Cellphone Cyclists

[VeloVT]

I always have my cellphone with me when I ride, but I also always turn the ringer off before I go (not to vibrate, but to "all sounds off").

Hey I can always check voicemail at stops if I need to.

Sometimes I forget to turn the ringer back on and people get mad at me though ...

I often see people "exercising" on the bike path -- rollerblading, running, etc -- while talking on their phones. In my opinion if you can hold an intelligible cellphone conversation you're **probably** not breathing hard enough to be getting much exercise.

[Python]

Bluetooth headsets anyone?

I carry my mobile (cellphone) usually either in my pocket or in my backpack. My most embarrassing moment was a couple of weeks ago I'm happily riding to work when this catchy tune starts playing, and gets louder and louder. People turned to see where the music was coming from and the looks on their faces I'd only forgot to switch off the alarm clock on it so it kept going off and as it was in my backpack I couldn't reach it I did stop eventually and switched it off.

[Zen]

Maybe they thought it was the ice cream man

[Veronica]

I talk on my phone while I ride. I don't wobble. I don't careen down hills. I also reach for and drink from my water bottles while riding, open up food packets while riding, take off my bolero while riding. That one is a bit tricky. Oh, and if I put my bottles in backwards, water in the front instead of Sustain, I'll switch them while riding. So both bottles out of their cages at the same time. I also ride with no hands on occasion.

Have you ever watched the pro peloton? I aspire to have bike handling skills like theirs. It doesn't happen if you are white knuckling your handlebars. Don't be afraid to take a little risk every now and then. You'll become a better bike handler.

Just yesterday as I was commuting to work, riding up our hill, I realized I hadn't asked Thom to check on our neighbor's cat during the day. Without looking I reached back and grabbed my phone from my saddlebag and called him, talked for a few minutes, until I reached the top of the hill and put the phone back in the saddlebag.

The only person who calls me during a ride is Thom, so if possible, I'll answer the phone. He usually wants to know how long until I get home so he can start the grill.

I suppose that makes me evil.

V.

[Aggie_Ama]

Actually Veronica, my husband aspires to be like the pro peloton. I love how they are cruising along at 30 mph, no hands on the bars and digging through the lunch bags!

[Melalvai]

I'm on the fence. I answer my cell phone and hold brief conversations, on bike or car (though I'm not in car much these days). I don't like drivers who are talking on the phone in city traffic, and although I haven't seen cyclists do it I probably wouldn't like it either. The difference is--they aren't holding brief conversations.

I have mastered the art of extracting my phone from the seat pack, and I just learned riding with no hands. I absolutely love it. I do the "Titanic". (You know, where she is standing on the rail of the ship with her arms straight out. I stand on my pedals and hold my arms out.)

[Veronica]

Just don't close your eyes like in City of Angels.

V.

[Kano]

I talk on my phone while I ride. I don't wobble. I don't careen down hills. I also reach for and drink from my water bottles while riding, open up food packets while riding, take off my bolero while riding. That one is a bit tricky. Oh, and if I put my bottles in backwards, water in the front instead of Sustain, I'll switch them while riding. So both bottles out of their cages at the same time. I also ride with no hands on occasion.

V.

I'm impressed!

First time I tried moving my hands around the bars a bit while at a relatively high speed, DH was behind me and saw: NO MORE MOVING YOUR HANDS he said. I knew there was a reason it's better to be behind him! I can practice stuff and he can't see. I have to admit, though, it was a bit spooky that first time!

I'm still working on pretty basic stuff -- no bottle cages yet, I'm happy with my camelbak. If I EVER get to no hands, I'm going to be amazed. DH will probably drop over dead with fright. (speaking of that tipping over thread!) I'll stick to focusing on riding OR talking for now!

Karen in Boise

[Veronica]

I think if you can move around while you're riding, it's a good thing. You have things you need to take care of. Drinking and food I can do in a group. I have a hard time doing it in a paceline that's moving at my speed limit. If it's a slower paceline, I can drink and eat okay. But it's like everything else, it doesn't happen over night and you have to work at it. One day it just dawned on me that I don't even think about reaching for a water bottle anymore. It just happens.

The bolero thing, I would never do while riding near someone else. But it is nice to be able to take it off when you get warm and stuff it in a jersey. It's also not something you do on a highly traffic-ed road

On the back of the tandem I've been able to get off my knee warmers. And I take Thom's jacket off him. I also drink Red Bulls.

V.

[Aggie_Ama]

I also drink Red Bulls.

V.

So it isn't that you have fantastic bike handling abilities- it is the Red Bull that gives you wings?

[suzieqtwa]

I was riding home from work last Friday at 5pm ,and where live there is a lot of traffic. I have to be very aware of my surroundings ,because people just pull out of parking lots without looking etc...anyway, I was on a busy road ,and I look across the street ,and there was a guy talking on his cell ,with no hands on the handlebars. He didn't have a helmet on either.
I carry a cell in my back pack ,and if it rings ,I just wait till I get to where I'm going ,or pull over somewhere ,and call back.

[DDH]

I reach for my water bottle and drink from it while riding. I haven't mastered being able to do much more than that. When I was a kid I loved to ride without holding on to my handle bars, but I can't do it anymore. Guess I don't have that balance anymore.
How do you guys eat while riding? I can't get things out of my seat pack while riding?
I hold on and move my hands around but I don't think I white knuckle my bars. I have a water bottle on my bars and down below that I reach for and drink from, but like I said, I cannot do much more than that.
Wish I had the balance.

[Zen]

I don't even drive and talk on the phone at the same time. It's just not safe.

Nothing is so important that won't wait a few minutes for me to pull over in the car or on the bike.

[Bron]

I don't even drive and talk on the phone at the same time. It's just not safe.

Nothing is so important that won't wait a few minutes for me to pull over in the car or on the bike.

What she said.
Plus it's illegal here (for cars and bikes) unless you have a hand-free kit.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

How do you guys eat while riding? I can't get things out of my seat pack while riding?

Bugs.



It's not so much the issue of whether one CAN ride bike while holding a cell phone in the other hand- most people can easily drive a car one-handed too. I feel it's the mental wandering part of it that is dangerous- again, just like when driving a car.