Headphones for cycling, recommendations please!

the_hundredth_idiot

I'm really enjoying the Fratello.

I've only had it since late September but feels like I've had it for ages. I was on my old MTB during the snow recently and it was such a relief to get back on the Fratello - really quick and agile in comparison. Doubtless there are a number of guys (and gals) on this forum with much lighter and faster bikes but the Fratello seems a really good mix of sporty and practical - quick but easy to live with day to day.

I was looking for a new bike for commuting (cycle to work tax breaks ) and was looking at the usual suspects: hybrids. But a friend with a Fratello insisted I had to get a Fratello as well and I'm pleased I did (Is it a little gay when we go out for a ride together that we have matching bikes? :roll: They're even the same colour!). I like that it's not just a bland brand - there feels something a little more special about a bike from a maker with the history of Condor.

I'm hopefully* doing a 300 mile in 3 days ride in Belgium in June (with my Fratello riding compadre) and the Fratello is more of an audax bike so has a slightly more relaxed set-up which is ideal for such longer rides. Also has very practical braze-ons for mudguards and a rack (though I'm resisting putting on a rack as I like the look of it without).

THI

* wife and bambinos permitting

steve-m

Aguila wrote:

I only got it last week and put in some rechargable AAA's. Used approx 1.5 hrs daily since then and more than half full still so far so seems reasonable. This one isn't waffer thin but fits very easily into a jersey pocket and doesn't feel heavy.

This forum is becoming quite expensive, I seem to be getting inspired to buy something daily, just over a month since my birthday - so I can still charge it to that

eddys

Maybe be a bit late, but this range is rock solid for gym and cycling:
http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/icm.nsf/ ... able_sport

I've got these ones and would recommend them:
http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/icm.nsf/root/500635

always_tyred

The Hundredth Idiot wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

You will note that all noise cancelling headphones are either the ear canal type, or big ones that cover most of your head.

The ones I've tried also appear to sneakily emit white noise as well (you can HEAR the clarity!!).

White noise + noise attenuation does not noise cancellation make.

Noise cancelling and noise isolation are different things. Noise cancelling ones have a battery and use electronic gadgetry to reduce external noise - good for repetitive noise, for example use on a plane. Noise isolation plug right in your ears and are a cross between headphones and ear plugs - they work by stopping the outside noise getting in in the first place.

An Apple explanation here:
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/guide/ ... MTc1ODk3MQ

I'm just saying - the unsuspecting customer is hoodwinked into the best possible impression of, at best, moderately effective technology by blocking and washing sound out. If they worked well enough to drown out the sound of the moron trying to sell me a pair, I might have bought some.

Did you know that the US navy are working on a boat that is able to function in any weather conditions? It measures the approaching waves and generates splashes that exactly cancel them out, thereby producing a perfectly calm sea.

Thats FACT.

lost_in_thought

Always Tyred wrote:

White noise + noise attenuation does not noise cancellation make.

OK, hold on...

So what does make noise cancellation? All the ones I've tried just emit white noise... not very sneaky...

Christophe3967

Always Tyred wrote:

[quoteDid you know that the US navy are working on a boat that is able to function in any weather conditions? It measures the approaching waves and generates splashes that exactly cancel them out, thereby producing a perfectly calm sea.

Thats FACT.

The British and French navies are in this game too. They've got nuclear submarines that cancel each other out. But not exactly.

always_tyred

lost_in_thought wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

White noise + noise attenuation does not noise cancellation make.

OK, hold on...

So what does make noise cancellation? All the ones I've tried just emit white noise... not very sneaky...

The noise cancellation part is the stunned silence that follows when you see the price.

Aguila

lost_in_thought wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

White noise + noise attenuation does not noise cancellation make.

OK, hold on...

So what does make noise cancellation? All the ones I've tried just emit white noise... not very sneaky...

I assume none of you going on about white noise have tried shure noise isolating phones. They stop noise getting in by their fit (snug in ear canal) and do not emit white noise. Very high quality sound and are a revelation on flights etc when you usually struggle to block out external noise.

Not so good for cycling I think where I prefer to hear traffic a bit.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shure-E2C-In-Ea ... B0000CE1UO

alfablue

Noise cancellation and noise isolation are two different things:

"Noise-cancelling headphones reduce unwanted ambient sounds (i.e., acoustic noise) by means of active noise control (ANC). Essentially, this involves using a microphone, placed near the ear, and electronic circuitry which generates an "antinoise" sound wave with the opposite polarity of the sound wave arriving at the microphone. This results in destructive interference, which cancels out the noise within the enclosed volume of the headphone.
Noise cancellation m" (Wikipedia, I am afraid).

Noise cancelling headphones (which have their own power supply and circuitry) should not emit white noise, rather "antinoise" that is the mirror image of the ambient noise.

"White noise is a random signal (or process) with a flat power spectral density. In other words, the signal contains equal power within a fixed bandwidth at any center frequency. White noise draws its name from white light in which the power spectral density of the light is distributed over the visible band in such a way that the eye's three colour receptors (cones) are approximately equally stimulated."

So "antinoise" cannot be white noise, the former is generated to specifically mirror ambient noise, the latter is a random generation attempting to cover the whole audio spectrum.

Headphones that isolate external noise may simply be conventional closed-back phones, or ear-canal phones, that physically prevent external noise reaching the inner ear.

lost_in_thought

I have the bose snug-fitting inner ear ones, they're not great, certainly wouldn't recommend them for cycling as they fall out a lot. The ones that emit white noise are far more efficient at actually cancelling/isolating you from/getting rid of noise. A boon when you're on a plane within 20 yards of a child.

always_tyred

I am J-O-K-I-N-G about the white noise thing. i.e. I think most noise cancellation headphones are crap and disguise the ineffectiveness of their technology by emitting static and blocking out external noise.

Yes, you have to spend a lot of money to get ones that aren't irritatingly hissy.

Please stop explaining noise cancellation!!

God, sometimes this forum is like sharing a joke with a German. "Ah I see zat Austin Powers is funny because he wears unfashionable clothing. Ya, zat is so funny. Also you vill note his comedy tees and amuzing accent." (this from personal experience of sharing a joke with a German )

lost_in_thought

Alfablue, I have learnt something today, already, and it's only 10am. This is far too early for learning.

The ones I have tried were a flying headset, which did the fighting noise with other noise thing and were excellent, if a bit weird.

alfablue

Always Tyred wrote:

I am J-O-K-I-N-G about the white noise thing. i.e. I think most noise cancellation headphones are crap and disguise the ineffectiveness of their technology by emitting static and blocking out external noise.

Yes, you have to spend a lot of money to get ones that aren't irritatingly hissy.

Please stop explaining noise cancellation!!

NO!

God, sometimes this forum is like sharing a joke with a German. "Ah I see zat Austin Powers is funny because he wears unfashionable clothing. Ya, zat is so funny. Also you vill note his comedy tees and amuzing accent." (this from personal experience of sharing a joke with a German )

I DID enjoy your "stunned silence" witty comment, don't worry

alfablue

lost_in_thought wrote:

...which did the fighting noise with other noise thing

Now, this explanation I love! 8)

passout

Music whilst cycling - what an awful idea. It's the only time I ever get any quiet and it's good to hear what's happening in the surrounding environment - bird song, abusive comments from motorists in Vauxhall Corsas etc.

robmanic1

passout wrote:

Music whilst cycling - what an awful idea. It's the only time I ever get any quiet and it's good to hear what's happening in the surrounding environment - bird song, abusive comments from motorists in Vauxhall Corsas etc.

Yes, but if you don't have music on, your "in-built" music player kicks in and before you know it some irritating song that you heard on your radio alarm this morning is on loop going around your head and there's nothing you can do about it!

dodgy

The Sony headphones I mentioned earlier in the thread have arrived, very impressed for the money they cost. A quick test tells me they're comfortable and sound pretty good too, they are also very secure when fitted on.
Obviously the real test is when I go out with them, maybe later.

Aguila

Hi Dodgy,

Pleased to hear that, I took your lead and ordered a pair myself! Good price via John Lewis, thanks for the tip!

dodgy

OK, mini review of the 'Sony Active MDR-AS20J Ear Clip Sports Headphones'.

How I used them:

Today I rode 55 miles wearing them, connected to my Nokia phone. I listened to about 25% Podcasts, 50% radio and 25% MP3s. I set the volume very low initially, so low that it was difficult to follow the thread of a podcast (traffic and wind noise) so on my first stop I cranked up the volume. Even with the volume up high, you can still detect outside sounds, there isn't a perfect seal.

Sound quality

Sound quality easily surpassed the stock headphones that were supplied. I soon became completely comfortable with the volume up higher. There was plenty of detailed revealed in the music I was listening to, and they didn't need ramming into my lugholes to get any bass out of them either!

Safety

My concerns over safety seemed out of place, it didn't change the way I ride and I can't detect if a car is going to hit me by listening to it anyway! There will be others no doubt who think cyclists wearing headphones are worse than RLJers or helmet evangelists (or something), but I wil carrying on wearing them.

Comfort

I had them on for roughly 3.5 hours, they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever used, once you're wearing them you really do start to forget they're there. So much so, that I left them in place when I got home to fettle the bike

Overall 9.5/10 - considering they were less than £10 delivered!

Dave.

bikesr4riding

vorsprung wrote:

I recommend not wearing headphones for commuting
I always remove the headband that covers my earing for riding through town
Those people in metal boxes are trying to kill you! You need all the help you can get

Agree with these comments. Have to maintain focus and concentration for my commute. To a certain degree though I think it depends on your style of riding. A high speed commuter will need more concentration as there's more to think about, wheras a more casual, slower rider can possibly get away with it.

Depite this, I also wouldn't recommend the distration of listening to something on headphones whilst riding a bike. I used to do it and it was obviously more distracting for more reasons than simply reducing your capacity to listen out clearly.

Aguila

bikesr4riding wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

I recommend not wearing headphones for commuting
I always remove the headband that covers my earing for riding through town
Those people in metal boxes are trying to kill you! You need all the help you can get

Agree with these comments. Have to maintain focus and concentration for my commute. To a certain degree though I think it depends on your style of riding. A high speed commuter will need more concentration as there's more to think about, wheras a more casual, slower rider can possibly get away with it.

Depite this, I also wouldn't recommend the distration of listening to something on headphones whilst riding a bike. I used to do it and it was obviously more distracting for more reasons than simply reducing your capacity to listen out clearly.

Ha Ha!!

You are modest aren't you! Just how fast are you going? Must be pretty quick to have to hear all that traffic that you can't see.

I've bought some of the headphones dave reviewed, they're ideal for riding. Good sound and you can hear plenty around so they are perfectly safe.

bikesr4riding

Aguila wrote:

bikesr4riding wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

I recommend not wearing headphones for commuting
I always remove the headband that covers my earing for riding through town
Those people in metal boxes are trying to kill you! You need all the help you can get

Agree with these comments. Have to maintain focus and concentration for my commute. To a certain degree though I think it depends on your style of riding. A high speed commuter will need more concentration as there's more to think about, wheras a more casual, slower rider can possibly get away with it.

Depite this, I also wouldn't recommend the distration of listening to something on headphones whilst riding a bike. I used to do it and it was obviously more distracting for more reasons than simply reducing your capacity to listen out clearly.

Ha Ha!!

You are modest aren't you! Just how fast are you going? Must be pretty quick to have to hear all that traffic that you can't see.

I've bought some of the headphones dave reviewed, they're ideal for riding. Good sound and you can hear plenty around so they are perfectly safe.

Main thing is that you're safe as well as able to consider those around you, so enjoy!

As for being fast you wouldn't believe it, careful of the sonic boom as I pass you. Take care...