dwolsten

This happens to me a lot. I wear earplugs, the kind you use at rock concerts, and I can barely hear passing cyclists who say this. Stop saying it! Get yourself a bell. This "on your left" thing is really idiotic IMO; if you want to be heard from far enough way for the warning to be useful, you need a bell, not your voice. And phrases like "on your left" can be confusing to many people, especially pedestrians and kids. A bell is simple and its meaning is almost instinctively understood immediately.

There's simply too much wind noise to ride for 40-60 miles without something in my ears: doing so would cause tinnitus, which also isn't exactly helpful for hearing people trying to talk to me on a bike. I can hear traffic noise just fine with them, but not people trying to talk to me, which happens a lot for some reason (usually from pedestrians).

profjmb

I think that those of us who ride with things in our ears should start ramming those without to show them that it's not safe to ride to go without.

Robert A

I don't know about things where you live, but in my state riding with earplugs is illegal. More to the point, "on your left" followed by a "thank you" is a universally understood and polite way to announce your presence when passing other cyclists.

FWIW, you've got me on the part about pedestrians and kids. Does anyone seriously shout "on your left" to kids?

dwolsten

What else are you going to shout at them if you didn't bother to get a bell?

And saying "on your left" to cyclists is, IMO, not useful. They already have wind noise in their ears, and for safety, you need to announce your presence well before your voice can carry to them, and at biking speeds this can be quite some distance. A good bell announces your presence far earlier than you can with your voice unless you're making yourself hoarse perhaps.

What I *have* seen some really serious cyclists do around here in the DC area (and I don't mean weekend warriors, I mean guys who look like they commute by bike every day) is use hand gestures to cyclists behind them to indicate pedestrians ahead and to ready to slow down for them.

As for illegality, as soon as the state can effectively legislate against the laws of physics so I don't have deafening wind noise in my ears at speed, then I'll respect their laws on earplugs.

downhillmaster

Robert A

I never said I run stop signs and red lights.

Paul Barnard

While I have never witnessed that, I suppose it does happen. That's why I slow, prepare to take evasive action and say "I am coming around YOUR left." I never have had an issue doing that. Folks who don't like to slow are setting themselves up for a mishap.

downhillmaster

rubiksoval

But the point was that calling out can cause issues regardless of whether or not someone is wearing headphones.

Robert A

I never run red lights. But like most cyclists, I yield at stop signs.

Paul Barnard

So can not calling out or ringing a bell. My belief, based on observation, experience and common sense tells me that slowing, planning evasive action and saying "I am coming around your left" gives the best results.

Robert A

I have two different experiences riding in Southern California. When I'm on a route frequented by distance cyclists, my closing speed when overtaking is slow (1-3 mph) and a verbal call-out is understood and appreciated. When I'm on a beach bike path frequented clueless cyclists, pedestrians unaware of their surroundings, kids learning to ride, etc, I slow down and hope for the best. Probably best to get a horn in those cases.

rubiksoval

I think you're getting lost in a tangent.

It's a conversation about headphones. You can do all of those things with headphones. So, cool.

mstateglfr 

Riders in my area do all the time. They pass my kids and call it out before doing so. It’s the exact thing we have taught our kids to do for slower cyclists, runners, and walkers when they are on MUPs- call out before approaching, slow a bit to make sure the pass will be OK, and give plenty of room.

A group will pass and the lead rider will usually say something like ‘4 more coming’ or however large the passing group is. Why wouldn’t they make kids aware they are passing?

OldTryGuy

JohnJ80

We ride all over the country. "on your left" is a mixed bag. About 30% of the time, people move TO the left. And if they have earphones in, you just never know what they'll do. I tend to just keep quiet and watch their knees like a hawk. You can't move in any direction without telegraphing it with our knees. If they move, I yell. Otherwise if they look like they are holding their line, I just go by.

I also ride with a mirror. You can't watch the mirror all the time so it really does help to know when to look. And it's true, in rural areas, especially where cars are moving fast, you can hear them quite a way off - even a very long way off. If you ride at night with a mirror, it's an entirely different game than if you are doing the same thing in daylight. A car's headlights in your mirror naturally attach your eyes. The same is not true during the day. FWIW, there are entire years I've only been able to ride at night and I've done thousands of miles that way.

People who ride with speakers? Annoying in their own right.

J.

noisebeam

I recommend if your environment allows for it socially to use a bluetooth type speaker. Handlebar or bottle cage.

I have since 2013 used an original JBL Charge bluetooth speaker - it fits perfectly in most bottle cages. The subsequent versions (2,3, etc) do not. I use if for my daily commutes and solo rides.
I love it so much that when I ruined the first one (very heavy rain) I bought another used and later another. I broke them thru carelessness, like seeing a storm coming and not putting it in plastic bag as I was having too much fun and estimated the storm wouldn't hit. So I am on my third one. I will need to find a new easier to source option.

Before anyone complains, when approaching or around pedestrians or same direction cyclists I turn it a little to way down depending on circumstances. Where I usually ride this need is infrequent.

DrIsotope

Now the "arguments" against headphones/speakers are just getting silly. If you're in an area so rural you can hear a car half a mile away, I would hope that all 8 of the cars that pass you in a day can see you.

I ride in you know... cities. Everything is loud. My ears also face forward like most other humans, so rangefinding objects behind me via audio cues is not one of my strengths.

For the umpteenth time, if you don't want to wear headphones on a bicycle, no one is making you. Be comfortable with your decisions. But please don't go playing erstwhile safety advocate.

Carbonfiberboy 

About the "call out" discussion. IME "On your left" is not productive and sometimes counterproductive. There is a good bit of time between the time the ears hear something and the brain processes it. It's always best to make it much longer, at least "I'm coming on your left," or better "Hello, I'm coming up on your left," something like that. I usually shout that about 20' or so away, then repeat just before I go by. That works much better. If it's kids, I say something like, "I'm catching up with you, please stay to the right, stay to the right, thank you." (not mentioning the word "left.")

KraneXL

If there's ever an accident you don't want that hanging over your head. You also don't want anything interfering with your case since covering both ears is a violation of California law.

Since OP already got that part right, I'd go the speaker route since I don't particularly like anything hanging from my ears when I'm exercising.

OldTryGuy

My night rides generally begin at midnight until dawn then shower/kit change/eat and repeat. 75 to 100+ miles in first segment then up to another 100. Day riding I am constantly checking and unless a vehicle was electric with mud tires, on our roads hearing before seeing not too likely.

I ring my Disney Mickey Mouse bell and call out "Passing on your left" ---- No confusion about that statement and I very often get a wave.

I had one of the cage speaker/iPod things and it was just too heavy/inefficient. My Altec is Bluetooth and waterproof with volume at level of ride appropriate. Riding with other people it's off or I'm off back and very low volume. Midnight ride I WAKE THE DEAD and it helps to warn the bobcats and coyotes.

noisebeam

The JBL Charge is one of the louder and better sound quality speakers that fit into a bottle cage. With larger drivers and more batteries come weight. But it sounded much better, less tinny, than the several handlebar options I tried.
It weighs less than 1lbs which is less than a full water bottle. I intentionally leave it behind on competitive rides with climbing, but take it on competitive flat rides if there will be at least 30min of solo riding too.

KraneXL

And yet no link to said speaker was seen that day.

GuitarBob

Same. The lack of a verb in 'on your left' can be a problem for folks who have not yet played this game.

JohnJ80

I've tried all of them including bells with no change - about 30% of people walking will tend to go the wrong way when you yell out. Whether it's because of smartphones usage while walking, ear buds, or cognitive issues it doesn't seem to make a difference. For instance, today, I came across a woman running with sound isolating over the ear headphones. This sort of behavior is bad and just getting worse.

I avoid MUPs like the plague. But where I can't, I don't say anything but I watch their knees and feet like a hawk. Hard to make a move that you don't telegraph with your feet.

Ride the road. It's a lot safer.

J.