Listen to Music or not?

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smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
[QUOTE 1725192, member: 45"]I don't need to see it to know that if there's a physical barrier between your ears and the outside world then your hearing will be impaired. And neither do you.[/quote]

I refer you to my previous comment re bats.

d.
 

benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
I really must find the article I mentioned above - it refutes this argument quite convincingly. Of course, it may well be that I found it convincing because I wanted to agree with its conclusions but until I've found it, I'm afraid you won't have the opportunity to counter its claims. Sorry!

d.

Confirmation bias is the phrase you're after there.
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http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=2444
 

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
I said there are sounds, I didn't say anything about being distracted by them.

The point is that sound information from your environment is at best unhelpful and at worst misleading. My sense of hearing is low down the scale of useful senses when cycling.

d.
 
OP
OP
Aiden_23

Aiden_23

Active Member
This is just getting silly now!!! I wish I never asked the question in the first place. At the end of the day it all about the individual forget Physics.If you want to use 16 lights on your bike for safety or cycle in the gutter then its your choice,if you enjoy music while you cycle(as I did for years both running and MTB cycling on the road) and feel safe doing so then why not! I personally dont feel safe travelling at 15mph while riding through heavy traffic with an ipod in, but in time with experience I might feel confident enough to use it.
 

Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
[QUOTE 1724032, member: 45"]It takes away some of your ability to hear what's around you. If you can live with that, then go for it. It's up to you. Just don't try to justify it by pretending that it makes no difference, or even actually improves your ability to hear....[/quote]

Here we go again. I'm not sure what User is using, but it clearly is blocking his ability to listen.

I've been here before and cannot be arsed to get into another row about it. User clearly has very strong views on the matter based on ... well, no evidence whatsoever other than his own anecdotes, and he certainly isn't interested in what anyone else has to say about it if it conflicts with his views and will answer it by cherry picking and belittling those he disagrees with.

I wear a set of open backed bluetooth headphones when cycling. They're a set of bluetooth open back headphones with music at a moderate volume. They do not make a tangible difference to how much I can hear any more than putting speakers on your bike some how. They reduce wind noise. These are my experiences and are not open to debate unless you believe I am lying (presumably I'm a mole working for the mp3 player industry).

They do not 'remove a vital sense'. They are not the audible equivalent of wearing a blindfold - unless you wear to wear huge sealed units blasting out 100dB+ white noise - I wouldn't recommend that regardless of whether you are riding a bike or not.

Some people are ignorant and easily distracted and may ride around with music blasting away music in a world of their own acting like plums. Removing the music from such people is unlikely to change that. If you feel that music distracts you too much that's fair enough. No one is telling you that you should wear headphones and listen to music when you are riding if you don't want to.

I don't see any point to those one ear or handlebar speaker devices.

[I have BSc in Sound Technology including modules in acoustics and psychoacoustics, and 8 years of experience as a professional in audio, mostly in post production. I kind of know a fair bit about sound and its effects]
 

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
[QUOTE 1725232, member: 45"]So when I heard the siren behind me on the way home today before it was in view?[/quote]

Emergency sirens are pretty loud. You'd have to be wearing some serious noise-cancelling headphones not to hear them. Indeed, I was perfectly able to hear the ambulance as it approached from some way off as I rode through Beckenham this evening, even though I was enjoying listening to the splendid new Django Django album at the time.

When I hear the car behind drop a gear?....

I don't know. When you hear the car behind you drop a gear... what? You dive off the road and start praying?

d.
 

col

Legendary Member
I dont see a problem with one earpiece in only, I mean how much can you hear being inside a car with the sterio blasting ?
 

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
[QUOTE 1725270, member: 45"]You know, noises get louder as they get nearer. There's a point where you will distinguish a siren above the other noise. This point is sooner when you're not wearing headphones. This is neither unhelpful nor misleading. [/quote]

I heard the ambulance from about half a mile away tonight. Admittedly, it was touch and go whether I was going to be able to take evasive action in time, but somehow I managed it.

When you hear a change in the engine note from the car behind it's an indication that he's about to do something. If he drops a gear and revs you're alerted to the fact that he could be about to overtake. Make as many backward glances as you can but this is additional and useful information. Not at all misleading.

In what way is it useful? What exactly do you do with this information? It's either safe for him to overtake or it isn't. Me hearing him drop a gear makes no difference to road conditions.

d.
 
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