How can you ride with music?
#101
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Been riding on-and-off (more off) for twenty years, and I've never had the
desire to listen to music while I pedal along the coast or Mulholland or wherever.
I just enjoy the sounds of wind whistling and the birds chirping.
desire to listen to music while I pedal along the coast or Mulholland or wherever.
I just enjoy the sounds of wind whistling and the birds chirping.
#102
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BTW, don't knock Lawrence Welk; he had good musicianship. If you object to his tunes, IMO, Big Band standards (and Classic Rock) are great for cycling.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 10-04-09 at 03:23 PM.
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Whiskey tango foxtrot? Listening to music is "multi-tasking"? Do you turn the radio off in your car when driving? Do you not converse with riding buddies? Maybe some people can't listen to music without devoting their full attention to it, but most people are capable of hearing music in the background without it affecting their concentration in a meaningful way. If you're different, there's no need to consider any of this as applying to you.
#106
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Can't believe we are having this argument again....
I ride sometimes without and sometimes with headphones. My headphones are nice, isolation, full glorious sound Shure headphones, I wear them in both ears and the volume pretty loud. All I hear is the music when I wear headphones.
20 miles each way on the commute, with or without headphones makes no difference. I look back periodically and before I do anything with or without the headphones. I stay in my little side of the street and watch for cars as I zoom zoom home. The end.
One great thing about the headphones (besides the sound quality), I never get distracted by anyone who feels compelled to bark something stupid at me, very easy to ignore them when you can't hear them and move on. No road rage, just a sweet & musical ride.
Group rides, no headphones.
But whatever... that's me, not you. Do what you want and what makes you feel safe and let's you have a good ride. No point in arguing it.
Is it safer without headphones? Maybe, a little, I don't know, doesn't seem like it to me, and honestly, I don't care. Same with a mirror. It's debatable (as proven on BF ad nauseum).
But I'll say this... headphones/mirrors, whatever, the cars in my lane behind me are not my problem. The problem is the people in the opposite lane wanting to turn left and the people in the right cross street wanting to turn left OR right. ALL they are looking for is a gap big enough between cars to go, what they almost never seem to look for is a bicycle. Headphones and mirrors have nothing to do with it. Good friend who took up cycling in our little tsururadio community (lost over 100lbs so far!), she just got hit by a car from a woman who was turning right from a cross street on her right. She's fine, whiplash, ruined helmet, and a f**ked up new bike that her parents got her for all the riding she's done, but she'll be okay... thankfully.
I guess my point is... it's not the headphones that are the issue. It's you. If you can't wear headphones without getting distracted, don't wear them, you'll probably do something stupid. If your music is just a motivator but doesn't take away from your ability to ride smart, then wear them if you want. If they are a distraction, but you don't think so, you'll probably learn about it soon enough...
Whatever, who cares...
I ride sometimes without and sometimes with headphones. My headphones are nice, isolation, full glorious sound Shure headphones, I wear them in both ears and the volume pretty loud. All I hear is the music when I wear headphones.
20 miles each way on the commute, with or without headphones makes no difference. I look back periodically and before I do anything with or without the headphones. I stay in my little side of the street and watch for cars as I zoom zoom home. The end.
One great thing about the headphones (besides the sound quality), I never get distracted by anyone who feels compelled to bark something stupid at me, very easy to ignore them when you can't hear them and move on. No road rage, just a sweet & musical ride.
Group rides, no headphones.
But whatever... that's me, not you. Do what you want and what makes you feel safe and let's you have a good ride. No point in arguing it.
Is it safer without headphones? Maybe, a little, I don't know, doesn't seem like it to me, and honestly, I don't care. Same with a mirror. It's debatable (as proven on BF ad nauseum).
But I'll say this... headphones/mirrors, whatever, the cars in my lane behind me are not my problem. The problem is the people in the opposite lane wanting to turn left and the people in the right cross street wanting to turn left OR right. ALL they are looking for is a gap big enough between cars to go, what they almost never seem to look for is a bicycle. Headphones and mirrors have nothing to do with it. Good friend who took up cycling in our little tsururadio community (lost over 100lbs so far!), she just got hit by a car from a woman who was turning right from a cross street on her right. She's fine, whiplash, ruined helmet, and a f**ked up new bike that her parents got her for all the riding she's done, but she'll be okay... thankfully.
I guess my point is... it's not the headphones that are the issue. It's you. If you can't wear headphones without getting distracted, don't wear them, you'll probably do something stupid. If your music is just a motivator but doesn't take away from your ability to ride smart, then wear them if you want. If they are a distraction, but you don't think so, you'll probably learn about it soon enough...
Whatever, who cares...
#107
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Will listening to music on your bike lead to your instant demise? Nope.
Is it a completely benign activity while on a bike? Nope.
If you can hear it, it IS a distraction. Your brain is processing additional info, and there is some diminished attention as long as it is. That's a fact, jack. You just can't argue that.
Again, if you can't hear it and process it, why are you doing it?
Whether it interferes with your ability to safely ride your bike or not, well I suspect that's going to vary alot by who the rider is. I'm sure many riders can handle it, but there are those who can't.
The research is becoming very, very clear that distraction is an ever increasing problem among drivers. As an example, driver distraction has been shown to be a factor in as many as 30% of traffic accidents*. There's no shortage of research on distraction increasing pedestrian accident risk as well. **
We should learn from this.
* Insurance Information Institute. Dangerous driving distractions.
** Mobile telephones, distracted attention, and pedestrian safety.
Nasar J. Hecht P. Wener R.
Accident Analysis & Prevention. 40(1):69-75, 2008 Jan.
Is it a completely benign activity while on a bike? Nope.
If you can hear it, it IS a distraction. Your brain is processing additional info, and there is some diminished attention as long as it is. That's a fact, jack. You just can't argue that.
Again, if you can't hear it and process it, why are you doing it?
Whether it interferes with your ability to safely ride your bike or not, well I suspect that's going to vary alot by who the rider is. I'm sure many riders can handle it, but there are those who can't.
The research is becoming very, very clear that distraction is an ever increasing problem among drivers. As an example, driver distraction has been shown to be a factor in as many as 30% of traffic accidents*. There's no shortage of research on distraction increasing pedestrian accident risk as well. **
We should learn from this.
* Insurance Information Institute. Dangerous driving distractions.
Text messaging. https://www.roadandtravel.com/safetyandsecurity/
teensandtots/2008/text-while-driving.htm. Accessed October 2,
2008.teensandtots/2008/text-while-driving.htm. Accessed October 2,
** Mobile telephones, distracted attention, and pedestrian safety.
Nasar J. Hecht P. Wener R.
Accident Analysis & Prevention. 40(1):69-75, 2008 Jan.
#108
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
The research is becoming very, very clear that distraction is an ever increasing problem among drivers. As an example, driver distraction has been shown to be a factor in as many as 30% of traffic accidents*. There's no shortage of research on distraction increasing pedestrian accident risk as well. **
Car and Driver's own test ended up with legally drunk driving being less dangerous than texting, surprisingly enough. The gist of it was that the test subjects were still looking out the front window while drunk, while typing and reading texts meant that they were not even looking.
That's the key point, then -- the difference was that they were looking somewhere other than on the road ahead.
That's the same thing that the Ocean City woman did when she got hit by a truck. She didn't look. The fact that she was listening to her mp3 player is absolutely NO excuse for not turning her head to look.
Again, if you're blinded by sound, you shouldn't be aggravating your condition by listening to music.
And, if you're legally deaf, you shouldn't ride a bike at all. Wait, that's not true...
#109
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Is that while passively listening to stuff, or actively doing something that takes attention away from the windshield?
Car and Driver's own test ended up with legally drunk driving being less dangerous than texting, surprisingly enough. The gist of it was that the test subjects were still looking out the front window while drunk, while typing and reading texts meant that they were not even looking.
That's the key point, then -- the difference was that they were looking somewhere other than on the road ahead.
That's the same thing that the Ocean City woman did when she got hit by a truck. She didn't look. The fact that she was listening to her mp3 player is absolutely NO excuse for not turning her head to look.
Again, if you're blinded by sound, you shouldn't be aggravating your condition by listening to music.
And, if you're legally deaf, you shouldn't ride a bike at all. Wait, that's not true...
Car and Driver's own test ended up with legally drunk driving being less dangerous than texting, surprisingly enough. The gist of it was that the test subjects were still looking out the front window while drunk, while typing and reading texts meant that they were not even looking.
That's the key point, then -- the difference was that they were looking somewhere other than on the road ahead.
That's the same thing that the Ocean City woman did when she got hit by a truck. She didn't look. The fact that she was listening to her mp3 player is absolutely NO excuse for not turning her head to look.
Again, if you're blinded by sound, you shouldn't be aggravating your condition by listening to music.
And, if you're legally deaf, you shouldn't ride a bike at all. Wait, that's not true...
It's distracted attention, not listening to music that's the problem. It could be having an arguement with your passenger, trying to get directions, or having your girlfriend's face in your lap... it'll take away from paying attention to what you're doing.
#110
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
.... Which aren't like listening to music.
#112
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Right -- so, in other words, let's learn from the studies about driver distraction and continue to not worry about listening to music.
#113
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I do most of my cycling on dedicated cycling paths that pretty much get road cyclists with plenty of room to pass, so I can pump the music and not lose out from a safety perspective.
#114
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You'd have to agree then, that you feel completely safe riding your bike around other cyclists listening to music?
#115
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I'll still take my music on my ride thank you.
__________________
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"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
#116
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I still have never come across a situation where I thought "gee, I wish I could have heard that to it's fullest". In fact, I'm sure I've missed more than a few horn honkings by listening to music. I'll also have to say that I've never needed a mirror either. I know there are cars behind me already.
#117
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I still have never come across a situation where I thought "gee, I wish I could have heard that to it's fullest". In fact, I'm sure I've missed more than a few horn honkings by listening to music. I'll also have to say that I've never needed a mirror either. I know there are cars behind me already.
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"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
#119
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You've got to be kidding....not for me....I'm sorry you have that issue. Maybe you could invest in some ear plugs.
So what about the car radio analogy?
While we're at it, conversations in the car are not a problem either. At least not for me. You have trouble talking to people when you drive as well?
So what about the car radio analogy?
While we're at it, conversations in the car are not a problem either. At least not for me. You have trouble talking to people when you drive as well?
__________________
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"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
Last edited by daredevil; 10-04-09 at 06:09 PM.
#120
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I feel completely safe riding around other people I know, regardless of music. I don't always feel comfortable around people I don't know, regardless of music.
#121
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Right -- so, in other words, let's ignore the data about distraction among pedestrians and vehicle operators increasing accident risk and continue to rationalize doing whatever we want to do.
You'd have to agree then, that you feel completely safe riding your bike around other cyclists listening to music?
You'd have to agree then, that you feel completely safe riding your bike around other cyclists listening to music?
#122
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Once again, you (all) wouldn't listen to music while riding if you can't hear it, and aren't processing it. This is just brain processing fact: If you're processing it, it's taking some of your attention, and is a distraction from attending to other things, including riding. It really doesn't matter if it's earphones or a car radio, it's the same basic process. If you're not actively attending to it, it's just noise.
No one has ever been so engrossed in what you were listening to in the car that you missed a turn, or ran a stop sign, or something similar? How about having an arguement in the car? C'mon, be honest here...
Now, if it takes enough of your attention so that it impairs your ability to ride safely, then it's a bad distraction and increases accident risk. Otherwise, it's not a bad distraction.
I'm not saying all people can't effectively multi-task on the bike, just that some can't. And as the distractions become more intense, the accident risk increases, whether it's car, ped, or on the bike. We've all seen it. Obviously, the less intrusive the music is, the less distracting it's likely to be.
I'm with umd- I trust people I know, but if I don't know you and see you're wearing earphones (especially both of them), I'm usually giving you a wide berth, until I know better.
No one has ever been so engrossed in what you were listening to in the car that you missed a turn, or ran a stop sign, or something similar? How about having an arguement in the car? C'mon, be honest here...
Now, if it takes enough of your attention so that it impairs your ability to ride safely, then it's a bad distraction and increases accident risk. Otherwise, it's not a bad distraction.
I'm not saying all people can't effectively multi-task on the bike, just that some can't. And as the distractions become more intense, the accident risk increases, whether it's car, ped, or on the bike. We've all seen it. Obviously, the less intrusive the music is, the less distracting it's likely to be.
I'm with umd- I trust people I know, but if I don't know you and see you're wearing earphones (especially both of them), I'm usually giving you a wide berth, until I know better.
#123
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Once again, you (all) wouldn't listen to music while riding if you can't hear it, and aren't processing it. This is just brain processing fact: If you're processing it, it's taking some of your attention, and is a distraction from attending to other things, including riding. It really doesn't matter if it's earphones or a car radio, it's the same basic process. If you're not actively attending to it, it's just noise.
No one has ever been so engrossed in what you were listening to in the car that you missed a turn, or ran a stop sign, or something similar? How about having an arguement in the car? C'mon, be honest here...
Now, if it takes enough of your attention so that it impairs your ability to ride safely, then it's a bad distraction and increases accident risk. Otherwise, it's not a bad distraction.
I'm not saying all people can't effectively multi-task on the bike, just that some can't. And as the distractions become more intense, the accident risk increases, whether it's car, ped, or on the bike. We've all seen it. Obviously, the less intrusive the music is, the less distracting it's likely to be.
I'm with umd- I trust people I know, but if I don't know you and see you're wearing earphones (especially both of them), I'm usually giving you a wide berth, until I know better.
No one has ever been so engrossed in what you were listening to in the car that you missed a turn, or ran a stop sign, or something similar? How about having an arguement in the car? C'mon, be honest here...
Now, if it takes enough of your attention so that it impairs your ability to ride safely, then it's a bad distraction and increases accident risk. Otherwise, it's not a bad distraction.
I'm not saying all people can't effectively multi-task on the bike, just that some can't. And as the distractions become more intense, the accident risk increases, whether it's car, ped, or on the bike. We've all seen it. Obviously, the less intrusive the music is, the less distracting it's likely to be.
I'm with umd- I trust people I know, but if I don't know you and see you're wearing earphones (especially both of them), I'm usually giving you a wide berth, until I know better.
#124
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If you are so distracted by background music what happens when you're riding on the road near the beach?
#125
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When I drive my car, I almost always have the tunes cranked. So much that I generally can't hear anything outside the car. I know I'm not alone in doing this. Is it any different than riding with earbuds?