Headphones and Cycling! Is it safe?

[Sam Kennedy]

I've never cycled with earphones, but when I do cycle, all I can hear is wind noise anyway, so I can very rarely tell if there is a car behind me just by hearing alone.
I don't see what would be wrong with one earphone, only potential danger I can think of is getting distracted and crashing, or the earphones getting tangled in the spokes.

 

[sabian92]

I've nearly been killed, and I bollock my younger brother for doing it as well, yet he still does it.

Unless you are wearing infinite hi-vis jackets with a klaxon warning people a mile away you are coming, I really wouldn't.

 

[BentMikey]

Mikey, I am certainly not concerned about any abuse that I may get from any video as without doubt there are some parts of my commute that would draw discussion. Currently I am off my bike at the moment due to an old football injury which is playing up (cruciate ligament) and I may take you up on your offer later in the year.

My commute is approx 1 hour (30 mins rural and 30 mins urban) How much recording time can your camera capture ?

Ooh, I'm sorry to hear about your injury, that sucks big time. Hope you can recover quickly and well.

The camera should be able to capture all of that commute no problem, just let me know when you're ready.

 

[BentMikey]

People are comparing driving a car with the windows up and stereo on, as being the same as riding with phones in.

...well, if my car was as light as a pushbike, offered no impact protection, was only capable of going 20mph and never keeping up with the flow of traffic (so staying in their line of sight), and was constantly at threat from other inconsiderate car drivers ...I sure as hell wouldn’t roll the windows up and put the stereo on when I drove it.

its not a good comparison.

I ride a motorcycle and by law have to wear a helmet. Yet i find helmets restrict my vision and also my ability to hear traffic and so, feel oddly "safer" on the pushbike than on the motorbike.

is this because I can hear better , perhaps.

Feeling more dangerous on the mbike is probably quite right, it's perhaps roughly 3.5 times more dangerous than a bicycle on average in the UK. This is despite keeping up with the traffic, and the difference is perhaps mostly due to the extra speed and lack of care that so much power imbues.

On the contrary, cars and bikes are an excellent comparison on the hearing issue. I think you should see JoysofSight's post where he comments that being on a bike, where you have better visibility, can look around far more easily means you also need hearing? Of course not - it's the car driver that, according to the pro-hearing religeonistas, needs hearing far more, with limited vision, mirrors with massive blind spots, closed in a box.

 

[4F]

Ooh, I'm sorry to hear about your injury, that sucks big time. Hope you can recover quickly and well.

The camera should be able to capture all of that commute no problem, just let me know when you're ready.

No problem, I suspect it will heal just in time for the bad weather to really start

 

[JoysOfSight]

...a klaxon warning people a mile away you are coming, I really wouldn't.

Wait, your ears actually warn people you are coming? Are they mutated or something?

Just a thought, is there any correlation between listening with headphones whilst riding in urban vs rural areas, ie might it be that urban riders are more likely to be wearing headphones?

Maybe. For my own part, I'm quite happy to ride around town without music, because it's extra hassle to keep track of the player (and keep it charged, and carry it about with the cables everywhere) but I would never go on a long ride with nothing to listen to - even if I end up riding with someone and never bother.

It's just the same as the car radio. I don't turn it on automatically to go down the shops, I would turn it on automatically to spend 10 hours driving around the country.

It would be interesting to know how it correlates.

Thanks Tony, knew you would think the same, was I supposed to be impressed by someone who rode 200 miles per week? Now if he had said 400.....

I thought that remark might come across a bit nobbish. But since I haven't been here long, I didn't really see how I could refute that weird idea about serious riders and headphones without qualifying that I'm not (and don't ride with) a once-a-month mountain biker or something.

20,000 miles a year by bike would be a lot - way more than I could handle (most of my mileage comes from having a long commute, not training miles or whatever). Respect if you are managing that!

 

[adam23]

i have to admit that i do wear them on my morning rides on sunday, about 40 to 50 miles normally mostly cause of the wind nie i hate and i get pain in my ears when i dont ear them.
if i go on a hilly ride ten i put on angry music to give me a bit of a rush lol sad but it works or me

 

[novo19]

If I'm by myself then yes, I wear them usually both ears when I'm off-road or on cycle paths and 1 ear when on the road, but I'm all eyes when on the road so I know whats happening around me!

 

[Jezston]

OH GOD JUST LET IT DIE

 

[4F]

[QUOTE 554627"]
The word of choice if you decide to ride on the road with headphones.
[/quote]


I must admit that post from Jezston bought a smirk to my face as well