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Listening to Music via Headphones?

Old 05-06-20, 02:35 PM
  #126  
MattTheHat 
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Originally Posted by rydabent
Having any kind of ear phones on is a safety factor period!!!!
I wonder how the MILLIONS of people who use headphones while riding cheat death so regularly.
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Old 05-06-20, 02:48 PM
  #127  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
Last year I was following a cyclist doing about 23mph on a MUP when the as he passed a runner, he crossed in front and they collided.The cyclist when over the bars, broke his collarbone and I learned later that he cracked 2 ribs and fractured his wrist. The runner was wearing ear buds.

Luckily I was able to stop.

MUPs are the worst, I rather deal with cars.
It doesn’t sound like the ear buds were the problem. Sounds like MUP warrior was the problem.

I saw a MUP warrior last Sunday pass me, who was waiting to safely pass two adults riding with their 4 year old daughter, pass all four of us in an area of the trail that was under construction. He was a BIG guy. Stormed by while barking “Passing left!” at well over 20 MPH. He came very, very close to literally running over the 4 year old girl, who as I anticipated moved to her left. He did the right thing and went down to avoid what would have no doubt been a horrible, possibly fatal accident for the little girl. Went down HARD.

I used to hate MUPs. Now I just slow way down and embrace the craziness.
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Old 05-06-20, 02:56 PM
  #128  
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I refuse to listen to music while riding. During my time in the Navy, I worked on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Situational awareness is what keeps you alive. Not really much different when riding.

If I did ever decide to listen to music, the only way would either be a Bluetooth speaker on the bars, or bone conducting headphones. I have a set for my radio at work. They aren't to bad. The only issue with them is the side burns on my heard really effect the perceived volume and speech quality. The need to for snug on the skin.
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Old 05-06-20, 02:59 PM
  #129  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
I wonder how the MILLIONS of people who use headphones while riding cheat death so regularly.
They are lucky, thats all there is to it.
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Old 05-06-20, 03:08 PM
  #130  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
It doesn’t sound like the ear buds were the problem. Sounds like MUP warrior was the problem.

I saw a MUP warrior last Sunday pass me, who was waiting to safely pass two adults riding with their 4 year old daughter, pass all four of us in an area of the trail that was under construction. He was a BIG guy. Stormed by while barking “Passing left!” at well over 20 MPH. He came very, very close to literally running over the 4 year old girl, who as I anticipated moved to her left. He did the right thing and went down to avoid what would have no doubt been a horrible, possibly fatal accident for the little girl. Went down HARD.

I used to hate MUPs. Now I just slow way down and embrace the craziness.
No MUP warrior, it's a section of the Cedar Creek to Jones Beach to Tobay Beach path, It's 14 miles out and back. The stretch from Jones to Tobay is not visited from the average person and its used as a training segment. My solo average is 18mph and I often get passed.

I find most people, when you call "on your left" either move to the right or signal that they hear you. I see many runners, skaters and skateboarders with headphones that cover the ears and i'm 99.9% sure they never hear you. As to cyclists, most have wired earbuds and I see 2 wires to their head. I'll call out "on your left" and they tend to be surprised when i pass.. .like they didn't hear me.

I guess wearing one ear bud will allow you to hear. Interesting, I have a set of Bose Sport and it's the right side that's the master and connects to Bluetooth to my cell hone. The left is a slave and only connects to the right. Maybe that's to allow using the right and leaving the left off so you can hear traffic.

I'll have to go out on a day with no wind and some wind and see if i can hear traffic with just a right ear bud in.

But i still don't plan on using them when I ride.

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Old 05-06-20, 03:20 PM
  #131  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
I wonder how the MILLIONS of people who use headphones while riding cheat death so regularly.
The same way that most of the millions who text on their phones while driving usually cheat death too, of course.
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Old 05-06-20, 03:47 PM
  #132  
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Originally Posted by SethAZ
The same way that most of the millions who text on their phones while driving usually cheat death too, of course.
Perhaps someone nearby their carelessness behavior isn't as lucky.
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Old 05-06-20, 03:48 PM
  #133  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
It doesn’t sound like the ear buds were the problem. Sounds like MUP warrior was the problem.

I saw a MUP warrior last Sunday pass me, who was waiting to safely pass two adults riding with their 4 year old daughter, pass all four of us in an area of the trail that was under construction. He was a BIG guy. Stormed by while barking “Passing left!” at well over 20 MPH. He came very, very close to literally running over the 4 year old girl, who as I anticipated moved to her left. He did the right thing and went down to avoid what would have no doubt been a horrible, possibly fatal accident for the little girl. Went down HARD.

I used to hate MUPs. Now I just slow way down and embrace the craziness.
I know what you mean about the MUP warrior. Only one of my long routes has two MUP sections of a combined 3-4 miles, with one 2-mile or so section being the busiest, and it can be nuts, especially now with so many families either out walking together or toodling along on their bikes together.

If you've ever had or observed a dog, they can be just lying there with the ears down flat on their heads or whatever, then they hear some noise and they pick their head up and their ears stand straight up and start scanning. My daughter and I called this "alert mode," and we had one dog in particular with normally very floppy ears, and when she went into alert mode her ears would strand straight up and rotate from side to side like a radar dish. That's exactly how I feel when I encounter others on the MUP, although I haven't got the ear dexterity to pull off the radar-dish scanning. It's especially the worst with kids, since they'll be swerving around from side to side completely oblivious, and often only their parents telling them to move over gets them to clear the path so I can pass safely. No matter how fast I was going, I'll slow way down to pass groups like these, simply because of how unpredictable they can be.

I'm going to be very careful about not saying that since evolution saw fit to involve dogs' ears so fundamentally in their alert mode that we must do that as well, though I do think there are enough parallels here to be worthy of consideration. Let the "yeah but whadabout ****" counterexamples from the peanut gallery begin...
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Old 05-06-20, 03:57 PM
  #134  
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You can thank the American Kennel Club for floppy ears, I think that's something that was selectively bred into dog breeds to make them "cuter", by way of drowning all the puppies in the litter that were born with stiff ears, and inbreeding the looser-eared ones endlessly, until they looked like freaks.
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Old 05-06-20, 04:00 PM
  #135  
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Originally Posted by SethAZ
I know what you mean about the MUP warrior. Only one of my long routes has two MUP sections of a combined 3-4 miles, with one 2-mile or so section being the busiest, and it can be nuts, especially now with so many families either out walking together or toodling along on their bikes together.

If you've ever had or observed a dog, they can be just lying there with the ears down flat on their heads or whatever, then they hear some noise and they pick their head up and their ears stand straight up and start scanning. My daughter and I called this "alert mode," and we had one dog in particular with normally very floppy ears, and when she went into alert mode her ears would strand straight up and rotate from side to side like a radar dish. That's exactly how I feel when I encounter others on the MUP, although I haven't got the ear dexterity to pull off the radar-dish scanning. It's especially the worst with kids, since they'll be swerving around from side to side completely oblivious, and often only their parents telling them to move over gets them to clear the path so I can pass safely. No matter how fast I was going, I'll slow way down to pass groups like these, simply because of how unpredictable they can be.

I'm going to be very careful about not saying that since evolution saw fit to involve dogs' ears so fundamentally in their alert mode that we must do that as well, though I do think there are enough parallels here to be worthy of consideration. Let the "yeah but whadabout ****" counterexamples from the peanut gallery begin...
Oh, kids are the worst. Well, people walking dogs on those extend-a-leashes are right up there. You just never know what’s going to happen with either. I’ve literally just gotten to the point That I slow way down and wait to see if this encounter is crazier than the last one. On about a one mile section the other day there were four contenders for craziest experience. One was a lady sitting in the middle of the path on a towel. I know it’s a multi-use trail and all but I’d never thought of sitting on the concrete as a use. Another was a photo shoot for maybe a Senior picture where they’d thrown huge plastic confetti bits all over the path. Wanna guess if they cleaned up the confetti? Nope...it was there the following day all over the place...right in the middle of a curve...that would be fun at speed!
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Old 05-06-20, 04:26 PM
  #136  
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
You can thank the American Kennel Club for floppy ears, I think that's something that was selectively bred into dog breeds to make them "cuter", by way of drowning all the puppies in the litter that were born with stiff ears, and inbreeding the looser-eared ones endlessly, until they looked like freaks.
Actually that happens naturally in the domestication process even for food animals.
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Old 05-06-20, 05:27 PM
  #137  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
Oh, kids are the worst. Well, people walking dogs on those extend-a-leashes are right up there. You just never know what’s going to happen with either. I’ve literally just gotten to the point That I slow way down and wait to see if this encounter is crazier than the last one. On about a one mile section the other day there were four contenders for craziest experience. One was a lady sitting in the middle of the path on a towel. I know it’s a multi-use trail and all but I’d never thought of sitting on the concrete as a use. Another was a photo shoot for maybe a Senior picture where they’d thrown huge plastic confetti bits all over the path. Wanna guess if they cleaned up the confetti? Nope...it was there the following day all over the place...right in the middle of a curve...that would be fun at speed!
I have a local MUP that on a warm day is shoulder to shoulder with walkers, strollers, dogs, kids and so on. I avoid that section of the path. In fact, with huge numbers of people using the path since Covid, I rather deal with the cars on the streets.

But like i said, there's one that goes to the beach and once you get about a mile, 1st bridge, all the walkers, kids and dogs are gone. When you reach the southern most point and head east its only cyclists and there's plenty of width to pass... unless the person ahead decides to turn around without looking.

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Old 05-06-20, 06:04 PM
  #138  
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
You can thank the American Kennel Club for floppy ears, I think that's something that was selectively bred into dog breeds to make them "cuter", by way of drowning all the puppies in the litter that were born with stiff ears, and inbreeding the looser-eared ones endlessly, until they looked like freaks.
Except for bloodhounds and other scent hounds for that matter. Their long, dangling, floppy ears actually serve a purpose.

When the dog has its head down, the ears “stir up” the soil causing scents to rise and be picked up by their sensitive noses.

Amazing what you can learn by watching the Disney Channel and National Geographic.
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Old 05-06-20, 09:23 PM
  #139  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
I have a local MUP that on a warm day is shoulder to shoulder with walkers, strollers, dogs, kids and so on. I avoid that section of the path. In fact, with huge numbers of people using the path since Covid, I rather deal with the cars on the streets.

But like i said, there's one that goes to the beach and once you get about a mile, 1st bridge, all the walkers, kids and dogs are gone. When you reach the southern most point and head east its only cyclists and there's plenty of width to pass... unless the person ahead decides to turn around without looking.

A MUP with only cyclists would just be a dream here. Very nice!
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Old 05-06-20, 09:32 PM
  #140  
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I use airpods and half volume, I can usually hear everything around me. Am i alone here lol?
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Old 05-06-20, 09:48 PM
  #141  
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As someone who does not wear pods, etc when riding, when I'm approaching another rider who does, I do it with the same caution I would a driver who I suspect is distracted.
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Old 05-07-20, 05:56 AM
  #142  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
A MUP with only cyclists would just be a dream here. Very nice!
Wait... it gets better. They're extending it for another 15 miles.

https://www.dot.ny.gov/oppath
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Old 05-07-20, 06:14 AM
  #143  
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Originally Posted by TJtheWrecker
I use airpods and half volume, I can usually hear everything around me. Am i alone here lol?
No, been using ear buds for years and still hear cars and everything else.
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Old 05-07-20, 08:54 PM
  #144  
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I never ride with earbuds. Safe cycling relies on all senses working well, especially hearing. That includes hearing cars, other cyclists, joggers and pedestrians. Earbuds zre fine if you are on a trainer.
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Old 05-08-20, 07:48 PM
  #145  
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An old guy asked me one day when I stopped for a cup of Joe how I could hear anything with those things in my ears. I told him, "That's the whole idea." When I'm not in the mood for music I put in earplugs when I ride to cut out the noise from the wind and cars. Do whatever you're comfortable doing, just don't try telling someone else how to live their lives! Darwinism is great. Embrace it and move on!
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Old 05-08-20, 07:56 PM
  #146  
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Originally Posted by Bigbus
Darwinism is great. Embrace it and move on!
https://thehill.com/changing-america...carolina-tried
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Old 05-09-20, 12:16 AM
  #147  
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Originally Posted by Tophy_Dee
Safe or unsafe? I’ve seen some other cyclists with air pods and other headphones on and though what a great idea to listen to some tunes while riding. But then I realized maybe it’s not such a good idea? Can’t hear if cyclists are coming up behind or if there’s cars or sirens. Basically can’t hear anything at all!

What are your thoughts on this and if you do listen to music, any tips to be able listen and keep safe at the same time?
Safe as long as you're a safe rider in general. Hearing incoming traffic is not impaired in any way that impacts safety, and what does it tell you except not turn into the traffic- which is stupid anyway. Common wind and general traffic noise has more impact than ear buds
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Old 05-09-20, 12:18 AM
  #148  
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
They are lucky, thats all there is to it.
Nah. They're just safe riders. Which can be very well done while listening with earbuds.
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Old 05-09-20, 12:23 AM
  #149  
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Originally Posted by TJtheWrecker
I use airpods and half volume, I can usually hear everything around me. Am i alone here lol?
No. The key is safe volume and not being an unsafe rider.
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Old 05-09-20, 03:00 PM
  #150  
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Don't do it. Your cantilever brakes will go out of adjustment, your helmet will disappear, and your carbon fiber bike will burst into flames.
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