Cyclists - headphones?

[Negativland]

In the other hand cycling in the open with music on is great. I used to be able to take part of the trans-pennine trail to work every day.

 

[Herbsman.]

I remember riding Cannock Chase trails while listening to Assert's 1,2,3,4, Go!. NEVER again. The song is so fast and thrashy that I pedalled too hard, too fast, and ran out of energy 1/3 of the way around the trail...

Riding with headphones is just not for me. Those who say it doesn't affect them, fair enough - it's just that it's usually headphoned cyclists that cut me up or whatever else, 'cos they're not paying attention. I'm not at all saying that all headphone riders are twats, it's just most of the ones that I come across in Brum.

 

[chieftain]

I cycle 6 miles a day with headphones on, quite a low volume mind

I can still hear cars etc so whats the problem?

Its nice to ride with music, good for thinking

 

[cybertect]

As my gf is constantly pointing out, I'm apparently useless at multi-tasking compared with most women.

Maybe that's why I don't like it

 

[lighterthief]

On some other thread, someone mentioned that they think cyclists who wear headphones are twats.

I'm not sure I'd go that far. Stupid, certainly. Even those who say they can "still hear" everything about them whilst wearing them. I'm not sure why on earth someone would want to deliberately reduce the amount of useful information they receive from one of the key human senses whilst pedalling in the midst of tonnes of fast moving metal.

Each to their own though, I guess.

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm not sure I'd go that far. Stupid, certainly. Even those who say they can "still hear" everything about them whilst wearing them. I'm not sure why on earth someone would want to deliberately reduce the amount of useful information they receive from one of the key human senses whilst pedalling in the midst of tonnes of fast moving metal.

Each to their own though, I guess.

I was watching a documentary the other night about the UK's surveilance society and it was pointed out that a major problem with recording everything is that you end up looking for a needle in a huge haystack ... they had several of the 9-11 gang under surveilance ....

Invariably we synthesise a simplified representation of time and space when we drive or cycle ....

As has been repeated ad nauseum here, it depends on the person and the circumstances.

Of course Bill Drummond (he of "Music-Free Day" fame) would complain about "soundtracking our lives" - we should fear more the "Top Gear" type with his compilation tape of "driving music" .... I personally found it impossible to ride a motorcycle with The "Who's Next" album playing ... whereas my mad biker mate used to ride his Honda VFR750 at lethal speeds wearing holey trainers with Nirvana's "Nevermind" blasting into his lugholes.......

/waffle

 

[keefor]

As a cyclist myself I think any distractions can potentially lead to disaster. After all there's enough to contend with without reducing one of your senses.

When driving a car the amount of mirrors you have enables to you to be alert as to what is near you, you don't have to be able to hear. In this case background music is going to be ok. On a bike you tend not to have the mirrors so a good sense of hearing helps to compensate this.

You may not be a twat if you cycle with headphones but IMO you are a bit of a tool to do so.

 

[T & P]

If the music is not too loud and you can still pick up the sound of approaching road users from behind or at the side it's not too bad- though any loss of hearing is just bad news IMO.

You cannot be looking everywhere all the time. Your ears are eyes on the back of your head. Even with a scooter which can keep up with most traffic I would have been involved in several accidents already if my ears had not picked up another bike or a car just behind and to my right.

 

[tommers]

have we not had this argument enough times?

I know what...

I think cyclists are perfectly justified to go through red lights.








sits back.....

sometimes my life is a loop.

 

[gentlegreen]

IMO you are a bit of a tool

OI !!!

Come over here and say that, Captain Sensible

 

[cybertect]

sits back.....

Fancy some popcorn? . o O

 

[tommers]

Fancy some popcorn? . o O

thanks.

 

[brixtonvilla]

Personally, I'd never, ever cycle in the city with headphones, but if other people think that they can, good luck to them...

 

[gentlegreen]

I reckon we need a new poll to account for varying taste in music .. methinks the ones who won't listen to music while cycling are classical types who like to dress up for concerts and can't dance
.

 

[Herbsman.]

Nah... I mostly listen to punk / hardcore punk, jungle... makes me get too excited and causes me to ride too fast and aggressively

 

[jontibs]

What about the hands-free things that motorcycle couriers have in their helmets to hear their radios? There's a pushie at my company that uses one of those, I think. I wonder what effect they have on your traffic awareness. To be honest, I can't see the difference between having a blaring radio on your shoulder and having headphones on at low volume. But then I've never tried headphones...

 

[bruise]

i love playing music while cycling - should put that in the past tense - i stopped it cos i realised it affected my sense of balance. i've confused car drivers by scraping along the road or falling over in front of them (in both cases they stopped, were really nice and concerned about it and even slightly guilty in case it was something to do with them when it completely wasn't ). so i stopped. still can't think of a nicer way to listen to music tho.

 

[Herbsman.]

AFAIK hands free kits do have an effect on traffic awareness, and an effect on reaction time, but much less than using an actual phone...

 

[tangerinedream]

I will concede that there's times where everything gets busier and more complex, especially in cities - like say, massive roundabouts or changing lanes - and then it's time to pull them out of my ears. I don't really know why that is, other than that it can make everything more stressful having that going on in the background. Either way it's the exception to the rule.

Otherwise I have no problem with it at all, though I do ride plenty of trails to get where I want as well as the roads.

Actually I also find it has exactly the opposite effect - keeps my morale up, and therefore concentration. I rode 100 miles the other weekend. I wouldn't have done it without music, but supposing I had to, I'd have got a lot more tired and bored of what was going on - my concentration would probably have been reduced even further.

absolutely with you on this. It's just loads of londonistas who want to reduce everything to the level of TWAT cos they are too busy being important to acknowledge that actually, most of us don't cycle on the M25 most of the time. That's what I think anyway. I always wear my headphones on my bike cos the roads are quiet enough here or whereever else I've ever lived to survive on. If I come to a scary junction, I whip em out.

 

[Crispy]

I think there should be a caveat on all cycling threads, stating at the beginning if we're talking about London or not

 

[dylanredefined]

Just rode 7 miles without headphones all i heard was wind and traffic .Didnt feel anymore in tune with traffic than before .Met my first" cycle fascist" though
old bloke on road bike with all the kit well used though.Shouted something about me not having to use the cycle crossing .Fair enough but it was in the direction
I wanted to go thought those types were a myth.

 

[CA9I]

I agree that wearing listening to music(via headphones) while cycling is pretty dangerous.

When I was riding a motorbike I used to choose my helmets very carefully, often on the strength of wether they impaired my hearing or not.

Not having a cage of metal around one a bicylist or motorcyclist should use all their sense to avoid the other, obliviously, homocidal road users.

Unless you're on a pavement(it which case you're not a road user) having your head set on(listening to music) is silly at best, suicidal at worst.

 

[gentlegreen]

.Met my first" cycle fascist" though
old bloke on road bike with all the kit well used though.

/me wonders if I would qualify at 46 and 17 stone
(20 year old shell suit top, yellow Sam Browne repaired with gaffer tape, ancient fluorescent yellow cycle helmet over wolly hat, basket, bell ...)

This evening was a bit eventful. Drizzle, poor street lighting, reflected glare ....

Queue of traffic down the hill (advisory cycle lane) so on with the 9 watt fluorescent and 20 watt halogen. Approached a car well over the line.... slowed, waved light in his rear view mirror ... seemed to carry on moving so almighty slap on his roof as I passed - hurt my hand a bit even through ski glove. Another car in ASL so do my usual thing went in front further onto the junction....

Overtook loads of nearly-stationary traffic (on right hand side )

Car revving in my ear as I approached village - they love to trigger the 30MPH sign opposite the petrol station and I was in their way ....

Reached roundabout. Lights red .. telecoms van proceeds to front of box.
I gesticulate and proceed onto roundabout. he moves even further, so do I.

Bit slow taking off - chain almost fell off
Honking of horns, V signs ...

Leave roundabout and decided I wasn't going to have my elbow clipped by morons as per usual so I hog the road .... much flashing of headlights and blowing of horns.
Reach next set of lights and red security van pulls up alongside ... thought he was muttering something obscene .. I offer to match my 1/10 HP against his 100 HP ... he then asks if I'm a police officer and I don't deny it ... I suspect he was worried I might be a traffic cop
(almost certainly due to my prototype 49 LED back light )

(musical accompaniment was CD2 of the first "Renaissance" compilation )

 

[brixtonvilla]

musical accompaniment was CD2 of the first "Renaissance" compilation )

Good call. One of my running mixes (not cycling, that dangerous & silly etc etc)

 

[hiccup]

I used to wear headphones cycling to work. Decided it was stupid after I was cycling down the north circular and didn't hear a wide truck behind me as soon as I should've and he missed me by centimeters.

Although I must admit sometimes I still wear ONE earphone playing quiet-ish music.

 

[J77]

My gf's school banned the kids from listening to their iPods on their bikes.

 

[likesfish]

my entire daily cycle route is mostly by cycle route so I crack on with the headphones

 

[teqniq]

No headphones for me ta. I like to be able to be aware of everything that's going on around me when I'm on my bike - I mostly ride on roads anyway. A mate of mine uses them a lot, I think he's mad and I've told him as much. He just laughs at me.

 

[Herbsman.]

I think theres a problem that cyclists automatically get the blame for accidents if they were wearing headphones. Remember that woman who was killed on her bike last year (or was it earlier this year?) - IIRC the press and police automatically assumed it was her fault just because she had headphones in. I thought that was sick. They'd rather make assumptions and scapegoat the person who got killed than to try and find out what actually happened... cunts

 

[Maggot]

Actually I also find it has exactly the opposite effect - keeps my morale up, and therefore concentration. I rode 100 miles the other weekend. I wouldn't have done it without music, but supposing I had to, I'd have got a lot more tired and bored of what was going on - my concentration would probably have been reduced even further.

How does music increase your concentration? I'm sure it does the opposite.