Cycling with headphones/ipods

[Melonfish]

See in a perfic world, we could in fact all cycle with headphones in, and not just the padded ones or the in ear ones but those bloody weird earplug type things that kill all other sound and make the music tinny (as seen on ipods)
this would be because all road users would obey the law and look out for other road users.

however, we ALL know this to be untrue and it certainly is not a perfic world.
simple fact is we need all of our senses to protect ourselves from other road users who honestly don't think or don't care about the danger they can impose upon us.
pete

 

[Norm]

I'm guessing this deletion and moderator post was from one of the moderators who has disagreed with my views on this in the past and been quite happy to be more than a little impolite towards me over them? On threads where I got singled out for harrangment, I'm now getting singled out for doing it? That's real classy. Real classy.

Oh, do please stop being so paranoid, you are not that special.

If you tell everyone who disagrees with you to eff off, you will get your ass spanked. Whoever you are.

 

[Jezston]

PM

 

[Norm]

So, assuming for the sake of argument that riding with headphones would necessarily drown out these external sounds (which is not true, but just assume), the only downside is that you would have to look behind you sometimes when usually you would already know it's not safe to change position.May be less convenient, but it's hardly going to make you an organ donor is it?

Half the people (not you, others) bleating about "losing a vital sense" in this thread seem to have lost their vital sense of proportion already

I use a mirror as well, but for similar purposes, to help build the scene of the environment I'm cycling in, to enhance rather than replace basic observation.

I know its possible to have the headphones at a volume which doesn't overwhelm external noises but my choice is to use a Buff pulled up around the ears to remove any wind noise and not to replace it with ear buds.

I couldn't / wouldn't say that I've ever been in a position where accurate hearing has saved me from a tumble, but I'd rather not chance it.

As an aside on the subject of sunglasses, there is actually a legal maximum for the amount of light blocked so, at the extreme, yes, we are told we shouldn't wear sunnies.

 

[Norm]

1. Again, my post was tongue in cheek.

2. I didn't say that at all.

1. A poor defence and completely at odds with the way that post and your other posts appear.

2. I agree, that's not quite what you said. I'm sorry, I'm using the phone and can't do multiple quotes. It's similar in interpretation, though.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

As far as I am concerned all of my senses combine to give me a "picture" of what is around me. When I drive I listen to music but when it comes to needing to do a tight manoeuvre the music goes off as I need all of my concentration. I infer from this that when I listen to music some of my concentration is being used to enjoy the music and not pay attention to the road. When I cycle I know I want every last piece of my available concentration on the task at hand. Be it a steep rocky climb or navigating through traffic.. Thus there is no way I will wear headphones.

Peds who wander along trails with their invisible music shell around them seem oblivious of anything else, be it a shouted Hello, a bell, a screech of breaks. It is only as I pass them they realise I am there and some get very shirty about the fact ("You scared me to death"; "Where the hell did you come from"). The answer is usually "Pay attention to what's going on around you" I was taught to be aware of my surroundings as much as possible at all times.

 

[SquareDaff]

1. A poor defence and completely at odds with the way that post and your other posts appear.

It's been said earlier - the only thing missing from these posts is an emoticon. I "get" that they're tongue in cheek and I notice others do too. Just add the emoticon to prevent misinterpretation.

Taking a viewpoint to an extreme is a good tool to incite debate! It's worked already hasn't it?!?!?

 

[Bicycle]

I agree with earlier posters who say these things depend on location and situation.

I use an mp3 when cycling on rural roads, but unplug in towns and cities.

In that regard, it's not unlike reading and replying to SMS while driving: It might be argued that it's fine to do it in the fast, sweeping bends of a quiet rural A-road where there are few other road users and you can hack along at high speeds, but not good on a busy Motorway where some fool might change lanes in front of you.

Similarly, taking calls on a hand-held mobile: Not a good idea at illegal speeds and in the wet while consuming sandwich and hot coffee, but may be perfectly fine in other circumstances.

It's all a matter of where each of us sets his or her boundaries.

 

[BSRU]

I agree with earlier posters who say these things depend on location and situation.

I use an mp3 when cycling on rural roads, but unplug in towns and cities.

In that regard, it's not unlike reading and replying to SMS while driving: It might be argued that it's fine to do it in the fast, sweeping bends of a quiet rural A-road where there are few other road users and you can hack along at high speeds, but not good on a busy Motorway where some fool might change lanes in front of you.

Similarly, taking calls on a hand-held mobile: Not a good idea at illegal speeds and in the wet while consuming sandwich and hot coffee, but may be perfectly fine in other circumstances.

It's all a matter of where each of us sets his or her boundaries.

Reading/replying to an SMS or using a hand held mobile should never ever be done while driving, it's as bad as drunk driving.

 

[SquareDaff]

In that regard, it's not unlike reading and replying to SMS while driving: It might be argued that it's fine to do it in the fast, sweeping bends of a quiet rural A-road where there are few other road users and you can hack along at high speeds, but not good on a busy Motorway where some fool might change lanes in front of you.

Ello, ello, ello. Thank you for your £100 donation to the Policemans Xmas Party 2011 sonny jim !!

 

[Bicycle]

Reading/replying to an SMS or using a hand held mobile should never ever be done while driving, it's as bad as drunk driving.

Quite so... I stand corrected.

Happily for us all, failure to spot a spoof posting is not an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

 

[Inertia]

Off topic... you wouldn't be Matt Inertia would you?

Nope, sorry

 

[Chris.IOW]

[quote name='Bicycle' timestamp='1308236929'

It's all a matter of where each of us sets his or her boundaries.
[/quote]

Well no....the points you made were more about where the Government sets the boundaries as they are all illegal. Riding with a headphone isn't as far ad I'm aware.

 

[SquareDaff]

Well no....the points you made were more about where the Government sets the boundaries as they are all illegal. Riding with a headphone isn't as far ad I'm aware.

I'm not being pedantic here...just asking for peoples thoughts....couldn't you be done for riding without due care and attention?!YEs I know you could argue the same about car drivers listening to CD players but we're a cycling forum. Is it feasible? WOuld it stand up in court?

 

[numbnuts]

YES we have made 8 pages, I bet this could go on forever