wolfchild

I haven't listened to music while driving for the past 3 years...I find it very strange that so many people need constant non-stop stimulation from electronic devices or else they can't function normally.

MattTheHat 

Not a single person in this thread mentioned needing “constant non-stop stimulation from electronic devices.” Just curious...when you last rode while listening to music (over 3 years ago)...was it because you had a need for constant non-stop stimulation from electronic devices? Or did you just want to listen to some tunes?

People who chose to ride with music do so because they want to, not because of some mysterious uncontrollable need. You come across as a grumpy old person who can’t deal with technology so it all must be bad.

phughes

I have a Piko 3 light up front which is very bright, a large red light on the back on my rack, the width of the rack, which is solid red, not blinking, and I have a blinking red light above that, mounted on the seat post. Sorry, driving, and biking requires the same thing, attention, if you are not willing to move your eyes around at all times, just like you do while driving, or rather the way should while driving, you are not going to be safe, ears or not. I am always shifting between looking up front, and at my mirror, because I like to live. I also scan driveways, and intersecting roads for cars, as well as looking at the person driving to see where they re looking. Often you can better tell what they are going to do, by seeing the driver themselves.

I ride motorcycles as well, and have close to 200,000 miles on them, and ride them defensively, just as I ride a bicycle defensively. I also have around a million miles driving cars. All of those things require you to be paying attention. If you are not willing to do that on a bicycle, stay off the road. You will be danger to yourself, and to others. Car drivers also do not need the hassle of hitting you because you relied on your hearing to discern how close they are, instead of using your eyes, and then stray into their path.

Stay safe, whether you wear earphones or not. Cheers.

GlennR

With the amount of potholes and debris on the roads by me, if you're not looking forward you can miss one in the shadows. So having your hearing at 100% is necessary.

BTW, I use Bontrager Ion 100 from and Flare R rear strobes.

wolfchild

Notice I said while driving a vehicle and not while riding my bike.. My appetite for music is something I only do very occasionally when sitting at home or once every few years I'll listen to it while driving my vehicle...I have been cycling for 13 years and never listened to music while riding my bikes, not even once....Safety and situational awareness is part of the reason, the other reason is that I just find it annoying and distracting.

GlennR

Hey.. just realized we're arguing the wrong topic. The title is

Listening to Music via Headphones?

And we're talking about earbuds.

So what are your thoughts about over the ear headphones?

Oneder

The guys with lights always make me laugh. Barring cyclist error people don't get run over by conscientious drivers they get run over by selfish entitled scumbags and by drunks. The conscientious drivers will be overly generous to bicycles yielding even when you are not going to go and don't have the signal. The scumbags don't care and are blasting music while texting or even have a movie running, or are so out of it from booze or drugs they would either never know or care you were there even if you shot off a firework every ten seconds.

GlennR

I disagree, I used to not have lights until one bright sunny day when I rode under the LIE, a 8 lane interstate and was almost hit by a car. I had no light, riding a matte black bike wearing black bibs and dark red jersey. I also find riding early in the morning when the shadows are long, you can disappear for a few seconds and a car might not see you.

The front strobe is needed when riding south in the winter when the sun is low and in the eyes of drivers.

I keep the lights on the bike and car easily reach both to turn on and off as needed.

mstateglfr 

Having your hearing at 100% is necessary because you need to always watch for debris coming up?
Is that because your ears can see?

GlennR

It's to hear cars while you're looking forward.

Duh.

texaspandj

lol +1

texaspandj

Bahaha +1

mstateglfr 

Yeah I get it, I just found the phrasing to be funny so I pointed it out.
I also decided to post that dumb question since it highlights what has been said time and again- you don't need to hear what is coming from behind since you shouldn't need to change your behavior.
if you are riding properly as it is, then continue riding properly and let traffic pass you. You can know about it or not know about it- either way, you ride consistently and traffic passes.
You don't need your ears at 100% to do this.

I honestly couldn't care about this topic in general, its the absurd continued claims that I need to hear what's coming from behind to stay safe that has kept me coming back to the thread.
I do nothing different when a car passes me than when no car passes me. Literally nothing different.

That lemond poster apparently looks back at each car as its about to pass. To me, that sounds like the dumbest and least safe thing to do in that moment.
You apparently need to hear when soccer moms with small dogs are approaching because, reasons.

Cool- you guys do you. Just because my level of paranoia doesn't rise to your level of paranoia, that doesn't automatically mean I'm being unsafe. Thats what this boils down to. You ride in what seems like an unsafe area, and are projecting your cautions and fears on how others should behave. Seems like a fairly common behavior, based on what I read here.

GlennR

Funny how?

I generally ride slightly to the left of the white line to stay out of the sand and debris on the side of the road. When on a one lane road and hear a car coming up, I move to the right of the white line.

I guess all of you ride on pristine empty roads.

I'm jealous.

DrIsotope

I can pretty much guarantee the roads here are worse than the roads there. Some of the roads in unincorporated territory haven't been repaved since the 70s.

So I improvise by selecting roads with less traffic + Varia radar = riding smack in the middle of the lane, should I have the inclination.

I imagine Long Island has more than say... four or five roads on it. There simply has to be a handful not occupied by drivers who are apparently hellbent on murdering you.

phughes

Why? I ride a lot at night.

MattTheHat 

Let me rephrase the question for you:

Just curious...when you last drove while listening to music (over 3 years ago)...was it because you had a need for “constant non-stop stimulation from electronic devices?” Or did you just want to listen to some tunes?

MattTheHat 

I disagree. When I started using this Bontrager solar flare bright rear blinky, close passes dropped DRAMATICALLY. It’s so obnoxiously bright and blinky that drivers have to move a few feet away to prevent seizures.

Atlas Shrugged

I love this never ending to headphone or not to headphone song! My setup is Varia radar and AirPods Pro in transparency mode for some of my rides when I feel it’s appropriate. But hey there is no shortage of scolds in this world so judge away.

Oneder

Yeah that is a good point, ones that actually irritate the onlooker probably do work.

texaspandj

+1

indyfabz

I think I am going to ask the mods to make this topic a sticky, like helmets.

adlai

So today I rode my bike in traffic. I have very good noise cancelling headphones, some of the best in the industry. And I listened to music at a volume that I could not hear the outside world.

Yeah, I was completely fine. I even waited at a stop light in traffic. To compensate for my being slower, I stayed to the right and went on the sidewalk when I could. most cars would give me space. One went by while I was unawares a little closer than the others, but it was well within the traffic lanes and I was so far to the right that it did not matter.

I even didn’t wear my glasses so my vision was 20/600.

So yeah, suck it.

GlennR

Sure, bring one over.


BTW, i have Bose Quietcomfort 35 ii and it's unsettling how well they work. They are awesome on a airplane,

adlai

And also here's a tip: wearing a hood over your head and under the helmet gets rid of the wind noise problem. So you can enjoy your music (or podcast, or audiobook) while riding.

You are welcome.