Enjoy listening to music whiist riding

[icowden]

interesting article here which suggests that much of the time, even without headphones, our ability to hear is impaired and could even be damaged due to wind noise.

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/08/listen-cyclists-risk-hearing-loss/

 

[cosmicbike]

I'm the same as @Justinitus , I use a pair of AfterShokz bone conducting headphones when I commute or the now rarer occasions I do a longer ride. Ticks all the boxes for me, takes the humdrum out of the commute and allows me to hear what's going on around me.

 

[Jody]

Good quality set of ear buds and phone for me.

 

[12boy]

I will not use ear buds while riding. I need all my senses and all the situational awareness I can get. While it is nice to ride on the rhythm I can do without it as my biggest problem is getting stoned on endorphins and not paying attention. When there are limited routes available and you've ridden them tens of thousands of times being aware is very important. Partly why I like to alternate betweeen bikes.

 

[T675Rich]

+1 for the aftershocks, I used to ride with a mono earbud in my left ear but the aftershocks are a much better solution. I find I can hear the traffic fine and way better than I can in the car or on my motorbike. I do use earbuds with low music on the motorbike too, I find it mainly just replaces wind noise and allows me to hear much more than the earplugs many riders use.

 

[oldwheels]

I never listen to music while cycling. You miss all the sounds around like birds singing and the wind in the trees.

 

[Fiona R]

I'm very safety conscious as my eyesight is bad, would never entertain earphones until I heard about Aftershokz. Another 👍from me. on long solo rides when relatively quiet I will listen a bit, not in town traffic/commutes. I was testing them in the summer, crossing the Old Severn Bridge, quite windy, chatting to a guy I slowly overtook about our rides. Had a conversation with him and couldn't hear the music due to wind noise, could hear all the cars on the other side of the barrier and once sheltered again on my own, heard every car approaching from behind. I do agree that mostly I ride without as it's the sights and sounds of the ride that entertain me.

 

[Gunk]

I do agree that mostly I ride without as it's the sights and sounds of the ride that entertain me.

I’m with you, we’re so bombarded with information and stuff, riding a bike for me is about the peace and quiet and to try and get away from too much technology. I do use my phone as a bike computer as I frequently tend to get lost! But I try not to let it distract me from enjoying my surroundings.

 

[T675Rich]

I never listen to music while cycling. You miss all the sounds around like birds singing and the wind in the trees.

Unfortunately I don't get much of that on my morning commute, just traffic noise.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Unfortunately I don't get much of that on my morning commute, just traffic noise.

You obviously need a DAB radio and noise cancelling headphones so you can listen to Birdsong Radio,

 

[bladesman73]

Cycling around Dordrecht centrum in the summer and encountered a dude with full dreads, massive coner on the go, with a soundsystem on his bars smashing out some tippa irie

 

[rogerzilla]

I like to know what's happening behind me. My ears once saved me from being rammed from behind at a set of traffic lights. I could hear that the driver hadn't braked or even eased off the throttle, and dragged the bike to the kerb as he belatedly saw the red light and skidded right over where I'd been standing.

You don't need to hear what's around you in a car, because you have mirrors to see behind, you're not constantly being passed by other cars and, if the worst comes to the worst, you have crumple zones.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I’ve tried it on my Motorcycle as some of my riding pals have Bluetooth helmets. I bought an all singing, all dancing Schuberth helmet last year and added the integrated Comms and I just didn’t get on with it, I found the music distracting and I’ve decided that I prefer a bit of solitude in what is a noisy, stressful world. Cycling and Motorcycling allows me to switch off.

Ear plugs yes, music.. Lethal and very distracting

 

[Ming the Merciless]

First thing I do when I get in the car (rarely!) is turn the radio off and crack the window open a smidge.

Nice to hear what's going on around you.

You do know you can turn a radio off properly so it doesn’t come back on every time you start your car?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You can get mini speakers for a pittance. Stick on handlebars and turn it up to 11.