Headphones (who wears them)

[lph]

Great link, and very funny! I've been wondering whether to pipe up or not, but here goes:

I ride with an Ipod(-like thing). With earpieces made of little tubes of foam that go right into my ear. In traffic, every day.

I know some of you will think I'm nuts anyway for doing this, but fact is I've "trained myself" to ride with earpieces. To begin with the music was fun but distracting, and I only used one earpiece with the music very low, or took them out when I got to the parts of my commute with traffic. I found out gradually how I could use them and still feel on top of things.

I don't play very loud, quiet enough to hear traffic but obviously not as much as without. I rarely change my playlist, and am quite capable of mentally tuning out the music to concentrate on something else. I look around all the time, especially glance behind me a lot, and so help me, I have a better overview of traffic than most other cyclists out on the road with me. I keep to my side. I ride in a straight line. I give obvious hand signals.

And not least, this is on the same roads and the same commute every single day. If I'm riding in unknown territory where I could get lost or I don't know the traffic pattern out the earpieces go.

I still agree that in general earphones and traffic are a bad idea, if you're not used to wearing them you will be distracted. But it is possible to reduce the distraction level a lot.

PS. While I wouldn't actually say that music makes me concentrate more, I am more likely to let my mind wander on a long bike ride without music or with relaxing music. In traffic upbeat music keeps me more in tune with "thinking fast" and paying attention.