Do you listen to music when you are riding?

Off road, no.
On the road, yes. I live in an area where there is very little traffic and I don’t like my music super loud anyway.
Tried to have music on in a 24hour race, but felt anti-social and turned it off.

I find having music on on the road bike a good way of telling if I’m getting a good workout. If I realise I’m singing, I’m not working hard enough.

I do always on the road. I thought it dangerous at first but now I have taught myself to look more…I can really get in the zone when training with the i pod with some Pendulum or fat boy slim blasting out. I believe it makes me cycle faster!

Never tried it off road…

Always when on my tod. Mostly audiobooks or podcasts more than tunes tho.

Never. I find it’s vital to be able to hear vehicles coming up behind me (especially big ones). If the first I knew about it was when the lorry was level with my handle bars, and about 6 inches from them, I might wobble. Off road, you never know what’s round the next corner. Hearing someone in front of you on a blind corner has saved me from hitting them before. Part of what I enjoy about biking is the total immersion and concentration, which paradoxically clears my head. I couldn’t properly ride and properly listen at the same time.

I always listen to music when commuting. If it was loud enough that the first i new of a lorry etc, was when it was level with me i would be worried i was deaf. I find the noise from the air to be just as loud when riding at speed on the roads anyway.

Never no way never

Off Road – Nope
On Road – Yarp !

On road – always. Keep you wits about you and you’ll be fine. Off road, sometimes.

no way – you cant beat the sound of being outside, listening to music would dull the overal sensory experience for me!

I just don’t understand the ‘it’s dangerous, you need to be able to hear traffic coming up behind you’ thing. How do you tell the difference between the sound of a car that’s going to approach and pass you safely, vs the one which is gonna mow you down? Do you get off the road whenever a car approaches, just in case?

I find the wind noise without headphones makes it harder to hear cars anyway, eliminating that and listening to music means I can hear cars better. Anyone who doesn’t check over their shoulder before turning is a moron anyway, irrespective of whether they’ve got the hearing of an owl or are stone deaf!