Listen to Music or not?

[Svendo]

I usually ride with an mp3 player. I find that the reduction in situational awareness is ok for me. The time I was run over I didn't have music on. I try to ride defensively, with assertive positioning and many rear checks and much anticipation of idiocy.
FWIW I have non-marshmallow type earbuds, and I have the volume at a reasonable level. On busy roads and when windy the traffic or wind mostly drowns out the music.
I find I can easily hear emergency sirens long before the vehicle is visible, I need to take avoiding action, or I could hear it if I were in a car. As a comparison I find the ocerall effect is much less than when listening to the radio in the car at a normal volume. (And much less than the boyracer volume I used to use in my younger days!). Occasionally things surprise me from behind (where are you Fnar?) but I've not found this a problem, as I tend to have checked rearward if there is a hazard, and also happens when I don't have music on.
I think it can depend on the person, and their personal assessment of the risk, based on their own behaviour, If you plug yourself in and blunder about oblivious to your surroundings, then that is likely to be dangerous, but if you are cautious, sensible and copmpensationary, then it can be an enhancement of the experience.
as we know, some pedestrians will step out blithely when the iPod is on, others (such as myself) will make careful visual checks before leaving the pavement, aware they may not hear bicycles or quiet traffic.

 

[Jezston]

I have already addressed it several times on this thread and others and you know that. Why are you so obsessed about exactly what my headphones are made of? It's what they do that matters.

I'll do it one more time. Will you promise to never bring it up again?

The amount of attenuation to specific external sound levels that my headphones bring is so insignificant it would be hard to measure accurately. They are not a sealed unit, so the materials they are constructed from are largely irrevant - there have, effectively, got holes in them. Conversely, the effect of reducing wind turbulence counters this reduction manyfold.

Would you argue that anyone riding in wind without wearing a buff or wooly hat or whatever to reduce wind turbulence is being dangerously irresponsible? It is a choice. Because that has a greater effect on what you can hear than adding music.

 

[italiafirenze]

Spoken by someone who's never worn headphones?
FACT. Wearing good quality 'earbud' headphones drastically decreases the main cause of impaired hearing whilst cycling, and that's the wind blast noise which is substantial when travelling at 20mph+, and at 30mph+ it's quite uncomfortable without 'protection'.
Therefore JUST wearing them (no audio) actually improves your ability to hear car engines etc etc. Obviously, it's then a balancing act of getting the audio to a level where the earbuds STOP the windblast, but where the audio is not so loud as to reverse the advantage. I'd like to think that my level of audio is bang in the middle, and so is no more 'dangerous' (but admittedly not actually any safer) than not wearing them at all.

FACT. Just saying FACT in capital letters before writing something doesn't make it any more of a FACT than if you hadn't written FACT. Some sort of reference to a peer-reviewed repeatable scientific study would be useful to qualify status of alleged FACT.

OPINION. I have ridden with earphones in and didn't feel in the least bit impaired or endangered. But I find I prefer not to because I just think cycling is better without music (excepting the turbo trainer, where external stimulus is very necessary).

 

[Jezston]

[QUOTE 1725632, member: 45"]
Yes, you acknowledge that they impair sound. Great.[/quote]

Stop trying to twist my words. To an insignificant level, so effectively - no.

From your first post in this thread:

[QUOTE 1724032, member: 45"] Just don't try to justify it by pretending that it makes no difference, or even actually improves your ability to hear....[/quote]

I will justify it because I'm not pretending that it makes no difference because it doesn't make any difference and they do reduce wind noise. I know what I'm experiencing with my own ears based on my own knowledge of sciences relating to audio, and I am correct.

 

[ianrauk]

For Gods sake I want to bang some effing heads... just agree to disagree guys and let it go.

 

[ianrauk]

Too late Jezston I saw it.
I wasn't particularly interested last time no, but this thread is a mirror copy of the last. You are arguing exactly the same points as last time. So both of you give it a rest. If you don't both give it up then I am happy to put a stop to it for you.

 

[Jezston]

Arguing that me wearing my headphones impairs my ability to hear is like arguing wearing cycling glasses is impairing your ability to see, or that not wearing a buff underneath impairs your helmets ability to protect your head in a crash. Or those people who say that not using platinum deoxidised speaker cable at £500 per meter impairs your ability to hear music properly.

I'm sure if you were to look at it at microscopic level you would detect a difference. But that difference is insignificant and it is irrelevant.

If me saying that makes you feel smug and that you've won the argument or something, then be my guest if it'll shut you up about it.

I'll continue to argue against people who believe that listening to music somehow entirely removes a vital sense, though.

 

[ianrauk]

Jezston is that your final word on the subject?

User? You final words?

 

[fossyant]

Jezzer - do you not listen - this thread is going to be locked. Oh and you are a plonker for using headphones !

 

[yello]

I don't listen to music when I ride on the road.... but I do cycle around the living room when I put a CD on.

 

[Jezston]

Jezzer - do you not listen - this thread is going to be locked.

Why? I can understand such friction shouldn't be in beginners, then why not feel free to move it somewhere else? Ian's warning came while I was writing a reply, why are you accusing me of not listening?

Oh and you are a plonker for using headphones !

With attitudes like this pervading can you blame me for vigorously defending myself?

 

[400bhp]

Aspergers syndrome alert.

 

[ianrauk]

Right then... is that it? done? finito?

 

[Jezston]

Look, to be calm for a second before this all gets out of control and shut down, i'll say one more thing before I take a break from this thread.

I get a lot of random grief off this forum (and from moderators it appears), and in real life, from people because I wear headphones when I cycle, despite it making no difference to my safety.

I don't like it, and I'll defend myself when it comes up, even though that often seems to lead to even more grief. Perhaps some people reading it who aren't arguing with me over it are listening and may have their views changed.

Really, as cyclists we all get shoot from people who don't do what we do because they have weird prejudices and misunderstandings of it. You'd think as a result we'd all have a bit more empathy and understanding as a result.

I'll step back for a while now. I don't see any need for the thread to be locked.

 

[Shaun]

TBH it's a bit like helment debates - strong opinions lead to firmer replies and it can all get a bit heated and overly argumentative - unnecessarily so too, in my humble opinion.

There are no laws governing wearing headphones or earbuds so we are each free to do as we please - and each free to have an opinion on whether that impacts on our safety or not.

Take it easy and accept that you are going to have differences of opinion and none of them is more or less right that the other - just different.

There's no point in falling out over it and if you've said your bit and covered the main points you think are relevant to the thread/idea/opinion - then take a break and come back later to see what others have added to the mix.

Cheers,
Shaun