nope, not that either.
listening to music whilst cycling???
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nope, not that either.
Now I think you are just being deliberately contrarian.
There have been plenty of times, riding in built up areas, headphones on or off, I've suddenly heard a quick 'vroom!' behind me. Instinctively I've turned to look behind me. Often, it's not a car coming towards me but one going across a junction at 90 degrees behind me. With the amount of things making noise around you, and tall, hard surfaced buildings surrounding and creating echos and acoustic pathways in all directions, it's almost impossible to tell exactly where a sound is coming from and whether it is coming from something that is going to affect you - sirens can be heard from miles away and you can only tell exactly where it is when either you can see it or it's very close to you.
Besides, this is nitpicking one aspect of an overall point I was making. What does one do with this auditory information? How does one use sound to make a decision whilst riding?
There have been plenty of times, riding in built up areas, headphones on or off, I've suddenly heard a quick 'vroom!' behind me. Instinctively I've turned to look behind me. Often, it's not a car coming towards me but one going across a junction at 90 degrees behind me. With the amount of things making noise around you, and tall, hard surfaced buildings surrounding and creating echos and acoustic pathways in all directions, it's almost impossible to tell exactly where a sound is coming from and whether it is coming from something that is going to affect you - sirens can be heard from miles away and you can only tell exactly where it is when either you can see it or it's very close to you.
Besides, this is nitpicking one aspect of an overall point I was making. What does one do with this auditory information? How does one use sound to make a decision whilst riding?
I use it as one of the two environmental senses to get information about the risks which surround me on a bike.
How would you expect to use it? Or are you asking because you don't know, having blanked it out by listening to music?
Speak for yourself. I would take those headphones off if I were you and learn to use your ears and other senses properly. On my bike on my commute I can tell from where a siren is coming from quite easy and whether it's going to effect me and/or the traffic around me or not. That way I can then anticipate on what immediate or future course of action I would have to take.
[QUOTE 1377688"]
You asked a question and received a number of honest responses, all saying the same thing. [/quote]
I am perhaps being paranoid or argument-tired but the responses have all come from people who have generally been disagreeing with me about headphones on this thread.
I'm not trying to 'win' the 'argument' here, I just wish that the points I've made which I feel are valid are accepted or at least understood, but thus far most of the argument has been with people who already have existing negative ideas about headphone use merely dismissing my points without fairly addressing them.
I'm not demanding people wear headphones against their will or something, I just don't like being told that wearing headphones and listening to music is something to be criticised for. In my case, with my headphones, it does reduce wind noise and barely impacts my ability to hear.
Humour me. Don't act with incredulous distain because I asked a question. I think it's a valid one, and one worthy of discussion. What audible cues do we use to make decisions when riding?
You asked a question and received a number of honest responses, all saying the same thing. [/quote]
I am perhaps being paranoid or argument-tired but the responses have all come from people who have generally been disagreeing with me about headphones on this thread.
I'm not trying to 'win' the 'argument' here, I just wish that the points I've made which I feel are valid are accepted or at least understood, but thus far most of the argument has been with people who already have existing negative ideas about headphone use merely dismissing my points without fairly addressing them.
I'm not demanding people wear headphones against their will or something, I just don't like being told that wearing headphones and listening to music is something to be criticised for. In my case, with my headphones, it does reduce wind noise and barely impacts my ability to hear.
Humour me. Don't act with incredulous distain because I asked a question. I think it's a valid one, and one worthy of discussion. What audible cues do we use to make decisions when riding?
Rhythm Thief
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- Ross on Wye
Is it, like most of your "theories", simply something you've made up to support a view you already hold?
Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
Doesn't this demonstrate rather neatly the value of being able to hear while riding? Which, incidentally, is not enhanced by having music playing.
Why so hostile?
I'm not sure I've got my point across.
Example:
If you were where the green blob is (I'm afraid that means you would be in Derby, sorry about that!) and an ambulance is where the red blob is, you would hear it - as sirens are loud and travel far - but with the distance and amount of surfaces the sound is bouncing around, you wouldn't be able to pinpoint it's exact location, only that somewhere around is an ambulance.
Not if that information hasn't been useful in making a decision that would make the rider safer.
I should reaffirm - I'm not saying that hearing stuff is useless, I'm just suggesting it's use may be overstated, and I think that's worthy of discussion.
gaz
Cycle Camera TV
- Location
- South Croydon
Either you have very low buildings in derby or the emergency services use very loud sirens!
I couldn't hear a siren that distance away with that many buildings in the way in London. Especially with all the buses, lorries and other noises going on.
On another note, perhaps I will ride home with my headphones on with no music playing abd see what difference it makes.
I couldn't hear a siren that distance away with that many buildings in the way in London. Especially with all the buses, lorries and other noises going on.
On another note, perhaps I will ride home with my headphones on with no music playing abd see what difference it makes.
numbnuts
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gone over the hill and far away
if you use a mirror and I do "mean use" it it wouldn't matter if you are listening to music
I'm deaf in my right ear and the left one is not much better, if fact when I do use my MP3 only on quiet roads I'm looking in my mirror all the time the same as when I'm driving as if it is set up OK you only move your eyes
Why so hostile?
Stop being so paranoid.. not being hostile at all. Just a simple observation.
I'm not sure I've got my point across.
You get your point across ok. I would have a very good idea from which direction the siren would be coming from. And as I said in my previous post. I would be able to work it out and be able to take any action necessary if needed. Looking at the map I would be in a one way street, so the siren would be coming from behind. It certainly wouldn't be coming from in front of me.
s
Example:
If you were where the green blob is (I'm afraid that means you would be in Derby, sorry about that!) and an ambulance is where the red blob is, you would hear it - as sirens are loud and travel far - but with the distance and amount of surfaces the sound is bouncing around, you wouldn't be able to pinpoint it's exact location, only that somewhere around is an ambulance.
[QUOTE 1377690"]
Btw, what headphones do you use which are less than a mm thick?
[/quote]
Hands up - slight exaggeration on the mm thick bit:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jabra-BT620-Tooth-Stereo-Headset/dp/B000FH8YJC
But what you do have is - plastic shell, less than mm thick, thin metal and plastic driver and membrane, couple of mm of foam. Like I said earlier, from very unscientific test of putting on and taking off suggested they don't significantly reduce the amount of sound entering the ear - in other words, on or off things outside of them sound pretty much the same.
Btw, what headphones do you use which are less than a mm thick?
[/quote]
Hands up - slight exaggeration on the mm thick bit:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jabra-BT620-Tooth-Stereo-Headset/dp/B000FH8YJC
But what you do have is - plastic shell, less than mm thick, thin metal and plastic driver and membrane, couple of mm of foam. Like I said earlier, from very unscientific test of putting on and taking off suggested they don't significantly reduce the amount of sound entering the ear - in other words, on or off things outside of them sound pretty much the same.
Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
Surely you have to factor in AC/DC or whoever coming out of the headphones into your ears, though? I mean, it's not just whether having something covering your ears improves your ability to hear stuff, is it?
If say the buildings behind were particularly high, and those in front quite low, the sound could in theory be reflected about so it would seem as if the sound was coming from in front. Also that road has a cycle contraflow so you could be going the other way
Sound does stuff like that to us - with our fixed-position ears and their poor response to fequency and dynamics compared to other animals, our brains are easily fooled.(p.s. I'm not sure how I could interpret 'stop being paranoid' and 'I would take those headphones off if I were you and learn to use your ears and other senses properly.' as not being at least a little bit hostile. Please understand how it can be seen as that, remember this is just words on a screen and the sentiment behind it can't be seen or felt)
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