headphones in while cycling, lets get some opinions!

[4F]

Your name is dangerousjules and you cycle whilst wearing headphones.
Enough said

 

[longers]

there's a few junctions on my regular routes that i almost have to turn from without being able to see anything of the road due to parked cars (long terraced streets)

You're not totally without any visuals, look at the reflection in the parked cars, assuming they are clean enough to reflect anything.

 

[Fnaar]

I can see the attraction of having music while you ride, but personally I'd find it distracting, I can't keep the headphones in anyway, and I wouldn't do it in traffic, personally.

 

[Fnaar]

Sorted! Thanks! Just need to download the best of Tellytubbies -vs- Balamory album and I'm away!

 

[Black Sheep]

You're not totally without any visuals, look at the reflection in the parked cars, assuming they are clean enough to reflect anything.

i've got about 45 deg of vision up or down the road due to trees and cars, the bit opposite the road end i'm in is double yellows so no cars there. the angles are all wrong for it!

my technique is to listen until i'm confident its safe, go across the road into the gap caused by the double yellows allowing me to look as i cross traffic

if its still safe i'll pull out of the gap and up the street.

 

[watershed2100]

If some idiot boy racer/lorry/bus is going to skelp you from behind, hearing it wont make any difference so its headphones in for me.

 

[buggi]

the only difference it makes in my opinion is other driver's attitudes towards you. If they are in the wrong, the first thing they say is "you shouldn't be wearing those" as if to shift the blame for coming in too close (this happened ot me the other day when i had a hissy fit at a lorry driver), even though they probably had their own music blasting out. It was unlikely the lorry driver knew i was wearing them until i pulled up to his cab to have a go at him.

for me personally, i have no problem wearing them. even on full blast the wind takes most of the noise away (even with in-the-ear headphones) and i can hear traffic behind me anyway. If i hear a car behind me with or without headphones, it doesn't mean i can distinguish whether its going to hit me or not, so i really don't see the difference.

if i want to turn right, i look behind me. i don't need mirrors (if you say to a driver he has music on, he will say "but i have mirrors") as I don't have blind spots

there have also been times when i haven't been wearing them and i have heard "ghost traffic"... i thought i heard a car, looked behind and the road was clear. what's that all about then? my mate says the same.

 

[Jim_Noir]

I wear them to "keep to the beat", have an ipod shuffle for running and cycling and would say it's more of a risk wearing them when I run as I zone into running to the music so wouldn't hera someone come up behind me. Cycling on the other had I am zoned into everything around me and the music is there for me to pace myself to.

 

[Bigtwin]

I listen to foreign language tutorials when riding.

On account of pace, I am now fluent in 37 languages, and 162 dialects.

 

[Jim_Noir]

You are the stig of the cycle world my friend

 

[hackbike 666]

I was cycling to work today when I cycled past a small dog and its owner.The dog went mad and made an attack move whilst barking like mad.I was surprised as it was so sudden it didnt make me jump at all.I wondered if the owner was surprised at my total lack of startleness.I have been using the small headphone thingies since 1985.

 

[Fab Foodie]

No to the headphones for me
I figure I need every faculty available to me to stay alive on the road.

 

[Crankarm]

If some idiot boy racer/lorry/bus is going to skelp you from behind, hearing it wont make any difference so its headphones in for me.

Yep but hearing them approach and turning to look round at them will .

It never ceases to amaze me how many numpties wear headphones and then complain when they are close passed or worse....... First you hear vehicles approaching then you look round to see them several times before they pass. 99.9% will give you plenty of room. You also have control of a situation that might quickly become very dangerous for you. Cycling along with music pumping into your ears oblivious to what's coming up behind has got to be one of the most stupid things you can do on a bicycle. And cycling in a group with headphones on is just plain rude.

There is a subtle difference with most car audio systems which do not involve having headphones stuck in you ears even if they are often too loud.

 

[Joe24]

If i did wear headphones, or i didnt, id still be closed passed, dont be a numpty.
The only way i could be not passed closed, or to reduce the chances of it, you would have to ride looking back all the time. Which is stupid.

 

[potsy]

I rode with earphones in for the 1st time this week and am still undecided as to whether I'll continue doing so.
But I also have a handlebar mirror so am constantly aware of whats coming up behind me.
I think I'll do it when I'm on early shift as there's not much traffic about at 5am anyway,and leave them out on way home