Earphones for cycling

zoid

Hi,

Putting the safety issue aside, on solo rides I enjoy listening to some music to help speed the miles away and to provide some additional motivation.

I'm using a Sansa Clip+ mp3 player and while the stock headphones provide decent enough sound quality they'll often fall out of my ears which is rather annoying.

Any suggestions on a decent pair to replace them with?

Thanks.

emx

zoid wrote:

Any suggestions on a decent pair to replace them with?

Thanks.

no, but have you considered wearing a blindfold as well..?

Matt the Tester

ive heard blindfolds cause irritation in the eye depending on the fabric you use?

i would suggest try get some Ipod Ear phones, those Skullcandy's are crap..

Chip \'oyler

"Putting the safety issue aside"!

I would have thought this is THE most important thing when any cyclist goes out for a ride.

rolf_f

Chip \'oyler wrote:

"Putting the safety issue aside"!

I would have thought this is THE most important thing when any cyclist goes out for a ride.

I have to admit, this has been very much my perspective - until I tried the radio on my mobile on a cycle ride. It's a bit like doodling during meetings at work! The distraction stops my mind from wandering completely so I'm actually concentrating more on the road than I am without the noise!

As for the radio drowning out road traffic noise - it doesn't come close. The traffic drowns out the headphones completely even with the radio on full volume. I suspect I pods have a bit more volume to them though.

So, I changed my mind somewhat!

prawny

I'm thinking of getting a blackberry mono handsfree kit to use with my sansa clip. one ear free for traffic y'see.

Decent enough looking buds too.

CyclingBantam

Rolf F wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

"Putting the safety issue aside"!

I would have thought this is THE most important thing when any cyclist goes out for a ride.

I have to admit, this has been very much my perspective - until I tried the radio on my mobile on a cycle ride. It's a bit like doodling during meetings at work! The distraction stops my mind from wandering completely so I'm actually concentrating more on the road than I am without the noise!

As for the radio drowning out road traffic noise - it doesn't come close. The traffic drowns out the headphones completely even with the radio on full volume. I suspect I pods have a bit more volume to them though.

So, I changed my mind somewhat!

No point in coming out with some reasoned response after you have tried something Rolf. It is better to come out with the usual reactionary posts without thinking through the actual facts. I'm just waiting for the 'Think of the children' post!

I don't know how on earth deaf cyclists are not dead as soon as they go near a road!

Personally I prefer my eyes, positioning skills and general self awareness to protect me as opposed to listening for something about to hit me (which incidentally I can still hear over my music anyway).

Drop's match and leaves...

small_bloke

I used these for a while for running and cycling.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-PMX-80-Sport-II/dp/B001EZTJ34/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1301412050&sr=8-15

Admittedly I gave up very quickly for cycling use. Not hearing the traffic does make you very nervous at times. Sound quality is good and they stay in your ears due to the springy tension in the u-shape. You can still hear some traffic as they don't go right into your ears like in-ear-phones (a good thing in my opinion).

keef66

+1 for the Sennheisers. Son got a pair for gym and cycling, & reckons they stay in place whatever he's doing.

I prefer to listen to the bike, the birdsong, and my rhythmic wheezing, but then again I'm of the older generation.

cougie

I tried it with one of the iphone earpieces in and didnt like it. A car crept up on me that I hadnt heard. I think I'd have heard it if it wasnt for the music - so for me - its not worth it.

Keep the earphones for the turbo.

Zoomer37

Headphones didn't work for me so I welded 2 10'' subwoofers to my frame and its ace.

Chip \'oyler

CyclingBantam wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

"Putting the safety issue aside"!

I would have thought this is THE most important thing when any cyclist goes out for a ride.

I have to admit, this has been very much my perspective - until I tried the radio on my mobile on a cycle ride. It's a bit like doodling during meetings at work! The distraction stops my mind from wandering completely so I'm actually concentrating more on the road than I am without the noise!

As for the radio drowning out road traffic noise - it doesn't come close. The traffic drowns out the headphones completely even with the radio on full volume. I suspect I pods have a bit more volume to them though.

So, I changed my mind somewhat!

No point in coming out with some reasoned response after you have tried something Rolf. It is better to come out with the usual reactionary posts without thinking through the actual facts. I'm just waiting for the 'Think of the children' post!

I don't know how on earth deaf cyclists are not dead as soon as they go near a road!

Personally I prefer my eyes, positioning skills and general self awareness to protect me as opposed to listening for something about to hit me (which incidentally I can still hear over my music anyway).

Drop's match and leaves...

Well after a near miss the other week I disagree. On my usual route past Leeds Bradford airport I came to the roundabout near the underpass that runs under the runway. No traffic from the right so I carried on, then I noticed the roar coming from the underpass to my left. It sounded different than usual and I suspected the car coming through was going at a fair rate of knots, so I slowed down, sure enough a car sped through, didn't look when approaching the roundabout and carried straight across my path missing me by inches - the gormless old gimmer driving only saw me as he passed me.

Now I'm pretty sure if I'd been wearing earphones and listening to music I wouldn't be sat here typing.

And one more thing. I tried cycling with earphones on in the past and hated it - I didn't feel safe. So my opinion is based on experience.

clx1

On the basis that you asked for an earphone recommendation and not a lecture on the issue of listening to music whilst riding I would recommend Skull Candy, can't remember the model number but they are 20 quid from Argos, they have a microphone so you can use them with a mobile phone and the sound quality is good for the price.

bruce225

Tried cycling with earphones in a couple of times,but for some strange reason, don't know if it's a pressure build up in my ears due to the air flow etc but when i took them out at home i was completely deaf for a hour or so... :shock:

Soon stopped doing that...

izza

What about Madcatz Airdrives.

Keeps the safety lot at bay and won't fall out of your ears since they are don't start in them.

Haven't tried them myself so would welcome views from those who have.

c0ugars

Without talking about the safety issue, but i use these on my runs.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... 419650.htm

huuregeil

Actually, the issue with music is not the drowning out of other road noise, it's the effect on concentration. (You're going to hear a car coming whatever, and I'm guessing the majority drive with the radio on). Can't remember the details of this, but there was some research done which showed different types of music had differing effects on concentration, some positive and some negative. Spoken word, plus "aggresive" (e.g. metal) or slow music is a no-no. From personal experience while driving long distances (which I do quite a lot), a good selection of reasonably paced rhythmically interesting music (house, latin, african) gets you in the zone and heightens concentration. I don't listen while riding, but I can imagine the same thing happening were I to.

Separately, a similar thing happens with mental problems... again I don't remember the details, but there was study done with a Bach or Mozart piece and a spacial reasoning task. They reckoned the music acconted for a significant jump in ability on this task. Worth bearing in mind if you're involved in technical work!

Pokerface

Shure SE115 for me. Great sound and fit snugly in ear.

Sometimes I wear just one earphone if I feel the need to hear the sounds around me (like on a group ride). Can still listen to music AND hear road noise that way.


But most of the time I drown out the outside world and rely on my eyes and road sense. If a car is going to lay a smack down on me, it's going to happen whether I can hear it coming or not.

DubaiNeil

The times I use music, I use Airdrives as per http://www.airdrives.com/default.asp?contentID=21

These seem to address the majority of the issue of not hearing a vehicle approaching, so relieving some of the stress that the safety lobby put themselves through :roll:

I (personally) find that training with music doesn't work for me, as I tend to drop my effort level while listening!

Neil

giant_man

Headphones and any kind of music playing should be BANNED whilst cycling. Simple as that. Why on earth would you want music playing whilst you're cycling?

spezial

I use the standard I-Pod headphones precisely because they DON'T fit tightly in my ears and block everything out.
I never have the I-Pod switched on when I'm in a built up area or around a junction or roundabout, it's normally just to listen to something agressive if I'm going up a climb or something ethereal if I'm cruising around somewhere picturesque! I wouldn't feel safe using my Sennheiser headphones that block everything out when I'm riding, but with the I-Pod 'phones I can always hear everything I need to, and haven't been taken by surprise by anything to date.

nickbarnard

Putting all safety issues aside, another vote for the Sennheiser PMX series - I use them for running and they're solid.

Problem with them is you can't take one earbud out when you need to increase your awareness. Personally, I commute with a set of Klipsch Images, off the bat I wouldn't recommend them, while they're pretty good headphones, they're VERY microphonic. But I'm a tight sod and won't spring for a seperate cycling pair :P

How about something that clips round the ear?

Pokerface

giant mancp wrote:

Headphones and any kind of music playing should be BANNED whilst cycling. Simple as that. Why on earth would you want music playing whilst you're cycling?

The same reason I want to listen to music while driving my car? Or walking down the street?

bobtbuilder

Standard I-pod earbuds work fine for me.

BTW - the OP clearly stated that he didn't want this turning in to a discussion about the safety aspects of listening to music while riding, so why have so many people chipped in on that subject anyway??? :roll:

Down the Road

RULE 62

http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/

Next you'll break Rule 51

giant_man

Pokerface wrote:

giant mancp wrote:

Headphones and any kind of music playing should be BANNED whilst cycling. Simple as that. Why on earth would you want music playing whilst you're cycling?

The same reason I want to listen to music while driving my car? Or walking down the street?

No. It's not the same at all. You are open to bad drivers on a bike, you know this, and there's gonna come a time when you want to turn a corner, and there's a vehicle there which you didn't hear due to your music playing in your ears .... walking is different because most people do that on the pavement in a street, not on the road. In a car is different too.

fredmac

giant mancp wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

giant mancp wrote:

Headphones and any kind of music playing should be BANNED whilst cycling. Simple as that. Why on earth would you want music playing whilst you're cycling?

The same reason I want to listen to music while driving my car? Or walking down the street?

No. It's not the same at all. You are open to bad drivers on a bike, you know this, and there's gonna come a time when you want to turn a corner, and there's a vehicle there which you didn't hear due to your music playing in your ears .... walking is different because most people do that on the pavement in a street, not on the road. In a car is different too.

You mean you would turn a corner(I take it you mean turning right at a junction) without looking behind you?
Not listening to music isn't going to save you if this is the way you ride

izza

giant mancp wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

giant mancp wrote:

Headphones and any kind of music playing should be BANNED whilst cycling. Simple as that. Why on earth would you want music playing whilst you're cycling?

The same reason I want to listen to music while driving my car? Or walking down the street?

No. It's not the same at all. You are open to bad drivers on a bike, you know this, and there's gonna come a time when you want to turn a corner, and there's a vehicle there which you didn't hear due to your music playing in your ears .... walking is different because most people do that on the pavement in a street, not on the road. In a car is different too.

Based on that argument all windows need to be lowered when turning a car at a junction and if you hit a bike, that is not your fault because you didn't hear him coming.

Furthermore, as more cars become hybrid or electric then they become quieter than the ambient street noise. However, we don't hear of the AA/RAC asking for them to be made noisier in order to prevent accidents

There are bad drivers on the road, there are bad cyclists on the road but having music on does not necessarily make you a bad driver and in the same way having music on does not make you a bad cyclist.

Down the Road

There are moves to make electric motorcycles have a noise as it is believed that they cause accidents to pedestrians by being silent.

Earphones are just WRONG as per RULE 62

Pokerface

giant mancp wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

giant mancp wrote:

Headphones and any kind of music playing should be BANNED whilst cycling. Simple as that. Why on earth would you want music playing whilst you're cycling?

The same reason I want to listen to music while driving my car? Or walking down the street?

No. It's not the same at all.

Sure it is. I listen to music at those times because I like listening to music. Simple.


Next you'll be saying that deaf people can't (or shouldn't be allowed) to ride bikes.

izza

http://www.privilege.com/aboutus/Sweet_music.htm

If (the right) music makes drivers more alert and saves accidents then (the right) music can do the same for cyclists.

Therefore all cyclists who refuse to even try headphones are at sub-optimal levels of concentration when cycling and therefore are numerically increasing the chance of accidents they have with others.