Evening all. I’m now spending quite a few hours a week on the motorways and am finding that I just can’t listen to music all the time anymore.

I’ve tried R4 which is good between 6-7, R4extra has some very interesting things on it occasionally, I’m not interested in football so 5 live is of limited value.

What other options are there?

Has anyone tried books? Any recommendations? I did grab a copy of the 7 habits to try a bit of self-help but lost interest.

Any other dab channels I should try? I swear I tried the whole lot in the 4.5 hour journey last night!

Podcasts and Audio Books are the only way relatively) sane while on the commute

There’s loads of podcasts that are worth a listen, either factual/comedic or fictional.

I’ve been listening to Scott Siglers back catalogue of audio book podcasts and if that’s your kind of thing (scifi boys own fiction) then they’re worth a try. As is ‘We’re Alive’ – a zombie podcast novel.

I also listen to a bunch of film/gaming/tech ones as well – Stuff by Frogpants studios are good (providing you like the subject matter).

Best of all, they’re all free so just download a selection and see what you like

“David Byrne – Bicycle Diaries” is very good, an insight into his philosophical view of life and creative inspiration dressed up as his travel journal, or so I thought anyway.

We listen to a lot of desert island discs driving on holiday, they help pass a journey well if it’s someone interesting.

Audiobooks are a good bet

Get an audible.co.uk 2 book subscription and never get bored again commuting.

Also check out iTunes’s extensive library of podcasts. It’s essentially on demand radio – the people you want to listen to, talking about the things which interest you.

Dunno if you’re a geek, I am, I listen to “this week in tech” (with leo laporte) every monday morning.

RHLSTP

Get a woman! If there’s silence, you did something wrong… 😉

Harry Potter books read by Stephen Fry

anything by henry rollins.

RHLSTP! (for pomona)

Also rhefp and aiotm.

Comedy of the week & Friday night comedy from the BBC.

No such thing as a fish

Answer me this

Alex Horne breaks the news

The leviathan chronicles

Pilgrim from radio 4

Cabin pressure

Party by Tom basden

We’re 9 replies in and no one has mentioned TIMC?
The Infinite Monkey Cage, to the uninitiated.

Plenty of episodes for your to catch up on: Go go go!

Another vote for Henry Rollins and Were Alive.
Jake bibles stuff isn’t too bad either.

Joyce’s Ulysses performed by the RTE players in 1982, stunning and makes the work accessible. 33 disks for £70 on Amazon.

The hitch hikers guide to the galaxy radio 4 dramatization. First heard this in the car as a child still get it out every now and again for a listen.

Radio 4 xtra for Round the Horn, Goon Show etc. And Audible.

Forspoken word

Under milkwood
Sir Henry at rawlinson end

Than as podcasts

This American life
A prarie home companion
Robin and Jodie’s utter shambles
Isy Sutties love letters
Snap judgement
99% invisible

Radio 4 podcasts. I couldn’t live without TIMC in my life.
As said up there – Rollins – but be prepared for some dark times with him. Well worth it tho.

Hardcore history podcast

http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hh

Wow, some great pointers there. Thanks everyone. Will have a dabble.

From the geeky point of view, I have occasionally lucked into some R4 reruns on some topics. The other night I heard Rory Bremner trying to spoof accents to defeat a voice recognition system – c.2007 – and found it fascinating so I will be hunting out more of that sort of thing.

Dan Carlin Hardcore History – really good – lots of detail on broad subjects, see also his common sense podcast .

Anything by Alan Partridge. BBC, From our own correspondent,IPM,Crossing Continents,Simon Mayo Film Review, R4 comedy 1/2 hour,In our Time.

Then Pharalle Williams’ new album for a bit noise.

+1 for comedy rather than factual stuff, especially old radio comedy – Morcambe and Wise, Peter Cooke/Beyond The Fringe etc

Careful tho that it’s not too funny – you might crash, or at the very least get weird looks from other drivers 🙂

Podcasts are the way to go;
telegraph cycling podcast
bespoke radio5
the bike shoe resonance fm

the danny baker show
frank skinner absolute radio

car talk NPR

These keep me going though my commute to work

Another vote for the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy – it hasn’t dated at all, still brilliant.

I tried a few audiobooks on the bus – comedy works best, otherwise I would kind of drift off, not a good idea if driving. The Terry Pratchett books are good, but get a bit samey after a while.

I’ve borrowed some Goon Show ‘classics’ from a neighbour. I will be giving them straight back ;o)

“How to train your dragon” read by David Tennant.
A kids book but brilliant.

+1s for Cabin Pressure, TIMC and H2G2.

more podcasts:

WTF – Marc Maron
The Bugle – Jon Oliver and Andy Zaltzman

Just William would be a terrible idea if you’re prone to giggling fits, like me.

A ton of R4 podcasts. Try Meet David Sedaris. Very funny.