Do you cycle with music in your ears?

ollietrex

I dont personally cycle with music playing into my ears but I certainly see a fair amount of other people doing it. Do people look at it as a bad thing?

seamus

Radio, not music. I think I'd find music far more distracting. You can tune out from the radio.

BeerNut

I don't think I've ever encountered a cyclist who was dangerous because they couldn't hear what was going on, but I think it's a bad idea. For me, anyway.

rubadub

seamus wrote: »

Radio, not music. I think I'd find music far more distracting. You can tune out from the radio.

I would be the opposite, I know the songs that are coming up, dunno what is next on the radio, and if news is on or some DJ talking I might pay more attention to them.

I used to think it was a bad idea and more dangerous. But I find myself overcompensating with earphones on, and actually become more cautious when cycling and reckon I am safer with them now. Doesnt mean everybody is like that though. Somewhat similar in concept to another can of worms I shouldnt dare open!



helmets!

kenmc

I voted no, because I used to, but found myself not actually hearing it anyway, I was too busy trying to concentrate on not getting squished.
Also in order to combat the wind noise I had to have the volume up high in order to hear it, which is a Bad Idea.
If I was on a trainer or exercise bike then I would, but they're pretty boring anyway so every little helps.

duffarama

kenmc wrote: »

I voted no, because I used to, but found myself not actually hearing it anyway, I was too busy trying to concentrate on not getting squished.
Also in order to combat the wind noise I had to have the volume up high in order to hear it, which is a Bad Idea.
If I was on a trainer or exercise bike then I would, but they're pretty boring anyway so every little helps.

Can we have a sometimes option in the poll?!

I do from time to time, but feel safer without.

DirkVoodoo

I do.

Its mainly a background thing, I don't deafen myself so above certain speeds, in certain directions, wind noise prevails.

There is no substitute for awareness and checking over your shoulder, I've been behing plenty of cyclists without headphones who never even notice anything behind them.

chicoben

I have it on in my left ear only turned down, usually the wind is louder than the earphones but its just in the background for some entertainment. I don't concentrate on the music though and i'm constantly checking around me for stuff that might hit me anyway.

davidsatelle100

I do the whole time, but its never too loud I can always hear the traffic.

fish-head

I tend not to. Not when commuting or in town anyway. When out on a ride it's more understandable.

Cabaal

I don't, I think its suicide to listen to music while on a bike....we have enough dangers

Andy-Pandy

Fact-rage against the machine makes you cycle 20% faster.

I listen to music when theres cycle lanes.

Gavin

Cabaal wrote: »

I don't, I think its suicide to listen to music while on a bike....we have enough dangers

Have you tried the practice ?

niceonetom

pendulum - hold your colour
that album is EPO and testosterone and crack all at the same time. if i ever do a time trial that'll be in my ears.

i listen to music pretty much all the time on the bike, except maybe if i'm in heavy traffic in an area i'm not familiar with. or if i'm a bit drunk.

i also use this type of headphones


not earbuds

so i can actually hear quite a lot.

for the long rides away from traffic i listen to books-on-tape (well, mp3) and find that at the end of a long day not only am i fitter, i'm also a bit cleverer. score.

311

niceonetom wrote: »

i listen to music pretty much all the time on the bike, except maybe if i'm in heavy traffic in an area i'm not familiar with. or if i'm a bit drunk.

i also use this type of headphones


not earbuds

so i can actually hear quite a lot.

I do the same myself ,pair of seinhesser headphones


Find the radio easier to listen to when taking it easy and music when I'm doing a lap.:D

cunnins4

rubadub wrote: »

I would be the opposite, I know the songs that are coming up, dunno what is next on the radio, and if news is on or some DJ talking I might pay more attention to them.

I agree about the radio being more distracting-sometimes i'd be listening to the radio and they'd be doing a quiz of some type and I'd find myself concentrating on the answers and not the road. If i'm listening to music and a particular favourite song comes on I'd notice a couple of songs later "oh ****, totally missed that one!". It's just a background thing. Only problem is wind going over the headphones makes a lot of noise which can make it even harder to hear cars. Most of the time though I keep it at a reasonable volume and can still hear traffic.

rubadub wrote: »

helmets!

SSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!;)

MicraBoy

I don't. I can't see how depriving (or a the very least retarding) yourself of one of your senses can be anything but dangerous when cycling in the city.

Ghost Rider

I agree. I think it's crazy, bordering on nuts.

MicraBoy wrote: »

I don't. I can't see how depriving (or a the very least retarding) yourself of one of your senses can be anything but dangerous when cycling in the city.

TinyExplosions

I generally don't when out and about in town... on longer rides I do.

I find that I can always hear the traffic over mine anyway, and there's no substitute for a look over the shoulder

Junior

If I'm out on my own yah I'd always have the Ipod on. But then cycling in Co. Waterford is different to the streets of Dublin.

blorg

Need a sometimes option. Generally I don't; only when drunk at night having forgotten my lights. I find the music makes me invincible (and sounds even better while drunk.)

wahlrab

Cabaal wrote: »

I don't, I think its suicide to listen to music while on a bike....we have enough dangers

exactly, i once told a friend that she shouldn't cycle with headphones and she said well i listen to music in a car and that's the same thing, i almost screamed metal cage!!!

Gavin

Yes, it reduces your awareness, but to far less of a degree than I suspect people believe. There are of course varying levels.

Someone listening to noise canceling earphones with a loud volume, cutting off any external noise is one extreme.

The standard is earphones/headphones that allow in surrounding noise and music/radio at a level where it can just be barely heard above traffic. I tend to only actually hear the music when I'm on a quiet patch with no cars, otherwise it gets swamped into the background, which I find reasonable when going through the city center.

As people have pointed out earlier in the thread, it is actually dangerous for a cyclist to rely on their hearing for an awareness of surrounding traffic. Some cars are extremely quiet, as are of course other bicycles. Better to have a cyclist with earphones on that checks over their shoulder regularly and indicates and checks before performing any maneuvers than a cyclist with no earphones who relies on their hearing to pull out without checking.

People describing the practice as 'suicidal', 'stupid' 'crazy' etc probably have not tried it. As with anything, (helmets) it's a calculated risk. Is listening to music worth the reduction in awareness? For me, the reduction in awareness is so minimal that yeah, sometimes I do listen to music.

Ghost Rider

Who really prioritises hearing over sight when it comes to cycling? I doubt anyone does.

And here's a really big question: where does that "reverse psycho-logic" end? Why is it that certain statements of that form have some credibility while others don't? E.g. "Cars shouldn't have safety belts because the fact that they do makes people think it's safe to drive faster" or "Apartments shouldn't have fire extinguishers and fire escapes because the fact that they do makes people more likely to leave chip pans on overnight."

The logic underpinning these statements is similar to that behind Hans Monderman's Shared Space idea, which came up here a few weeks ago i.e. take away all the traffic regulating features (such as traffic lights) and you will make people think they need to drive more safely.

I admit it's an attractive idea, but attractive ideas always make me suspicious...

Verb wrote: »

As people have pointed out earlier in the thread, it is actually dangerous for a cyclist to rely on their hearing for an awareness of surrounding traffic. Some cars are extremely quiet, as are of course other bicycles. Better to have a cyclist with earphones on that checks over their shoulder regularly and indicates and checks before performing any maneuvers than a cyclist with no earphones who relies on their hearing to pull out without checking.

People describing the practice as 'suicidal', 'stupid' 'crazy' etc probably have not tried it. As with anything, (helmets) it's a calculated risk. Is listening to music worth the reduction in awareness? For me, the reduction in awareness is so minimal that yeah, sometimes I do listen to music.

Gavin

I think you are taking something from my post that I did not intend to imply.

I was not stating that wearing headphones makes one a better cyclist. I was stating that the risk of listening to music whilst cycling is minimal for a good cyclist.

Ghost Rider

I didn't mean to suggest you were making that argument, just that it could be made. That's why I first replied to your post directly and then went on to ask the bigger question relateing to issues of safety generally, whether it be [cough] helmets or traffic regulating measures.

Verb wrote: »

I think you are taking something from my post that I did not intend to imply.

I was not stating that wearing headphones makes one a better cyclist. I was stating that the risk of listening to music whilst cycling is minimal for a good cyclist.

PeadarofAodh

I cycle with earphones if I'm cycling for a commute on my own. As I nearly always go for longer distances cycling with friends, I don't feel the need for music - also seems slightly rude! I would obviously never listen to the music at such a volume that it'd impair my hearing of traffic and am very conscientious about looking around me before signalling/turning etc so feel no added risk.

As a side note I found this website the other day which I'm really enjoying looking through: http://www.fitmoves.com/IndoorCycling/ListSongs.asp

unionman

I don't, I used to, but when I changed from Hybrid to fixed, on a lighter bike, I instinctively felt more exposed, and in need of all my senses when I'm out on the road. That probably sounds daft, but there you go. I haven't done it for a long time.

At one stage I even got sennheiser earbuds, as they insulate so well, and my apple standard earbuds kept falling out of my ears. But shutting down one of your senses, especially when you need that 360 degree sense of what is around you, just seems counter-intuitive now. A near miss from a bus in Glasnevin was a lesson in the dangers of very quiet engines, even without headphones, I never sensed him coming. I shudder to think what my reaction ability would have been like if I had been wearing headphones.

And yes, Rage Against the Machine does make you cycle faster*, it's a great accompaniment I have to say...but wrong, yes wrong!

*It also makes you drive faster:eek: