Solo Riding - Music/Radio ?

zak3737

While I prefer riding in a small group, or at least with someone, very often, like tonight, its not poss, so I may head out on a longish ride on my own, perhaps 45miles or so.
I'm no racer, so its not head-down and thrash myself to death, (which at 52, wouldnt be sensible anyway), I like to view the countryside as I ride, we've waited long enough for these light nights.

Thing is, its quite boring on your own, so how do those of you that might also ride solo sometimes pass the time ?
IF I had a jersey with chest pocket, I could play some music or radio, but I dont, so phone is in the back pockets, and I arent gonna use headphones for obvious reasons.

Maybe an iPhone handlebar mount so that I can play/hear music as I ride ?

(Edit: 'Boring' is the wrong word, it aint boring, but a bit of music while riding wouldnt go amiss)

sloppyschleckonds

Zak3737 wrote:

Thing is, its quite boring on your own, so how do those of you that might also ride solo sometimes pass the time ?

WHAT!?

Zak3737 wrote:

and I arent gonna use headphones for obvious reasons.

What obvious reasons are those?

zak3737

sorry - earphones......Headphones would look stupid ;-)

mikpem

I agree, headphones/earphones should be banned on the bike, the number of people that jump as I pass them because they are oblivious to what's going on around them because their ears are blocked!

I have a mount that holds my phone to my stem and the other week on a long ride in the fields on my own I put some music on. It was ok but not clear and the wind at anything over 20mph completely drowned it out. It got rid of the kids TV show ear worm that was bugging me though but I wouldn't ride like that through town as I feel it would be a bit like those obnoxious youths blaring out music from their cars in the summer.

whoof

I pass the time by cycling.

Calpol

Moutainbiking fine with earbuds in and a bit of Metallica. Road biking - not for me. anything that dulls your senses is potentially a mistake that could have serious consequences. I wouldn't risk not being able to hear cars approaching. I like my music to be played loud so for me the two don't mix.

rafletcher

Can't say I've ever been bored on the bike, too much to do. And I almost always ride alone. Now, if I were tt'ing, maybe then I'd use music for cadence, but never any other time.

But if you're dead set on it, get a pair of those fancy "bone transmission" headphones - don't cover your ears so you've a fighting chance of hearing the traffic behind.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/aft ... wgod3JcAVg

as an example. Many other variations.

Anonymous

Just take up golf if cycling bores you.
Why would you like to look at the countryside, but not listen to it?

Music (re. road bikes) is for turbo/rollers only IMO. Music for TT's does sound great though :P

Anonymous

Also, age is just a number.
I know plenty of people older than 52 who don't want to combine road cycling on a drop bar bike with sitting in an easy chair listening to chamber music.
Do not mean to be rude or elitist, but I am near enough to that age to resent the inference ;-)

Anonymous

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Zak3737 wrote:

and I arent gonna use headphones for obvious reasons.

What obvious reasons are those?

Don't start an earphone war.
Just use them if you want to but accept any consequences ;-)

iPete

Tend not to these days.. but music in the left ear, low volume, go for it. It's your choice, I doubt that statistically it makes cycling any more dangerous, the same as wait for it... choosing whether or not to wear a helmet.

I find bumbling around in the countryside dull.

zak3737

Carbonator wrote:

Just take up golf if cycling bores you.
Why would you like to look at the countryside, but not listen to it?

I do play Golf, off a pretty decent H/Cap, and I walk the dog 2/3 times per day, so I get plenty of time to 'listen to the countryside, and I love it.
But - when riding a bike for 2/3hrs, on your Jack Jones, with the wind noise around you, its hardly the same.

The age thing - early 50's isnt the time to start trying to break records or pushing heat beat to stupid levels, and with a family history of heart issues, I aint gonna be pushing things.
Thas'all.

Anonymous

Just get a jersey (or running top) with a chest pocket ;-)
There are better things than an iPhone to stick in it too.

keef66

Wife and I went out to the local garden centre on Saturday. As we left our eldest son was preparing to go out on his bike. When we returned around 90 minutes later he was at the garage door with said bike. We assumed he'd just got back, but no, he'd spent over an hour sorting out the playlists on his iPod for the ride

I'm coming up for 58 and I've never felt the need for music on the bike. Certainly would never describe it as boring.

supermurph09

Try pedaling a bit harder

Tjgoodhew

I always have a bit of music on when riding. One earbud in the left ear at low volume.

Cant see the harm and if something is going to drive into me from behind im not sure hearing it coming will make any difference

captainwheezy

I use a single earbud in my left ear and a pocket dab radio in my jersey pocket when commuting. The earbud is not one of the noise isolating type, its just a cheap one that pops in the outer bit of the ear (a bit like these http://wittybuy.com/product/20628074/Panasonic%20RP%20HV096%20RP%20HV096%20Basic%20Earbuds.html) and I cut the right one off so its not flailing about. I don't have the volume up loud and can easily hear approaching traffic whether it be from the front or rear.

Those that complain you won't be able to hear traffic around them with earphones in are probably not aware that most motorcyclists (including me) ride with earplugs in that cut out much more noise and still manage ok.

chris_bass

something like this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ivation-BOOMER- ... B00MH437ZW

Anonymous

CaptainWheezy wrote:

Those that complain you won't be able to hear traffic around them with earphones in are probably not aware that most motorcyclists (including me) ride with earplugs in that cut out much more noise and still manage ok.

Most motorcyclists also have an engine, mirrors, crash helmet, leathers and take primary position all the time though don't they?
Hardly the same thing apart from a similar number of wheels.

Just listen to music if you want though.

apreading

Do you not have music in your head anyway? It might be just me but whenever I am out cycling there is a beat or a song going through my head, even if I dont always realise it. And my cadence is guided by that song. The big advantage of it being in my head is that I can also vary the speed of the song to suit the cadence I want. Sometimes the song in my head is strange and potentially embarassing but there is always something going on up there!

Out in the country, I do occasionally use earphones though, and I can still hear stuff around me and 'sense' stuff around me though. I actually have more of a problem with 'false positives' where I think someone is behind but find its just the wind than I do with not hearing anything. I do spend much more time looking around and checking just in case though. I think ultimately I am ever so slightly less safe with the earphones in but by only doing it in situations where there is more margin and by compensating in other ways, I dont think its a significant problem. I would never do it around a busy town though.

captainwheezy

Carbonator wrote:

Most motorcyclists also have an engine, mirrors, crash helmet, leathers and take primary position all the time though don't they?
Hardly the same thing apart from a similar number of wheels.

Not really, they're all things that contribute to dulling the senses, especially the helmet.

Anonymous

That was not really my point, but never mind.
As I said, people should just use earphones on a bicycle if they want.

apreading

Yeah, I can hear as much with earphones in as someone in a car with music blaring, in fact more in some cases and I can also get other cues from changes in air pressure and wind that you wont get in a hermetically sealed box.

Someone on a bike with big helmet and noisy engine nearby presumably cant hear that well either.

Silly Old Hector

If I'm riding solo on Sunday mornings, I have a favourite radio programme I like to listen to (talking), so its the ipod and a left earbud only. I find the time passes quicker and it keeps my mind off the aches and pains (which I tend not to think about in a group). I'm not a fan of listening to music on the bike, as this spoils the peace of the countryside.

keef66

Silly Old Hector wrote:

If I'm riding solo on Sunday mornings, I have a favourite radio programme I like to listen to (talking), so its the ipod and a left earbud only. I find the time passes quicker and it keeps my mind off the aches and pains (which I tend not to think about in a group). I'm not a fan of listening to music on the bike, as this spoils the peace of the countryside.

Come clean, you're among friends here; it's The Archers omnibus edition isn't it?

zak3737

Ok, it looks like the left ear headphone options is perhaps favourite, rather than some Boom Box on the bars :-)

Silly Old Hector is right, it aint boredom really, but listening to summat if on your own is bound to pass the time far better, and take your mind off the work in hand.
Hell, I aint someone who slogs myself to death, just happy to keep a resonable pace and ride for a few hours, - if I'm honest, all this Interval Training stuff and working to Max Heart Rate stuff isnt for me, I'm content to be able to ride for a few hours, and still function when I get home, - where the dog invarioubly is awaiting his next walk !

davep1

Carbonator wrote:

Just get a jersey (or running top) with a chest pocket ;-)
There are better things than an iPhone to stick in it too.

That's what I do, but only on hill repeats, 2-3 hours on the same bit of road, even country road, is a bit dull. My phone speaker isn't very loud, as someone said, over 20 mph you can't hear it over the wind noise anyway. Quite nice at night too, out in the sticks in the almost total dark.

There is some ageist crap on here about the over 50's not pushing themselves. I turned 50 in January, and am fitter than have ever been, and am in that state where it self perpetuates. I push myself on most rides, and am loving the improvement, not just in times but how I feel mentally; I am also scared if I miss 5-7 days off the bike that I am going to go backwards! :roll:

zak3737

"There is some ageist crap on here about the over 50's not pushing themselves"

Hey, if anyone over 50 wants to thrash themselves to bits and get incredibly fit, thats up to them, but, statistically, it comes with a greater risk than when you were 2 decades younger I'm afraid.
I'm 53 on Sat, and have had some issues with Atrial Fibrilation, or irregular Heartbeat, altho currently, it seems mainly alcohol that brings that on. My ol' man has had 3 Heart Bypasses over the years too, so in my humble opinion, for me to start pushing things and upping heartbeat to very high levels just isnt sensible.
I can do longish rides, currently 40-50 miles, at a reasonable pace, (thats only 15mph averages), and with occasional bursts of 'enthusiasm', but you ask me to push it up a hill and thats where I lose interest, and spin.

I do have a buddie, who's 65 this year, and is these days doing Iron Man's, at circa 12hrs, and is one of the top of his age group nationally I believe, but he's been a manic exerciser for years, and years......its obcessive.
yes its possible, but that, I aint gonna be.

sloppyschleckonds

Woohoo

redbikejohn

I ride with in-ear headphones all the time. The music is less noisy then the wind I find! My Bluetooth headphones gave up the ghost on the way home a few weeks back and I was surprise just how noisy the wound was past my big ears! I really don't think music any a moderate level is an issue as just the noise of cat tyres is loud enough to hear.

cgfw201

I always listen to something in my left ear when either commuting through central London or out in the countryside (if not in a group).

Have done 11k miles like this and never had one issue, and find I can hear everything going on around me. Cycling in or out of town is about being aware of your position and not getting into stupid places. If you're relying on reacting to hearing something it's probably too late anyway.

And I'm stuck in the routing of the Danny Baker Show + Fighting Talk on Saturday morning 9-12 on the bike and I love it.