Music & Cycling: Am I crazy?

[Kathi]

Sorry to break the bad news to those of you who live in Colorado, but, like California, a bicycle is considered a vehicle and earphones are illegal when operating a vehicle in Colorado too.

I've been seeing more and more riders with earphones. They worry me because they don't acknowledge me when I pass, most of them don't hear me when I yell, on your left! I don't worry about them getting hurt if they swerve and hit me, that's their problem, but I do care if I get hurt!

Kathi

[joyrider]

The "on your left" thing doesn't really work when the person you're talking to can't hear you. I've had a different experience - riding frequently on the heavily used Los Gatos Creek Trail, I have many times encountered joggers, sometimes with strollers, who give no response to my signaling that I want to pass - and then when I do pass, I see that they're wearing headphones...
But I'm torn, because I think music would perk me up on a long ride, too. However, I think the bottom line is that even though I think it would be satisfying to combine the pleasure of riding with the pleasure of listening to music, I rely on my ears to tell me what dangers are around me, like it or not. And if I weigh riding with no tunes against being hit by a car or God forbid injuring someone else, no tunes wins.
I have been considering the boom box in the basket method, though. In the right environment, I think it could work.

[Dogmama]

I never wear headphones & steer very clear of those who do because they tend to be in their own little world and startle easily when I come up behind them (read: often jump in my path.) I want to be 110% aware of my surroundings. If I hear a car slowing down behind me, for example, that is a big clue that it might make a right hand turn in front of me.

If wind noise is a bother, you can find small wind-ear blocks that mount to your helmet. It might take a bit of searching but they're out there.

On a personal note, I find music distracting. I want to be able to think, observe and generally enjoy being out in nature. I wear my headphones in the gym where blocking out conversations, overhead music and grunts is important.

[Pedal Wench]

I was thinking about this out on my ride yesterday. As I said earlier, I use one earbud, but only when I'm on a path - it's a rail-to-trail path - incredibly straight, flat, and boring - especially when I'm doing centuries on it. The music keeps me motivated and keeps the pace up. I know that people argue that on the road you need to be focused, and I fully agree. But, yesterday, out on the road, without music, I got so lost in my thoughts that I realized I was paying no attention at all to the road. A pothole caught my attention, and I realized I had drifted far out into the lane. When I'm on the path, with music, my focus stays on the path ahead - the music actually keeps my mind right in the moment. Just my two pennies...

[joyrider]

I think it may be true that some naturally alert individuals can handle riding with headphones. I'm not one of those people.

[snowtulip]

I personally love the quiet when I'm out in the mountains and don't listen to music. I am also easily distracted so I don't believe I could listen to headphones on the road (it would be bad for me and others around me).

But my hubby rides everywhere and he's using one earbud and leaves the other out. He is the most alert rider I know even with one ear with music. It seems to depend on how alert you are as an individual.

Unfortunatley even those that know they are not alert still wear headphones.

[RoadRaven]

Interesting thread

I have been seriously contemplating getting an MP3 player for when I start serious time trial training... however I have only considered using one earphone, which would not give stereo but I would feel vulnerable with both ears covered with music

Like so many others in this thread, I find the whistle of the wind a 'deafening' noise, in that I can't tell on a windy day whether it is wind in the trees or just wind in my ears!

I am experimenting at the moment at making weirdly shaped head n\bands (which I wear wnyway, that cover my ears)

I figure the right material and cut will imporove the path of the wind over my ears without reducing the sound

I have found that positining of helmet straps can have an effect on wind noise too...

[KkAllez]

This is an interesting topic. I am nearly deaf, so I have to rely heavily on my husband to alert me that a car is coming up from behind. That is a BIG reason why I don't ride alone. Having him help hasn't made me lazy though, I tend to constantly check behind and am always asking him, "is a car coming, is a car coming?" I never realized that headphones could be illegal.

How do I make it in nursing not being able to hear well? I've got one darn good stethoscope. I swear, I could hear a gnat fart in Africa with it.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Sorry to break the bad news to those of you who live in Colorado, but, like California, a bicycle is considered a vehicle and earphones are illegal when operating a vehicle in Colorado too.

Actually, bicycles are considered vehicles in all 50 states, and while I haven't checked the vehicle code for all states, I suspect that earphones being illegal is more common than not.

If anyone is interested or curious about the laws in their own state (or province), MassBike has a page that links to laws pertaining to bicycles in all of the US states and most of the Canada provinces, along with a few other countries: http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/index.htm.

--- Denise