Bone Conduction headphones and road cycling

I think I know the answer to this..

My new commute is a bit boring. Is the use of bone conduction headphones legal? Anyone use them and if so, can you still hear cars ok? How is your focus retention?

I use a pair of Aftershox (titanium Air) for running mainly off road and you can hear people/ cyclists approaching and I do feel generally more aware of my surroundings with these than with the ear bud type.

Still wouldn’t cycle with them though. Just my opinion but I wear them to distract me from the tedium of running. I don’t want to be distracted when I’m on my bike.

A friend at work is a hardcore roadie and he wears his all the time. No idea which brand but I expect they were pricey

Don’t think it’s specifically illegal. If you run over and kill a pedestrian,it might be used against you as a contributing factor in your manslaughter trial.

That said, I have them, I use them commuting in London (or at least I did). Never had a problem hearing traffic etc.

People drive around at 70mph in sound-insulated boxes with 40W stereos banging away. They probably even have them on while they’re running pedestrians over and no-one ever got strung up with dangerous driving on the basis of having Phil Collins on when they crashed, so what’s the big deal?

Was thinking on my ride last weekend I quite fancy some bone conduction headphones so thanks for the reminder 😀

I’ve always been very anti cycling with headphones on road but when saw these I thought it was problem solved.

First time I used them I nearly got run over by a car I hadn’t heard when I swerved a pot hole.

They are excellent for running and offroad cycling but a waste of time on road. The wind noise means you need them up loud and anyway its the distraction of listening to music thats the problem, not whether other sounds are blocked out – your brain does that anyway whether or not the buds are in your ears or on your cheeks.

As for your comment @bez – I think you can see where the problem is with that!  its not being strung up thats my worry, its being struck down.

I think you can see where the problem is with that!

Mm, it seems to be that you’re not watching where you’re going 😉

its the distraction of listening to music thats the problem, not whether other sounds are blocked out

I don’t know about you but when I need to concentrate at work I listen to music, it helps me focus on what I’m doing. I always have music on in the car as well, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt distracted by it. (I once tried a “learn Spanish” CD and that was a massive distraction, it lasted about two minutes.) Different strokes, perhaps?

I really wouldn’t. Simple. Impairs your senses – ears are useful on a road bike.

We should probably ban deaf people from riding bikes.

No but I’d bet they would rather not be deaf. At least I’m lucky enough to have a choice.

I’ve got some.

I do not like them on the road as I can’t hear cars coming behind me

I often ride with headphones in (normal in-ear sport ones). I like it. Mainly because this:

People drive around at 70mph in sound-insulated boxes with 40W stereos banging away.

As Bez says, there’s no liability issue although my only real priority when I’m riding on roads is self-preservation. But I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about this exact issue and have decided that if a car is going to hit me from behind and take me out, I’d rather not know. There would be nothing you can do anyway (except perhaps tense up and make a collision worse while spending your last second on earth in absolute terror).

Riding at slower speeds in dense traffic might be different I suppose.

This is not medical advice. YMMV etc.

Sena helmet with Bluetooth?

The wind noise means you need them up loud

This hasn’t been my experience – I’ve had the trekx titanium and now air after the titanium went through the wash. Appreciate your physiology may vary.

Listening to speech is horrible, but I don’t find music a distraction at all, it’s strangely focusing.

And, whilst this is anecdote not evidence, the two crashes I’ve had commuting were without headphones, not that it would have made a difference either way.

Yes, they’re great. I can hold a conversation with them on at a low volume and they do effectively act as “background music” rather than isolation from surroundings.

Thanks folks. I think I’m going to give them a whirl. If I feel they are a liability on the bike I’m sure I can use them for other activities.

On a slight tangent, does anyone here wear glasses (normal prescription ones with ear hooks rather than Oakleys with straight arms) and find any of the Aftershokz models particularly good/bad over the glasses?

As Bez says, there’s no liability issue although my only real priority when I’m riding on roads is self-preservation. But I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about this exact issue and have decided that if a car is going to hit me from behind and take me out, I’d rather not know

A pragmatic approach.

I don’t use headphones in heavy urban traffic such as when I’m commuting, but any other time I’m riding on my own I will. For all those who say they can’t hear what’s around, maybe try turning the volume down till you can? It’s really not rocket science.

Had a couple of interesting conversations when other riders or pedestrians have offered advice about how using headphones will stop me hearing my surroundings. Until I point out that I’m managing to hold a conversation with them whilst still having music in the background.

Maybe one of the people who gave you that advice was the van driver who stopped in the road a few months ago and waited for me to cycle past so he could tell me he couldn’t see me 🙂

Aftershock Air user here. Tried them on the road bike while commuting and felt paranoid that I couldn’t hear from certain directions. Plus you have to turn the volume right up to hear anything. Not used them since on the road.

Off road – all the time.

Maybe one of the people who gave you that advice was the van driver who stopped in the road a few months ago and waited for me to cycle past so he could tell me he couldn’t see me

I’ve met his parents who walk on my local trails and turn round to tell me that they hadn’t heard my bell….

They’re great, use them commuting. If you order them from the US shop they’re significantly cheaper.
https://aftershokz.com/
Also, if you want to pm me your email I can register you for a $10 discount (which will also get me a $10 discount off my next order 🙂 )

I find that listening to podcasts is a bit better on them than listening to music – the lower volume (to allow me to still hear traffic) makes music a little dull for me, but podcasts are more ‘interesting’ and don’t block out cars as much

On a slight tangent, does anyone here wear glasses (normal prescription ones with ear hooks rather than Oakleys with straight arms) and find any of the Aftershokz models particularly good/bad over the glasses?

Mine were fine with normal glasses but a bit marginal with the thicker armed ‘sports glasses’. It’s not the glasses hook I found caused the problem but where the headphones bend down towards the speakers. If the arms of your glasses are too thick there the headset can grip that and pivot around it. Fine for walking, probably fine for riding, infuriating for running.

More generally I found them to be very good. I actually ended up using them around the house a lot for background music as you can still have a conversation. The battery eventually died but my other half discovered she missed them enough she bought a new pair.

If you order them from the US shop they’re significantly cheaper.

£100 in the UK for Airs, or from the US shop they’re $120 plus ~20% taxes plus a few quid customs handling fee, and their website says they don’t take website orders from outside of the US and Canada 🤔

to allow me to still hear traffic

Gotta love that beautiful woosh woosh noise. I honestly don’t understand which noise you react to and which you ignore… must drive (arf!) you guys nuts checking out what every vehicle you hear coming is doing. I prefer to have the Sennheiser jammed in and volume cranked up. Has made commuting bearable since the mid 90s.

Partially deaf person here (I only have one working ear)

I use headphones while road cycling a lot (~75% of the time I’d guess)
I have them at a volume where I, as a partially deaf person, can still hear traffic.
I do occasionally find that at this volume they get drowned out by wind noise when I’m riding fast or it’s very windy, but you know what, at that point it’s the wind impairing my hearing not the music.

Had a couple of interesting conversations when other riders or pedestrians have offered advice about how using headphones will stop me hearing my surroundings. Until I point out that I’m managing to hold a conversation with them whilst still having music in the background.

If I had a pound for every time this has happened to me I’d…well, I’d have about 4 quid, but I enjoyed every one of those times more than I’d have enjoyed an extra 4 quid.

I’ve heard many arguments (and knee-jerk reactions) from people about why you shouldn’t ride with headphones and they all seem to boil down into two categories.

1. “It impairs your hearing making it unsafe”

Well firstly, it really doesn’t if you don’t listen at inappropriate volume. At low volume it’s similar to, or quieter than other environmental noises, and definitely quieter than an approaching car. And when the wind drowns out the music it’s irrelevant that there’s music there. Cars are loud, they don’t sneak up on you, even electric ones. They certainly don’t sneak up on you if you’re also using your other senses and aware of your surroundings. Having music playing in the background doesn’t stop you hearing other things as well, it’s not an either/or situation.

Secondly, if you genuinely think that it’s unsafe to ride if you don’t have ‘normal’ hearing then that’s pretty insulting to deaf riders (both partial and profound) to suggest that we’re not safe enough to be riding on the road.

Yes yes I know the next argument is: “well if you’re deaf you can’t choose, headphones are a choice” But fundamentally if it’s safe enough for a deaf rider it’s safe enough for a hearing rider.

Thirdly, back to that wind issue… when I’m riding fast, or on a windy day I can barely hold a conversation with a rider next to me without shouting, I still hear cars though, big noisy cars with big noisy engines and rumbling noisy tyres. Funny how somehow people never seem to suggest only riding on still days or not going fast though isn’t it?

Solution – Don’t listen at inappropriate volume. If you find you can’t hear traffic then turn the volume down.

2. “It’s distracting making you unsafe”

Yes, being distracted* is less safe… which means if listening to music is that distracting then it’s very hard to argue against an immediate ban on car stereos, and even sat navs, talking to passengers and in-car phonecalls isn’t it? Even better, lets ban kids from cars, everyone knows how bloomin distracting they can be!
It’s an even more convincing argument when you consider the being distracted while in charge of a 2000kg machine at speed is far more dangerous that being in charge of a 10kg one at lower speed.
So I assume I can count on your support for my petition to ban car stereos?

* And that’s completely ignoring the fact that music doesn’t necessarily distract you, for me it helps me concentrate. It’s certainly no more distracting than chatting away to the rider next to you, and definitely less distracting than just daydreaming or looking at the view/interesting things as you pass by.

Solution – Concentrate. If music does distract you, then don’t listen to music. (I would hope you also show as much care and restraint when driving in your car too though)

I have never, ever, ever been caught by surprise by a car because I didn’t hear it. And I’m half deaf.

I have been caught by surprise when I wasn’t paying enough attention though, and in all those cases I was either riding with someone else and merrily chatting away to them, or had simply let my mind wander when I shouldn’t have, not because I was listening to music.

Bez

On a slight tangent, does anyone here wear glasses (normal prescription ones with ear hooks rather than Oakleys with straight arms) and find any of the Aftershokz models particularly good/bad over the glasses?

That worried me…I wear straight arm photochromatic prescription Oakley’s and specsavers hook over won’t fall off when I look down …and with titanium aftershokz no problem either…with a mask on sometimes need to move stuff around a bit!

As to riding i rarely do but I run and walk with and to be honest get fed up with how much traffic noise there is and go back to full head phones only reason not for riding for me is that its one thing I do with no habit of music…as to safety running I’ve never been surprised by a vehicle…have been surprised by drivers understanding of road rules…on my bike I’ve had some really surprising near misses due to wind noise and crap drivers…common theme crap drivers

+1
Everything what

amedias

said.

I’ve been using aftershokz for about 3.5-4 years first using Air, now Aeropex. Even at full volume, and when commuting, I’m very rarely surprised by a car coming from behind and then only usually when either there’s a strong headwind and I’m working hard and the sound from the car isn’t carrying well over my own laboured breathing, or when the car coming from behind is travelling at such a speed that it’s arrival scares the shizzle out of me.

I also listen to audio books and this is also mostly audible (pun intended), it can get drowned out by lots of cars at high speeds on wet roads.

It’s also worth noting that Aeropex are smaller and generate less wind noise over your ears, but also have smaller buttons which makes them harder to use in gloves.

Excellent post amedias.

I honestly don’t understand which noise you react to and which you ignore… must drive (arf!) you guys nuts checking out what every vehicle you hear coming is doing.

Yup.
Been bike commuting for over 30 yrs and still have no idea what sound a killer vehicle makes.

I use them for blasting around on a bit of road and light trails and they’re great.
As for distracting you or being unable to hear oncoming vehicles I find the majority of roadies either don’t hear cars anyway or if they do they completely ignore them.
I know when I ride on the road headphones or not I struggle to hear cars behind me so regularly check anyway.
Can’t be any worse than wesring a buff or bandana covering your ears to keep them warm.

I’ve been using Aeropex ones for the past year and I love them. I have them up fairly loud, but when going fast downhill or whatever they still get drowned out by wind noise, which is fine by me. I can still hear traffic just fine and have no issues riding with them from a distraction point of view or clashing with helmets/glasses. When stopped or going through slow traffic, I find they’re louder than I think they are, so need to turn them down, but this is easy even with gloves on.

Another alternative is to use well-fitting in-ear phones, but only use one. I have some nicer Shure in-ears. I can unplug the right phone completely (so it doesn’t get lost/tangled or drift down my bib shorts) and then on my iPhone I can sum the audio to mono, which means that the music is still balanced and not all cowbell in one ear. Having the near-vacuum fit in one ear means that I can have the phones on pretty quietly and still hear perfectly in one ear, while the other ear is free to listen to traffic noises.

£100 in the UK for Airs, or from the US shop they’re $120 plus ~20% taxes plus a few quid customs handling fee, and their website says they don’t take website orders from outside of the US and Canada 🤔

I stand corrected, when I ordered mine from the US pre Christmas (via a US mail forwarding service) they were significantly cheaper on the US site than they are now. Also I was able to get the mini band ones which weren’t available outside of the US at the time.

Aeropex – Cosmic Black / Mini
Quantity: 1 — Total: $124.95

(and they snuck through customs with no charges 🙂 )

I use Sony NW-WS625 MP3 headphones on the bike

They are ear bud type, waterproof, Bluetooth and 16GB (they do a 623 version with 4GB)

They also so have a great feature called ambient sound mode, when road road riding press the ambient sound mode button and you can hear what’s going on around you and chat to a friend whilst still listening to music, turn off the road onto a trail and press the button again and your back into full sound mode

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/walkman/nw-ws620-series

I’ve got the Aftershokz Aeropex and use them all the time on solo mountain bike rides. I love them and use them for listening to podcasts and music. They do get drowned out by wind noise especially on descents but I normally just tap the side and mute them until I’m at the bottom of whatever descent I’m on. I find I can hear traffic noise no problem. They’ve been a revelation for me. I would never have worn in ear headphones previously while on the bike.

Well, I bagged some Trekz Titaniums for £30 and have them a go at the weekend.

Seemed to be fine. With the music at a decent level I could hear vehicles from 100-200m away, often before I could see them.

In fact I noticed that I was shoulder-checking more often then normal just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, so arguably they encourage increased awareness of what’s behind. That said, I suspect that if I were to use them on a regular basis then this effect might wane.

The only issue they seemed to raise was making it harder to have conversations when passing people on the trail—for some reason I often feel like I’m a bit “aurally dyslexic” and they make it harder to parse sounds into words. Not really an issue from a safety perspective, though.

Overall, my initial suspicions were all confirmed: they’re fine, and while I wouldn’t use them that much because I mostly get out for the peace and quiet, I’d certainly consider taking them on long days out to help pass the time on the less stimulating bits. If nothing else they’re great for ensuring you don’t get stuck with an appalling earworm for a whole ride 🙂

TLDR: not the magic brain beam I was hoping for, but so comfortable and convenient I use them every day.

I thought I’d post a bit of a review of the bone conducting headphones having owned them for a few months, in case it helps anyone.

I got the Aftershox Openmove ones. Seem well made, a sheet of ‘skin’ stickers to customise them (I went camo). USBC for charging is great.

In terms of sound quality, I was prepared for crap bass but still shocked by how awfully lacking in bass these are. Songs with deep bass can sound like there is none whatsoever. I’ve gotten used to it now – just be prepared.

The most interesting part for me is how audible they are – in short nothing like as good as I was expecting. I was hoping for a super clear loud signal to be beamed straight to my brain, regardless of what other noise is going into my earholes. Firstly, the volume is limited, and cranking it right up makes tickly vibrations. Secondly, audibility is absolutely affected by external earhole noise. You can be happily listening to a podcast on a quiet road, but as soon as traffic or wind noise pick up, you’ll struggle to hear the speech.

I use them in my workshop. As soon as a machine is running, audibility vanishes. As soon as I put in foam earplugs, I can hear the music again.

Someone above mentioned that they can hold a conversation at the same time as listening to their music, but that is absolutely not my experience.

Aside from this, I still use them a lot. Zoom calls, music, audiobooks, phonecalls etc every day. They are very comfortable and convenient and to pause/play is an easy tap the side function. Fine for MTB where you are away from traffic and tend not to get to wind noise speeds.

Interesting review, not as positive as I was hoping.

I use Bluetooth earned with touch control, with the sound really low so I can still here what’s around me – if I haven’t heard the car approach from behind, I know it needs to be quieter. Lose the sound completely when going downhill and wind noise picks up. In busy city centre riding I often turn the music off altogether to focus on traffic around me.

Still not seeing I’d benefit switching to bone conducting headphones.

Conversely I’ve had aftershox for a long time….they were cabled and amplified when I first got em.

Got trekz now.

Use them for most of my riding or running. No issues hearing vehicles approaching or having a conversation while they are on.

How tight they fit to your head has. A big influence on how loud they need to be and how they function .