Music & Cycling: Am I crazy?

[Brandi]

I ride with music it helps motivate me to ride faster. it makes me happy. I listen to u2 and and a group called the john Butler trio If you haven't heard of them check them out. Sooo good. They are from down under. A bit of jazz meets reggae and aussie mixed in.

[allabouteva]

I'm not one to preach, but I was interested in this thread, because recently in Australia, this was a big news story which I've cut and pasted from our local newspaper (Sydney Morning Herald):

iPod blamed for Aussie death
February 14, 2006

An Australian woman was knocked off her bike and killed, possibly because she couldn't hear traffic noise because of her iPod music device, friends say.

Patricia McMillan was knocked from her bike in a London street and thrown under the wheels of a lorry near her home in Acton, west London, on February 2, reported Britain's Evening Standard newspaper.

The 32-year-old law student had been on her way to a part-time job as a waitress in Kensington when the crash happened, the newspaper reported.

Ms McMillan's best friend, Jacques Poullard, said she may still have been alive if she hadn't been listening to the Apple iPod.

"She was obsessed by that thing. It wasn't that she was careless. I bought her the bike three years ago and it was how she travelled everywhere.

"I never said anything to her about wearing the iPod but now I think if she hadn't had it on she might have heard the lorry.

"I hope people will think twice about cycling while wearing headphones."

[Dogmama]

You're singing my song (pun intended.) Even on a bike path, listening to music is not good. Statistically speaking, we run into each other more often than we have automobile related accidents. OK, if you're wearing a helmet (and OF COURSE all of us TE'ers do that, right.....???) chances are you won't die if struck by another cyclist. But you could certainly get pretty banged up, including broken bones, road rash, etc. and it would keep you off your bike for awhile.

And why would anybody want to listen to music when they could listen to the birds? Or, better yet, tap into their own essence and enjoy being alive without head banging music. That is what cycling brings to me. I save the music for rush hour traffic in my car (when tapping into my essence isn't good for the guy I'm following )

[Duck on Wheels]

I'm not one to preach, but I was interested in this thread, because recently in Australia, this was a big news story which I've cut and pasted from our local newspaper (Sydney Morning Herald):

iPod blamed for Aussie death
February 14, 2006

An Australian woman was knocked off her bike and killed, possibly because she couldn't hear traffic noise because of her iPod music device, friends say. ..."

Yes, maybe she could have avoided the accident if she'd heard the lorry. But if that lorry was coming up from behind her (as it sounds from the story) it's still the lorry driver's fault. Oh, I'm sure the lorry company and their insurance company will try blaming the victim here. And I don't advise wearing headphones in traffic! Little comfort in having been right after the accident has happened. But that said, if somebody hits you from behind, it's their fault!

[SadieKate]

But that said, if somebody hits you from behind, it's their fault!

I don't think we can make any assumptions. I see way too many people who can't ride a straight line and swerve all over the place. They can't look over their shoulder without swerving out into traffic. We can't tell if the cyclist was doing everything absolutely right.

Last year I knocked down another cyclist because he made a left turn in front of me without looking (even in his giant side mirror). He and all the witnesses kept saying it wasn't my fault. If I hadn't knocked him down, one of the rush hour cars would have with far greater consequences - and not been at fault.

Without the nitty-gritty details, we can't assume anything.

[Brandi]

I only wear my mp3 when I am on the country road not while I am on the city streets. To me you are testing fate there. You need all your sences when riding in the city. It's confusing enough just walking. I wonder how many cyclists are killed every year and how many people just walking are killed?