Headphones?

kingstonian

Not something I’d ever do. Can’t see the point, plus I quite like being able to hear what’s going on around me as it has saved my bacon quite a few times on my daily commute.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

What's all this nonsense about listening to music while riding? If you have an ear-piece in your left ear, you want the £3 Ghostracer Pro app programmed pre-ride with your favourite segments and telling you your time at least three times during the segment compared to either one of your previous times or somebody else's.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... r&hl=en_GB

It's a great motivator, something I dabbled in while using my Nexus tablet to record rides, before I got my Lezyne Super GPS last summer. Pre-programmed it with the four cat4s I was planning to climb, got new PBs for each climb where Ghostracer Pro worked but for some reason it didn't pick up the start of the longer Oxenbourne/Harvesting Lane climb.

The Lezyne has "Live Segments" but the info it tells me is extremely limited, my PB; my current segment time; distance to segment finish. I really wish it could at least show me HRM and power data on the same screen, if not showing doing Ghostracer's thing of telling me how I'm doing compared to my PB ghost.

Oh bugger, just been reading that this segment time comparison part of the app got messed up when Strava changed the API back in Jan.

pblakeney

I simply enjoy riding a bicycle in the country.

TheGardenGnome

Side.

If you're not cheap
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=nb_s ... E1JDCKJBPZ

Or get a Bluetooth speaker with water proofing so PB can enjoy his rides more:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010OYAS ... ref=plSrch

God bless.

DeVlaeminck

Vegas76 wrote:

WeezySwiss wrote:

Don't use headphones myself, but if I did I'd use bone conduction ones so there's nothing blocking the ear canals

Has anyone used the bone conduction headphones? How are they?

Crap.

navrig2

cgfw201 wrote:

Svetty wrote:

Supermurph09 wrote:

Appreciate we are all different but I have never understood the want to listen to music while riding, surely the act of riding your bike is all the enjoyment you need? Can't help but think people are missing out on the experience by cluttering it with music etc.

Exactly!

Spent 713 hours cycling in 2017, that's a lot of stuff I learnt through books, podcasts & radio I'd miss out on otherwise.

If you are really taking this stuff in enough to "learn" then your attention to your surroundings is probably limited and less than it would be by listening to music.

I'm in the it's a daft thing to do on the road camp. I'll wear buds when off road tho'.

navrig2

The other thing to note is you do have an incident with a vehicle and the first thing the driver sees is you pulling buds out of your ear you can guarantee that will be the first thing on any statement to the cops and the insurance company. I suspect it will significantly affect your chance of winning a case even if you are in the right.

maddog 2

I listen to headphones. I use ear-bud versions - not the in-ear-canal ones but the older style, that hang on your outer ear. You can still hear vehicles etc.

I'm not sure what a car-that's-about-to-knock-you-off sounds like, as opposed to a car that is just driving past. Maybe someone can enlighten me on this? Can you hear an accident coming?

darkhairedlord

maddog 2 wrote:

I listen to headphones. I use ear-bud versions - not the in-ear-canal ones but the older style, that hang on your outer ear. You can still hear vehicles etc.

I'm not sure what a car-that's-about-to-knock-you-off sounds like, as opposed to a car that is just driving past. Maybe someone can enlighten me on this? Can you hear an accident coming?

if you're away with the fairies you won't know a thing about it. The rest of us can sense when a car is closing too quickly, accelerating to overtake where there is no gap, etc etc. We also won't randomly drift to one side or the other or ride erratically due to being distracted.

apreading

darkhairedlord wrote:

We also won't randomly drift to one side or the other or ride erratically due to being distracted.

I would actually recommend not doing that regardless of whether you are wearing headphones...!

warrior4life

I’ve used them on the bike on and off since the late 80’s.
Never had a problem, I can always hear traffic and unlike most (it seems) when I listen to music I don’t drift off in to a daze.
On long solo rides it passes time quicker, it helps motivate and gives me a rhythm on the flats.
Mother only tine it’s a hindrance is on trails, if I’m approaching walkers and families I never know how loud I’m talking when warning them I’m approaching.
On the road I can hear virtually everything.
I’d say they block less sound then the wind does at 30mph.
Each to their own I guess.

DeVlaeminck

darkhairedlord wrote:

maddog 2 wrote:

I listen to headphones. I use ear-bud versions - not the in-ear-canal ones but the older style, that hang on your outer ear. You can still hear vehicles etc.

I'm not sure what a car-that's-about-to-knock-you-off sounds like, as opposed to a car that is just driving past. Maybe someone can enlighten me on this? Can you hear an accident coming?

if you're away with the fairies you won't know a thing about it. The rest of us can sense when a car is closing too quickly, accelerating to overtake where there is no gap, etc etc. We also won't randomly drift to one side or the other or ride erratically due to being distracted.

Yes I've been rear ended by a car at 40mph and I can confirm that I had no hint it was anything other than another car overtaking until the actual impact - I wasn't wearing earphones.

Still I agree that the knowledge a car is about to overtake is useful - it'll change your behaviour as to whether you swerve round that pothole or bunnyhop it, whether you take your hands off the bars to stretch your back, what your road positioning is etc etc.

However so long as you can still hear vehicles I can't see too much objection to wearing earbuds even if my personal preference is not to 99.99999% of the time, when I do it's with one earbud out.

maddog 2

rest of us can sense when a car is closing too quickly,

And then what? Do you jump in the hedge?

If you're going to get hit from behind by a car, I'm pretty sure you'll either not know about it before it happens, or if you do 'sense it' then you're options are pretty limited anyway. That's my assessment on things.

darkhairedlord

An opportunity to put my helmet, flour jacket and lights on before I get blamed for bringing it on myself.

Mpercy

I use Aftershokz Trekz Air headphones, and previously the trekz titanium.

I like them for cycling for both commute and longer rides. Podcasts or music depending on preference at the time. Good enough sound quality for the purpose, and you can hear your surroundings.

Things I hope they will work on for future versions? Well, sometimes the sound can be drowned out by wind noise at higher speeds. The time between the battery warning and the headphones turning off seems to be about 5 minutes, and longer battery life would always be nicer. My non-scientific experience is that the Air version seems to hold a bluetooth connection better than the titanium.

If I broke or lost them, I would go out and buy another pair.

Matt

TheGardenGnome

Sometimes wind will affect whether you'll hear a car coming from behind you, you can cover yourself by wearing a decent quality helmet mirror if you're really concerned about knowing your surroundings but I doubt the vast majority on here concerned about that even have helmet mirrors.

surfercyclist

TheGardenGnome wrote:

Sometimes wind will affect whether you'll hear a car coming from behind you, you can cover yourself by wearing a decent quality helmet mirror if you're really concerned about knowing your surroundings but I doubt the vast majority on here concerned about that even have helmet mirrors.

Regarding using a mirror, I have one of these and it is brilliant.

https://www.italianroadbikemirror.com/

By far the best accessory you can have, been using one for over a year and it is superb. Unobtrusive, clear and non vibrating. I can't recommend enough. And, no I have no affilliation with company etc, just saw it bought it and wouldn't ride without it.

john1967

Ryan_W wrote:

Cutting off one of your limited senses is not a wise thing to do IMO.

That’s a nice way of me saying, if you ride wearing headphones, you’re a complete cnut.

This Thread didn't need to go any further than this post.Just about sums everything up most elegantly.

maddog 2

It sums up that some people think they can hear an accident coming.

darkhairedlord

Is it time for a helmet post yet?
Or lights during daylight?

TheGardenGnome

You guys convinced me. I just bought a Bluetooth speaker from Argos, it's pretty loud for its size though, a bit tinny sound wise but it works nice. If you do see a short fat guy biking around with beats coming from his bike, say hi?

Matthewfalle

TheGardenGnome wrote:

You guys convinced me. I just bought a Bluetooth speaker from Argos, it's pretty loud for its size though, a bit tinny sound wise but it works nice. If you do see a short fat guy biking around with beats coming from his bike, say hi?

MF was just asking does you white full length outfit and pointy white hat with built in mask get in the way while you're cycling?

He question, not mine, so don't have a go at me.

phil485

Mpercy wrote:

I use Aftershokz Trekz Air headphones, and previously the trekz titanium.

I like them for cycling for both commute and longer rides. Podcasts or music depending on preference at the time. Good enough sound quality for the purpose, and you can hear your surroundings.

Things I hope they will work on for future versions? Well, sometimes the sound can be drowned out by wind noise at higher speeds. The time between the battery warning and the headphones turning off seems to be about 5 minutes, and longer battery life would always be nicer. My non-scientific experience is that the Air version seems to hold a bluetooth connection better than the titanium.

If I broke or lost them, I would go out and buy another pair.

Matt

Do you wear sunglasses with them? Interested but more for calls staying in contact but I wear glasses when riding and it looks like it might get a bit busy around the ears.

js14

Don't try riding with headphones or an earpiece if you're cycling in France, it's illegal for both motorists and cyclists :http://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/medias/campagnes/au-1er-juillet-2015-interdiction-de-porter-tout-dispositif-susceptible-d-emettre-du-son-a-l-oreille-en-conduisant-meme-a-velo. Mind you, I don't know how they get away with it on the the Tour de France

pblakeney

I saw a guy last week driving while wearing a set of huge over ear cans.
Weird. PS - Emergency services vehicles should be fitted with rocket launchers.

davebradswmb

When I did the dragon ride earlier this year a rider had a bluetooth speaker attached to his jersey pocket. Unfortunately he was going the same speed up the Bwlch as me, I soon got pissed off with him. Headphones would be preferable in this case.

I also tried headphones once, and I get that you can't hear an impact coming, but I found it very scary being suddenly passed by something that I hadn't heard coming up behind me. I guess I would get over that, but I do often modify my line if there is a vehicle behind me, say on the approach to junctions or where there is a squeeze in the road so as to take ownership of the road, or if avoiding pot holes I will generally move out, but if something is close behind me I will swing in instead. I think that this keeps me safer on the roads, and I wouldn't be able to do it if I were wearing headphones.

topcattim

SurferCyclist wrote:

TheGardenGnome wrote:

Sometimes wind will affect whether you'll hear a car coming from behind you, you can cover yourself by wearing a decent quality helmet mirror if you're really concerned about knowing your surroundings but I doubt the vast majority on here concerned about that even have helmet mirrors.

Regarding using a mirror, I have one of these and it is brilliant.

https://www.italianroadbikemirror.com/

By far the best accessory you can have, been using one for over a year and it is superb. Unobtrusive, clear and non vibrating. I can't recommend enough. And, no I have no affilliation with company etc, just saw it bought it and wouldn't ride without it.

I get the whole "you can't put a price on safety" argument, but blimey, 50 euros is a big price to put on safety.

surfercyclist

topcattim wrote:

SurferCyclist wrote:

TheGardenGnome wrote:

Sometimes wind will affect whether you'll hear a car coming from behind you, you can cover yourself by wearing a decent quality helmet mirror if you're really concerned about knowing your surroundings but I doubt the vast majority on here concerned about that even have helmet mirrors.

Regarding using a mirror, I have one of these and it is brilliant.

https://www.italianroadbikemirror.com/

By far the best accessory you can have, been using one for over a year and it is superb. Unobtrusive, clear and non vibrating. I can't recommend enough. And, no I have no affilliation with company etc, just saw it bought it and wouldn't ride without it.

I get the whole "you can't put a price on safety" argument, but blimey, 50 euros is a big price to put on safety.

Really? As it happens it was a present but if mine broke I'd replace immediately. I'll say it again, by far the best bike accessory you can get.