Re being away from urban noise… You guys must ride with some amazingly silent bikes, as on any ride I’ve been on, especially group rides, there is no such thing as solitude on the trail – with several buzzing Hope and Chris King hubs, chain slap, missed shifts, and the odd swearing. So as before – while I don’t have an external speaker, I certainly can’t see how someone else’s Van Halen, or Taylor Swift, or Yanni, or Teletubbies theme song or whatever is going to immediately ruin my ride.
But I recognize I’m in the STW minority on this one. Anyway – use your speakers if you want, I don’t but I won’t chuck you off the bike if you do!