DaveQ24

Assuming you listen to music - I know, opinions are mixed ... "it's great" to "it's dangerous" Personally, I enjoy it (but I would NEVER ride - or run for that matter, with headphones/earbuds - that IS dangerous IMHO - speakers or a single earpiece bluetooth headset are my methods respectively).

Just curious ... because I don't "feel old" in a lot of ways, and at 51 I listen to a lot of contemporary artists. Over the past few weeks, I've integrated a few new albums into my riding playlist:

Revolution Radio - Green Day
This House is Not for Sale - Bon Jovi
They Don't Know - Jason Aldean
Oh My My - One Republic
Here - Alicia Keys
A Wonderful World - Susan Boyle
Wild World - Bastille

So, who/what do you listen to, and is it current or your "old favorites"? One genre or many?

BlazingPedals

I play AC-DC, but only in my head.

FBinNY 

I listen to the hum of tires on pavement, wind blowing past my ears, and the sounds of the area I'm riding through.

IMO - on of the best differences between being on a bicycle and driving is that drivers pass through places without ever being there, and bicyclists are part of wherever they are as they pass.

Friends often comment on how much I see while on a bike, and I OTOH wonder at how much they miss.

10 Wheels

The Wind and Traffic.

Rollfast

I don't even take my AM radio out anymore.

John_V 

Classic rock when riding solo on the MUP during the week but other than that, nothing.

Papa Tom

New and old Country (+ seasonal favorites like Jimmy Buffett and Zak Brown) during the Summer; Rock & Pop classics (mostly AM stuff - not "classic rock") from the 50's to the 90's in the Fall and Spring.

02Giant 

The rocks rolling around in my head.

katzenfinch

The voices in my head are usually pretty entertaining.

Rollfast

Until they start arguing about politics.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveQ24

Assuming you listen to music - I know, opinions are mixed ..."it's great" to "it's dangerous" Personally, I enjoy it (but I would NEVER ride - or run for that matter, with headphones/earbuds -that IS dangerous IMHO - speakers or a single earpiece bluetooth headset are my methods respectively).

Just curious ... because I don't "feel old" in a lot of ways, and at 51 I listen to a lot of contemporary artists. Over the past few weeks, I'veintegrated a few new albums into my riding playlist:

So, who/what do you listen to, and is it current or your "oldfavorites"? One genre or many?

Well Sonny Boy, I listen mostly to radio talk shows on my commute. I find podcasts and audio books take too much concentration…too “linear,” while talk shows are free flowing and I can tune in and out.

For music, I have listed my playlist on my profile page (on page 2), a couple hundred songs with about half Big Band tunes before 1950,and the rest Rock Golden Oldies, with about three songs after 1980…they just don’t make them like they used to….

I have two playlists. one called Cycling. for usual riding, and a subset called Hill Country, with all up-tempo tunes.

leob1

If you ask my wife, I listen to the wind whistling through the hole in my head.

rck

In my head I usually find myself singing the theme song from "Gilligan's Island". It is OK on a short ride but 40-50 miles of it can drive you a little wackier!

bikejrff

Ironically, The Cars.

texaspandj

From day one on my cycling adventure ive listened with ear buds. I'm a musician but compared to my bandmates I'm more a music lover. In the 1980s I had to use a Walkman cassette player. Back then it was Prince, Bruce Springsteen, and other 80s artist at the time. Now its my phone Pandora. With 80s pop, 70s funk, or individual artist that I always liked but never bought their music like Phil Collins and the like. It's possible for me to like a complete album from an artist but not like all their music. If that makes any sense. Another way of putting it is that I have several favorite albums downloaded yet not like another album by that artist. So I have some of those albums down loaded. And then some of my all time favorites such as a very hard to find Donny Hathaway Live, earth wind and fire gratitude album, and the Arc Angels 1st album.
To Me, Music enhances almost every single experience in life including riding my bike.
If I ride with a group I don't listen to music or if i had to ride on a mup I wouldn't listen with ear buds.

Moe Zhoost

I don't listen to music when I ride, but if I were to, it would probably be something classical, especially opera.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by FBinNY

I listen to the hum of tires on pavement,wind blowing past my ears, and the sounds of the area I'm riding through.

IMO - on of the best differences between being on a bicycle and driving is that drivers pass through places without ever being there, and bicyclists are part of wherever they are as they pass.

Friends often comment on how much I see while on a bike, and I OTOH wonder at how much they miss.

So they say. I have posted on a few threads about boredom on a route,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I'm very motivated by novelty, and stymied by boredom on a bike, but I do have the motivation of commuting to work. I have found that when I drive my frequent, decades-old routes I often notice things I had not seen before. I think it’s because I can look around at more than just the road surface when driving. So when the commute [route] is getting too familiar, I just raise my head higher and look over a wider field of view….

I do agree though that cyclists are in the environment, while drivers pass through. For example,though we may just focus on the road ahead, I have posted how we can easily stop if we spot someone in need, or pick up a lost item and return it, both of which have happened to me. I liken us in that way to knights-errant of the Middle Ages who would “wander the land in search of adventures to prove their chivalric virtues.”(Wikipedia)

Wileyone 

Rory Gallagher

rekmeyata

While riding I don't play anything in my ears, just the sound of man made machines, wind, and nature's little critters. Music going into the ears mutes important traffic information that you need to hear because your eyesight won't catch it first, and certain sounds can clue you into what a motorist may be trying to do that could endanger you and will endanger sometime you if you can't hear.

Besides I don't like the sound quality of earbuds, and I like to hear music without the background noise, so I reserve my music listening for my house.

Carbonfiberboy 

Please don't use earbuds. It's not safe for anyone. It's not just the blocking out of traffic sounds, it's also the distraction. Anything less than 100% concentration on your saving me from injury is not enough IMHO. Earbuds worn by runners and walkers are also a source of injury to cyclists on MUPS.

I've come upon many hikers and cyclists playing audible music so they don't have to use earbuds. That's incredibly irritating. Please don't do that, either.

FullGas

ambient sounds.

I don't want or need music while I ride.

Moe Zhoost

Agree. Life does not need a sound track.

drniox

I listen to my thoughts. I enjoy riding to get away from the distractions.

MidTn

Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath

Retro Grouch 

The SWB recumbent that I used to ride had a Chris King rear hub and a Terra Cycle toothed chain idler. When I rode that bike I got to choose between pedaling and listening to the toothed idler noise or coasting and hearing the King freehub body.