Headphones and Cycling! Is it safe?

[Norm]

The issue about hearing inside cars is made largely irrelevant because cars move at the same speed as other traffic.

In my experience and where I ride, cyclists and velos, generally, move slower than other traffic. This means that they are likely to be frequently overtaken by other traffic so there is a much greater need for a cyclist or velo-rider to know (however the cyclist wants to gain that knowledge) what's coming up behind than there is for a car driver.

I think the whole issue of velomobiles is pretty irrelevant as well, never having seen one on the road I'm not sure that they can be used as any sort of reference point.

That said, I understand that many police motorbikes in London now carry use to move traffic, as they can be heard inside the car and over any internal distractions much easier than sirens.

 

[Jezston]

Norm - a few issues I have with your statement which I think forms the crux of what this argument has become about:

1. What can we do with the knowledge that our hearing tells us a car is approaching behind? If we are about to pull out, we should be looking not listening.

2. In busy traffic or going fast or a windy day, even without headphones I cannot hear cars coming up behind me until they are about 10m behind me. If I needed to take evasive maneuvers based on something I hear, then it's too late anyway.

3. Would you take evasive maneuvers based purely on hearing something behind you? My first instinct would be to took. Based on point #2, this would be too late anyway - cars are mostly very quiet.

4. Again, my headphones don't negatively affect my ability to hear and in fact reduce wind noise so actually improve it, so all of this is largely moot anyway.

 

[Norm]

You don't actually have any issues with my statement, as I made no comment about the relative merits of looking and listening. You have issues with what you thought I had written but, if you read again, I wrote "however the cyclist wants to gain that knowledge".

I made no reference to whether I think that headphones are good or bad, just that I consider the reference to cars is a distraction.

 

[Jezston]

Sorry Norm, my comments I think were directed more to the general arguments made against wearing headphones than you personally.

Sadly it seems those arguing against it appear not to be reading any of my posts on this thread anyway (well, apart from Lee, but then he's just a troll).

 

[Norm]

Indeed. I am all for personal choice and individuals making that choice based on their own circumstances and assessments.

 

[Crankarm]

One hears, one turns, one looks, one sees. Everytime. If one has got headphones stuffed in your ears, one cannot hear, turn and look, but one only sees when a vehicle is dangerously close passing along side. A strong cross / head wind means one can't often hear vehicles approaching so one has to frequently look behind to see what traffic is approaching from behind. The physical act of looking behind and making it obvious by goose necking for potentially dangerous looking drivers or their driving buys one a wide berth. Drivers are cowards. If they think you haven't seen them they WILL close pass but if you look several times you will 99.999% of time be given a lot of space and they tend to slow down as well. Wear head phones whilst cycling and you're on a definite death wish.

 

[Jezston]

Crankarm - have you actually read any of my posts on this thread?

 

[Crankarm]

Crankarm - have you actually read any of my posts on this thread?

Nope. Well actually I read half of your last one and now this one. I sp'ose you're a headphone music listening cyclist judging by the content of your post ? What do you listen to - Stairway to Heaven?

 

[Mark_Robson]

The physical act of looking behind and making it obvious by goose necking for potentially dangerous looking drivers or their driving buys one a wide berth. Drivers are cowards. If they think you haven't seen them they WILL close pass but if you look several times you will 99.999% of time be given a lot of space and they tend to slow down as well.

I agree with your observations 100% ( minus the coward bit ) Saying that I often use my iPod whilst cycling and I find that if I only use the left earphone and keep the volume down to a sensible level it doesn't appear to impair my ability to hear what is going on around me as traffic is bloody noisy. The main issue that I have is wind noise, it impairs my hearing much more than Jedwood.

 

[BentMikey]

I really don't understand why people think you can't hear whilst wearing headphones. I can hear perfectly well, I can hear traffic approaching, the ticking of freewheels, conversation, etc. Perhaps if you wore noise cancellation headphones, or ones that block outside noise, but they don't seem to be that common. Headphones certainly intrude far less than wind noise at above 20-25mph.

None of this changes the fact that hearing isn't an important sense when cycling on the roads in traffic.

 

[JoysOfSight]

One hears, one turns, one looks, one sees. Everytime. If one has got headphones stuffed in your ears, one cannot hear, turn and look, but one only sees when a vehicle is dangerously close passing along side. A strong cross / head wind means one can't often hear vehicles approaching so one has to frequently look behind to see what traffic is approaching from behind. The physical act of looking behind and making it obvious by goose necking for potentially dangerous looking drivers or their driving buys one a wide berth. Drivers are cowards. If they think you haven't seen them they WILL close pass but if you look several times you will 99.999% of time be given a lot of space and they tend to slow down as well. Wear head phones whilst cycling and you're on a definite death wish.

The observation is good but the reasoning is cack.

Do drivers act differently when you look back at them, certainly. Therefore
"if you wear headphones you've got a death wish"? What sort of freak you must be, to look at people with your ears

I look with my eyes. I don't wait to hear something to look, I look every time I need to (whether I'm wearing headphones or not) because the only way to be sure about what's happening is to see it, not listen like some kind of aural water diviner to work out which wheel and engine noises require a visual check and which don't.

In fact if there is any death wish in this discussion, it's all the people who seem to be admitting that they basically whack themselves out in traffic relying on hearing something as a prompt to do a basic visual safety check. Works fine until you get nailed by something you didn't hear.

Seems like the people with headphones will be a lot better off. Remove the assumption, remove the risk.

 

[Crankarm]

The observation is good but the reasoning is cack.

Do drivers act differently when you look back at them, certainly. Therefore
"if you wear headphones you've got a death wish"? What sort of freak you must be, to look at people with your ears

I look with my eyes. I don't wait to hear something to look, I look every time I need to (whether I'm wearing headphones or not) because the only way to be sure about what's happening is to see it, not listen like some kind of aural water diviner to work out which wheel and engine noises require a visual check and which don't.

In fact if there is any death wish in this discussion, it's all the people who seem to be admitting that they basically whack themselves out in traffic relying on hearing something as a prompt to do a basic visual safety check. Works fine until you get nailed by something you didn't hear.

Seems like the people with headphones will be a lot better off. Remove the assumption, remove the risk.

You've only made a few posts and you come on here calling me a freak . Is it time for your electric shocks and medication yet?

 

[Norm]

And 6 of the 8 posts for "JoysOfSight" have been on this thread - there seems to be a link between the user name and the agenda.

I wonder if this is an alter ego account.

 

[Jezston]

Nope. Well actually I read half of your last one and now this one. I sp'ose you're a headphone music listening cyclist judging by the content of your post ? What do you listen to - Stairway to Heaven?

See this is why I'm finding this thread so frustrating.

I feel I'm making good and valid points, counterarguing the points of those who believe that cycling with headphones are a bad idea, and yet people keep coming out with points that I feel I have successfully refuted pages back.

Crank - if you aren't interested in the arguments presented by people who's views do not suit your own, perhaps you shouldn't be presenting your own and expecting people to take you seriously?

 

[Shady]

To try and get things away from slanging matches .. essentially I believe it comes down to personal preference.

I wear one earphone in my left ear at a fairly low volume, I haven't yet had any issues with not hearing anything (approaching traffic etc).

I have seen many cyclists with both earphones in and oblivous to the traffic around them, well that's their choice.

I tend to consider myself a careful cyclist as well as driver and I am constantly keeping an eye on the traffic around me as I cycle, i don't believe that the music takes away my concentration at all from the traffic around me as I cycle.

Given that the main part of my commute home takes me on derestricted roads where people drive past at 60mph+ about an arms length away I am always vigilant.

If people wish to have both earphones in then let them, if some people with to have one earphone in then let them, if some people wish to not have any earphones in then let them....simple.

Everyone is different and i don't believe that wearing earphones is any different to having your stereo on in your car to be honest.

Shady