Listening To Music On The Road...Yea or Nay?
08-12-17, 06:54 PM
#51
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Only on rail trails
I listen to audio book only when doing workout on a nearby rail trail... I never listen when sharing the road with auto's, I've had to many close calls. I even got a light for the back of my road bike that has a radar that Bluetooth to my garmin 810... works great. Still do head checks, but when my garmin beeps I look down, see the dots on the 810, I know how many are behind me. I'm a older man, not very flexible anymore... I need all the help I can get.😩
08-12-17, 07:35 PM
#52
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Music is important to me, but not on the bicycle. Music in camp in the evening. But in the morning get up and get going, no distractions. There have been a few times when I swerved out of the way of a car whose driver was not paying attention.
Last edited by Squeezebox; 08-13-17 at 10:46 AM.
08-13-17, 09:03 AM
#53
Bicyclerider4life
Me? Not even on the rare occasions I'm driving a car. The radio/tape/CD player stays off.
I like the quiet.
I like the quiet.
08-13-17, 11:27 AM
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Yes, sometimes this is a good thing as well. When on a road that has non stop traffic, and every third driver of an old truck romps the four barrel when right by you... Its not like you don't know there is a car coming on a road like that!
08-13-17, 04:28 PM
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08-14-17, 11:36 AM
#57
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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.
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.
08-14-17, 10:23 PM
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EVT Safe Zone helmet-mounted mirror is IMHO the best bike mirror. Helmet mount reduces the vibration, super-wide view, not convex like many bar-mount mirrors. Amazon.UK has it for ~$81 £ which is unfortunately about 2x price as in USA. Perhaps other cheaper sources for you but it's so good I'd pay the 81 £.
08-15-17, 05:52 AM
#59
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EVT Safe Zone helmet-mounted mirror is IMHO the best bike mirror. Helmet mount reduces the vibration, super-wide view, not convex like many bar-mount mirrors. Amazon.UK has it for ~$81 £ which is unfortunately about 2x price as in USA. Perhaps other cheaper sources for you but it's so good I'd pay the 81 £.
Last edited by antokelly; 08-15-17 at 06:03 AM.
08-15-17, 07:46 AM
#60
Bike touring webrarian
I use the "Take a Look" mirror and highly recommend it. I have no idea if it is sold in Ireland but they are readily available on-line and in LBS all over the US.
The last one I bought earlier this year cost me $12.
08-15-17, 09:17 AM
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I generally don't listen to music while I ride. It is my time to just enjoy the "quiet" and my thoughts. However at one point I picked up a pair of bone conduction headphones and they worked quite well. They actually sit in front of your ears. So you could hear the music fine but your ears were not obstructed at all and could hear all of the traffic fine.
08-16-17, 12:58 AM
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OK...EBay.UK has it for £36 w/free post from US. What price safety? Safe Zone mirror area is 2.7X that of Take a Look, quicker & easier to spot stuff which really helps considering one can check mirror hundreds or thousands of times per day. I think the only reason that other companies don't make a similar-size helmet mirror is it looks a bit weird.
Take a Look requires a helmet visor or glasses; Safe Zone fits on most any helmet. BTW EVT replaced zip ties with velcro straps so easier to re-position.
Take a Look requires a helmet visor or glasses; Safe Zone fits on most any helmet. BTW EVT replaced zip ties with velcro straps so easier to re-position.
08-16-17, 12:04 PM
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Seems a lot of people are into the audiobook thing...I'm giving it a whirl. Listening to Jens Voigt's "Shut Up Legs!", and it's quite enjoyable to hear it. Very relaxing.
May need to get an external speaker. I found my blue jay headphones and they really block sound out, but I do appreciate all the inputs and ideas.
As far as mirrors go...objects seem closer than they appear, haha! I've looked at the helmet mounted ones, but the ones I see just seem cheaply made and not very durable, so I just check my back every so often until I find that perfect one. Not really into bike mounted kind, but I think that's the roadie in me talking.
May need to get an external speaker. I found my blue jay headphones and they really block sound out, but I do appreciate all the inputs and ideas.
As far as mirrors go...objects seem closer than they appear, haha! I've looked at the helmet mounted ones, but the ones I see just seem cheaply made and not very durable, so I just check my back every so often until I find that perfect one. Not really into bike mounted kind, but I think that's the roadie in me talking.
08-16-17, 12:33 PM
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I listen to audio book only when doing workout on a nearby rail trail... I never listen when sharing the road with auto's, I've had to many close calls. I even got a light for the back of my road bike that has a radar that Bluetooth to my garmin 810... works great. Still do head checks, but when my garmin beeps I look down, see the dots on the 810, I know how many are behind me. I'm a older man, not very flexible anymore... I need all the help I can get.😩
08-16-17, 03:44 PM
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I think it is. You can Google "Garmin Varia rearview radar" (I tried to post the link, but this site won't let me yet, sorry, I'm a new guy😊
The site has a list of compatible devices. You can check it out on some videos. If you do want one, shop around, your can save yourself a lot of money. Also, someone told me that they aren't legal in some other countries, no clue if true or why.
The site has a list of compatible devices. You can check it out on some videos. If you do want one, shop around, your can save yourself a lot of money. Also, someone told me that they aren't legal in some other countries, no clue if true or why.
08-16-17, 04:59 PM
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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.
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.
You have good taste in music and good sense when riding.
08-16-17, 09:27 PM
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I think it is. You can Google "Garmin Varia rearview radar" (I tried to post the link, but this site won't let me yet, sorry, I'm a new guy😊 The site has a list of compatible devices. You can check it out on some videos. If you do want one, shop around, your can save yourself a lot of money. Also, someone told me that they aren't legal in some other countries, no clue if true or why.
The site has a list of compatible devices. You can check it out on some videos. If you do want one, shop around, your can save yourself a lot of money. Also, someone told me that they aren't legal in some other countries, no clue if true or why.I know here in Washington, we can have blinking rear lights, but the headlights need to be non flashing. I don't think it's really enforced, but as long as you have it, you should be good to go.
08-16-17, 10:07 PM
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Seems a lot of people are into the audiobook thing...I'm giving it a whirl. Listening to Jens Voigt's "Shut Up Legs!", and it's quite enjoyable to hear it. Very relaxing.
May need to get an external speaker. I found my blue jay headphones and they really block sound out, but I do appreciate all the inputs and ideas.
As far as mirrors go...objects seem closer than they appear, haha! I've looked at the helmet mounted ones, but the ones I see just seem cheaply made and not very durable, so I just check my back every so often until I find that perfect one. Not really into bike mounted kind, but I think that's the roadie in me talking.
May need to get an external speaker. I found my blue jay headphones and they really block sound out, but I do appreciate all the inputs and ideas.
As far as mirrors go...objects seem closer than they appear, haha! I've looked at the helmet mounted ones, but the ones I see just seem cheaply made and not very durable, so I just check my back every so often until I find that perfect one. Not really into bike mounted kind, but I think that's the roadie in me talking.
Some folks recommend Cat Ears: little pads that go on helmet strap in front of ears & cut most of wind noise. Seems like they'd aid safety whether or not listening to audio.
My EVT Safe Zone mirror is 6 years old but still going strong, survived numerous bumps & drops.
Used to be a roadie & pretty good at glancing behind but even then it wasn't the safest/most comfortable setup. Tried a dentist mirror & found it useless. Actually I think pro racers would like the Safe Zone, easy to spot sneak attacks, would work great for sprint track-stands. They'd only need to withstand the constant ribbing from peleton.
08-17-17, 09:26 PM
#71
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For a rear view mirror there is also this: RearViz Mirror
Last edited by hilltowner; 08-17-17 at 09:30 PM.
08-17-17, 10:29 PM
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RearViz mirror is clever but helmet mirrors have the advantage of requiring smallest eye movement. Safe Zone allows me to check mirror & simultaneously retain a fairly good view of road ahead. RearViz mirror is ~same size as Safe Zone unlike most handlebar mirrors which are larger to make up for increased eye-mirror distance. I change handlebar position frequently, seems that arm-mounted RearViz would change angle & thus not always be in optimal position.
RearViz gets some good reviews though some complain about a no-return policy. EVT folks are friendly & helpful, they sell spare parts too.
RearViz gets some good reviews though some complain about a no-return policy. EVT folks are friendly & helpful, they sell spare parts too.
08-19-17, 06:35 PM
#73
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RearViz mirror is clever but helmet mirrors have the advantage of requiring smallest eye movement. Safe Zone allows me to check mirror & simultaneously retain a fairly good view of road ahead. RearViz mirror is ~same size as Safe Zone unlike most handlebar mirrors which are larger to make up for increased eye-mirror distance. I change handlebar position frequently, seems that arm-mounted RearViz would change angle & thus not always be in optimal position.
RearViz gets some good reviews though some complain about a no-return policy. EVT folks are friendly & helpful, they sell spare parts too.
RearViz gets some good reviews though some complain about a no-return policy. EVT folks are friendly & helpful, they sell spare parts too.
08-19-17, 08:15 PM
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Stereo single ear bud
I use 1 earbud that plays stereo, its a single bud I got on Amazon on my non-traffic side. I ride the streets a lot and hear perfectly, I do have a Garmin Varia also that helps.
08-19-17, 11:19 PM
#75
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I don't do it or like it when others do it. It's a distraction and it's already sufficiently dangerous out there.
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