Can anyone recommend some decent, waterproof bike speakers for an MP3 player? I like to listen to music as I pedal (the miles seem to fly away), but currently I have to use my earbuds. I only use them on a bike path, but when I tour, I want to be as aware as possible of everything around me while still enjoying my tunes.

Thanks!

(yes, I did a search on this, but there wasn't much)

waterproof? consider a Marine speaker, like on a boat..
https://www.westmarine.com



If like the folks who moved up here , probably need a Bike Trailer
for those batteries, Big amps and Woofers.

Oh wait , catching an assumption mid flight , this is to play Classical Music, right? ..
String Quartets?

I'm glad you are in Mexico.

Wow...how incredibly helpful. I asked a question, reasonably expecting some sort of input from others who like pedaling to music and got this undeserved, snarky comment on my location.

FWIW, I'm not planning on having a ghetto blaster attached to my bike, my trailer, or anywhere on my person. I'm not looking to inflict my music on anyone else. I just wondered if there was something better out there than the Zaps MP3 (waterproof) speaker that I found.

So I assume that you're suggesting that I leave my earbuds in and play traffic roulette, MassiveD? For Fietsbob, if you couldn't add anything to my question, why did you bother to respond? To be cute? It didn't work.

Trust me, with those responses, I'm glad I'm in Mexico, too.

The advantage to ear buds in sound systems ..

Advantage: is you pass thru the scene more quietly .
with out impinging on another persons audible space, with an additional sound.

: I suggest , just use one, and it be not the plug type.. .

electrically , pick up a stereo to mono adapter [also called TRS(F) to TR(M)]
3 conductor to 2, the 2 sound signals together, in one..

combines stereo, to all one side so One ear will be focusing on that

the other on the heavy stuff coming up behind you..
-------
You see The Bike racers now putting a little bit of bandage tape on their ear,
It lets the loose radio ear bud stay there,
but not in the ear canal so you still hear background

and equalize when descending off high passes,
the air on either side of your ear drum.


I had to be quiet , touring with a fellow musician/friend ,
perhaps he was busy with the music in his head, (decades of classical training),

and didn't want to hear what was coming out of mine.. amateur folkie ..

***

A US composer , Charles Ives, like .. some ..multiple, at once, playing several different songs,
at the same time kind of stuff .. not interesting to all ,
but Ok for some for a short period,

Alone, I whistle and Hum to myself.. now, in harmony with the Tonitis..

dengidog i find listening to my radio a much better option that ipod, i have it in the barbag tuned to my favorite station works a treat, mind you i 'm now on the lookout for another quality radio as mine gave up the ghost on my last tour , anyway if you have a portable radio try it out save you buying external speakers.
oh yeah this place is full of wise guys but there nice really.

Ford Prefect, did write : 'Mostly Harmless'..

or even harmless most of the time ,how do you add smiles.

If you ride near me with the speakers, I will take a break until you are out of ear shot.

And that helps me, how?

Please consider the topic closed.

Use your ear buds ... just afix them to your helmet strap near one ear. On the odd occasion I listen to music while cycling, that's what I do.

Uncalled for and certainly not funny.

How about motorcycle speakers? I don't know much about them but it seems they ought to be weatherproof.

My wife listens to music with ear buds when we ride, but we're on a tandem and she's the stoker, when we get into traffic she pulls one side out so we can communicate and we get an extra ear on the traffic.

I've got a buddy who uses a mono X-Mini. It's pretty loud. When he's riding just off my rear wheel, I can hear it just fine.

I like a "sport" headphone that clips around the outside of my ear and has a speaker that rests in my ear but does not block the ear canal like ear buds do.
As for speakers, I have no direct experiance, but here are two I have heard of:

https://www.ilounge.com/index.php/new...-speaker-case/

https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/...nto-a-speaker/

Really? really?
just out of curiousity do you also pull over when a harley or a semi passes you? man I wonder how many miles you can put in per day with all these breaks your taking everytime something loud invades "your" space.

this is a single speaker to sit over your ear, with a stereo plug.
https://www.ccrane.com/radios/radio-a...e-speaker.aspx

Here is another idea to have your music, etc. with you while biking and still being safe. I am having the same problem and am thinking of purchasing this unit.


https://www.amazon.com/One-Good-Earbu...d=DKLEFLDTLV4M

After a slighty shaky start, there have been some terrific suggestions. I'm going to look into the stereo-to-mono headphone for the right ear. I like that I'll be able to hear without wind/car/etc distortion and yet still be aware of my surroundings...the same reasons that originally had me looking at a speaker. Thanks so much!

I actually like the idea of a speaker. If you use an earphone you often have to jack the volume up loud which can destroy your hearing. When I do use earbuds, I use noise isolating ones, the kind that act as earplugs, that way I don't have to turn the volume up loud, I can listen at a lower level. I don't use them on the bicycle, so far, but do use them on the motorcycle. On a motorcycle it is advisable to use earplugs to cut the wind noise, even with a helmet. The wind noise is very damaging to your hearing and fatigues you quickly. I ride long distance and my ears would ring after a 700+ mile day. With earplugs I can hear cars, sirens, etc. better since it cuts the wind noise.

For tours on the bicycle I have considered a speaker as well. I wouldn't want to blast the sound but want to hear it. It depends on where I was. If I was on a lonesome stretch of highway, who would care?

https://www.thinkbiologic.com/product...tunes-speakers as advertised on Bike Forums!

I was looking for a speaker the same about 3mos. ago and google lead me to this:
https://www.ohgizmo.com/2008/01/09/ih...peaker-system/

I found it for $55 by doing another search..many times it was out of stock.
It's on my bike here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dclove/...in/photostream

The speaker is pretty rugged, I've dropped it a few times and no problem. I put my iPod in it and leave it on shuffle, and you can skip songs and adjust the unit volume from the remote that comes with it. It really is a cool gadget...I also carry it around on my shoulder while working in the garden and keep the remote in my pocket when I want to skip a song.
I've ridden with it playing steadily through a light rain, but in a down pour I'd put the lid on it.
The volume is plenty loud at the top notch, but it'll be drowned out when riding in city traffic.
It takes 4AA batteries and if using fully charged NiMH batteries, I've been able to get about 2full days (~10-12hrs) of riding out of it b4 the batteries die. I use a Brunton solar charger to charge my ipod and cell phone.

It also makes an excellent wedding gift for your cycling friends.

Lame plug...I know.
I also turn it off when I want the quietness of only my 2 wheels on the pavement and the environment surrounding me.

I agree, some of these responses are less than helpful. Alas, mine will probably not help either.

I'm a musician and love good-quality speakers. I was amazed when compact headphones came out and offered really good sound in a small, light package. Earbuds are even better for bicycling because they block out some of the wind noise. I've never heard any small, handlebar mount speakers that sound good to me. It's like listening to music on your laptop. My son does it, but to me those speakers sound so tinny that I can't do it, except in a pinch.

The reasons I don't feel that listening to music on earbuds is suicidal are two-fold. One is that I can still hear approaching traffic. I can't hear it quite as easily as without the music, but even without anything in my ears there are always lots of cars/trucks that surprise me when they pass; I didn't hear them coming. So I consider relying on your ears to warn you of approaching trouble as inadequate, earbuds or no. Instead I use a rear-view mirror to keep tabs on traffic from behind. I have mirrors on all my bikes which I ride on roads, and use them. I feel much better able to monitor things with a mirror/earbuds combination than a no mirror/no earbuds combo.

Someone will likely say that a mirror/no earbuds combo would be the best. Probably, but not so much better that I would give up my earbuds. I don't always listen to music when I ride, but when I want to, those earbuds sound great and the music can be a great enhancement to a solo ride.

Actually, your response was great! I was looking at speakers because I didn't want to be isolated from the sounds of traffic, even though I'll have on a helmet mirror. In my techno-ignorance, I didn't know that there was such a beast as a stereo-to-mono earphone/bud. I love wearing buds, but they isolate me too much, plus the ear gets soggy after a while. I might even do what Machka suggested and tape/affix my earbuds right over my ears in my helmet.

Whatever I end up doing, it's nice to have some options.

I've found a couple of those CycleTunes type of speaker systems in a case at local thrift shops for a couple of dollars. I figure it will hold my cell phone and I can tune in the local news/weather station app to play, or can listen to music, or just turn it off and use it as a protective holder for my phone. Sound ain't great, but good enough for when I want sounds. Most of the time I ride silent, but sometimes tunes are nice too.