Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
in any case, the thrust of ks's defence of a dangerous practice is that other people are more foolhardy than he is. crap argument.
Listening to Earphones while Cycling
- Thread starter Diamond
- Start date
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
it's way unsafer than not wearing them, and if you're a soft bag of bones at the mercy of huge lumps of metal coming your way, you'd best have all of your wits about you. voluntarily surrendering them is folly.
klang
🎵
From a cyclists point of view - pedestrians with earphones can be fucking annoying too - many atimes I was riding in full swing, only to have my flow interrupted by said pedestrian, crossing the road at a dodgy spot with no awareness whatsoever what's happening around him/her, unable to hear my bell.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
another reason not to wear earphones AND to pay attention to what's going on around you.
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
No, the thrust of my defence is that hearing is a secondary sense when it comes to riding, and one that can be easily compensated for by using the primary sense organ, the eyes. I was simply pointing out that there are far more dangerous riding practices.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
and my central argument is that listening to music is DISTRACTING and should be avoided if you're riding a bike amongst traffic. only a fool would deliberately distract their attention from the road.
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
You might find music distracting, I don't. It's that simple.
i prefer to use both at times. to listen to the traffic coming up behind whilst still paying attention to the traffic in front. i don't see the logic in possibly making things more hazradous than they already are.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
running with your eyes closed in a forest is far more dangerous than running with your eyes closed in a field, but either practice is foolhardy.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
well, you are simply deluded then. if you pay attention to the music, how can you say you're paying 100% attention to the road and traffic.
Lemon Eddy
Disliked by dwyer
Full agreement there.
I listen to the radio in my car, but then again I'm in a fuck off metal box with mirrors then. When I'm rolling along on a seat on two wheels, no mirrors, no protection worth talking about, with trucks and other vehicles ripping around me...I think it's prudent to not block the second most useful sense you have.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
i don't know how anyone intelligent can say music isn't distracting. that's the entire point of it ffs!
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
What do you mean by 'pay attention to the music'? I listen to it, not pay attention. It's background sound, not something I concentrate on. I'm riding a bike, I'm concentrating on that.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Only the individual can know.
All I can say is that I have 32 years' experience on two wheels (the first 10 motorised) and 25 years' intermittent experience on 4 wheels. I don't have accidents and I am obsessively concerned with my own safety and cringe a thousand times a day at others' antics and disconnectedness from theirs, and others' safety.
I could never ride a motorcycle with music playing. I don't even like full face crash helmets and visors.
When I drive a car I have to have the windows and sunroof open.
I can't ride a pushbike with in-ear 'phones, and I don't listen to music on unfamiliar roads or even lanes .. perhaps in certain places I wouldn't be able to ride even on a daily basis with music playing.
I was probably a bit more vulnerable when I was listening to a different sort of music years ago.
Re. the cadence thing. My little brother who's solidly into classical music and rides a road bike and a heart rate monitor and "spins" when at home simply can't imagine how you could match music to correct cadence ...
Those of us who have danced a fair bit in a spontaneous way can find any rhythm in our "dance" music ...
If you don't feel safe doing it, then don't.
What makes me most nervous is being on the road with hundreds of car drivers with their windows shut .. some of whom will argue that they can't drive at less than 30mph in built up areas ....
/ad nauseum ..
All I can say is that I have 32 years' experience on two wheels (the first 10 motorised) and 25 years' intermittent experience on 4 wheels. I don't have accidents and I am obsessively concerned with my own safety and cringe a thousand times a day at others' antics and disconnectedness from theirs, and others' safety.
I could never ride a motorcycle with music playing. I don't even like full face crash helmets and visors.
When I drive a car I have to have the windows and sunroof open.
I can't ride a pushbike with in-ear 'phones, and I don't listen to music on unfamiliar roads or even lanes .. perhaps in certain places I wouldn't be able to ride even on a daily basis with music playing.
I was probably a bit more vulnerable when I was listening to a different sort of music years ago.
Re. the cadence thing. My little brother who's solidly into classical music and rides a road bike and a heart rate monitor and "spins" when at home simply can't imagine how you could match music to correct cadence ...
Those of us who have danced a fair bit in a spontaneous way can find any rhythm in our "dance" music ...
If you don't feel safe doing it, then don't.
What makes me most nervous is being on the road with hundreds of car drivers with their windows shut .. some of whom will argue that they can't drive at less than 30mph in built up areas ....
/ad nauseum ..
i couldn't do that, i'd find myself getting sucked into listening to the music too intently.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
listening is paying attention
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
you are nutbar tbf
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
That says a lot about why people are reluctant to get out of their tin boxes and onto two wheels per se. It's car drivers that kill cyclists - they should have spikes fitted to their steering wheels.
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
No it's not. I 'listen' to people in meetings, but have no idea what they've said when they finish saying it because I haven't been paying attention to what they're saying. When I was in school and college, I studied with music on in the background all the time (and not just classical) - I like it as background noise, but I don't have to pay attention to it.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
You should come and ride my commutes with me. Doubtless there will be a lot more that will freak you out than my headphones. (assuming you can keep up with me.
)
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
at the risk of tiresome repetition, you are deluding yourself if you think it isn't distracting. how many times did you find a piece of music suddenly bringing you out of your studying cos of its greatness?
editor
hiraethified
Wrong. Some music can be soothing and actually help you concentrate on things.
That's why I always played music when I was writing my book, a task that needed considerable concentration.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
you're not going to get squished by a van when writing a book though, are you?
kyser_soze
Hawking's Angry Eyebrow
Well obviously I kept a diary of times that happened...no idea. Rarely - I usually have my earphones in if I'm doing data quality stuff at work and it's just there.
The thing is, you're basing this completely on the way you listen to music, on your reactions to music, on how much attention you give to music etc. I have a different way of listening to it to you; if I want to be completely distracted by it, I can be (long passive journeys like trains). If I'm at work, or studying, or even doing the housework, it's just there. If I'm riding, it's background noise. I've been riding in complex traffic before and have completely forgotten I'm listening to music because I've been concentrating on riding and observation. That's how much music distracts me.
The thing is, you're basing this completely on the way you listen to music, on your reactions to music, on how much attention you give to music etc. I have a different way of listening to it to you; if I want to be completely distracted by it, I can be (long passive journeys like trains). If I'm at work, or studying, or even doing the housework, it's just there. If I'm riding, it's background noise. I've been riding in complex traffic before and have completely forgotten I'm listening to music because I've been concentrating on riding and observation. That's how much music distracts me.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
So, OU, what type of music do you like ?
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
i'm clearly not going to change the minds of you fools. i just hope i don't ever have to witness again someone like you getting run over and squished.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
Only a thick selfish tit would cycle whilst listening to earphones esp in London traffic. Cyclists wearing earphones and listening to music is another reason people despise cyclists. The sheer attitude of 'I'm in charge, everyone else has to watch out for me'. Selfish prats 
editor
hiraethified
LOL at the ranting nutcase.Only a thick selfish tit would cycle whilst listening to earphones esp in London traffic. Cyclists wearing earphones and listening to music is another reason people despise cyclists. The sheer attitude of 'I'm in charge, everyone else has to watch out for me'. Selfish prats
