If you wear earphones

[anothersam]

The next time you encounter disapproval, or incredulity that you can be safe cycling around plugged into your chosen noise dispenser, consider bringing Katrina Jungnickel & Rachel Aldred to the argument. Cycling’s Sensory Strategies: How Cyclists Mediate their Exposure to the Urban Environment is a 2013 study that I grabbed with both hands* shortly after it came out. There are people who won’t click on Torygraph links as a matter of principle, so here’s one from Cycling Weekly which boils it down nicely.

Music has been helping me "negotiate" and "tame" challenging environments for a long time now.

That the BBC did a poll and found "almost 90 per cent questioned being in favour of a blanket ban, many citing a perception of cyclists being unaware and unresponsive to dangers" was not a surprise. That we've made it to 2020 without such a ban, is.

* that's not me in that stupid picture

 

[Profpointy]

Never mind earphones, people in cars drive with the windows shut and even listen to the radio

Motorcyclists wear (and are recommended to wear) ear plugs to reduce hearing damage from the (considerable) wind noise at speed

But cyclists are reckless and irresponsible for wearing earphones

I should add that I don't personally care to wear earphones cycling, but not particularly for any safety reason

 

[Deleted member 26715]

i could mention those of us who have limited/no hearing in the first place

 

[mjr]

i could mention those of us who have limited/no hearing in the first place

But you won't because we can't hear you over the music? ;-)

 

[numbnuts]

i could mention those of us who have limited/no hearing in the first place

Like me

 

[Jody]

It seems counter intuitive and I appreciate some people may not like the idea of headphones while riding, but I find i am more aware of whats going on around me when I have some ear buds in. The volume has to be at the right level on road though and can't be thumping.

 

[numbnuts]

It seems counter intuitive and I appreciate some people may not like the idea of headphones while riding, but I find i am more aware of whats going on around me when I have some ear buds in. The volume has to be at the right level on road though and can't be thumping.

Yes being more aware, since loosing some of my hearing I have become “more aware” of my surrounding more so while cycling, the body adapts

 

[steveindenmark]

I wear bone conductors and so can hear the traffic.

I wear ear plugs on my motorbike and can hear the traffic better than if I didnt wear them.

I see cyclists with those huge muff style headphones. I have no idea how they can hear outside noise

 

[mjr]

I see cyclists with those huge muff style headphones. I have no idea how they can hear outside noise

(emphasis added)

They don't need to. Motorists are too shocked by the obscenity to cause any trouble.

 

[Drago]

My car has inch think sound insulation and double glazing. Volvo don't seem to think that auditory exclusion is a major road safety issue, and neither do I.

All I can hear on my motorbikes are Yoshimira pipes and wind noise.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

All I can hear on my motorbikes are Yoshimira pipes and wind noise.

It can be uncomfortable riding a bike after eating curry

 

[anothersam]

The volume has to be at the right level on road though and can't be thumping.

Agreed that there is an ideal level, which varies depending on the environment (and song, for that matter). In the city I prefer loud enough to qualify as thumping; in the country I turn it down a notch. Though some have to be loud no matter what.


View: https://youtu.be/PdpAop7gp0w

I wear bone conductors

View: https://youtu.be/nqgUG_JVzCs

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Like me

Same here, but my bad hearing (with which I was born) doesn't make me any less aware of my surroundings.

 

[Kryton521]

Never really thought about it. Might be nice to have a bit of music to drown out the howling gale wind noise!

 

[Drago]

Went out in my Volvo the other day. It has double glazing (yes, honest) and I was listening to System of a Down on 11. The trail of destruction was impressive!

In all seriousness, its been long established that simply driving a car with the windows wound up gives a greater level of auditory exclusion than the typical wearing of headphones, yet this simple piece of info gets constantly overlooked in the ensuing hysteria.