schulz46

I have been thinking about using earbuds but I see not everybody does likes them. I will say when passing somebody not sure if they hear me so I yell extra load .

dkatz1

I'll say this again. I DON'T find listening to music on a bike a good listening experience. Too much wind noise, etc...people who say they listen to only one channel? WHY BOTHER???? And if you turn the music down really low, it's overpowered by many things.
For me: NO THANKS (and as I previously mentioned, I have really good head phones. But you wont' find them near my bike.

TheLizard

I use a speaker. Rarely listen to music, though, I'm usually catching up on podcasts.

Hypno Toad

Please explain why you expect listening to music cancels hearing anything else?

In my office right now, I have the radio on listening to Death Cab for Cute ... I can hear the truck driving past my house, I can hear the dog behind me sigh, I can hear my fingers banging on the keyboard, I can hear the backyard wind chime, etc.

If you are unable to hear anything else while listening to music, than I'd agree that you shouldn't listen to music while riding. However, if you like me and you can still hear the world around while music playing.... well, let's just repeat "you do you"

texaspandj

I just can't figure out how you know if a car approaching from the rear is going to hit you or Not hit you?

​​​​​After reading this thread the thing I'm most thankful for is Not having to ride on a MUP. By y'all's post it sounds like there's a lot of jerks on them both with and Without earbuds.
We kinda have MUP, but I only use it when pulling my daughter in a trailer/buggy. And it's not congested, mostly Walker's on it. Actually it's Waco river walk. I don't use earbuds then.
When I ride I'm training, for a race, for fitness. I Love riding and thoroughly enjoy it but I don't ride to enjoy nature, or be alone with my thoughts or any of that type of stuff. I'm just not there yet...maybe one day.
If I want to get in nature I run or hike in our Cameron Park trails or country roads. Nothing gives you the lay of the land like walking, running, or hiking thru Hill and Dale.
Music is such a good part of a lot of things I do like reading, hitting the heavy bag, weight training, driving, relaxing or watching TV. Can you imagine watching a Movie with no music to set the tone? So I listen to music when I train on the bike or off. It just adds to the enjoyment it doesn't detract from it.
Finally, where I ride, it's four miles then I'm out of traffic. My main concern is distracted drivers. I'm not concerned when I wear earbuds that I can't hear cars at at their full roaring Volume. But Hey, to each his own.

SweetRower

i use airpids on one ear, plenty of times i come up to a cyclist or jogger walker (w over the ear headphones or in ear w both ears covered) on bike trail i ring my bell 2 announce my presence to pass or b 6ft away and they cant hear me...so i have to loudly yell...Very irritating and thoughtless

texaspandj

That's funny because I can't listen to podcast or standup comedy with earbuds while riding a bike. I tried it once but was getting too distracted. However, I do wear earbuds and listen to music while riding.
I can listen to podcast and comedy while running on a treadmill but I listen with my phone going through a guitar speaker.

pcsstoll

aftershokz makes bone conduction headphones. They sit just outside the ear. These can be useful if you want to hear map directions while still hearing your surroundings.

I use them occasionally myself. I like them

_ForceD_

A kind of a similar situation...I recently bought one of those gadgets that mounts to the handlebar and holds your cell phone. I had been thinking that it'd be fun to watch my progress on the Strava map as I roll down the road. Wrong. A mile into my first (and only) ride using it I found myself transfixed on the phone instead of watching my surroundings. Put the phone back in my jersey pocket and that's where it'll stay.


Dan

buegelfrei

Exercise with decibels purportedly does more damage to your hearing than the same decibels without the exercise. I’ll take these pleasures separately, thank you.

julius rensch

Thanks Dan,
As I've been cycling since childhood in the 1950's...riding seems to get more complicated, the older I become.
These days, I find I need to be fully engaged in every way that keeps me safe.
Can't quit now (in my 79th year) as I've just spent over $100. on parts for my Raleigh Tourist. LOL

Julius
"Live simply, so that other may simply live."

SpeedyBlueBiker

Very unsafe! You can't hear well enough of things going on around you.

ssmiker

I listen to audio books with earbuds when I ride. It is a person talking and there are lots of breaks so I can hear traffic. I don't listen to music with earbuds when I drive because it drowns out too much of what's around to be safe, or that is how I feel. I have started to use bone conducting headphones that sit outside and just ahead of your ear. I can still hear what's around and what I am listening too. And I think it is a better compromise than an external speaker.

pbass

I think when the information is processed that there's a car looming, your brain likely has some automatic reactions, for example, you consider an exit strategy if things go south. Can I bail into those bushes, etc? It's not even necessarily a conscious thing, or perhaps more accurately, it's a fleeting, fluid conscious thing (unless someone is bearing down on you aggressively and you have to make a decision, but that's a different matter). I know when I'm riding my mind goes through a range from being really focused, to my mind drifting a bit--I think we all do. Knowing there's a car can snap back the focus.

djs42

In the gym or basement .. for sure.

On the road it's both dangerous and illegal. Don't!!
Not a lot of cyclist friendly infrastructure anywhere I normally cycle and being able to hear traffic has kept me out of a lot of potentially bad situations.
Even now when I'm not riding in a group it's common for cyclists to notify me if they plan to pass (or if I'm passing) .. how would this work if I couldn't hear them?
Especially when both of us need to avoid vehicular traffic and deal with far less than ideal road conditions to stay upright.

mstateglfr 

Ok, so I hear a car approaching and have the thought you mention, where I think of a bailout plan. I'm still riding along at 10-25mph then BAM- car hits me because, you know, I can't bail out unless I'm watching the car come at me.

I don't watch cars approach from behind since I am riding forwards. I won't know if its gonna hit me, regardless of if I can hear it.

Maybe I missed your point.

mstateglfr 

Agreed that announcing intention is part of MUP riding. This side conversation we are having started because you replied to a post of mine saying 'just pass them already', or something close to that. I posted that comment in response to someone saying they called out 3 times and got no acknowledgment in return. Thats why I said, just pass them already if they are going in a straight line.

It would be absurd for us all to only pass once the other person acknowledges us.

I agree that calling out intention is important on MUPs.

pbass

You asked "explain how knowing a car is behind you makes any difference whatsoever?". I'm just speculating that you can't help but process that information - it can't help but influence your mental state. Even if just subconsciously it puts you on "alert" more than if you looked back and there's no car. What you consciously do with the information will vary for every situation and individual of course. Will it have a positive effect? Maybe not--some folks, especially less experienced riders, might tense up making them less safe. But I would imagine for most it just pings your situational awareness, which is probably good. So, I'm just saying, how can it not make a difference?

mstateglfr 

Because me knowing a car is behind me won't keep me any safer.
I would ride in a straight line if I knew the car is there and I would ride in a straight line if I didn't know the car was there.

My actions won't change, so the result won't change. The only way knowing a car is behind me makes me safer is if i literally exist the road each time, which is dumb and against the point of cycling in the road.

ChrisWagner

So what are your conclusions on deaf cyclists?

buttnerd

There was this lady riding along what at 5:30am not a busy road. She decided to make a left from the bike lane into my street. She didn't live to make it to the other side of the road. For that reason no. Her iTunes was still playing when we got to her. Besides, all the sounds that you might enjoy hearing will be missed.

MattTheHat 

You’ll find its perfectly legal in free states. Other states and countries might vary.

MattTheHat 

Sounds like her mistake was not not checking to see if it was safe to make a left turn.

MattTheHat 

If asked the same before. I was scolded because it’s “obviously not the same thing.”

Oneder

Is it really controversial to think disabled people have more accidents and need more safety aids than others who are not impaired?