Do people think headphones are okay when cycling?

Kieran_Burns

I dunno if this has been asked, and apologies if it has, but I personally think that they distract you and stop you from hearing inbound trouble...

What does everyone else think?

biondino

Desperately bad idea. I use my ears SO much when I'm cycling (though not to the detriment of looking round etc.) and would feel utterly vulnerable without them. Think of it this way - our eyes see well under half of what's around us but our ears work through 360 degrees, all the time. And it's very much not just big, loud, obvious noises that give you clues - it's the smaller, subconscious noises - and often absence of noise - that helps you correctly orientate yourself.

Ultimately, we're vulnerable enough as we are, and to purposely denude ourselves of a key sense is way worse than not wearing a helmet - it also could potentially harm others, unlike the helmet issue.

Kieran_Burns

Good reply thanks mate

Sums up my feelings as well - the reason I ask is that I see so many people wearing them when cycling nowadays and while I can understand it helps pass the commute slog, I can't agree with the amount of distraction that they cause.

Mog Uk

I've commuted 4000miles+ whilst listening to my ipod, I've had no reason to stop doing so.

Granted my commute is quite country roads in Cheshire and not the city....

dang65

I've used headphones while cycling for years, though it's usually listening to talk radio rather than music, and I have the volume down low enough that I can't hear it properly over the traffic a lot of the time. Personal choice though, innit.

biondino

If concentrating on your ride doesn't take up all your attention then you're even less the kind of person who needs to be wearing headphones!

(not "you" Kieran, "you" in general)

cee

is the same true for car stereos?

Littigator

I ride with headphones albeit at a volume where I am still aware of ambient sound around me.

il_principe

Littigator wrote:

I ride with headphones albeit at a volume where I am still aware of ambient sound around me.

Me too. Have been doing so for years with not problems. I can still hear traffic etc. TBH though I'm not entirely sure what the benefits of being able to hear the traffic behind you are; I always use my eyes before making any moves anyway.

Not helmet for me either. I sense that perhaps BIONDINO and I are not going to get on come Friday :shock:

Beer is a great leveller though eh?

Clever Pun

Mog Uk wrote:

I've commuted 4000miles+ whilst listening to my ipod, I've had no reason to stop doing so.

Granted my commute is quite country roads in Cheshire and not the city....

10,000+ in london (wow that sounds a lot) and it's never been a problem

biondino

jashburnham wrote:

Littigator wrote:

I ride with headphones albeit at a volume where I am still aware of ambient sound around me.

Me too. Have been doing so for years with not problems. I can still hear traffic etc. TBH though I'm not entirely sure what the benefits of being able to hear the traffic behind you are; I always use my eyes before making any moves anyway.

Not helmet for me either. I sense that perhaps BIONDINO and I are not going to get on come Friday :shock:

Beer is a great leveller though eh?

We may not get on but I'm not sure we'll be punching each other. Or is that not what you meant

It takes all sorts, anyway - did you have a mass debate about helmet wearing at the last Game drinks?

biondino

cee wrote:

is the same true for car stereos?

Not at all, I'd say. Big difference - you are likely to be travelling at ambient speed, in primary position - so you're where other road users expect you to be. The whole road experience is designed around your needs. Secondly, you have multiple mirrors so although it's not the same as being able to hear through 360 degrees, you can instantly view about 350 degrees (assuming blind spots) without any trouble. Thirdly, if you DO have an accident you're a lot less vulnerable!

metallica

if you listen to fast pace music i reckon it makes you go faster but only if you trust your bike ect.

woodford2barbican

Mog Uk wrote:

I've commuted 4000miles+ whilst listening to my ipod, I've had no reason to stop doing so.

Granted my commute is quite country roads in Cheshire and not the city....

4000 miles is not a lot of commuting experience - less than a years worth of commuting for me.

If my ears save me once in 25000 miles then it is worth not listening to music.

Anway - what do I care.....that's what I voted for!

Littigator

biondino wrote:

It takes all sorts, anyway - did you have a mass debate about helmet wearing at the last Game drinks?

Snigger He said something rude

biondino wrote:

It takes all sorts, anyway - did you have a mass debate about helmet wearing at the last Game drinks?

Aahhhh ha haaa haaa haaaaa

No I'm sorry my sense of humour doesn't get any less purile than that! :roll:

il_principe

biondino wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

Littigator wrote:

I ride with headphones albeit at a volume where I am still aware of ambient sound around me.

Me too. Have been doing so for years with not problems. I can still hear traffic etc. TBH though I'm not entirely sure what the benefits of being able to hear the traffic behind you are; I always use my eyes before making any moves anyway.

Not helmet for me either. I sense that perhaps BIONDINO and I are not going to get on come Friday :shock:

Beer is a great leveller though eh?

We may not get on but I'm not sure we'll be punching each other. Or is that not what you meant

It takes all sorts, anyway - did you have a mass debate about helmet wearing at the last Game drinks?

It's a moot point anyway, I don't talk to gearies.

*sniff.

toshmund

As long as you don't have Pearl Jam on at Vol 10 - think music is OK. Call me fatalistic (it has been said in the past...) as long as you are fulfilling your side of the bargain, by good road positioning/observing rights of way. Either wearing or not wearing earplugs is neither here, nor there. Going on the basis you are showing a bit of commonsense, if the other person is that much out of control - you are pretty much...upto your neck in it.

I did point out I was fatalistic, singing along to Reel around the fountain!

lost_in_thought

Littigator wrote:

biondino wrote:

It takes all sorts, anyway - did you have a mass debate about helmet wearing at the last Game drinks?

Snigger He said something rude

biondino wrote:

It takes all sorts, anyway - did you have a mass debate about helmet wearing at the last Game drinks?

Aahhhh ha haaa haaa haaaaa

No I'm sorry my sense of humour doesn't get any less purile than that! :roll:

Pnfargh!

Now all the REAL businesspeople in the BA lounge are looking disapprovingly at me... What? I am a real business person, honest! :oops:

And come now boys, we all got along famously last time!

the_hundredth_idiot

cee wrote:

is the same true for car stereos?

If you're less aware of what's going on around you then I think the answer must be yes.

Not saying that a gentle volume of some Barry Manilow is a problem :shock:

... but bass so loud and heavy that my nose is starting to bleed (and the bass is from the car next to me) can't be good. :evil:

I confess to taking it easy on the way home occasionally listening to a bit of comedy on my phone's radio (like Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive - Radio 4, 6.30pm, Friday). But I always feel a little sheepish doing so as if I've jumped a red light (or, of course, what I imagine I'd feel if I jumped a red light :? ).

lost_in_thought

I said no, only reason being that I'm a bit deaf at the best of times, and would prefer not to worsen it by putting things in my ears! Also, associated with the deafness, I can almost never get headphones that actually stay in my ears, so I'd probably crash trying to put them back in again when they fall out. Nearly fell off the treadmill today in the gym doing just that...

However, check out the 'spoke lights' thread for an option to the headphones which I heartily support!

With this, I genuinely think it's a matter of personal preference, if you feel safe then that's all good.

Mog Uk

woodford2barbican wrote:

[4000 miles is not a lot of commuting experience - less than a years worth of commuting for me.

If my ears save me once in 25000 miles then it is worth not listening to music.

Anway - what do I care.....that's what I voted for!

Read the post, I only said I'd done 4000 miles whilst listening to an ipod...

steve_pushbiker

I voted no. I like to hear when reaching a T-junction, it can mean you don't need to stop if you can hear that the coast is clear. Slightly off topic: I've seen a few drivers wearing iPods on my commute! What's going on there. Can their car stereos be broken?

sc999cs

For those who said yes can I refer you to this story in the Daily Mail? Poor girl (pedestrian) killed because she couldn't hear what was coming.

Steve C

Beeblebrox

I voted that I don't care, but it's not something I would do. While hearing the traffic doesn't let me know if it's safe to manoeuvre at all, it's useful to be able to mentally prepare myself for the numerous artic lorries that I share the road with on my commute.

karl j

to *me personally* i'd say they're an accident waiting to happen, so that is what i voted for, but tbh i aren't too concerned what anyone else does

karl j

and how can you hear the birds singing etc with an ipod stuck in your lug ? (and yes you guessed it, much of my cycling is done in places that aren't towns & cities)

saveswalking

Saw a cyclist shoot a red light today and he was wearing headphones and no helmet and I believe he had been drinking beer. He narrowly missed a pedestrian who was busy playing with her IPod/texting on mobile ...
Makes my blood boil !!! :twisted: :roll:

sw

biondino

Beeblebrox wrote:

I voted that I don't care, but it's not something I would do. While hearing the traffic doesn't let me know if it's safe to manoeuvre at all, it's useful to be able to mentally prepare myself for the numerous artic lorries that I share the road with on my commute.

This is part of the point I think. Buses just don't creep up on you silently. You've still got to look round in case there's a psycho Prius driver or milkfloat up your 4rse but the more preparation, the better.

Oh, Jash - I take it your SS addiction means there's a Prince on the market? If you can name your price in three figures I might be able to help you with that...

andrewc3142

Sometimes it's nice, sometimes I don't want to. Adds about 1mph to your average with the right selection, though.

Kieran_Burns

I have to say that I am surprised at the result... I was expecting a strong result one way or the other, not a near split down the middle.

I'm glad I asked the question now and I've been very interested in all the responses - thanks all!

toshmund

sc999cs wrote:

For those who said yes can I refer you to this story in the Daily Mail? Poor girl (pedestrian) killed because she couldn't hear what was coming.

Steve C

She pulled off a cycle lane, without looking - whether you are using headphones or not, you still look. Like the comment at the bottom says. Are you going to ban predestrians as well? Does not need a blanket ban, just needs people to show a bit of commonsense.