I just got my new (used) bike, and I’m also a big music nerd and love to listen to music when I’m traveling. Do you personally listen to music while you’re cycling, and in your opinion is it safe?
Congrats on the new bike, hope you have a great time riding it.
As for the question, no I don’t listen to music. I generally ride in two very different environments, either very busy roads or quiet country roads/trails. I’d love to drown out the noise on the busy roads but with the craziness that goes on there, I find my hearing a valuable sense to have and wouldn’t feel safe blocking that out. On the quiet country roads and trails where it’s peaceful and the birds are chirping away, I’d rather be taking in whats around me fully anyway :)
In Quebec, it’s illegal to have even a single earpod while riding a bike. So unless someone builds speakers into the helmet, I won’t listen to music while biking.
Nope, I can’t risk not being fully aware of my surroundings.
My thoughts exactly. I rode a bike for years; commuting to work, groceries, errands, appointments. I rode to everything. No idea how many times being fully aware of my surroundings saved my skin, it probably happened multiple times a day.
There’s a good reason listening to music while biking is illegal many places; they just had to look at the numbers, and it was glaringly obvious that it ups the danger to an unacceptable level. DO NOT DO IT! Your favorite tune will still play just fine when you get home, safely.
And, as for the people suggesting an external bluetooth speaker, think long and hard about becoming that special guy.
Nope, much too easy to get lost in a good jam and get en a very real jam.
I think it is dangerous, although I like music as well. The only thing I would consider are bone conducting headphones that leaves your ears open and don’t block the outside world.
Never - i want the hear the sound of the nature on one hand and the risks of cars etc on the other.
Congrats on new bike day! What color is it??
For the music, I’ve never done it. Not with headphone, earbuds, or a speaker. Usually I ride in places where I might encounter other people or motor vehicles so being able to react to that is important to me.
I listen to music or podcasts while cycling to/from work everyday, but at low enough volumes that I can easily hear traffic around/behind me. I would not recommend it if you’ve just started cycling, but if you’re comfortable enough on a bike in city traffic it should be okay. Just make sure you’re always constantly aware of what’s happening around you.
And wear a helmet, at the very least.
I do. I’m fine, but I don’t turn up the volume so much, that I can’t hear surroundings. I can recommend using those earphones, that hang from the ear, not thise with rubber tips, that go inside your ear canal. Try it out and see how you feel riding with music yourself!
Sometimes, using bone conduction earphones.
Honeslty, I love the sounds of nature, so I don’t listen to music nearly as much on my bike as I would on an escooter.
Used to work with a big cyclist, he always used bone conduction headphones as it still gives you full hearing. Bought a pair myself for skiing (Aftershokz Air - stupid name but great piece of kit!)
Yes I do and yes it’s safe - the key is to use the correct headphones. I have a pair I love, they’re some type of Plantronics backbeat. They clip to your ear, and they use a sort of downward facing directional plastic that sits comfortably in your ear buy doesn’t press into it much. The reason these are great is because you can hear everything going on around you. They don’t block sound. If someone needs to get your attention, or is honking, or a firetruck ks going by - all of that is still audible, and disruptive to what you’re listening to, and that’s the point. That’s not to say your music is quiet by any means, just that external sound is allowed in as well.
I recommend something along those lines. If you remind me tomorrow (6/20) I’ll look up the exact pair I have. Very important - NO EAR BUDS OR PODS! The kind of headphones that shove a butd in your ear or rely on your ear canal to hold them in place block too much sound. You can absolutely wear them but if you’re worried about safety, I strongly advise that you do not.
Koss KSC-75 are similar earhook open-back headphones. Cheap and decent sound quality, wouldn’t feel bad if they fell off and got destroyed on a ride.
That said I’d rather keep my ears open because I don’t trust people inside colossal rolling metal cages.
I don’t have any issues personally, the ones I use let me hear the world around me just fine. Having my ears completely open isn’t gonna prevent someone from not seeing me, running a stop sign, or swerving into the bike lane. If I’m gonna get run over, I may as well have a soundtrack. 🤷🏻♂️
Depends. If im commuting and have bike on dedicated bike path and the road, then absolutely not.
If im going for a ride along a bike path or through woods, fields and other non-city-street environments, then yes, I might pop in my earbuds
No, never. I sing sometimes or whistle.
I used to. I’m also a music nerd and when I started commuting, I’d wear my headphones with the volume low to offset the stress of traffic and stuff and just make the journey more enjoyable. But after a few years, I enjoy the sounds of the city and nature around me now.
I use Shokz bone conduction headphones, which allows me to hear music and background noises.
