Listening to Stuff on the Road
09-10-18, 05:44 PM
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Listening to Stuff on the Road
I am back into riding after a 2 decade hiatus. I like to listen to music and podcasts when riding on the road. I am looking for something that I can hear well in my right ear while allowing my left ear to be completely uncovered to hear things coming up on me.
Currently, I'm using a little Bluetooth ear piece. Relatively low volume. No good seal in the ear canal. No noise canceling and nothing to minimize the wind noise.
What are you all using? Or is this too dangerous with any equipment. Most of my riding is country roads and country highways.
Currently, I'm using a little Bluetooth ear piece. Relatively low volume. No good seal in the ear canal. No noise canceling and nothing to minimize the wind noise.
What are you all using? Or is this too dangerous with any equipment. Most of my riding is country roads and country highways.
09-10-18, 05:55 PM
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I don't usually listen to anything on the road. Too scetchy. When I'm on trails I use my Plantronics backbeat fits. They sound great, have on ear controls, last a good 8+ hours and let me still get outside sounds. When the music is playing I don't really notice the wind but you definitely hear it if you pause the music, podcast, etc. I've had mine for almost 2 years. I use them constantly and they still look like new and hold a charge. Highly recommended, just not on a road with cars
09-10-18, 06:02 PM
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I listen to whatever new noise has developed since my last ride, worry obsessively, and then try to fix it when I get home.
09-10-18, 06:10 PM
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I wear over the ear earbuds in both ears. I can still hear cars coming. If I can't, it's because of wind noise. But that's true regardless of earbuds.
09-10-18, 06:11 PM
#5
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Regular old wired Apple earbuds, one in right ear with volume high, none in left ear
09-10-18, 06:27 PM
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Listening to your favorite tunes while riding is a really really BAD IDEA! Reason is safety; on the road your ears are as important as your eyes. I ride country roads and highways and I can hear a car coming long before I can see it in the rear view mirror. As for the trails.... where I ride in the Pacific Northwest, off-road trails are shared by hikers, bicyclists and horses. A bicyclist runs down a hiker and you will be held liable (based on previous legal rulings)
09-10-18, 06:33 PM
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I use wired earbuds, cheapies from Lowes or Home Depot or wherever. If there's traffic I'll drop the left earbud out. I usually listen to spoken-word podcasts, but a couple weeks ago I loaded up a bunch of old music MP3s from the Napster days and rode with that. That was a very very very very good ride.
@Kitsap you're right, it's a safety compromise. If it feels like the wrong time or place I won't do it.
@Kitsap you're right, it's a safety compromise. If it feels like the wrong time or place I won't do it.
Last edited by rseeker; 09-10-18 at 06:40 PM.
09-10-18, 06:34 PM
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Trekz titanium bone conduction headphones. Can still hear everything on the road or path. I commute 16 miles each way and it allows for lots of podcast time doing Z2 rides.
09-10-18, 06:36 PM
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I've used ear buds for years and never had trouble hearing cars. Then again, I listen to podcasts, not music turned up to 11.
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09-10-18, 08:13 PM
#12
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I’d been switching on music from my iphone speaker in my jersey pocket for motivation on the second half of my rides lately. I just got an Altec Lansing baby boom BT speaker. Big improvement! It’s tiny, pocketable and just loud enough to hear yet not so loud I can’t hear vehicles approaching from behind.
09-10-18, 08:49 PM
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I used to always use ear buds. Had a close call and now I use none. I learned my lesson. It’s not a good idea but I do like the speaker in the water cage idea. Been tempted to do that a couple of times but never have yet.
09-10-18, 08:54 PM
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https://www.amazon.com/Anker-SoundBu...9LS?th=1&psc=1
wireless, comfortable rubber ear things in multiple sizes, and good battery life.
I can hear conversation around me while listening to music and the rubber ear buds do a good job of blocking out some wind.
wireless, comfortable rubber ear things in multiple sizes, and good battery life.
I can hear conversation around me while listening to music and the rubber ear buds do a good job of blocking out some wind.
09-10-18, 09:06 PM
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Listening to your favorite tunes while riding is a really really BAD IDEA! Reason is safety; on the road your ears are as important as your eyes. I ride country roads and highways and I can hear a car coming long before I can see it in the rear view mirror. As for the trails.... where I ride in the Pacific Northwest, off-road trails are shared by hikers, bicyclists and horses. A bicyclist runs down a hiker and you will be held liable (based on previous legal rulings)
the rest is on county roads/highways and trails. I hear as much as i want to, even with music playing. Just last week I had a short conversation with a guy from across an underpass/tunnel, so 40ish feet away. Music playing and all. Magic, I know.
as for hearing cars coming...i think there is limited benefit to knowing cars are coming. When i am riding along, what does it matter if a car is approaching from far behind? I will continue to pedal and the car will pass me as soon as they can. Me hearing it from 300 yards or 100 yards makes no difference. I don't ride differently when i dont have ear buds in.
09-10-18, 09:06 PM
#18
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I gotta respectfully disagree with that recommendation. I have the similar Anker soundcore Spirit earbuds, which are awesome indoors on the trainer, but they block enough sound that I would never trust wearing them out on the road.
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-SoundBu...9LS?th=1&psc=1
wireless, comfortable rubber ear things in multiple sizes, and good battery life.
I can hear conversation around me while listening to music and the rubber ear buds do a good job of blocking out some wind.
wireless, comfortable rubber ear things in multiple sizes, and good battery life.
I can hear conversation around me while listening to music and the rubber ear buds do a good job of blocking out some wind.
09-10-18, 09:10 PM
#19
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in the end though, it's good reason to try different styles since things fit and work differently for each of us.
09-10-18, 09:14 PM
#20
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Yeah I definitely can’t hear my GF when I’m wearing them, and she’s not a quiet person haha 
interesting since i can use people talking around me. I might play the music lower. Or the buds might not be in my ears as far. Or I might be blissfully ignorant of my surrounding while thinking all is well.
in the end though, it's good reason to try different styles since things fit and work differently for each of us.
in the end though, it's good reason to try different styles since things fit and work differently for each of us.
09-11-18, 10:08 AM
#21
Junior Member
I also like to hear music while riding. I started out on BT headphones but too much sound is blocked. I finally found my perfect solution:
A Coros Omni helmet- bone conducting headphones built in, nice speaker hidden up top for phone calls if you must, safety light, and crash detection.
I've had it for about 500 miles now and it works as advertised and I'm quite happy with it. I also got the new Varia Radar so now, when a car approaches from behind, I can hear the audio beep alert from my Garmin. It really works great having both of these tools.
A Coros Omni helmet- bone conducting headphones built in, nice speaker hidden up top for phone calls if you must, safety light, and crash detection.
I've had it for about 500 miles now and it works as advertised and I'm quite happy with it. I also got the new Varia Radar so now, when a car approaches from behind, I can hear the audio beep alert from my Garmin. It really works great having both of these tools.
09-11-18, 10:31 AM
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One earbud, mostly podcasts. Occasionally Giants games when they're on the east coast.
09-11-18, 01:30 PM
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The only thing I listen to is the wind rushing past my ears. Nothing IMO ruins a good ride more than some jackazz riding down the MUP with a radio so loud it'll wake the dead. Radios should be verboten on MUPS.
Jon
Jon
09-11-18, 01:37 PM
#24
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I listen to the world I'm moving through. I want every advantage I can have when it comes to hearing something coming up behind me.
09-11-18, 01:45 PM
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Having spent much of my life behind the wheel (pizza delivery as a kid, then truck driver for a little over 20 years), listening to the radio the whole time, I have a pretty good playlist in my head.
I never could get used to the idea of plugging my ear(s) while riding my bicycle, but I got pretty good at running favorite songs through my head while riding.
This didn't have an adverse effect on hearing what was going on around me, and no annoying ads!
I never could get used to the idea of plugging my ear(s) while riding my bicycle, but I got pretty good at running favorite songs through my head while riding.
This didn't have an adverse effect on hearing what was going on around me, and no annoying ads!
