Do you listen to music whilst cycling? If so this is for you ...........

[Bromptonaut]

Personaly I won't ever listen to the music box while riding, esentially for the reasons Norm points out .

For those who choose the other route there are more factors then just volume. With open backed earphones you have some input from ambient noise as well. My Sony box came with closed earpieces and a noise reduction system capable of muting train/plane engines. The alternative Creative set are like earplugs and also mute all but the loudest ambient noise - cannot hear train announcements with any certainty.

OTOH the loose fitting sort issued as OEM kit with cheap MP3 players are unuseable on a train 'cos they are overewhelmed by noise from open windows etc (London Midland's Class 321 stock are worst for this).

 

[Cab]

You have intentionally and wilfully reduced your ability to hear traffic noise.

Yeah, but by how much? In my experience of very occasionally using earphones while cycling, I can still hear cars a long way away. I've got sufficient hearing still to hear vehicles further away than they can hear me, I can still hear people talking, I can still hear pedestrian crossing bleeps... In such a scenario, please quantify the increased risk.

 

[4F]

If you want an example of how much attention I pay my music, I quite often pause the music, and it might be 20 minutes later before I realise I've not restarted the player.

Does that not beg the question why do you bother wearing them in the first place ?

 

[Norm]

Yeah, but by how much?

That's the important point, isn't it. Poor headphones at low volume and you still get a lot of external noise coming through but using noise cancelling headphones, for instance, would (by definition) block out pretty much everything.

Just to make my position clear, I don't think that they should be banned, I don't think that most people would use them at a volume which would completely cancel out all other noises but I do think that they might reduce what you can hear around you. Although, as many have said, that is something which could be negated by substituting other senses.

 

[BentMikey]

That's the point though - too many on here are relying on hearing and not looking enough, and you're suggesting to substitute hearing with looking as a corrective measure. That's back to front, looking is the primary sense, and hearing might add some secondary information on occasion.

 

[Norm]

I wasn't intending to suggest any ranking of senses at all. And, having read back what has been posted on this thread, I don't see how that interpretation could have been taken from anyone's posts.

I think all available senses should be used, hearing might pick up something that you hadn't seen. There was a post a few days ago about someone who nearly got wiped out at a right turn because he heard the car behind him accelerating.

 

[BentMikey]

Exactly - you should prioritise looking.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

If you want an example of how much attention I pay my music, I quite often pause the music, and it might be 20 minutes later before I realise I've not restarted the player.

That's the main reason I don't bother with music while I'm cycling, or indeed while I'm walking or (usually) driving. I like to listen to it, not just have it on for the sake of it. And I find that I turn off the radio if I'm driving my truck somewhere unfamiliar which requires me to concentrate on the road more than usual, because it distracts me; I'd have thought it'd be the same on the bike. How can it not affect your concentration? It's another signal demanding attention from your brain.

 

[Cab]

Grauniad have picked up on it now:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/nov/30/ipod-zombie-cyclists-mail-times

Well considered response IMHO. There isn't a shred of evidence that any serious safety organisation has had anything to say on the subject, but a few journalists barely more evolved than amoebas have used the fact that a bloke at the AA thinks its true as the premise for trying to start another anti-cyclist rant-scare. The journalists aren't even stupid, they know precisely what they're doing. At very best, this borders on malice.

 

[Valy]

Well, just my $0.02 on this.

It is pretty unreasonable to ride in the city with headphones I think. As there are many things moving about and cyclists have generally greater speed than pedestrians - so one could really use all of the senses available to them.

 

[hackbike 666]

Well, just my $0.02 on this.

It is pretty unreasonable to ride in the city with headphones I think. As there are many things moving about and cyclists have generally greater speed than pedestrians - so one could really use all of the senses available to them.

I wish peds concentrated as hard as I do when I cycle through London.(with my headphones on)

Some find it hard enough to cross the road anyway and that before I come across the ped with a mobile glued to his her/ear or an ipod.

I also do a job that requires concentration throughout the day/night early/late hours and when I am tired.Although I don't listen to music as im not allowed to.

 

[Valy]

I wish peds concentrated as hard as I do when I cycle through London.(with my headphones on)

Some find it hard enough to cross the road anyway and that before I come across the ped with a mobile glued to his her/ear or an ipod.

I also do a job that requires concentration throughout the day/night early/late hours and when I am tired.Although I don't listen to music as im not allowed to.

Case-by-case basis. People's MMV etc etc.

BTW - what is your job? If you don't mind?

 

[slowmotion]

Whatever floats your boats. Personally, I want to hear what is going on around me, all the noise and traffic aggro. That is just input to which I may be able to respond. If I can't hear it, I'm in a weaker position to stay alive.

 

[PBancroft]

I wore my headphones for the first time this week. It wasn't music I was listening to, but an audiobook. I didn't find that it infringed on my ability to hear traffic, though occasionally I did "tune the talking out" so I could listen properly.

Helped keep my ears warm too!

 

[BentMikey]

Your cycling safety depends on your observation - if you're relying on hearing, then for the most part you're almost certainly not looking enough.