36Oly_Rider

I'm sitting here, drinking my morning cuppa joe, listening to Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders...I ordered up some panniers this morning, super excited about that, should be here tomorrow...

But as I sit here, listening to these fabulous jams, I am thinking...I love music, but not a big fan of wearing ear buds on the bike.

I'm just curious if anybody listens to music, podcasts, radio on the road and maybe get some input on what others do to get their musical fix while on tour.

fietsbob

Nay, just sing while you ride , You need to hear what is coming up behind you, to be ready for it.

Wind Shear can knock you down and if you fall towards the traffic lane, kill you.

GAJett

NEVER!😱
I depend on my hearing too much to hear approaching traffic, especially from the rear. Riding with earbuds would be like riding blind. Besides, in California, it's illegal.
Cheers!

phughes

I'll play...

I listened to audiobooks on my last tour. It was a great way to pass the time. I have also listened to music as I commuted, but rarely. I never play music loudly though, I never have. For commuting I used a pair of bluetooth speakers in a handlebar bag. I wasn't commuting in a city environment, so there was no one to annoy. I wouldn't do it in that type of situation. For what is coming up behind me, I use a mirror, much more reliable than sound, though with music or audiobooks at a reasonable level, I can still hear cars. The tour was done on trails, not roads. In town, on a commute, I really have no need to listen to music, or anything else.

If you want headphones that allow you to hear traffic as well, try these. https://aftershokz.com

Happy Feet

Not while riding but an ipod full of various genres of music is my comfort item for laying in the tent. Last tour was Ella Fitzgerald inspired with a little Nirvana unplugged on the side.

This weekend we are riding up country into forest fire territory so I guess I'll need to add Smokey Robinson to the playlist.

HobbesOnTour

I bring my ipod on tour, but hardly ever listen to it on the bike. The only exception is in driving rain - I love listening to music then! But only on very quiet roads (I have a mirror) or dedicated bike paths.

But I do sing! Very loudly and very badly! But it's great for lifting the spirits!

Back in April, I had a last minute chance to ride the Rhine, and since I figured I wouldn't really need a map (how difficult is it to follow a river??) I printed off the lyrics to a few songs I wanted to learn, stuck them in the top of my handlebar bag and away I went

Frank

jamawani 

And remember, half the drivers are either talking or texting on their phones.
Hearing someone veering onto the rumble strips could be a big difference.

Rob_E

I clicked the title expecting the "earbuds will kill you" comments, and was not disappointed.

Personally, while I try to use headphones that don't block the ear canal, earbuds are easier to find and do the job. I tend to use them more on my commute than when touring, though. I can still hear ambient sounds, but not as well. It helps that my commute is largely on MUPs, separate from auto traffic, but I have found that in general, I can hear on-coming traffic. That's not a terribly useful safety feature, though, because I live in the city, and there is always on-coming traffic. The trick is hearing which traffic wants to hit you and which does not. I have not mastered that skill, with or without headphones.

When touring, I'm more likely to use my speaker. A little, bluetooth speaker that hangs off of my handlebars is handy for playing some tunes or podcasts or an audiobook while I ride. I tend to use it more when I'm alone on the road, and less if I'm on a route that has lots of other bike traffic. I don't want to force anyone else to listen to my music. But on the open road, just me and cars, I don't mind so much. Although I did recently find myself a little self-conscious and turning off the music in Amish country. They can't even have phones or radios in their homes, and here I was playing music wirelessly from my cell phone. But maybe that's wrong-headed of me. I mean how else are they going to hear Awesome Mix Tape Volume 2? Besides, if I'm on the bike all day, and I don't listen to any music, then I start to sing, and that's not good for anybody.

Rob_E

I also recently put one of these on my bike: Tapeats Handlebar Bag ? Bedrock Bags
And when I was headed to work and realized I had forgotten my headphones, I started some music on my phone, dropped it in the bag, speaker-side up, and was able to hear it just fine.

jefnvk

I do at times. One earbud in the non-traffic ear just loud enough to hear. Still gives me plenty of peripheral hearing.

My fiancee loves her Camelback, and takes those earbuds that wrap around the ear and looped them into the straps and turns up her iPod loud enough she can hear it. Both ears free, music playing, and the earbuds aren't really loud enough for others to hear unless you are right alongside her.

raybo

I listen to audiobooks when I ride. Since stereo isn't important in such things, I only use one earbud (on the non-traffic side). I have used the One Good Ear bud for this. It puts both tracks in one ear. I reviewed it here. Do you need both ears for listening to traffic?

I now use the Trex Titanium bone conduction headphones (review here). With them, I (unfortunately) can hear all the road noise I want!

The first time I went on tour, I didn't listen to anything. I spent my riding time daydreaming and singing to myself. It is hard to say that I was more responsive to cars coming up behind me in such a state.

I find a mirror as useful for knowing what it behind me than waiting to hear something. In addition, I find riding on car-free paths and lightly traveled roads to the be the best way to avoid the risks of traffic.

I would find multi-day tours intolerable if I couldn't listen to something while I ride.

boomhauer

Noise canceling headphones all day everyday. City or country. Night or day. Drunk or sober. 10 years now. Still alive (because of lights, rear view mirror and slow speeds)

36Oly_Rider

Dang! Gotta say, I actually read this comment just like Boomhauer on King of the Hill!

indyfabz

"Second That Emotion"?

J.Higgins 

@phughes thanks for that link to the Aftershokz headphones. I typically do not like to listen to music when I'm riding, but when I was a runner, I did enjoy my music. For me, it helped me push out the last mile and forget about my screaming legs for a bit.

Leebo

Nope, listen to my tires, the wind, birds etc.

Tourist in MSN

Maybe 1 percent of the bikers I see out there have a speaker so they can hear music. As long as it is not so loud to be distracting, it does not bother me if they use it.

But, when I pass a biker I ring the bell on my handlebar and presume that they heard the bell. I have had some near-collisions with IDIOTS that were plugged into their ears so they could only hear their tunes, and suddenly they veered in front of me because they were unable to hear my bell and thought that they were the only people on the entire roadway.

Regarding hearing, as more and more hybrids and new plug in cars take to the roads, it will be even harder to hear approaching traffic. I used to know some people that worked on highway construction projects, they hated hybrids because they were too quiet and would be almost on top of you with out any audible warning.

jamawani 

Gotta agree 100%.
Different strokes for different folks, but with all the info overload, all the white noise -
It sure is nice to shut it all down.

GAJett

I am going to stand corrected, for several reasons.
1. My mind immediately went to earbuds, even though the OP stated he wasn't a big fan. I will still say no to earbuds.
2. I forgot to consider the use of separate speakers or such as bone conduction sound. This would keep the riders ears clear for ambient and warning sounds. As at least one poster mentioned, however, please keep it low and personal.
Cheers!

36Oly_Rider

I hear ya, gotta stay within the law. Always good to know.

saddlesores

i listen to the voices.
the ones in my head.
they tell me things.

Steve0000

Ride with earbuds when touring alone. Volume is not so loud that I can't hear cars from behind so that is not an issue. Don't use mirrors either.
Commute to work along open roads listening to music also and have done so for many years.

mstateglfr 

When i am alone, i ride with headphones- earbuds or a wireless set thats compact.

I hear ambient noise just fine. Couple weeks agona little girl said hello to me from her yard probably 50' away. Heard it just fine while listening to music.
Rode gravel earlier this evening and hear the fee cars that approached from behind.

Headphones dont auto equal an inability to hear and be aware of surroundings.

With that said, i totally underatand people not wanting to use them. They clearly dont make riding safer.

u235

Always. Long and short rides. I have a small cylinder shaped BT/SD rechargable speaker that straps on my bars. Got it on Amazon for like $10 a couple years ago. It plays for at least 8 hours on a charge from the SD card mode and probably 4 in BT mode. It's not very loud but loud enough to be useful.

Mine has a different name from a different seller but just like this one. Came with 4 silicone covers and 4 straps and weighs about 120 grams.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01589B5N8

Machka 

Music -- not while riding.

Music -- great after the ride!