Originally Posted by
SethAZ
...I listen to audiobooks for hours each day too, and I used to listen to them while riding as well. I fell out of that practice years ago as I fully appreciated just how much losing my ears during my rides was a bad idea. I go fast enough that I hear that whoooosh too, but the bottom line is that my ears have saved my butt many times, and I'm loathe to lose their situational awareness and early warning system benefits during my rides.
One more thing I've found over so many years of constant listening to something, be it audiobooks, music, or what have you, is that I grow dependent on having something playing so much of the time. One of the minor things I had to deal with after I started riding more and more again since my return from overseas last year is that for that 1-2 hours that I'm riding I've got nothing playing in my ears. There was actually a certain sense of withdrawal for me.
I've long recognized that not having headphones while I ride forces me to get back into my own thoughts. After a short while dealing with the mental withdrawal of not having something playing, and relying on me occupying my thoughts entirely from within, I come to appreciate it.
This is a personal thing that I wouldn't dare to try to project onto others, but it's true for me.
Thanks for your considered remarks, @SethAZ. In a recent preceding post, I commented, and quoted other frequent subscribers, about how listening to audio input can focus the mind and increase situational awareness. For example, I posted to this thread,
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
"Quirky things you do on your rides"
Because I have ridden essentially solo for decades, I have a few I have admitted to:
Originally Posted by
jrickards
Its funny but I find that on my commute into work, I find that I am thinking about and composing my entry for the "How was your commute today?" thread while on the bike.
What about you?
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I too also think about composing posts, particularly on my long Saturday rides…On routine commutes, it's often work related.
All while listening, in my case to usually non-linear talk shows. Not necessarily “deep thoughts,” but introspective. But how deeply does one ponder life's essential mysteries, e.g. while driving a car?
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
”Ever contemplate your mortality on the road?”
Actually, in one of my most serious contemplations of mortality, the Road served as a relief...
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 05-05-20 at 03:24 PM.