Cycling and music
03-22-21, 12:28 PM
#76
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I was going for juxtaposition, more than irony. The beauty of it all is that nobody's forcing you to listen to music, and nobody's forcing me to take my earbud out, and we're both happy doing what we love to do, the way we want to do it.
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03-22-21, 12:45 PM
#77
Full Member
I prefer riding without music, wired or wireless. I want to hear the sounds of nature all around me: wind across my ears, birds chirping a morning greeting, the rush of water thru the creek as I pass over it. I occasionally ride near the SF Bay so there's all those wonderful "noises" (ducks, geese, avocets, herons, egrets, eagles, etc, as well). I do hear vehicles since I am on the streets for most of my morning bike rides, but I start near sun up so there are fewer nutso drivers on the road (once we get this pandemic under control then it's back to the mup for a part of my route). It's also kind of nice to hear the machines and equipment when I pass by construction areas and the rush of cars on the freeway...kind of like white noise.
If I wore headphones safety could be a bigger issue, but I always turn my head to see who/what's coming from behind me so I'm sure it's safe to head for a center turn lane. I guess without headphones in my ears I can also (usually) tell when cars are coming from behind me on the road (and can usually guess how far away they are).
As for others, choose your own nirvana
What does piss me off is the rare occasion when someone is riding with a boom box and ruins my ability to enjoy my ride. Again tho, given the time I go, that has become much less of a problem.
If I wore headphones safety could be a bigger issue, but I always turn my head to see who/what's coming from behind me so I'm sure it's safe to head for a center turn lane. I guess without headphones in my ears I can also (usually) tell when cars are coming from behind me on the road (and can usually guess how far away they are).
As for others, choose your own nirvana
What does piss me off is the rare occasion when someone is riding with a boom box and ruins my ability to enjoy my ride. Again tho, given the time I go, that has become much less of a problem.
Last edited by stephr1; 03-22-21 at 01:53 PM.
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03-22-21, 01:23 PM
#78
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"One man's ruined experience, is another's enhanced experience. Why WOULDN'T you want to accentuate these rides with your favorite music?"
See the difference?
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03-22-21, 01:29 PM
#79
Junior Member
Some enjoy listening to music while bicycling.
Some don’t enjoy listening to music while bicycling. In my experience I find more solo cyclists listening to music while riding. Seldom do I find cyclist in group rides listening to music while riding. I prefer to ride solo mostly but don’t listen to music while doing so. I feel safer not listening to music while riding. In group rides I enjoy talking to others while riding. I also feel it is important to be able to communicate with fellow cyclists in group rides mainly for safety. I don’t care if you choose to listen to music while or don’t. It’s up to the individual.
Some don’t enjoy listening to music while bicycling. In my experience I find more solo cyclists listening to music while riding. Seldom do I find cyclist in group rides listening to music while riding. I prefer to ride solo mostly but don’t listen to music while doing so. I feel safer not listening to music while riding. In group rides I enjoy talking to others while riding. I also feel it is important to be able to communicate with fellow cyclists in group rides mainly for safety. I don’t care if you choose to listen to music while or don’t. It’s up to the individual.
03-22-21, 01:33 PM
#80
Junior Member
I always ride listening to something: music, radio or an audio book. I never have trouble with traffic noise; I can always hear it and I'm super watchful of my mirror. Plus, at least half of my riding is on the bike paths around where I live, or residential streets. I use earbuds (connected); I haven't invested in a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds yet but soon.
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03-22-21, 02:01 PM
#82
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You used yourself as the subject of your question (which no one could possibly answer but you, yet you still asked it), and I simply followed up with also using you as the subject of the flip-side of the same rhetorical question, which again, only you can answer.
03-22-21, 02:25 PM
#83
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I used earbuds for many years, though mostly on multi use trails that were car free. I recently picked up a Tribit Stormbox Micro; it's a small
bluetooth speaker with a rubber strap for handlebars or top tube of my bike. I mostly use it for audiobooks, but it's worked out really well.
I find it actually helps on a multi-use path because people can hear me coming, even though I keep it at a moderate volume. So far, it's the
best solution that I've found.
bluetooth speaker with a rubber strap for handlebars or top tube of my bike. I mostly use it for audiobooks, but it's worked out really well.
I find it actually helps on a multi-use path because people can hear me coming, even though I keep it at a moderate volume. So far, it's the
best solution that I've found.
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03-22-21, 02:28 PM
#84
Senior Member
NO matter what you listen, SOME people will not like it. You may think it's great: there's a really good chance that I would more than mildly disagree. There is so much music available to listen to. In countless styles, from every era of recorded history, from all over the globe.
Whatever it is that you think is NOT annoying easily could be.
Whatever it is that you think is NOT annoying easily could be.
Or what?
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03-22-21, 02:36 PM
#85
de oranje
Please don't wear head phones or ear buds while you ride because you won't hear me yelling "on your left!" as I pass you. Thank you.
"I'm on your left!"
"I'm on your left!"
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03-22-21, 03:08 PM
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And I'm free to think you're rude and insensitive for making others listent to it.
I get really annoyed when I'm inflicted with other people's music, whether they're on a bike, a motorcycle (those guys are the worst, as the play at a volume you can hear for blocks), a car, the next apartment, etc. I only want to listen to music that I choose, when I choose. I can guarantee you: you wouldn't like a lot of music I listen to. But I no better than to push it on other people.
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03-22-21, 04:57 PM
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In Quebec, the law reads:
"443.2. A cyclist may not wear any earphones. The driver of a road vehicle may wear only one earphone.
For the purposes of the first paragraph, devices that are integrated into a protective helmet and allow the persons wearing them to communicate with each other without preventing them from hearing surrounding traffic noises are not earphones."
Basically, this is interpreted as: a cyclist may not ride while wearing earphones or headphones that cover one or both ears.
So when I started riding a tandem with my wife, we got a Cardo BK-1 system which is similar to the BT/communications systems used by motorcyclists, except meant for bicycle helmets. The speakers are on flexible cables which allow them to be positioned close to the ears but not cover them. So I can listen to music or radio, make phone calls, etc all while still able to hear what's going on around me.
"443.2. A cyclist may not wear any earphones. The driver of a road vehicle may wear only one earphone.
For the purposes of the first paragraph, devices that are integrated into a protective helmet and allow the persons wearing them to communicate with each other without preventing them from hearing surrounding traffic noises are not earphones."
Basically, this is interpreted as: a cyclist may not ride while wearing earphones or headphones that cover one or both ears.
So when I started riding a tandem with my wife, we got a Cardo BK-1 system which is similar to the BT/communications systems used by motorcyclists, except meant for bicycle helmets. The speakers are on flexible cables which allow them to be positioned close to the ears but not cover them. So I can listen to music or radio, make phone calls, etc all while still able to hear what's going on around me.
03-22-21, 06:40 PM
#88
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I sewed BT speakers at the straps of my helmet. They don't cover my ears.
They're just close enough to my ears so I can listen to music in privacy but not too close and not too loud they drown out traffic noise.
I listen mainly to crossover jazz music and the musical selections in GCN
They're just close enough to my ears so I can listen to music in privacy but not too close and not too loud they drown out traffic noise.
I listen mainly to crossover jazz music and the musical selections in GCN
03-22-21, 10:41 PM
#89
Senior Member
Oh you're free to listen to whatever you want.
And I'm free to think you're rude and insensitive for making others listent to it.
I get really annoyed when I'm inflicted with other people's music, whether they're on a bike, a motorcycle (those guys are the worst, as the play at a volume you can hear for blocks), a car, the next apartment, etc. I only want to listen to music that I choose, when I choose. I can guarantee you: you wouldn't like a lot of music I listen to. But I no better than to push it on other people.
And I'm free to think you're rude and insensitive for making others listent to it.
I get really annoyed when I'm inflicted with other people's music, whether they're on a bike, a motorcycle (those guys are the worst, as the play at a volume you can hear for blocks), a car, the next apartment, etc. I only want to listen to music that I choose, when I choose. I can guarantee you: you wouldn't like a lot of music I listen to. But I no better than to push it on other people.
Cheers
03-22-21, 11:06 PM
#90
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Same here, but I use generic bluetooth buds. But the point being, I don't blast my ear drums drowning out everything around me. As a benchmark, because of wind noise, I can't hear the music after about 15-20 mph, maybe even slower. Similar to the point in which the wind noise would pretty much obscure traffic noise for me. And, at that point, I really do think the ear buds make traffic noise more discernable. I've thought about that quite a bit. The theory I have come up with is that wind noise makes it harder to distinguish traffic noise than does music and to the extent that the ear buds cut that down in favor of hearing music, it improves that aspect of hearing for me. It works for me anyway.
03-22-21, 11:13 PM
#91
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03-22-21, 11:16 PM
#92
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There is no difference between listening to music in a car and listening to it on a bike. In fact, the car dulls senses more since it insulates sound. On a bike even with ear buds, I can hear everything around me.
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03-22-21, 11:24 PM
#93
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When mountain biking, I don't listen to music. I enjoy the quiet peacefulness of the forest on the climbs, and I like to hear what's going on w my tires on the descent.
I'm all for personal freedoms and choice, but I don't like it when other mtb'ers have a boom box in their camelbak, because I have to hear that crap for too long as tunes often carry a long ways in canyons. And, I'm not a fan of folks wearing earbuds on the descents, either, because on single tracks descents ... I'll call out "rider back" or "on your left" when overtaking, and I need people to hear me
For road riding, I'm with you on this one. My behavior wouldn't change. I take the lane when a road is too narrow, and couldn't give a nickel if a car is behind me. They have to figure a safe place to pass. If I'm riding in a place where I'd be on the shoulder, but have to swing into a lane to get around a parked car or obstacle, I'll just take a quick peek over my shoulder to see if a car is approaching. Some of these new EV's are so quiet anyway, I wouldn't rely on sound.
I'm all for personal freedoms and choice, but I don't like it when other mtb'ers have a boom box in their camelbak, because I have to hear that crap for too long as tunes often carry a long ways in canyons. And, I'm not a fan of folks wearing earbuds on the descents, either, because on single tracks descents ... I'll call out "rider back" or "on your left" when overtaking, and I need people to hear me
For road riding, I'm with you on this one. My behavior wouldn't change. I take the lane when a road is too narrow, and couldn't give a nickel if a car is behind me. They have to figure a safe place to pass. If I'm riding in a place where I'd be on the shoulder, but have to swing into a lane to get around a parked car or obstacle, I'll just take a quick peek over my shoulder to see if a car is approaching. Some of these new EV's are so quiet anyway, I wouldn't rely on sound.
03-23-21, 12:05 AM
#94
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how many of you drive a car/truck without the radio/bluetooth phone music on?
03-23-21, 12:28 AM
#95
Senior Member
I had a neighbor years ago who wouldn't move to the side of the road for passing cars. He has been dead for several decades now having been unceremoniously run over by a car while riding in the middle of the road exercising his legal right to be there. I came to call that event His "dead right" event. He had every legal right to be riding there and he was dead because of riding there. I always move out of the way of overtaking cars on very narrow two lane roads. If that means I pull over and stop, so be it. I don't want to be "dead right". In fact I always defer to autos/trucks and anything with lots of steel and speed that can hit my soft easily harmed body. I call that my "They always have the right of way if they want it" rule no matter how right I am legally.
03-23-21, 12:45 AM
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Oh you're free to listen to whatever you want.
And I'm free to think you're rude and insensitive for making others listent to it.
I get really annoyed when I'm inflicted with other people's music, whether they're on a bike, a motorcycle (those guys are the worst, as the play at a volume you can hear for blocks), a car, the next apartment, etc. I only want to listen to music that I choose, when I choose. I can guarantee you: you wouldn't like a lot of music I listen to. But I no better than to push it on other people.
And I'm free to think you're rude and insensitive for making others listent to it.
I get really annoyed when I'm inflicted with other people's music, whether they're on a bike, a motorcycle (those guys are the worst, as the play at a volume you can hear for blocks), a car, the next apartment, etc. I only want to listen to music that I choose, when I choose. I can guarantee you: you wouldn't like a lot of music I listen to. But I no better than to push it on other people.
03-23-21, 03:35 AM
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I can't imagine a cyclists' music being intrusive. But, if you've ever hung out in the urban area closest to where I live you'd know exactly how that feels. Between the blaring music coming from Harleys, the young Puerto Rican kids blasting Spanish songs and the rap music, it's enough to make you nuts. Especially when you are eating outside on Main St. and just trying to enjoy conversation over dinner.
03-23-21, 05:40 AM
#100
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Never wanted earbuds for safety reasons, and I find speakers obnoxious. I’ve been thinking of getting some bone-conductor headphones for running. I might try them for short workout rides.
