Kimber

I thought I would start this thread so people could vent pro or con about Ipods. The thread on "what do you think about” is an excellent thread. It took awhile for people to post, (or it seemed like it to me) because it was thought provoking.

So here’s a thread for Ipod pro or con.

I like my RCA Lyra. I have different ear pieces, one has only one “bud” so one ear is free at all times if I reasonably expect to see other cyclists. The other with 2 “buds” I use on longer rides when I doubt I will see others. I wrap the cords around my helmet straps so that I can easily reach up and drop one or both from my ears and they won’t become entangled. I always war a mirror on my glasses so I usually see cars or cyclists overtaking from the rear. I have tried some external speaker systems but have found them to be wanting.

I can’t see how someone wearing an Ipod would be anything but a minor hazard to anyone’s safety compared to people driving by at 65 or 70 mph in their air-conditioned, insulated cabins with their stereos cranked to the max. I don’t have any problem with someone wearing one or not except in a pace line or in close proximity to other cyclists (riding in or with a group) I find it rude, and in some cases hazardous in those situations, for myself those situations are the exception.

kc9eog

There is nothing better than the sound of the bike and the various nature sounds one will encounter on the road.

Bacciagalupe

If you're in a car, you are a) really obvious to other cars, b) wrapped in a ton or so of crash-tested vehicular mass, and c) not going to hear much anyway. Ever notice how loud sirens have to be for cars to hear 'em?

If you're on a bike, you have almost no protection in the event of a crash -- a helmet (assuming you wear one) and that's it. Thus comparing cars to bikes in terms of hearing is irrelevant and moot.

If you're in on a MUP or in a city, riding with earbuds is crazy talk.

If you're in the suburbs or country, you can hear a car well in advance of seeing it. When I was in Ireland, this was very helpful in making sure I was well out of the way of large farm machinery approaching on the very narrow, very curved roads.

Now, if you're living in Nebraska and normally ride on roads that are straight as an arrow, and use a mirror, I guess it isn't a big deal.

On a side note, I don't need to hear music 24/7 and it doesn't make me ride faster. I'd rather hear the wind in the trees.

Blue Jays

+1 Spinning along early on a Sunday morning (before other people are even awake) is the best feeling in the world. Listening to nothing but silence with the exception of some chirping birds and blowing wind is fantastic.

kc9eog

I went for a 20 mile ride at 2 AM. The silence was beautiful, the sound of my wheels on the pavement pure poetry. I would whistle a little tune in the areas deer are active in so they would run away and not crash into me.

Machka 

+1

Plus I've got enough to think about, and am comfortable enough being alone with myself, to ride quite a lengthy time without any other technological distractions.

That said, I have used my MP3 player on a couple recent rides (as I've mentioned in other threads). I rode the first 7 hours of each of my 400K and 600K brevets with my MP3 player tuned into a local rural station. A few comments about that:

-- I ride with one ear bud in, not both. I hate the idea of not being able to hear what is going on around me, and I get dizzy when I wear both ear buds while doing anything other than sitting quietly. I can't walk with both ear buds in, I can't ride a bus with both ear buds in, and I definitely can't cycle!

-- On the subject of not being able to hear what going on around me ............... I want to be able to hear that faint "clink" that means the farm I'm riding past has a dog. The faint "clink" occurs right before the barking starts, if the dog is a barker ... or right before you hear the pitter-patter of claws on pavement by your ankle if the dog is not a barker. ............... I want to hear the sound of a distant vehicle on a gravel road I'm approaching, because sometimes they don't stop ............... I want to hear the sound of the red-wing blackbirds so I can place them and brace myself when they start divebombing me ............... I want to hear the crunching in the forest that alerts me to the fact that a deer or moose is in there and may suddenly emerge onto the road.

I made an interesting discovery when I used my MP3 player on those two rides. Even with just one ear bud in, my ability to hear and analyze what was going on around me was diminished ... and I started to feel somewhat uncomfortable. After 7 hours, I really did not want to listen to any more radio, I wanted to hear what was going on around me.

-- One of the reasons I ride a bicycle is to get away from technology. I work with technology and am bombarded with it all day long most days. Many of us living in "western civilization" hardly spend any time at all without some sort of "noise" from our computers, the television, the stereo, etc. Riding a bicycle gets me out into nature ... away from technology. It's a relief to get away from it all.

-- After about 7 hours with the MP3 player, I really started getting annoyed with it. I kept accidentally knocking the bud out of my ear, the wires were getting in the way, every time I changed clothing (took off my jacket, put on my vest, took off my vest, etc.), I had to change the position of the MP3 player and all the wiring, I'd bump it and turn if off occasionally ... it just started being a real pain. So I turned it off and put it away.

-- But I think an MP3 player can have a place ... I chose to listen to a local rural station which told me about events in the towns I was cycling through/near, which was interesting. It also gave me some of the rural weather which was helpful. In a way it was sort of like having someone there with me for a while. I was also listening to it mainly while riding some very empty country roads around central Alberta ... there was no one out there!!

spingineer

+1 ... I agree with you on all points on this one. I probably should be wearing a mirror on my glasses, but I don't. That's one bad blemish on me. I rely on ambient sounds to warn me about various conditions on the road. For example, I want to hear a pit bull barking his lungs out at me so I can kick it into high gear ... or brace myself when that logger truck comes screaming from behind me at 50+ mph and a narrow 1.5 lane road. In fact, I think the last time I wore an ipod or MP3 player while riding was listening to a podcast of click and clack, Car Talk. Wasn't even music!

spokenword

I don't own an iPod or MP3 player so, for me, it's not a question at all. As others have pointed out, it's handicap to situational awareness and also I don't feel like I need to listen to music on my ride in order to be entertained.

With that said, I don't impose the viewpoint on others, so I won't tell you whether or not you should ride one ... just that, if you choose to, please wear it in such a way that you can hear me call out to you if I'm passing or informing you of a 'car back'.

Machka 

I used to wear a glasses mirror all the time when I was a young rider, and it was great. Then I didn't wear one for quite a few years, and when I tried again a couple years ago, I couldn't do it. It was very distracting and gave me a headache.

Now I use a bar-end mirror and that works quite well. It is extremely handy when I'm making lane changes to do a left turn. I check it to determine how much traffic is behind me, then start doing my shoulder checks when it thins enough so I think I can start moving over.

If you feel uncomfortable with a glasses mirror, you might try adding one to your bicycle.

robertkat

I can't agree more. The sound of a well tuned bike is a lovely thing. Plus, as far as I know, here in California it's illegal.

OldsCOOL

I love the sounds of nature is one of the reasons why any of us love to bike. Riding alone is a great benefit to reviving the soul when one is peopled out (I work with the best and the worst in people....and I have a passion for helping people). However, I live in the country so nature is all around me all the time (still overwhelmed every morning looking out the front or the back door).

Ipods? I prefer old tech am/fm to take the boredom off a long ride out on the open road. I like having multiple stations and choice of talk radio or tunes. Ipods are great for hearing your faves though I prefer someone "live" in between songs.

hockeyteeth

I don't wear headphones while riding in the city. I often listen to music while riding country roads though because I can't stand the sound of the wind on longer rides. The music helps motivate me as well.

I think you should ride with and without headphones in safe environments to decide which you prefer.

mplee

great topic. i said this in another thread but i have been considering listening to tunes while i bike on longer rides. that said, though, i sincerely do enjoy hearing the sounds of biking around me. on a mass ride it's so lovely to hear everyone clipping in at the beginning of the ride and the susurration of the wheels spinning on pavement. i also love hearing birdsong around me and it was a rare treat earlier this spring to hear frogs croaking. reading everyone else's comments has made me realize the folly of my ways. i'm going to forget the bike speakers after all and continue to enjoy the sound of one wheel spinning. oh wait, that would be a unicycle, followed by a big clunk as i fell off. :-)

** mp **

Spreggy

It's taken a while to get used to just one bud, but there's no question that one bud improves safety dramatically. NY law says one ear piece. I just need to pick up a stereo single bud.

I'm not a "sound of the tires gets me high" kinda guy, I envy those who are. I'm a musician and always have new material to learn, and music on the ride makes the pedaling seem easier.

Richard Cranium

Of course not, you're saying that encountering "deaf cyclists" along the road and highways is typically not dangerous. Obviously for you, an accident wouldn't much matter, you're already significantly brain-damaged.

As a bonus - YOU WIN THE "RICHARD CRANIUM" AWARD, for posting the most asinine comment to the bike forums for June, 2007.

Kimber

I don’t know what your ad homonym attack adds to the discussion, I don’t think it adds anything but with your non-de plume I suppose your personality requires it.

This is kind of an abstract thought so I will take it slow. An SUV weighing 5000 pounds, traveling at 60 mph (that’s Miles Per Hour, Dick) is @ 25 times as heavy as a cyclist, and traveling 3 times as fast as most cyclists. To keep it simple let us use mile/ pounds of energy:
SUV 5000lbs. x 60mph = 300,000 mile/pounds of energy.
Cyclist 200lbs x 20mph= 5000 mile/ pounds of energy.

Now this is the tricky part, contact with which will do the most damage to me on my bike. 300,000 – 5,000 ( here’s a hint, how many places are to the left of the comma?) Granted contact with either is not desirable, but I think I am less worried about someone with an earbud than someone not paying close attention in an SUV. If your that worried maybe you should hang it up?

The true bottom line is that if you are not using some type of mirror, where you can check visually your going to miss stuff overtaking you be it cars, bikes or motorcycles. Most cars are not that loud, bicycles are almost silent and if there is much ambient wind noise. Do you get the picture? I think not but I tire.

In regards to the Dick Head Award, I must say I am thrilled, I have heard so much about the high quality toilet paper it is printed on, I’m sure I will appreciate it daily, Heart felt thanks.

hunyak

I'm a musician, I love music. When I'm not playing, I always have music playing at home, work, in my car, but NEVER on the bike.

danimal123

It's illegal here in Florida to ride w/ headphones, so it's moot for me. Even if it was legal I wouldn't do it, though.....to distracting.

gosmsgo

I think the entire notion of headphones being dangerous is completely crazy.

IF you are doing things properly (warning VC instructor showing) like scanning for traffic before moving left (not just listening) and not having it so loud that you cannot hear things you need to hear like a honk or siren then what difference does it make?

You never need to listen for anything in cycling. Could a deaf person not cycle safely?

This is just one of those things that parents say along with "wear a helmet and stay on the sidewalk."

If someone can convince me of why I need to hear traffic then I would love to listen but I cant think of any. Even if someone was reving their motor right behind me and fixing to run me down there is nothing I could do about it anyway.

CherryBomb

Amen

Hocam

Between listening for cars and looking over my shoulder I've never felt the need for a mirror. I'd also rather be able to hear the traffic comming than listen to music.

gosmsgo

but why would you NEED to listen for cars?

What difference does it make.

Even if you dont hear a car you still need to scan.

Spreggy

Kimber, I appreciate you laying down the science, but I don't think it addresses the problem. The question is whether or not there is an appreciable difference in the cyclist's safety when wearing ear buds or headphones. Your comparison only highlights the need for caution.

My approach is that since the need for caution is obvious, then it's foolhearty to take any of your senses out of the picture when they can easily help.

What I've discovered after many miles of no sound, one bud, and two bud, is that having your road side ear open does give you a quicker recognition of approaching sound, much like the advantage of seeing a car in your mirror sooner than later. I use a mirror, but nobody stares at it non-stop. The extra response time is worth wearing one bud for, imho. I don't see a big difference between no bud and one bud.

bmike

Can anyone here tell me if they know the difference in sound of a car passing 12" to your left, or 3'?

Would it make a difference if they were to plow into your rear end?

Would you have the reaction time (and the mindset) to process "Wow, that car sounds like it is going to hit me, rather than pass 12" off my shoulder, I better bail out now!"


I've ridden with earbuds and I've ridden without.
I've determined that I prefer the quiet of my ride to the noise of the Pod, and I carry so much with me I don't really need another gadget on the bike, so I don't use it anymore.

YMMV


Now, headphones or music on the MUP - thats just being rude.

Richard Cranium

As I have mentioned, anyone who would argue that operating audio equipment while riding is already brain-damaged -- so basing my comments on reason is worthless. Clearly these people should be limited to riding on private property, preferably the kind surrounded by gates and guards. These people are a real danger to themselves and others as well.