I just did a little test.....
MP3 and headphones.
1. In town: I found that the music in both ears greatly limited both my ability to hear and my sense of being a part of the traffic. It was altogether disconcerting. I took out first one ear thingy, then the other.
2. Climbing big hills near my town: Music kept me pedalling and I felt no sense of disengagement. As I look backward very often when climbing, I was not aware of any increased risk. I'd do that again, but the wires to the 'phones need to be long enough to allow for popping up out of the saddle. My ability to hear traffic was altered, but at no point did I feel more exposed than I would have done without earphones.
3. Descending at speed: Awesome. The MP3 earpieces completely stopped the wind noise. The music was great. I was shocked, when I pulled the ear thingies out, at quite how loud and intrusive the wind roar was. I'd never really noticed it before.
Comparison with listening to music in a car: Almost none. Physical activity v sitting and watching. Noisy, exposed environment v cocoon. A battery of mirrors v looking round.
My (highly personal and not very empirical) conclusions:
A: I liked cycling in the hills (no junctions, just big climbs and long descents) with music.
B: I felt very exposed and slightly nervous and irresponsible listening to music in town. I did not like it.
Everyone will feel differently about this, but that's about where I am.
It was Byrne & Eno, Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Excellent music for a ride in sunny, windswept hills.
MP3 and headphones.
1. In town: I found that the music in both ears greatly limited both my ability to hear and my sense of being a part of the traffic. It was altogether disconcerting. I took out first one ear thingy, then the other.
2. Climbing big hills near my town: Music kept me pedalling and I felt no sense of disengagement. As I look backward very often when climbing, I was not aware of any increased risk. I'd do that again, but the wires to the 'phones need to be long enough to allow for popping up out of the saddle. My ability to hear traffic was altered, but at no point did I feel more exposed than I would have done without earphones.
3. Descending at speed: Awesome. The MP3 earpieces completely stopped the wind noise. The music was great. I was shocked, when I pulled the ear thingies out, at quite how loud and intrusive the wind roar was. I'd never really noticed it before.
Comparison with listening to music in a car: Almost none. Physical activity v sitting and watching. Noisy, exposed environment v cocoon. A battery of mirrors v looking round.
My (highly personal and not very empirical) conclusions:
A: I liked cycling in the hills (no junctions, just big climbs and long descents) with music.
B: I felt very exposed and slightly nervous and irresponsible listening to music in town. I did not like it.
Everyone will feel differently about this, but that's about where I am.
It was Byrne & Eno, Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Excellent music for a ride in sunny, windswept hills.
