Buds in the ears

[e.e.cummings]

How many of you listen to something while you ride? I have read so often that you should not listen to music, etc. while riding. (I am amazed by how many people on the path do just that). I have never rode listening to anything yet.

I have to admit, my commute is getting a bit boring and I was tempted to get something so I could listen to my favorite FM radio station, which is a talk station. Do you think it is okay if I listen with one bud in? I have never rode listening to anything yet, so I don't know how distracting it will be.

[denda]

The only time I ride without music is in century rides, but my riding is done on country roads that don't have a lot of traffic.

[Pedal Wench]

Before it gets heated, I'll try to get in. I put my earbuds in the top of my jersey - wrapped around my bib or bra straps, or looped through my helmet straps, but never blocking my ears.

[kenyonchris]

I always wear them...one in my ear, one out if I am in traffic, low enough so that I can hear. The important thing is to stay aware....one can be totally oblivious in silence, or aware with background noise.

[Miranda]

I would think the talk show would be more distracting than music. Because if you are actually trying to follow the show chat, you would like to hear every word. As cars pass, you will not. With the songs you already know as your favorites in a playlist, big whoop if you miss it. Thus, I think it's less destracting, to minimal.

I use one ear bud. Right ear. Turned at a volume that I can hear when there is not traffic. But traffic over-rides the noise of the music. On that you need to experiment. Always starting lowering volume with the music of course.

If I'm on part of my route that I know there is more traffic, I take the ear bud out for that section. Country roads for me 90% of my rides.

Plus, I have Sprint-Tech bar end plug mirrors on both sides of my road bike. It's nice to be able to glance down at the bar ends and see traffic too. Without crankin your head so much. At first I didn't have the right side mirror on. But, now I really like it. It's great for "taking the lane" and with ride partners to see both sides at all times.

The point of that being... it helps traffic awareness. Even if you don't use music at all. The bike style police can just call me Fred for that one. I don't care.

Lastly on the music... it's really personal too. Sometimes even day by day. If you have a car zoom by that you DID NOT know was even anywhere near you... due to the music, mental distraction about life's whoas + music, etc... then it's time to ditch something to be safe.

I personally like having my music when I don't have a ride buddy... just be sensible about it.

[tctrek]

Only on trails. Never on the road. Too scary

[Kiwi Stoker]

We have just brought an mp3 player with a speaker that is designed to go on the bike. It's shockproof and splash proof. Surprisingly loud and good sound. We plan to attach it to the stoker's handlebars so we can have some music while on the go together.

Here's the link to in- its at the bottom of the page...
http://www.crops-sports.com/en/crops/accessories/

[shootingstar]

I don't like any audio earplugs with noise coming through into my ears. I get a headache. So I am willing to listen to my immediate surroundings or deal with silence/quiet.

I just simply can have the light headset on when I Skype. That's it because it's not for long.

[Biciclista]

I would surely die of fright if i could not hear the cars and trucks coming up behind me. I use all of my senses to keep myself healthy. filling my ears with extraneous noise would be like putting patches over my eyes.

[witeowl]

I listen to music (or podcasts or audiobooks) most of the time. (If there is another human being with me, I won't; I think it's a bit rude to have headphones when you're supposed to be enjoying each others' company.)

However, I never use earbuds. I use these, or something similar, which lets outside noise in and I can hear cars (and other things) around me. I know people will say that it's unsafe, but I'm still paying more attention to my surroundings than many peope who sort of "zone out" while running or cycling.

[MartianDestiny]

I listen to music with one earbud in (the right one) on my commutes (all MUT and/or dedicated bike lane). I can hear traffic and other important noises (calls of other trail users on the rare occasion they actually use them) fine.

If I was someone that got so caught up in music that I could not hear my surroundings with one earbud in then I wouldn't wear one.

I don't listen when I'm training as I do end up in areas where the roads are less bike friendly (only a shoulder, low visibility, narrow, mountain roads) or in a large group where I want the extra few tenths of a second warning that not having music in might give me. Also I find if I'm working hard I don't hear the music as well, so I focus more on it, and THAT'S when I get distracted. Not when I'm cruising down the path to work.

IMO, if you pick headphones/headphone arrangement that allow you to hear (they now make headphones that are designed to sit away from your ears for just this purpose) and know yourself and where you are riding (how distracted you get, what you may miss with headphones in a given area and the chances of that, etc) it's ok. It's a calculated risk (moreso in some situations than others), but so is most anything else we do.

I too would be more distracted by talk, so I wouldn't do that personally.

[lph]

I ride with earbuds and listen to music. If I'm in a strange place or in very stressful traffic I'll take them out, but on my regular commute I wear them almost all the time. I can hear traffic, but not from as far away as without. I tried wearing just one but got disoriented.

I would never recommend wearing earbuds while riding to someone because of the distraction issue, but if you want to, you can teach yourself to ride safely with them, imo. But it takes a little thought and practice. Contrary to popular belief they do not cause you to swerve all over the place Keep the volume low, ride in a straight line, assume you have someone on your tail ready to pass at all times and check your back regularly. I just play the same stuff over and over, and do not have a problem blocking it out if I need to concentrate on something unusual.

For the record, I have gotten a lot more distracted by riding with someone else and chatting than from the music I listen to everyday.

[Jiffer]

I (and dh and friends) often ride with one bud in the right ear only, so we can hear traffic on the left and other riders we're I'm riding with a group. And if I'm with a group, I don't turn on my iPod unless I am climbing (really helps get me up the hills!) ... or if I'm with a group that is riding fast together in a paceline and there's no socializing going on. Yet, I can still hear if someone yells out something is in the road or whatever.

I was on a club ride recently where a new guy was in his own world with both buds in. He was oblivious when people were calling out "car back" twice and held up those cars making our whole group look bad. Someone told me they had tried to get his attention to tell him his water bottle was about to fall out, but he never heard them.

On the next club ride, at a red light, I finally got a chance to mention to this fellow that he really needs to only where one bud in the right ear. I found it interesting that when he saw that I was talking to him he had to take out his headphones to hear me. Case in point.

[SadieKate]

One of my favorite things to do is ride up behind a rider or runner wearing burds on a dirt trail who thinks it's safe because they're away from traffic. It's so fun to scare the sh!t out of them.

[Fontinalis]

At first, when I started commuting, in the city, I needed my full and entire attention. And could have never imagined a day when I would use my ipod on the bike. When I commute at rush hours, I don't. But there are less dangerous times, a Sunday ride for example, where I can. Because the noise level on the street is also lower, and in all cases, the music in my ears does NOT prevent me from hearing the noises on the street. I would not listen to a show, follow a conversation, talk radio, that kind of thing. I still need my full attention on the road. But music is different. It is a pace. And it does take the boredom out of a commute that is always the same.