Cycling with music on.

[mondobongo]

Like to here whats going on around me and want to know when an artic/bus is coming.

 

[Cab]

Since when did the Human race suddenly need background music? Its tiresome, whats wrong with enjoying the relative peace of not being surrounded by electronic sound you get when out on the bike?

 

[Peyote]

I use to listen to music all the time when cycling, got sick of having to untangle the wires from rucksack etc... so stopped. Thinking about getting a pair of those wireless headphones to use with my MP3/phone though.

Not stupid or dangerous really, just as along as you don't have the volume too high. Exactly the same as a car stereo.

Means I can't vote on this poll now!

 

[gavintc]

I listen to my ipod on my commute and keep the volume low enough to hear. I dont think it is a problem and it makes the dark night journey much more pleasant.

 

[bonj2]

Thinking about getting a pair of those wireless headphones to use with my MP3/phone though.

can you get them?

 

[Fnaar]

I mostly ride in the countryside, miles from anywhere. Though I am a BIG music fan (I almost always have a radio cd playing in background, whatever I'm up to) it's a delight to listen to sounds of no traffic/birds/animals/my knees creaking as I go along... there's usually a tune going on in my head anyway, to which I can sing along if I feel suitably moved to do so...
I really don't think I'd have music playing while cycling in traffic, personally.

 

[palinurus]

I've recently taken to using an iPod on the bike. I load it up with jazz for cycling since the horns cut through the wind and traffic noise without needing much volume. Bass solos are inaudible however. Rock stuff just gets lost in the wind noise. Punk rock is a bad idea; get tired fast, tryna keep up.

I've started using a mirror since, but I can hear traffic pretty well over the music. I use downtube friction levers and I can hear well enough to trim 'em.

I had the entire duration of Ornette Coleman's free jazz this morning- what a ride.

 

[Peyote]

Cycling with headphones is nothing like driving with the radio on.

Why do you think this? I always thought that if the volumes were at equivalent levels the two make a valid comparison?

 

[Chuffy]

I ride with and without headphones. I've never found a stereo or headphones that cut out all noise and besides, as stated by a few others, wind noise drowns out most rearward traffic noise anyway whether I've got headphones in or not. In all my years I've never had an incident that I could put down to having 'phones in.

The only real problem I have is pedalling as fast as the drummer from Dragonforce.

 

[Peyote]

The issue isn't comparison of levels, but ability. In a car, you're already handicapped by being in a noisy, part-soundproofed vehicle. So you don't get the benefits that you have when cycling. You can't hear many of the things that you can on a bike. So you could argue that wearing headphones while cycling brings you down to the level of being in a car.

Secondly, when driving you've got different observations. You can constantly monitor what is going on behind you with just eye movements. You can't do this on a bike.

Thirdly, you're often cycling in a different environment to a car, even when on the same road. You benefit from being able to hear what is coming up behind you, going on on the pavement, going on in front of you.

There's more to it than that but I need to put some bread in the oven.

Interesting. I never thought about this in such detail before.

Hope your bread turned out okay.

 

[Membrane]

I do when out in the sticks, it get's lonely when you're out there for hours and it motivates me to push it. I use "sports" headphones, they allow traffic noise to be clearly heard (at the expense of bass performance). I keep the volume at a reasonable level. I put the buds in when going out for a ride in the country, but don't switch the player on until I've cleared the city's perimeter. And I compensate by doing a lot more visual rear observations.

I don't when out in city traffic.

 

[BentMikey]

I use to listen to music all the time when cycling, got sick of having to untangle the wires from rucksack etc... so stopped. Thinking about getting a pair of those wireless headphones to use with my MP3/phone though.

Not stupid or dangerous really, just as along as you don't have the volume too high. Exactly the same as a car stereo.

Means I can't vote on this poll now!

I have some Sony ones, they're awesome. Go very well with my Nokia E90 and the 4GB of card in there. I must admit I tend not to wear them on the fixed wheel, but I do on the recumbent. I think it's the mirrors and the extra wind noise on the recumbent.