Bone conduction headphones built into helmet or separate?

tangled_metal

So I'm looking at bone conduction headphones. Expensive but safest way to ride and listen to music I think.

I've got a helmet but I dropped it from height so I'm not sure I want to keep it that led me to thinking this is a good option.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-helmets/adult-bike-helmets/coros-linx-bluetooth-enabled-smart-bike-helmet

The alternative is another one like this.

https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-centro-helmet-EV221215

Together with this.

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/80055/Aftershokz_Trekz_Titanium_Wireless_Bone_Conduction_Headphones_Ivy?gclid=CjwKCAiAo9_QBRACEiwASknDwc8lunG3v_fQ97YCh-8WHXeVXCbSTVPtcG_a9LplWGVURQvir5D5cBoC80wQAvD_BwE

So what do you think?

j_mcd

I've got the titanium headphones and they are good, I use them for running rather than cycling though. They're not a magic bullet though, when you've got them on you do lose a lot of ambient noise around you. Not as bad as wearing earbuds but not as good as wearing nothing!

prawny

I had some bone conduction headphones and they interfered with my ear warmers a bit, so maybe the helmet would be better.

I've gone back to a bluetooth earbud now though, because the bone conductors broke, and a waterproof ear bud was a third of the price or less. Don't lose much more hearing either, if any, as it's only on the one side.

aberdeen_lune

Hinted to my wife to buy me those Aftershokz bone conduction headphones and she found them on another website for £39.99. Website is Jarrod.co.uk. That might impact your decision.

elbowloh

If you have an off, the helmet will send a message to your loved ones

Man Of Lard

Apropos nothing - Amazon have many pairs of the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium in their warehouse deals (which have 20% extra off currently) - means they're around £60.

Man Of Lard

Aberdeen_lune wrote:

Hinted to my wife to buy me those Aftershokz bone conduction headphones and she found them on another website for £39.99. Website is Jarrod.co.uk. That might impact your decision.

The Bluez are good but the Trekz Titanium are the mutt's nuts

itboffin

elbowloh wrote:

If you have an off, the helmet will send a message to your loved ones

yeah but does it stop your Garmin?

tangled_metal

That jarrold website is confusing me. There's the treks titanium and the sports titanium both pages have the same image. That image is of the Trekz Titanium model costing £80 (rrp£110). The sports version is different, it's little round pads and doesn't look waterproof. No speakers or phone call capability unless you get the version with microphone which is £10 more. Plus it's not ipx55 rated (waterproof and dustproof).

So far you can get a few quid off the £74.97 price I've seen at winstanleys but that's from retailers I don't really know about. I've bought from winstanleys so a few quid is not much premium to buy from then.

Halfords do a next day click and collect on the coros helmet.

Any views on using the Trekz with spectacles on too? Do they interfere with each other? I've read that it's an issue for some. The helmet doesn't have that issue but the sound is not supposed to be as good. Pluses and minuses for both types.

Not sure there's a benefit to the man down function of the helmet. So I've had an accident, well my partner read the text and come rushing to my help quicker than anyone nearby? If I'm in a bad way will that help me? If I'm not just walking wounded then making a phone call for help would get a better response from my other half. If I'm able to continue then the text could worry her so I'll get a call again. That call would probably be the only one I'll want to answer while cycling. I doubt I'll make calls or receive calls when riding.

IMHO the separate headphones makes more sense.

tangled_metal

itboffin wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

If you have an off, the helmet will send a message to your loved ones

yeah but does it stop your Garmin?

Oh my Garmin is on auto stop anyway. It's my fitbit that annoys me most. Manual stop / start. Why can't they update it to allow for this auto stop? It can't be harder for fitbit to do it than Garmin.

At least I get your pain about Garmin not stopping. Coros hasn't got the integration thing down without that.

cycleclinic

Why do you want to listen to music when riding this is bit i dont get.

tangled_metal

Why not? Why do you listen to music jogging, driving a car, sat on public transport or even laid back at home reading the Sunday papers. You can even get headphones for listening to music while you're swimming. You're on your turbo area you just turning those pedals or do you listen to music, watch a video or zwift it? It's basically the same thing, you're adding something to your enjoyment. If that's not your thing then don't do it.

Another thing, you like music and it's just another time you have free to listen to music. You're not riding in the countryside, you're riding one of only a few routes you have to and from work. It's possibly repetitive too.