Music while touring
I think the problem of listening to music while touring should be solved with this bikes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/nyregion/29bikes.html |
We crossed the lone prairie in a herd of cyclists once. Did not need music or Sirus or whatever. The roads were so isolated, we rode in groupings of cyclists. Often , while on the bike you'd hear,a group sing. songs such as Home on the Range.
|
Mp3 and amplified speakers in my handlebar bag
http://downtheroad.org/Australia/ima...8912_small.JPG
After a year of riding through Australia, I like AC / DC in my handle bar bag I do not listen to music all the time when we ride but I prefer it to traffic noise. . |
I CANNOT stress how important it is to have your ears fully available when touring. Sure you can have a mirror to see what's behind you, but unless you are looking at just the right moment, you may not see what's coming up from behind you. Your ears tell you. You learn to recognize normal patterns and potential trouble. Earphones are worse than just having the music in your handlebar bag since they more effectively mask ambient sound.
A response above says that music blocks the traffic noise. If you have enough traffic noise to be bothersome, that's when you should be listening to traffic more than ever. Sure, earphones are fine when you have 6-foot shoulders, but even the best of touring routes have sections with little to no shoulder. Okay - so I'm a Luddite - but there's also something nice about touring when you research to have routes with practically no traffic and you ride in quiet. You know - quiet? There is something to be said about being understimulated in 21st-century society. If you do decide to ride with tunes and earphones, please keep the volume down so that you retain some of your early warning system. BTW - I am a musician - have studied and played all of my life. |
I do most of my biking through San Francisco where, even with bike lanes, there are always cars zipping around you. But, I also like to listen to something (in my case, audio books) when I am riding my bike.
The compromise I have come to is to only insert on earbud (in the ear away from traffic). This works perfectly fine for audio books which have exactly the same audio on both tracks. When I want to listen to music, I have a plug that pipes the stereo into one earbud so that the music still sounds right. I got the plug at a Radio Shack after going on tour and listening to just the drums and bass on the Door's Light My Fire for 7 minutes! I don't doubt that the books/music distract me somewhat, but having an open ear to traffic seems to be a good compromise for me. Ray |
TO maintain the proper 60/40 weight distribution, the big speakers should really go in front.
j/k oh, and jamawani..... luddite! |
Originally Posted by Calerano
(Post 5713966)
I think the problem of listening to music while touring should be solved with this bikes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/nyregion/29bikes.html |
Originally Posted by jamawani
(Post 5714472)
A response above says that music blocks the traffic noise.
|
Originally Posted by raybo
(Post 5714597)
I don't doubt that the books/music distract me somewhat, but having an open ear to traffic seems to be a good compromise for me.
And we all make our own decisions about risk. However, there are many newbie tourers here on the forums. And people like their music more and more these days. There's one more thing - you know your neighborhood and the streets. When touring you come into strange towns with intersections that don't seem to be where they are supposed to be, etc., etc. I would never for a moment tell someone what they should or shouldn't do. But I'll still beg. ;-) |
Wow, talk about no sense of humor. (Or not bothering to follow the link.)
The article is about a bunch of guys in Queens who are loading 200 lb stereo systems onto their bicycles and cruise around their neighborhood. Sheesh.... |
Originally Posted by Bacciagalupe
(Post 5716039)
Wow, talk about no sense of humor. (Or not bothering to follow the link.)
The article is about a bunch of guys in Queens who are loading 200 lb stereo systems onto their bicycles and cruise around their neighborhood. Sheesh.... |
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:11 PM. |
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.