So, is it ok to cycle while listening to music. I assume that while on the road it would be a bit dangerous as you could not hear cars. But while on the trails or off road it would be acceptable?
Discuss
Trolltastic!!
some do some dont. I dont on or off. I suspect more dangerous on the road but I assume some deaf cyclists ride safely. Soem car drivers drive with very loud stereos
I assume each individual can decide for themselves
OH was that little too uncontroversial?
PS what style of music do Faux pas do is it art house?
I do sometimes, not on the road though.
IMHO it is stupid to ride with one of the senses turned off
as I like to also hear what is about to try and kill me
I do it fairly often, depends on my mood, sometimes its nice to just get back to nature sometimes a bit of music can enhance the experiance.
I also like to listen to the soundtracks from the earthed films when I am sessioning downhilly type stuff, it just seems to help a little psychologically.
trout - MemberIMHO it is stupid to ride with one of the senses turned off
as I like to also hear what is about to try and kill me
When I am riding through the forests in winter, I prefer not to be able to hear the beasts and monsters lurking in the shadows.
Er controversial here, however off road no, as I like to tune in to my flow, on road yes as I find the bpm helps me to maintain my cadence,
I used to be all "Down With This Kind of Thing" but then when I started with the motorbike one of my buddies handed me some earplugs ! You really can't hear anything, your own engine is about it.
I now use my walkman with left ear only when cycling, offroad and on quiet roads. Can stil hear the odd truck or motorbike that passes. Would never wear it in the city or on busy A roads thats just daft.
Singing along to it - now that is a faux pas !!
When riding solo, yes to both on and off road. If I'm going to be cleared up from behind by an hHGV, I doubt that I'll realise it's going to hit me using hearing before I'm spread bug like on the grill.... Tunes make me smile so I even listen when I'm doing 10 tt's.
Tunes on the road bike when soloing, no tunes when on the mtb.
I rely on sounds a lot when riding on the road and commuting so wouldn't want to be without my hearing
might do offroad if I was riding particularly boring trails/ fireroads etc. - but love the sound of the trail under the tyres
ron jeremy -
I like to tune in to my flow
you like to what?
I use a left earphone for the boring commute/road training but find enough on the trails to keep me entertained!
bit dangerous as you could not hear cars
Why do you need to hear cars? What are you going to do if you hear one that you won't if you can't? What if there's so many cars that you're sick to the back teeth of hearing them? Why does it matter?
I tried tuning into my flow once....it sounded like radio 4.
For me, it's not so much not being able to hear cars that is an issue, always assume there is one right behind you unless you know there isn't, if you know what I mean.
It's more that you aren't concentrating properly if you are listeing to music. But I have to turn the stereo down in the car when I get to the 30 signs otherwise I can't focus on the task in hand.
never done it,not that bothered for doing it.
hear whats around me i like.
Don't really like it for mountain biking. Even climbing I find it sort of distracting. Like it for sustrans type rides on the cross bike.
Some riders will listen to music whilst leathering a DH track, so it really depends on what you like.
If you're going for it properly you shouldn't be able to hear anything other than wind noise!
Why do you need to hear cars? What are you going to do if you hear one that you won't if you can't?
for me it's hearing a [u]type[/u] of car, as this will change the way I might pull out into traffic if I'm going round something or where I'm positioned in the road
ride in bus lanes a lot and I'll change my behaviour whether there's a motorbike, taxi or bus coming past and I will hear it before I see it and can distinguish by the sound, also you can tell the speed by the engine note too - whether they're accelerating to get past or revving down to let you out
it's kind of a precursor to looking at what's coming
At least you won't hear whats going to hit you...
If you must listen to music, try the near-side ear and then you can still hear vehicles coming up to overtake at least.
(Don't listen to music while I ride although do big ear headphones must be snug in cold weather)
Yes if out on my own. Earbud type with volume at a level I can hear traffic but not hear conversation unless I'm looking at their face. No probs with it myself but some common sense is needed I.e. don't have it so loud you can't hear anything...
Apart from my 2mile commute down a straight road to work which is incredibly dull, I don't cycle with earphones in, I get distracted too easily without all some of the sh*t on my iPod distracting me...
Always when on my own.
Both on, or Off road..
Find a nice bit of LTJ Bukem helps out no end..
🙂
Music is soooo last millenium..
Transcendental meditation and ritual blood letting is where it's at now..
On the road, I do... I know the arguments against, but I don't act any differently when I hear a car coming, what do you do "Uh oh, a car, better stop veering madly all over the road?" Off road, it spoils it a bit for me but ymmv.
On the road - faut pas.
It's a no on the road for me, but I often listen to music while mountain biking.
I really don't feel comfortable if I can't hear what's around me. That goes for cycling, skiing and boarding as hearing is a very important aspect to safety eg. changes due to ice etc. I would definitely hate to block sound out on the motorbike as the mwaaaaaaaah..........mwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah or baaaaaarp.....baaaaaaarp is music to my ears 🙂
MTB solo (ie. racing) = Yes - I have a special 'fast' playlist on itunes 🙂
Road/City/Commute = Yes - almost always.
^ I ride into central london everyday and don't see why I need to 'hear' anything? There's always cars on every side of me - so I don't need to hear them coming!
Although if I was road cycling on the North York moors - with long winding roads and a bunch of idiots racing about at 60-odd mph then I think I'd want to hear them coming up behind me
Used to while BMXing, and do occasionally while riding off road. To be honest I find the cabling to just be hassle.
Used to all the time on the way to work as well.
I saw a guy with speakers on his bike the other day, genius! 😀 somebody should punt micro sound systems to cyclists!
On the commute I ride with ear phones in, off road I don't, I like to hear the birds and my tyres. 🙂
i decided against going for a spin along the river as my MP3 player has a flat battery 🙁
I've tried it, but it was pointless as I simply did not not hear it and had no recollection of it either.
I get some useful aural feedback from the bike - stuff rattling and creaking under strain, gear meshing etc. I think you sense something about what your tyres are doing to, particularly in cornering.
Why do you need to hear cars?
We've done this before.
Apparently, some riders use all their senses to tune into their surroundings, some don't. The advantage of my hearing is that it tells me what's happening behind me when I am looking forwards. Quite useful I find 🙂
I have tried it, and became pretty sick of being startled all the time by things happening that I didn't know about. I really felt like I had tunnel vision, even though my vision was unaffected. I need to be hyper aware on busy roads, and I don't feel I can be with earphones in.
I find the haughty look of disdain I get from off-road cyclists who didn't hear my bell (due to their earphones) makes me want to punch them even more. They are usually the 'elite cyclist' or gnarcore types anyway.
Always listen to music on road and trails. Otherwise 6 or 7 hours can be a bit boring. Don't get the 'its dangerous to listen to music on the road'? Cars come from behind so what what could I do if I could hear them?
On road comuting - yes
Off road - not usually as I like to either take in the environment around me (if on my own) or be chatting to others I'm riding with.
enduro races - yes - helps stay motivated on solo efforts and I have several playlists for different moods to help: (fast pace, chill pace, positive motivation tracks, and tunes to trudge through the mud and rain dragging a 60lb lump of mud caked bike to!)
Cars come from behind so what what could I do if I could hear them?
I hear lots of information. Closing speed, an estimate of position, what kind of vehicle it is, if they are gunning it or not, which might be relevant if there is a car say coming the other way and they are going to cut in front. If it's a lorry or bus for example I might know if they are going to squeeze by or wait behind me.. lots and lots of useful information that I like to have.
Soem car drivers drive with very loud stereos
I reckon this is a red herring, driving a car and riding a bike on the road are so far removed it's a meaningless comparsion IMO.
Anyway, on the road I like to hear what's going on around me. As someone further up said, there's a lot of useful information in engine sounds.
On the trail, personally it doesn't feel right to me, it feels like I'm not quite engaged in it if I can't hear all the sounds that come from riding an MTB. I don't feel like I'm riding quite as well.
The advantage of my hearing is that it tells me what's happening behind
No it doesn't. It tells you that there's a noise behind you, nothing more. The noise might mean the car will hit you, it might mean it will miss you, but without looking or being mown down, you have no idea which it is.
My commute is'nt on the road apart from about a metre before the lockup at work.
Headphones ahoy.
Although just one when i feel i need to hear more.
No it doesn't. It tells you that there's a noise behind you, nothing more. The noise might mean the car will hit you, it might mean it will miss you, but without looking or being mown down, you have no idea which it is.
It tells you, for example, whether the car that's coming onto the roundabout from your left from behind a building is likely to be going too fast to be ready to stop. Or whether the car coming up behind you sounds like he might be planning on turning across you into the entrance you're just approaching.
Obviously they're just hints but I reckon they're worth having.
