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Listening to Music via Headphones?

Old 05-04-20, 12:47 PM
  #26  
GlennR
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Live in the present and enjoy what you are doing. If you're actually "listening" to the music then you're not working hard enough.

I bet 90% of the people who ride with music can't name the last song played.
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Old 05-04-20, 06:44 PM
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Feels definitely dangerous to me on the road, but also on the dirt if I'm doing anything even slightly technical that requires mental clarity. I'm just not 100% in bike zen mind if there's music playing in my head. And even out in the woods, I still like to hear what's going on around me--just seems way safer. As for others, I don't care what they do as long as they don't endanger me, or, use a speaker and force me to listen to their music out there!
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Old 05-04-20, 07:42 PM
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I listen to music while riding with my Blu tooth speaker attached to the frame. It allows me to enjoy music and be able to hear my surroundings at the same time. Also in some states, it's against the law to have headsets while riding on your bike. I avoid wearing earbuds because my right ear is screwed up and I need to save both ears for as long as I'm around (too much loud music in my younger days).
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Old 05-04-20, 07:42 PM
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I'm surprised only one other person has mentioned it, but if you want to listen to your music AND hear everything around you, get bone conduction headphones like Aftershockz Titanium. They really are a game changer. Lots of people on the local group rides use them. Not only can you hear your surroundings, but you can also easily pause your music or take a phone call with a press of a single button on the headphones.
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Old 05-04-20, 09:25 PM
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I have a portable speaker that has Blueteeth and they connect with the blueteeth on my cellular telephone and play music from there when I need it. It is nice because it gives others awareness of you so you can ride without having to yell at people. However I don't ride with a speaker every ride and sometimes just want to ride and hear my surroundings with full clarity.

I have heard decent things about the bone conductive headphones but haven't really tried them yet.
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Old 05-04-20, 10:16 PM
  #31  
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iPod Pro with transparency mode on. Also have Varia radar to point out when vehicle approaches.
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Old 05-04-20, 10:35 PM
  #32  
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Regardless of whether you're using bone conducting headphones, or earbuds with outdoor/transparency/ambient/whatever-they-call-it mode, the most important thing to control is listening volume. I can blast my Aftershokz Aeropex loud enough to be unsafe on the road, or I can moderate the volume so that I am still able to carry out a normal conversation with the rider beside me.
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Old 05-04-20, 10:39 PM
  #33  
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I use a bluetooth speaker also. JBL Clip 3, it helps to let others know that I am nearby on the bike path also.
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Old 05-05-20, 08:06 AM
  #34  
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i use Aftershokz. They are use bone induction bluetooth, so there is nothing stuck in your ear. I can hear cars, birds and frogs!
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Old 05-05-20, 08:19 AM
  #35  
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I listen to podcasts with one (usually the right) earbud in. It’s no different than listening to the car radio with the driver’s window open.
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Old 05-05-20, 08:36 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by caloso
I listen to podcasts with one (usually the right) earbud in. It’s no different than listening to the car radio with the driver’s window open.
Difference is in a collision with another car you have a seat belt, air bags and 3000# of metal surrounding you. On a bike you have spandex and 15# of carbon fiber.

But to each their own.

Everyone evaluates their own safety such as people riding wearing masks and not helmets (but that's a whole different topic)(.
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Old 05-05-20, 08:43 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
I bet 90% of the people who ride with music can't name the last song played.
I pulled into the driveway yesterday to Cha Cha Cha by MC Lyte.

Earbuds in (with Comply foam tips) for every solo ride, regardless of where I'm going. Off road, on-road, urban, suburban, doesn't matter. So like... 30,000 miles. Probably 1,700-1,800 hours over the past 3.5 years.
As I've said what feels like a hundred times, a road cyclist doesn't use their hearing nearly as much as internet cyclists think they do. At my cruising speed, what I hear without headphones is whhhhoooosssshhhhh.
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Old 05-05-20, 09:10 AM
  #38  
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I only feel comfortable using earbuds on MUPs; where I live the drivers are the worst I've ever witnessed and it's definitely not worth the risk. I am very cautious when crossing roads or passing pedestrians though so I feel like I do my duty to stay safe.

To those asking why people feel the need to listen to music; I just love music period and almost always am I in the mood for some tunes. There's so much good music out there and not nearly enough time to listen to it all. I constantly have a song stuck in my head anyway so I might as well listen to something as to not have the same line of whichever song on repeat in my head indefinitely.
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Old 05-05-20, 09:29 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by ;21454392
It's not unusual for professional disc golfers to have headphone music during competitive rounds...
The headphones are to drown out the laughing when people find out that somebody is paying someone else to play disc golf.

(sorry - couldn't resist...)





https://api.pdga.com/tour/events

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Old 05-05-20, 09:32 AM
  #40  
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I bet 90 percent of people who complain about "others" using earbuds have never tried it.
Actually to the uninitiated it can seem over whelming when you first try it especially if you have it cranked up loud. I know because that's how I felt when I first tried running with them. Weirdly, I rode with them for years, but the first time running I couldn't stand it. I finally tried again decades later and now I like it.
Where I ride I feel comfortable riding with earbuds. But when riding Sundays with my wife and me pulling our daughter in a trailer buggy on our MUP/Riverwalk, I don't.
I train/ride by myself 90 percent of the time and I use my Triathlon setup bikes the other times I ride with a friend and I use a rode bike with rode bars and no earbuds.
I find it odd that those who don't wear earbuds condemn those who do. But I guess they feel unsafe by those or had a bad experience with a earbud rider. My suggestion is take it up with them and get your anger out them not here. But I guess that's the internet way. Listen just because one person does a jackass move while wearing earbuds doesn't make them all that way. You'll find just as many non earbud wearing jackasses too.
Finally, one tip I've learned is Only Listen to Good Music.
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Old 05-05-20, 09:38 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
Difference is in a collision with another car you have a seat belt, air bags and 3000# of metal surrounding you. On a bike you have spandex and 15# of carbon fiber.

But to each their own.

Everyone evaluates their own safety such as people riding wearing masks and not helmets (but that's a whole different topic)(.
Like DrIsotope said, when riding at any pace, you don't hear a car from behind ... there's too much wind noise. I ride with a Garmin Varia and know when a car is behind me, it alerts me with a chime and graphic on my Edge 1030 - much better than counting on the approaching car being loud enough to hear over the wind noise.

With music in one ear and the volume low enough to talk to someone at a stop light, you're not hurting your ability to hear your surroundings.

Nobody is saying you should ride with music, you do you. But the OP asked about doing it safely and you have some of riders with significant experience riding with music sharing how we do it safely. (FYI - I log 5,000 to 6,500 miles each year, year round in Minnesota, on roads, trails, gravel, single-track, on snow/ice ... and 95% of that is with music in my right ear).

Lastly, we all see a lot of people biking, running & walking that clearly can't hear a thing over their music ... I think we can all agree, don't do that!
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Old 05-05-20, 09:48 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by DrIsotope
So like... 30,000 miles. .....
As I've said what feels like a hundred times, a road cyclist doesn't use their hearing nearly as much as internet cyclists think they do.
I've ridden 25,000 on my current 2015 bicycle and most likely did another 10,000 since 2011 when I started riding again. So if you're equating a "keyboard commando" to ":internet cyclist", don't ASSume you know who you're talking about.

I would say if you ride where you rarely encounter any other cyclists, walkers, runners or cars... then blast you music. But if you ride on suburban roads with cars, trucks, business districts with parked cars and single lanes.... you need 100% attention on what your are doing.

Like i said, i bet you can't remember the last song played when cycling, so it's just background noise.
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Old 05-05-20, 09:49 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Hypno Toad
Like DrIsotope said, when riding at any pace, you don't hear a car from behind ... there's too much wind noise.
You must live in tornado alley, because i can hear cars coming up from behind and will move to the right... if i can.
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Old 05-05-20, 09:54 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by Hypno Toad
But the OP asked about doing it safely
Here's how
Originally Posted by cheesesandwich
Get a bone induction headphones
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Old 05-05-20, 09:55 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
You must live in tornado alley, because i can hear cars coming up from behind and will move to the right... if i can.


No, I'm just that fast

Everyone's ears are unique, I've bought Cat-Ears for Lisa cause she couldn't hear me talk with her at 12 mph on a quiet trail - they made a huge difference. OTOH - I can talk with teammates in a pace line at 20 mph; but hear a car approaching, nope. That's why I ride with the Garmin radar, much better than counting on loud cars and low wind noise.
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Old 05-05-20, 09:58 AM
  #46  
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Listening to Music via Headphones?
Originally Posted by caloso
I listen to podcasts with one (usually the right) earbud in. It’s no different than listening to the car radio with the driver’s window open.
Originally Posted by GlennR
Difference is in a collision with another car you have a seat belt, air bags and 3000# of metal surrounding you. On a bike you have spandex and 15# of carbon fiber.

But to each their own.

Everyone evaluates their own safety such as people riding wearing masks and not helmets (but that's a whole different topic)(.
Just about an hour ago I posted to this current thread (on the Tandem Forum), "A
dvice for communications while listening to music and such?”
Originally Posted by fooferdoggie
I losten to audiobooks 10 hours a day or so as I work alone it is not distracting to me it is normal

I operate my machines and do far more attention needing work while listening. I even read on the net. been doing it for maybe 20 years. a phone call is an idea though.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
Frankly, I don’t read the Tandem Forum nor have I ever ridden a tandem, but I noted this thread on the New Posts.

I don’t bother to respond to popcorn threads about listening to audio devices while riding, but I have posted about the value of listening:
Originally Posted by Sapperc
You are out riding in nature. Why contaminate the experience with urban noise? Get in tune with yourself, your bike, and whatever is happening all around you]

Cycling affords a chance to breath, think, recharge and get in touch with your environment. Happy 50th Earth Day!
Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
It also affords an opportunity to listern to audiobooks, podcasts, music, etc. for those who prefer it.

I am one who prefers audiobooks and have listened to hundreds while cycling. When I want a change in pace for spinning my pedals, wy recent short playlist is:...
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
I recently posted about the advantages of such analytical diversions IMO:
Originally Posted by BobbyG
I also listen to spoken word podcasts at a low volume in my curbside ear. I can hear traffic fine. On the rides I don't listen, or if I don't like the podcast and pull the earbud out I don't feel I gain any extra situational awareness.

My guess would be that picking one horn out of the Manhattan cacophony of horns, and echoes off the buildings, would be daunting in and of its self.

Whats more, I feel that when listening to spoken word podcasts in my curbside ear at a low volume, I can hear traffic better than when I'm in my car with the windows up with no music or podcasts.

However, it's been my experience that when a music clip is played, even in one ear, I start to loose my situational awareness. I think it has something to do with the way the human brain works....
Originally Posted by PaulRivers
...I feel safer wearing headphones than not, because my brain sometimes it can rely on my hearing to hear cars behind me, when the only thing that's actually affective is to actually look.

Wearing headphones makes my brain realize that I'd better look - which is far far safer than hoping a car passing me is making enough noise to hear it.

You can't rely on your ears for knowing what's behind you, you have to look.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
Well said, @PaulRivers. I agree that a controllable external auditory source can help to focus on the task at hand, rather than distract.

For myself, I work at preparing reports depending on careful detailed analyses, and I always have a talk show on. It definitely focuses me, even though I don't pay much attention; it's more a background awareness.

It seems to fill in my mind in addition to the current purposeful activity so my concentration has no other place to wander.

In fact, if there is no ambient “distraction,” the silence is deafening (and I don't have to worry about a car plowing into my desk).

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 05-05-20 at 10:15 AM.
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Old 05-05-20, 10:00 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by Hypno Toad
I can talk with teammates in a pace line at 20 mph; but hear a car approaching, nope.
I would think in Minnesota there's a large number of SUVs and pickup trucks and they generally have noisy tires.

Ever drive next to one on the highway and hear the loud whine from the tires?

I can hear them coming down the road, i'm just surprised that you can't but you can hear others talking while spinning at 20mph.
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Old 05-05-20, 10:01 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
Here's how
That is one option, and no one is advising against that option.

Because I do ultra endurance rides, and reviews cause concern about bone induction headphones comfort over long duration, I've stuck with a simple earbud in one ear. I am a data point of one, but with thousands of miles every year, I'm going to say that this is one safe option.

You don't like music while riding, I think we all understand your opinion. And some others are share our opinions and experiences riding with music. Cool? Cool!
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Old 05-05-20, 10:12 AM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
I would think in Minnesota there's a large number of SUVs and pickup trucks and they generally have noisy tires.

Ever drive next to one on the highway and hear the loud whine from the tires?

I can hear them coming down the road, i'm just surprised that you can't but you can hear others talking while spinning at 20mph.
You ever been here? We only drive Tesla, Prius, .... Of course some cars and SUVs are loud and you hear them from 10 miles away. And some cars are not loud ... and to beat this dead horse: I'm not going to make my safety dependent on the quietly approaching Tesla is not trusting auto-drive.

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Old 05-05-20, 10:16 AM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
Live in the present and enjoy what you are doing. If you're actually "listening" to the music then you're not working hard enough.

I bet 90% of the people who ride with music can't name the last song played.
So if I listen to music, I'm not working hard enough? Try selling that to professional athletes. You, Sir, have not fuc**ng clue.
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