"Avoid using headsets to listen to music"

[Lise]

OMG, I have NEVER behaved like this. I am never oblivious to my surroundings - I keep my head up, my eyes on the road and check my mirror ALL the time. I see people LONG before I could ever hear them coming, from either direction...

Pascale, you have never seen people on the north branch of the Chicago Lakefront Path! People are nuts.

I notice you're from the Twin Cities. I have relatives up there. When my cousin, John, moved to Chicago, he learned how to use his horn in traffic. When my aunt came down to visit, she was shocked when he blew his horn! "John! What are you doing?! That's so rude!"

I'm not surprised that you're a more responsible rider than most of us down here.

[Lise]

The three of us are then in deep doo-doo. Last time yellow and I rode up Mt Diablo together I called someone an A-hole. Just came out. Even kind of shocked me. But he deserved it since he scared us so much. I am trying to mend my ways and find a more ladylike way to say the same thing.

I haven't yet witnessed MP do anything similar, but I can see it boiling beneath the surface.

I know. When somebody scares me on the road, the very worst of my language comes out. Not proud. Just sayin'. On the other hand, when I yell "On yer left!" and the person/people move over, I always say, "Thank you!" as I pass. Only fair.

I doubt that Team Danger will win many "Ladylike" awards.

[Veronica]

I'm sure the racer boy who nearly ran into me on Wed. as he made his left hand turn w/o looking to the right, felt perfectly safe on his long ride with his ear buds. I betcha he rides hundred of miles a week that way.

It's a good thing I'm not oblivious... because he would have hit me if I hadn't changed my pace.

V.

[Trek420]

I'm in the no headphone camp.

I work in a call center, off the job I don't want anything in/near/around my ears. that discomfort I can get at work.

Then there's the hearing loss thing, I'm bad enough without headphones. and that hearing loss folks? Caused by the headphones. I wear earplugs at work now to protect what's left. Sorry to get preachy but this next generation will loose their hearing approx 20 years earlier than their elders. It's not worth it, unplug, turn it down.

I workout to unplug, to get away, to enjoy nature and other like minded people.

On the treadmill, eliptical, indoor trainer only.

[KnottedYet]

I've posted it before... this is what a sign on the Burke Gilman trail said, about 20 years ago. (the Walkman era)

Two things on this trail
Will get you dead
Having music in your ears
And no helmet on your head

[Pascale]

Pascale, you have never seen people on the north branch of the Chicago Lakefront Path! People are nuts.

I notice you're from the Twin Cities. I have relatives up there. When my cousin, John, moved to Chicago, he learned how to use his horn in traffic. When my aunt came down to visit, she was shocked when he blew his horn! "John! What are you doing?! That's so rude!"

I'm not surprised that you're a more responsible rider than most of us down here.

Lise, that's very sweet of you to say. I don't know about that, but I do REALLY to treat people the way I'd like to be treated - it seems a simple enough concept, LOL.

btw - I love the pic of your running Daschund - my neighbor has a puppy mini-dacshund and I'm trying to find a way to steal her away - she keeps coming under the fence into my yard - I think she really wants to live with ME and I ADORE her! lol

[DebW]

"Avoid using headsets to listen to music"

I always have a headset along when I'm riding. It's between my fork and head tube. Mine doesn't play music unless it's loose and I hit a bump. Then the tune is similar to Jingle Bells but far less melodic.

My ears, however, are free of foreign objects.

[hsmpcycle]

I am very, very, very hard of hearing. I am considered leagally deaf in both ears, so I need to wear hearing aids. When I ride, I have a very hard time hearing sounds behind me. Due to the wind and other factors. This is hard for me because when I am on a path and someone wants to pass me on my left, I cannot hear them say, "On your left!" Instead, I pay very close attention to my suroundings and a stay to the right side of the road/path as much as I can. I also check my back every min. or so to avoid being taken surprise.

Despite my hearing loss, I can, for the most part, hear almost like a normal person and love to listen to music while I ride, but not all the time. If I ride with a group of people, I don't. If I ride in town, I don't. If I ride by myself on a hwy. with very little traffic, I do. In a nutshell, it just depends on the situation and how comfortable I feel about it. I want to be responsible and cautious of my actions.

[Lise]

btw - I love the pic of your running Daschund - my neighbor has a puppy mini-dacshund and I'm trying to find a way to steal her away - she keeps coming under the fence into my yard - I think she really wants to live with ME and I ADORE her! lol

Oh, yeah, they do love to go under the fence! That's not actually Schatzi in the picture, although she looked just like that in her prime. Snapdragen found that picture for me to use as an avatar when I joined the site.

Schatzi lived to be 19. She was often the sanest member of our family! Her priorities were never out of order. And she loved to dig under fences.

[chickwhorips]

i went out and ran yesterday with the ipod and after posting and reading this thread i kinda felt guilty about doing it.
eventhough i didn't have anyone to compete on the road (this time or next).