Audiobooks on commute

medoramas

Listening to the music can be distracting while on the bike. How about audiobooks? I tried "Hobbit" at 5 am today (some pretty old version, ripped from vinyl records, with all the hisses and cracks - lovely stuff) and I have to say it was pleasurable experience Have you ever tried it?

I'm thinking about getting some foreign language lessons on my player - maybe I could learn something during my morning rides?

It's not that I need to keep my mind busy during cycling, as I find huge pleasure just in that. But I'll give it a go.

meanredspider

A fantastic source of audiobooks is Audible.co.uk (an Amazon company now). I have the membership deal that allows me to download two books a month which I think works out as good value.

spen666

medoramas wrote:

Listening to the music can be distracting while on the bike. .....

If you think music is distracting, then surely audiobooks would be even more distracting as they require more concentration to follow the story

medoramas

spen666 wrote:

medoramas wrote:

Listening to the music can be distracting while on the bike. .....

If you think music is distracting, then surely audiobooks would be even more distracting as they require more concentration to follow the story

I'm not sure. Music is normally louder and constant. Human voice is more natural and I think it is easier to simply stop listening to it even if it's still playing.

Like to stop listening to the Mrs while she is still moaning about you spending another £££ on cycling gear.

walkingbootweather

There is a huge range of Audiobooks mainly out of copyright that is free to download from places like Librivox.

I do this a lot (as well as podcasts) and listen on long drives and on my commute. I have a route which is mostly traffic free, and I do switch off in traffic because I'd find it distracting (and might miss a good bit of the story).

Most recently I have listened to Treasure Island and Journey to the Interior of the Earth - good old classics.

MonkeyMonster

cheers wbw, I'm getting the phone reader versions

UndercoverElephant

walkingbootweather wrote:

There is a huge range of Audiobooks mainly out of copyright that is free to download from places like Librivox.

I do this a lot (as well as podcasts) and listen on long drives and on my commute. I have a route which is mostly traffic free, and I do switch off in traffic because I'd find it distracting (and might miss a good bit of the story).

Most recently I have listened to Treasure Island and Journey to the Interior of the Earth - good old classics.

Very good spot, WBW. I'm downloading James Joyce's Ulysses at the moment, apparently recorded live in various pubs.

medoramas

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Very good spot, WBW. I'm downloading James Joyce's Ulysses at the moment, apparently recorded live in various pubs.

You masochist?

UndercoverElephant

medoramas wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Very good spot, WBW. I'm downloading James Joyce's Ulysses at the moment, apparently recorded live in various pubs.

You masochist?

Speaking of which, there's a reading of Venus in Furs too...

medoramas

UndercoverElephant wrote:

medoramas wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Very good spot, WBW. I'm downloading James Joyce's Ulysses at the moment, apparently recorded live in various pubs.

You masochist?

Speaking of which, there's a reading of Venus in Furs too...

Please, Moderators, close the thread now!

;-)

mudcow007

cheers WBW thats an awesome shout

walkingbootweather

Glad I was able to provide a helpful link.

If you don't mind paying a few quid you can also get some very good 'in-copyright' audio books from the usual sources, or a good public library. I enjoyed "The kite runner" for instance.

scrumpydave

I listen to podcasts while jogging and sometimes when cycling. Much easier than audiobooks, require much less concentration. And it's much less of a problem if you zone out for a while.

meanredspider

I find audiobooks great for really long car journeys (like most from here) - I'm in less of a rush.

If you have kids of the right age, the Harry Potter books read by Stephen Fry are fantastic for shutting them up for long drives and they will listen to them over and over.

UndercoverElephant

meanredspider wrote:

I find audiobooks great for really long car journeys (like most from here) - I'm in less of a rush.

If you have kids of the right age, the Harry Potter books read by Stephen Fry are fantastic for shutting them up for long drives and they will listen to them over and over.

As are the Terry Pratchett books, Truckers, Diggers and Wings. Well read and very entertaining.

seataltea

I've got an Audible subscription, use the librivox service and have an account at audiobookbay. Between the three most every book can be had and they are excellent to listen to whilst riding.

I've just done a quick count and on my Android phone I have 16 books at present of which 10 are on the go, I can recommend the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs from Librivox, they are well read retro Sci Fi.

The Dark Tourist by Dom Jolley is excellent as is God No by Penn Jillette, both have produced surprisingly good 'listens'.

I've found Mort player by far and away the best at handling audiobooks which are not bought from Audible if you're on Android btw.

timestar

I wish you well with your recovery following your collision with the car/van/lorry you didn't hear coming up. [before I get slated - I am not wishing harm on anyone, but maybe your priority should be concentrating on the road]

seataltea

timestar wrote:

I wish you well with your recovery following your collision with the car/van/lorry you didn't hear coming up. [before I get slated - I am not wishing harm on anyone, but maybe your priority should be concentrating on the road]

It always makes me smile when people assume that what they do is what others do. The beauty of not living in London means that for many of us our commute takes in bridleways, towpaths, cycle routes and C roads. My snot is never black from the pollution of a city, I have little fear from constant traffic and as a shift worker often ride to and from work and barely see a soul.

I can choose four routes, two road, one mud and moors and one towpath/greenway, I'll look out for the herons and foxes when next listening to music/books.

As they say 'It's grim up North'

EKE_38BPM

seataltea wrote:

timestar wrote:

I wish you well with your recovery following your collision with the car/van/lorry you didn't hear coming up. [before I get slated - I am not wishing harm on anyone, but maybe your priority should be concentrating on the road]

It always makes me smile when people assume that what they do is what others do. The beauty of not living in London means that for many of us our commute takes in bridleways, towpaths, cycle routes and C roads. My snot is never black from the pollution of a city, I have little fear from constant traffic and as a shift worker often ride to and from work and barely see a soul.

I can choose four routes, two road, one mud and moors and one towpath/greenway, I'll look out for the herons and foxes when next listening to music/books.

As they say 'It's grim up North'

I think that is a forehand, cross-court winner of a reply!

walkingbootweather

EKE_38BPM wrote:

seataltea wrote:

timestar wrote:

I wish you well with your recovery following your collision with the car/van/lorry you didn't hear coming up. [before I get slated - I am not wishing harm on anyone, but maybe your priority should be concentrating on the road]

It always makes me smile when people assume that what they do is what others do. The beauty of not living in London means that for many of us our commute takes in bridleways, towpaths, cycle routes and C roads. My snot is never black from the pollution of a city, I have little fear from constant traffic and as a shift worker often ride to and from work and barely see a soul.

I can choose four routes, two road, one mud and moors and one towpath/greenway, I'll look out for the herons and foxes when next listening to music/books.

As they say 'It's grim up North'

I think that is a forehand, cross-court winner of a reply!

Less 15 love, more game set and match I'd have said 8)

UndercoverElephant

medoramas wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

medoramas wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Very good spot, WBW. I'm downloading James Joyce's Ulysses at the moment, apparently recorded live in various pubs.

You masochist?

Speaking of which, there's a reading of Venus in Furs too...

Please, Moderators, close the thread now!

;-)

Just to say, I've listened to Venus in Furs; Never having read it before I would say it was very good indeed, slightly weak ending, though. I'd recommend it to anyone who's a fan of 19th century Austrian sadomasochistic literature - let's face it, that's probably all of us.

Well read, too. I give it 4 stars.

Am trying Ulysses at the moment, the reading isn't quite so engaging, a bit stop-start, we'll see.

walkingbootweather

The Lord Of The Rings & Hobbit Audio Collection for £22, that's just over a quid per disk. Rip to mp3 to avoid changing cds mid-comute.

hangeron

in Our Time - Melvyn Bragg..currently working my way through all of them since 2002. They are easily available to rent