Music + Commuting.

The Northern Monkey

Views?

I always ride with songs in my head, but have never ridden while listening to my iPod.

I don't ride many main roads, usually using backstreets and dirt tracks/shortcuts, so I don't think that traffic is much of an issue..

Just wondering if anyone does it.

iPete

Nay, I did till I got knocked off, mind you music made no difference.

Might do on a Sunday ride or on the trails..

Eau Rouge

I can't imagine doing it myself. If I did do it, I would have thought the main roads, where you know there is always a car, would be a better bet to the quiet roads where an approaching car is both more unexpected and likely to have less time to see you. I'm sure people can still hear a car near then, I just imagine I have even more notice of it, and maybe a better idea of exactly where it is without music distracting me. I like music, but I don't feel a need to listen to it every time I'm on my own either.
I have the radio on in the car, but I have mirrors in the car, and the traffic isn't passing me at two or three times my speed when I'm in the car, and it isn't going to squeeze past at the pinch point in order to save 5 seconds. I don't hear other cars, but I see them.

Oddjob62

I do when i'm doing laps of Regents Park. Rest of the time, no.

redvee

I used to but now only have my phone playing music on loudspeaker when on the cycletrack which also alerts slower riders/peds to my prescence. Never on the roads anymore, too dangerous.

The Northern Monkey

redvee wrote:

I used to but now only have my phone playing music on loudspeaker when on the cycletrack which also alerts slower riders/peds to my prescence. Never on the roads anymore, too dangerous.

lol i couldn't do that round me... i'd be classed as a wanna be G*/chav/ned.

Aguila

Yes.

I can still hear traffic fine, volume modest and dont use noise isolating/cancelling phones.

Hearing what is behind me doesn't enable me to prevent it hitting me anyway. What do the rest of you do when you hear a car coming? Throw yourself to the pavement?

Relying on hearing is more dangerous than looking every time you need to change road position etc.

I only listen in the winter when I have ear warmer band on, in summer the air rushing by makes it impossible to listen.

pastryboy

I have the option of a virtually traffic free route but appreciate the opportunity for some peace and quiet.

Same thing for running - I sometimes run 2 hours plus but never think about listening to music during it.

nic_77

All the time... I have a range of podcasts delivered via iTunes which fit my ~40 minute commute perfectly. I have a fairly rural commute, so limited traffic. I do agree with the previous post that in many ways it makes you look more than relying on hearing the danger around you.

I also accept that there is an element of risk, but I'm happy to accept it.

Nic

Eau Rouge

Aguila wrote:

What do the rest of you do when you hear a car coming? Throw yourself to the pavement?

Decide if it's safe for them to overtake me or not, based on the road and traffic ahead. If I don't think it is I'll wander into the middle of the lane to stop them. That's something I'd like to do nice and early.

Christophe3967

Common sense really. As long as the volume level allows you to listen to traffic, sirens etc there's no problem. Its pretty much the same as listening to the radio whilst driving.

Aguila

Eau Rouge wrote:

Aguila wrote:

What do the rest of you do when you hear a car coming? Throw yourself to the pavement?

Decide if it's safe for them to overtake me or not, based on the road and traffic ahead. If I don't think it is I'll wander into the middle of the lane to stop them. That's something I'd like to do nice and early.

And you do this based on noise?? If so I reckon that's pretty dodgy. Like I said I can still hear traffic approaching. Presumably you are saying you hear them earlier because you have no music on, ie when they are further away. This being the case how can you asses whether they can pas you safely when they are so far off, speed/road/position will all change by the time they get to you.

The fact of the matter is that you cannot control wether they will overtake safely or not. If you are going to ride primary to minimise this risk as you suggest why only do this if a car is coming? My route is a lot of 60 limit B road so primary would be suicidal for the most part.

rolf_f

Thinking is my favourite hobby - far more important to me than cycling will ever be. I'd never want to spoil the fantastic thinking time you get from cycling by sticking badly reproduced music in my ears. Music is for listening to at home.

prj45

No music. I've always thought that those with earphones on whilst riding in traffic are idiots of the highest order, I mean, if your ears do work why take away your sense of hearing?

Occasionally I will break into a whistle or an under the breath "tune".

I've always thought more people should just sing to themselves, why just leave it to the nutters?

prj45

Aguila wrote:

Relying on hearing is more dangerous than looking every time you need to change road position etc.

I totally agree, but taking away/reducing the effectiveness of one of your senses is silly IMO.

I see peds everyday walk out in front of me, a clear over reliance on their hearing (I tell you, when we get fully electric cars drivers are going to realise what it's like to cycle), but if you use your eyes AND your ears you have a clear advantage over somebody using just their eyes.

cee

i find that i get 'lost in the music' so don't concentrate as much...so i don't listen to music whilst commuting...

actually...i don't even like listening to music when i am snowboarding or downhilling either....

King Donut

Rolf F wrote:

Thinking is my favourite hobby...

In that case you should check out the philosophy bites podcsasts. Kills two birds and all that.

Me, I always listen to music when commuting. Never off road, it just feels weird for some reason. Like Christophe says there's a bit of common sense involved. Certainly don't think I'm an idiot of the highest order. Each to their own.

fenboy369

I normally listen to Radio 5 on DAB. Set at a level that you can hear cars coming I cant see the problem on my route. Its all about 'Risk Assesment'. I'll happily do it on my normal commute route, but wont on a new one. I also dont like riding with music on my Mtb, I like the peaceful sound of the forest.....

Rapid Rider

I usually listen to talk radio shows when commuting. I only ever have one ear phone in so I can still hear the traffic well enough! :P

Eau Rouge

Aguila wrote:

[And you do this based on noise?? If so I reckon that's pretty dodgy. Like I said I can still hear traffic approaching. Presumably you are saying you hear them earlier because you have no music on, ie when they are further away. This being the case how can you asses whether they can pas you safely when they are so far off, speed/road/position will all change by the time they get to you.

The fact of the matter is that you cannot control wether they will overtake safely or not. If you are going to ride primary to minimise this risk as you suggest why only do this if a car is coming? My route is a lot of 60 limit B road so primary would be suicidal for the most part.

Maybe I'm blessed, but I can tell an awful lot from the noise of an approaching car, where it is, how fast it's going, at times the noise makes it very obvious what the drivers intentions are too (changing gears, changing revs etc) I'm not saying you can't tell all that while listening to music too, I'm sure thats possible, but I'd rather not, for one thing it would ruin the music.

You can't always control it, no, but at times you can, and you can easily tell when they are coming past anyway and now you've bought yourself some avoidance room. I mostly ride in the tracks of the cars left wheels, but if I see a pinch point coming, I take primary early enough that only the very aggressive drivers think about overtaking.
I don't ride primary on the 60mph sections, but they don't have pinch points and are wide enough that I don't need to.

mudcovered

Don't do it all the time but I quite often use my MP3 player while riding. I use in ear headphones which don't suffer from wind noise at speed so I can keep the music volume at a level that still allows me to hear cars coming up behind me.

Mike

Aguila

Eau Rouge wrote:

Aguila wrote:

[And you do this based on noise?? If so I reckon that's pretty dodgy. Like I said I can still hear traffic approaching. Presumably you are saying you hear them earlier because you have no music on, ie when they are further away. This being the case how can you asses whether they can pas you safely when they are so far off, speed/road/position will all change by the time they get to you.

The fact of the matter is that you cannot control wether they will overtake safely or not. If you are going to ride primary to minimise this risk as you suggest why only do this if a car is coming? My route is a lot of 60 limit B road so primary would be suicidal for the most part.

Maybe I'm blessed, but I can tell an awful lot from the noise of an approaching car, where it is, how fast it's going, at times the noise makes it very obvious what the drivers intentions are too (changing gears, changing revs etc) I'm not saying you can't tell all that while listening to music too, I'm sure thats possible, but I'd rather not, for one thing it would ruin the music.

You can't always control it, no, but at times you can, and you can easily tell when they are coming past anyway and now you've bought yourself some avoidance room. I mostly ride in the tracks of the cars left wheels, but if I see a pinch point coming, I take primary early enough that only the very aggressive drivers think about overtaking.
I don't ride primary on the 60mph sections, but they don't have pinch points and are wide enough that I don't need to.

I really hope you are!! Relying on hearing to make those interpretations is asking for trouble IMO. You are not driving the other car, only they can determine the overtake. Your practice is analagous to the ped stepping off the pavement because they haven't heard a car. There's no substitute for looking.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Aguila wrote:

Your practice is analagous to the ped stepping off the pavement because they haven't heard a car. There's no substitute for looking.

Not stepping off because they have heard the car, surely?

DonDaddyD

I have really good hearing. Really good hearing. Dad has had to take back a few electrical items because they give off a high pitch noise that no one else in the house can hear but me and it gives me headaches. I can also hear from quite far. I'm great to take along to a hi-fi show or spy on people, me!

I do and don't wear in-earphones (the ipod ones). They do allow for a decent amount of external sound but what I do notice is that my confidence drops as I'm unsure of what is behind me where as without headphones I can tell. Also the balance is slightly off with headphones on. So I don't more than not.

Wallace1492

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo
I never listen to music and cycle on the roads.

I would be dead if I had done, hence a bit passionate on it.

Off road, fair enough.

cjcp

Not me because I don't own an iThing that works or Walkman (do they still exist?). When I had one that worked, I only used it in Richmond Park and then found that I had to turn the volume up because of the sound created by the apparent wind.

suzyb

I used to listen to my walkman when I was a teen and went cycling. I didn't have the volume up loud though and could usually hear the cars coming along the quiet country roads.

Can't believe I lugged that big tape player up all those hills now though. No wonder it was so hard.

magicrhodes

I would never listen to an ipod whilst cycling. It is nice to have the me time plus I like to have as many senses available as possible to increase my survival chance. Like someone else said it is all about risk assessment and I think it is too great a risk.

But I'll allow other people to make their own choices and do what they feel is right... I just won't have a high opinion of them. Same with helmets you do as you like but I won't get on my bike without one.

Pople have to be allowed to make their own mind up even if it kills them!

andrewc3142

Quite often use an iPod, but then other times prefer the dawn chorus (at least, until hitting London ...)

As above, each to their own, whether iPod, helmet, hi-viz or whatever else gets people animated about what others are doing/not doing.

jansman

You have got to be a candidate for the Darwin Awards if you have your head plugged in whilst cycling(for those who don`t know about the Darwin awards,it means you deserve to be removed from the gene-pool for stupidity)Many times I shout,ring my bell(yes I have one ,It makes pedestrians smile and even wave!)and the cyclist in front I want to pass cannot hear.Too right they can`t,they are plugged into music!-and how can you ride that slow without falling off?
You HAVE to be able to hear engine revs,gear changesetc.to appreciate what the motorised dick at the back of you is doing.
Rant over.

northstar

You HAVE to be able to hear engine revs,gear changesetc.to appreciate what the motorised dick at the back of you is doing.

No you don't, you have to able to ride confidentally and show other road users that you know what you are doing whether listening to music or not.