Cycling with headphones on (again)

Chris Bardell said:

Never occurred to me to cycle with headphones on, but I got a tiny MP3
player off my dad for my birthday last week & decided to try it out
for the last 6 miles or so of my ride today. Had always been
concerned about it making me oblivious to other traffic approaching
from behind (oo er).

Didn't feel especially vulnerable, as I kept the volume low enough to
hear cars.

Difficult balance, that. The music's got to be loud enough to hear (and
enjoy) over cars: over engine noise in town, and worse, tyre noise on fast
roads. The temptation is to whack it up. I think hearing is more
important on quiter roads, actually, because that's when you naturally
assume it's clear in all directions when it's silent. Fortunately, you'd
have the headphone volume lower then, but still all too easy to have it
too loud.

Quoted message said:

Also, since it was dark by that stage, I could tell cars
were coming up behind me from their headlight beams. Paradox there,
maybe? Cycling at night with headphones on safer than during daylight?

No, you don't need headphones to notice headlight beams. Headlights are
often noticeable before you notice/hear car noise, normally.

Quoted message said:

I also found that the lack of ambient noise meant I made more than my
usual quota of lifesaver-looks-over-shoulder to check the traffic
status. Another paradox? Was I being safer by over-compensating for
the lack of noise?

Perhaps over-compensating at first but the compensation is bound to settle
to just adequate. I'm sure deaf people can cycle safely, but they don't
have the *distraction* of music. You've got to include that in the
equation as well. I feel vulnerable with headphones and reckon I'm safer
without that distraction. Also the mood enhancement can be a bit much if
the music's too good!, making you take more risks... or possibly
sharpening reactions, on the other hand (?).

/snip

Quoted message said:

Finally, apologies to any peds in the Larkman/Earlham area of Norwich
who heard me singing along very badly to U2's sublime 'One' as I went
by. Yep, even the screaming falsetto bits at the end :-( Maybe that's
reason enough not to wear headphones on the bike - appalling noise
pollution produced by people who can't sing for toffee, like me?

Good job I never sang along to Kate Bush.

~PB

Chris Bardell said:

Hiya,

Yeah, Google Groups shows this to have been touched on in u.r.c during
the last year or so.

Never occurred to me to cycle with headphones on, but I got a tiny MP3
player off my dad for my birthday last week & decided to try it out for
the last 6 miles or so of my ride today. Had always been concerned about
it making me oblivious to other traffic approaching from behind (oo er).

Didn't feel especially vulnerable, as I kept the volume low enough to
hear cars. Also, since it was dark by that stage, I could tell cars were
coming up behind me from their headlight beams. Paradox there, maybe?
Cycling at night with headphones on safer than during daylight?

I also found that the lack of ambient noise meant I made more than my
usual quota of lifesaver-looks-over-shoulder to check the traffic status.
Another paradox? Was I being safer by over-compensating for the lack of
noise?

The stretch included a couple of miles of deserted bridleway (Marriot's
Way). Found myself keeping up a nice cadence to stay in time with the
music (especially to 'Buck Rogers' by Feeder).

Next time I'm on-road, I'll try the one-headphone technique. Anyone got
any views on cycling with headphones on? I honestly don't think I felt
any more vulnerable with both in-ear headphones in. Let's face it, if a
cager [censored] you from behind, it's *always* a surprise.

Finally, apologies to any peds in the Larkman/Earlham area of Norwich who
heard me singing along very badly to U2's sublime 'One' as I went by.
Yep, even the screaming falsetto bits at the end :-( Maybe that's reason
enough not to wear headphones on the bike - appalling noise pollution
produced by people who can't sing for toffee, like me?

--
Chris Bardell
[Remove favourite mode of transport from email address]

Don't be so stupid and irresponsible. Surely you can cycle without feeling the urge to listen to music for half an hour. As for singing in public at the top of your voice, i find your behaviour to be yobbish quite frankly.

Personally I don't listen to music whilst cycling - I prefer to concentrate on
the road & what's going on around me - using my ears for that purpose is
essential IMO.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

Pete Biggs popped their head over the parapet saw what was going on and
said

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I also found that the lack of ambient noise meant I made more than
my usual quota of lifesaver-looks-over-shoulder to check the traffic
status. Another paradox? Was I being safer by over-compensating for
the lack of noise?

Perhaps over-compensating at first but the compensation is bound to
settle to just adequate. I'm sure deaf people can cycle safely, but
they don't have the *distraction* of music. You've got to include
that in the equation as well. I feel vulnerable with headphones and
reckon I'm safer without that distraction. Also the mood enhancement
can be a bit much if the music's too good!, making you take more
risks... or possibly sharpening reactions, on the other hand (?).

Tried listening to music once (using the one ear covered
technique) found that I was hyper-attentive (even on a canal
tow path)
Tried it on a piece of road too found myself whizzing
down a hill still mashing away when the player kicked into
"the Primitives" and crash,
"better slow down you'r gonna craaaash"
Mmm an omen or what. :o)
Eventually decided that the music (and the headphones)
was more annoying than listening to the music was enjoyable .
Will say though that the music is good for keeping your
cadence static as it's very easy to tell if you are peddaling
faster or (more realistically) slowerb without the concious
effort of looking at any cadence monitor.

--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

Chris Bardell said:

Never occurred to me to cycle with headphones on, but I got a tiny MP3
player off my dad for my birthday last week & decided to try it out for
the last 6 miles or so of my ride today. Had always been concerned about
it making me oblivious to other traffic approaching from behind (oo er).

I've not tried it with in-ear 'phones, but I rode from Southampton
University to my grandparents' house a few times with a light pair of
on-ear 'phones listening to Ocean FM at a very low level.

I found that the 'phones drastically decreased the wind noise around my
pinnae and helmet straps (this was before I knew better...) without
noticeably attenuating traffic noise. I could therefore replace some of
the wind noise with music [1] without interfering with my ability to
hear traffic.

[1] mostly Bruce Hornsby and the Range's "The Way It Is": that's all
Ocean seemed to play back then.

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

Chris Bardell said:

Never occurred to me to cycle with headphones on, but I got a tiny MP3
player off my dad for my birthday last week & decided to try it out for
the last 6 miles or so of my ride today. Had always been concerned about
it making me oblivious to other traffic approaching from behind (oo er).

I've not tried it with in-ear 'phones, but I rode from Southampton
University to my grandparents' house near Chichester a few times with a
light pair of on-ear 'phones listening to Ocean FM at a very low level.

I found that the 'phones drastically decreased the wind noise around my
pinnae and helmet straps (this was before I knew better...) without
noticeably attenuating traffic noise [1]. I could therefore replace some
of the wind noise with music [2] without interfering with my ability to
hear traffic.

[1] and there's plenty of that on the A27 on a Friday night.

[2] mostly Bruce Hornsby and the Range's "The Way It Is": that's all
Ocean seemed to play back then.

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

Chris Bardell wrote:
[snip]

Quoted message said:

The stretch included a couple of miles of deserted bridleway (Marriot's
Way). Found myself keeping up a nice cadence to stay in time with the
music (especially to 'Buck Rogers' by Feeder).

[snip]
I found the same when I was young and ran marathons. I'd go training
with a small radio, listening to Jimmy Saville on a Sunday during the
20+ miler distance run. I found that if it was a top 20 full of Rock 'n
Roll, I'd get home 10 minutes faster and cream crackered.

Steve.

Mark Tranchant said:

[1] and there's plenty of that on the A27 on a Friday night.

Youi rode on the A27 all the way to Chichester?!

in message <[email hidden]>, Chris Bardell

(') said:

The stretch included a couple of miles of deserted bridleway
(Marriot's Way). Found myself keeping up a nice cadence to stay in
time with the music (especially to 'Buck Rogers' by Feeder).

In my youth I used to make up tapes for my walkman with music of
different cadences. I found this helped greatly with travelling
distances when tired. However, although I had no problems, I would not
recommend this practice as 'safe'.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; lovely alternative to rice.

"Chris Bardell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hiya,

Yeah, Google Groups shows this to have been touched on in u.r.c during
the last year or so.

I cycle to work with an AM/FM radio with Minidisc. I would never commute
without it and have never felt vulnerable with it on since I rely on sight
rather then hearing. Headwinds have a more deleterious effect than quiet
speech radio anyway.

--
Simon Mason
Anlaby
East Yorkshire.
53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

I can't ride with headphones on because I can't hear the noises the bike
makes; which is really important.

Simonb said:

Mark Tranchant wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[1] and there's plenty of that on the A27 on a Friday night.

Quoted message said:

Youi rode on the A27 all the way to Chichester?!

Most of it: obviously not the new dual carriageway bit. I took the A259
through Emsworth and the Bournes. Speed was more important than
picturesquicity.

This was some years ago: 1992/3.

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

I use in ear type headphones with a hook-thing to hold 'em on:

http://qurl.com/27tqzu

Haven't had problems hearing approaching traffic - suspect people that
can't need their ears syringing - so any extra risk they pose is
negligible.

[1]
<http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/store/dix_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@
0151331076.1099307100@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadcmmdgiikicflgceggdhhmdgmj.0
&page=Product&sku=612382&category_oid=-21904&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null>

Provence1971 said:

And as for singing in public at the top of your
voice, i find your behaviour to be yobbish quite
frankly. I fear for Britian i really do.

But as the OP doesn't live in Britian, I'm personally not worried for it at
all ;-)

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I fear for Britian i really do.

Quoted message said:

But as the OP doesn't live in Britian, I'm personally not worried for
it at all ;-)

<Daily Mail>

He's foreign?! That's even worse - it's only a matter of time before he
floods the country, living off benefits and taking all our jobs!

</Daily Mail>

Chris Bardell <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

snip

Many many people drive their cars with music on (often loud) and yet
hardly anyone considers it a really dangerous thing to do. Even
listening to music with headphones on a bike you can can still hear
more traffic about you than from inside a car with music on.

What do cylist need to hear that car drivers cannot hear?

What you look out for and anticipate with your eyes is what keeps you
safe.

Do deaf cyclists have more accidents than cyclists who are not deaf? I
don't know the answer but I doubt if they do.

snip

Quoted message said:

Next time I'm on-road, I'll try the one-headphone technique. Anyone got
any views on cycling with headphones on? I honestly don't think I felt
any more vulnerable with both in-ear headphones in. Let's face it, if a
cager [censored] you from behind, it's *always* a surprise.

Only a surprise if you don't have what car drivers have............a
mirror to see them coming!
Sean.

(sean) said:

Many many people drive their cars with music on (often loud) and yet
hardly anyone considers it a really dangerous thing to do.

I do. The only advantage is that you can hear the twunts coming.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Mark Tranchant said:

I've not tried it with in-ear 'phones, but I rode from Southampton
University to my grandparents' house near Chichester a few times with a
light pair of on-ear 'phones listening to Ocean FM at a very low level.

Oceam FM you sad sad bugger.....

Full cans can actually be better sometimes, in the ear blocks everything
else too well IMHO, but I'd rather not give a cager an excuse.

Niel.

sean vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

Chris Bardell <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

snip

Many many people drive their cars with music on (often loud) and yet
hardly anyone considers it a really dangerous thing to do.

On the contrary, I think (and this is only my thoughts, with no provable
link in sight) many people regard loud music in cars to be relatively
dangerous. I'd guess it's more dangerous to those outside the car as the
driver _may_ be more distracted by the music whilst driving.

I do think, though, that it probably has little _real_ effect upon accident
rates etc

Quoted message said:

What do cylist need to hear that car drivers cannot hear?

I prefer to hear as much as possible whilst cycling that might give me some
warning that something might hurt me. We can't see everything, and hearing
helps our overall 'vision' of what's happaning whilst cycling.

Quoted message said:

Only a surprise if you don't have what car drivers have............a
mirror to see them coming!

Or haven't heard them coming ... 😉

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules !!!
"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."