. Only one for me and that is Status Quo. OK They are British- been around for years- Like me- but they play a type of Music I like. Just in case any of you are old enough to have enjoyed it- Quo were the group that open Live Aid in London in 85 and then caught Concord to play at live Aid in America. Medly of their Music below and This is typical of their stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn5Gi...eature=related

But plenty of John Lee Hooker- Plenty of other Blues- Bit of Queen And a bit of Classical.

Just why is it that when I hit the Steep bits does the 110 cadence come on.

But one you may not have heard is below- Quo with the Beachboys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwzWN...eature=related

That's a great list, oilman. Surprised you don't have one song from ELP.

Ah, Stapfam, you are taking me back in time with this one! During my misspent youth, my parents were constantly revoking my car privileges for one reason or another. One of my girlfriends used to sing this song to me every time it happened! I'm going to have to buy this one! Thanks!