listening to music whilst cycling???

[Mad at urage]

Way back when this thread started, I did an impromptu experiment on my route home: I deliberately listened to the car sounds around me (instead of 'just' assimilating the information about what is going on around me). I was easily able to predict when a particular car would pass, how close and how fast - simply from the engine note. Aggressive driving tends to use (too) high revs, you can hear whether they are easing off etc.

I suspect those who don't believe how hearing the sounds around can help, have rather poor hearing anyway (and assuming they are sensible, will indeed compensate by looking more).

 

[thecryof]

I listen to Cyclemeter through one earbud.

 

[MacB]

THEORETICAL TANGENT!

1. What do we need hearing for when riding anyway?

That car coming up behind? What are we supposed to do with this information?

2. As humans, our ability to locate sound sources is rubbish. With loads of noise in cities, and lots of hard reflective surfaces around that ability is all but ruined. How many times have you turned round suddenly because of what sounded like a car suddenly accellerating hard up behind you, to find nothing there?

Several times but almost always on country lanes, even to the point of moving over as I 'know' there's something big coming, then performing a lifesaver and finding the road totally deserted. Embarassingly this has also occurred in the dark and it's only after the visual verification that I've twigged that I might, just might, have noticed the headlights on a dark country lane, had there been something there

Conclusion my hearing perception is crap so I use my eyes more

 

[david1701]

Several times but almost always on country lanes, even to the point of moving over as I 'know' there's something big coming, then performing a lifesaver and finding the road totally deserted. Embarassingly this has also occurred in the dark and it's only after the visual verification that I've twigged that I might, just might, have noticed the headlights on a dark country lane, had there been something there

Conclusion my hearing perception is crap so I use my eyes more

exactly the same thing I do, though I don't hear it if its there, hence I'm not as worried about having my hearing at 1000% when I ride. Maybe this is a rural vs urban thing?

 

[gaz]

That's slightly more condescending than you had intended, perhaps? And I think it's supported by the number of cyclists we all see who don't look behind them before junctions and before pulling out around parked cars. They are relying on their hearing, when it doesn't tell them that a quiet bicycle or electric car is behind them.

I agree with mikey on this one. Near daily I see cyclists moving out of the bus lane to get around a bus. They don't look or indicate they just hope nothing is there. When i see them they are lucky i've already taken the lane and I am stopping bigger vehicles from passing them.

 

[VamP]

Ha ha... As it happens I am a Kusturica fan, although he is by no means an Albanian.... He is slightly Serbian - and in recent history (last 800 years) there has occasionally been friction between these two groups.

Kusturica's film 'Otac na sluzbenom putu' is a classic beyond measure.

I love Serbian folk music too, but had none in the car to torture said youngest issue with.

Film4 should do a series of films from the western Balkans: Lepa sela lepo gore; Savrseni krug, Nicija zemlja; When daddy was away on business etc...

What I've never thought of (until now) is Albanian folk on a bicycle...

Cycling is not a huge passtime in the western Balkans. A pity, as the hills are perfect for it.

I believe I am guilty of digression here, but I was provoked.

Oh hey I reckon this thread needs digression - of course, coming back to it a week late, the flow is somewhat lost.

Point taken on the diverse variety of Balkan folk - as well as the history of animosity. Otac na sluzbenom putu is great, and I love Crna macka, beli macor and Dom za vesanje. I guess my reference point for balkan folk is Goran Bregovic, so that kinda keeps it narrow. Impressed with your knowledge of the region, do you have a connection there?


And a huge +1 for a Balkan film season on Film 4! Would be tempted to get a telly just for that.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

That's slightly more condescending than you had intended, perhaps? And I think it's supported by the number of cyclists we all see who don't look behind them before junctions and before pulling out around parked cars. They are relying on their hearing, when it doesn't tell them that a quiet bicycle or electric car is behind them.

No more or less condescending than I meant it to be, which is to say not at all. It's not supported by the examples you quote at all, you're merely underestimating the extraordinary number of idiots out there with no road sense, many of whom happen to ride bikes. Some will have headphones in, some won't, but I suspect that those you see pulling out without looking would be exactly the same with Metallica blasting into their ears.
Incidentally, as someone else said earlier, "listening" is not the same as "hearing". I use my hearing to listen for vehicles coming up behind when I'm out and about, backed up by looking over my shoulder a lot. If you find you can get by without listening to what's behind you, that's great, but I like being able to use as many of my senses as possible.

 

[gaz]

[QUOTE 1377728"]
We all see cyclists not looking behind enough. It's a bit daft though to suggest this as an argument against the open-ear supporters.
[/quote]
Is it? I don't see any suggestion that it is against open ear.

 

[BentMikey]

Way back when this thread started, I did an impromptu experiment on my route home: I deliberately listened to the car sounds around me (instead of 'just' assimilating the information about what is going on around me). I was easily able to predict when a particular car would pass, how close and how fast - simply from the engine note. Aggressive driving tends to use (too) high revs, you can hear whether they are easing off etc.

I suspect those who don't believe how hearing the sounds around can help, have rather poor hearing anyway (and assuming they are sensible, will indeed compensate by looking more).

See Gaz's point - listening doesn't help you hear a silent vehicle. Looking is the right way to see those, hearing isn't needed.

Anyway, as an aside, listening to music doesn't stop you hearing how and when drivers are going to pass you, aggressively, etc. It's still better to use your eyes to work this one out. I look back on average perhaps every few seconds, sometimes more often, and sometimes less. It gives far higher quality of information than what I can hear.

 

[Mad at urage]

See Gaz's point - listening doesn't help you hear a silent vehicle. Looking is the right way to see those, hearing isn't needed.

Anyway, as an aside, listening to music doesn't stop you hearing how and when drivers are going to pass you, aggressively, etc. It's still better to use your eyes to work this one out. I look back on average perhaps every few seconds, sometimes more often, and sometimes less. It gives far higher quality of information than what I can hear.

Silent vehicles? I can hear tyre noise of electric vehicles (and on a quiet road, of 'bikes)!

It's not about seeing giving "quality information" and hearing not, they give different kinds of information. What you cannot see is the driver's engine revs, you cannot (unless you are looking back continually) see the whole stream of traffic and how it is moving. Hearing isn't any magic alternative to seeing, it is complementary information that can be used to add to what you now from looking behind.

Edit to add: This is of course why the 'Green Cross Code' included the instruction "Look all around for traffic, and listen." rather than "Look all around for traffic, but don't bother to listen".

 

[corshamjim]

Maybe I'm old-fashioned but I think it's polite to be able to hear other cyclists when they say hello to you (or offer useful information like watch out for the ice patch up ahead or whatever).

 

[Mawsley]

Maybe I'm just being off-message, but I've always thought that as long as it is not illegal, endangering me and shocking the children/animals then people are free to do as they wish.

But then I've always been a bit radical like that.

 

[Benthedoon]

Having just scrolled through the vast majority of the near 200 posts in this thread I've seen all the pro's and con's and the comparisons between headphone use and car stereo use, I commute to my driving job and windows + stereo reduce external noise considerably more than earphones at a sensible level, however, mirrors help counteract this in a vehicle (although not everybody uses them) as looking over your shoulder does on a bike.
One thing I didn't see mentioned is the promoted use of earplugs when riding a motorbike, massive engine and wind noise make earplugs the complete norm, in fact, it's frowned upon to not use them.

 

[Norm]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is the promoted use of earplugs when riding a motorbike, massive engine and wind noise make earplugs the complete norm, in fact, it's frowned upon to not use them.

Coincidentally, what with me also being the complete Norm, I thought I had made reference to this issue. Must have been in another "headphones" thread, they do pop up fairly regularly.

Anyhoo, my point is that the earplugs used for motorbikes are generally designed to specifically filter out wind noise, and they have less effect on other frequencies. I can hear the motorbike engine a lot better, for instance, when wearing ear plugs than when going commando.

 

[Woz!]

Ha! I use headphones on my bike AND motorbike

I also have mirrors on both.