Probably been asked a thousand times but....

[Moda]

What's your views on listening to music whilst cycling

Not for me as riding distracts from the enjoyment of the music.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Always have, since the dawn of the Sony Walkman at least, and I always will

Unless I'm riding with others, then I don't.

FWIW I'm partially deaf anyway, in fact I even use a hearing aid at home, but I also have trouble filtering a lot of sounds, and unless the noise source is in front of me chances are I'd not know it was there anyway. My shoulder check is my angel.

View: http://youtu.be/egwARrX1ik8

 

[ufkacbln]

It's fair though?

Why should car drivers be allowed to willingly compromise their hearing?

 

[Gravity Aided]

Over here, we have many fellows who fill their car trunk (boot) with stereo speaker, especially a subwoofer, and then treat themselves and the general public to their "music" etc.. So loud you can hear the cars' body panels vibrate. Now that is compromising one's hearing. Windows up? MP3? quiet in comparison...

 

[ComedyPilot]

Always have, since the dawn of the Sony Walkman at least, and I always will

Unless I'm riding with others, then I don't.

FWIW I'm partially deaf anyway, in fact I even use a hearing aid at home, but I also have trouble filtering a lot of sounds, and unless the noise source is in front of me chances are I'd not know it was there anyway. My shoulder check is my angel.

View: http://youtu.be/egwARrX1ik8

Interesting point, and one I think has been mooted before:

So, is it ok for drivers to hit deaf cyclists?
Is it the cyclist's fault for being deaf?
How would a driver know the cyclist was deaf before they hit them?

Would I be right in .....assuming/thinking........ most people's view of hypothetical (and actual) car/cycle crashes where the cyclist has worn headphones is one where the car has hit the cyclist from the rear?

With the already stated wind noise etc, not to mention noise from other traffic (oncoming) it is IMO wholly wrong to say a cyclist can/should hear approaching vehicles - even without headphones.

Wearing headphones is a personal thing. I do it sometimes, other times I don't. Sometimes I wear the nearside earpiece, and keep the offside free. A discreet mirror, and an almost unconscious shoulder checking routine more than compensates for what little I can hear anyway over the wind noise.

Sure, hearing is a good sense to have, but a cyclist wearing earphones will never IMO excuse the driver of a vehicle hitting them from behind.....ever.

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE 2680361, member: 45"]That's not the case, and it's very different. Drivers have access to three mirrors, wind and road noise are very different in cars. And many more.

That's why it's not a fair comparison.[/quote]

It is undeniable that these drivers have chosen to reduce their ability to hear by closing the windows..... should it be allowed?

 

[ComedyPilot]

[QUOTE 2680424, member: 45"]No driver should hit any cyclist, regardless of their level of hearing.

The argument that wearing headphones when cycling is ok because deaf people are allowed to drive is stupid.[/quote]

Where has that been argued...?

 

[ComedyPilot]

Spin it on it's head...is it ok to ram a car from behind if said car is playing loud music and impairing the driver's hearing?

 

[ComedyPilot]

@Cunobelin ......... in @User 's defence, wind noise in a car at speed makes it impossible to hear anything other that "roooooooar"........conversely and in defence of you, at low speed in town/urban areas etc, a car window wound down will enable a driver to hear lots of nearby traffic/noises/cycle bells/horns/emergency service sirens/peds voices.

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE 2680457, member: 45"]It's common in headphone threads.[/quote]

The argument is that if cycling with impaired hearing is dangerous ....................then deaf cyclists should be assessed and if sufficiently impaired not be allowed on the roads, as they are by definition unsafe

 

[ufkacbln]

@Cunobelin ......... in @User 's defence, wind noise in a car at speed makes it impossible to hear anything other that "roooooooar"........conversely and in defence of you, at low speed in town/urban areas etc, a car window wound down will enable a driver to hear lots of nearby traffic/noises/cycle bells/horns/emergency service sirens/peds voices.

I witnessed a close call at the "Marriott Roundabout" in Cosham the other night.

Fire engine with full "blues and twos" enters against the lights, all the traffic stops, except the BMW who changes lanes and shoots ahead, than slams the anchors on as he comes face to face with a very large slab of red fire engine. One can assume that he was audibly and visually challenged?

 

[ufkacbln]

.. but valid.

 

[Bromptonaut]

I'm in same camp as Monty Veda and others and would prefer hearing unimpeded for stuff I can't yet see or have missed as well as cues about vehicle behind. But them I'm a London Commuter.

The other point is that 'headphones' covers a lot of devices. Some are a loose fit in the ear and have open backs - you might struggle to hear music over the traffic. Others are closed, seal the ear canal and then add active noise reduction.......

YMMV

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE 2680361, member: 45"]That's not the case, and it's very different. Drivers have access to three mirrors, wind and road noise are very different in cars. And many more.

That's why it's not a fair comparison.[/quote]

I have three mirrors.... one in the helmet (Reevu) and one on each handlebar end

I am so glad they will improve my hearing so that I can use headphones.

 

[ufkacbln]

What was said was that the existence of three mirrors meant that drivers did not need to hear what was happening around the vehicle.......