# Music while riding



## hir0 (Aug 16, 2012)

Do you guys/gals listen to music during your commute?


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Headphones*



hir0 said:


> Do you guys/gals listen to music during your commute?


The subject of riding with headphones comes up all the time, and all the people who do it say that they keep the music low so that they remain safe, or ride with just one earphone so that they can hear well. My own experience in overtaking people with headphones (plus the one time I made the mistake of riding with someone wearing them) tells me that these people are just kidding themselves. You need your hearing to deal with traffic and other riders. Full stop. Anyone who claims they have full hearing with headphones on is in denial. Anyone who can't get great music in their head without headphones is lacking in imagination. IMO


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## Trower (Apr 28, 2009)

Never. ^


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## Bizman (Apr 27, 2011)

Never music, but I do wear earplugs to help with wind noise.


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## fevans (Mar 3, 2005)

*Absolutely...*

If you are relying on your hearing to know what's going on around you, you're screwed anyway.

I ride with a very good rear view mirror on the bars and listen to what ever I want, as loudly as I want. Just make sure you keep an eye on what's approaching from the rear. The roads I ride on have moderate city traffic, so your situation might be different.


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## nalaing (Aug 21, 2012)

That really depends on where you are going, I don't think its a great idea though unless you keep the music in a low volume. Safety is always the priority.


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## psycleridr (Jul 21, 2005)

The music of nature.........and traffic. No headphones


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## tanksl (Aug 30, 2011)

obv first post. i listen to low music and phil hendrie episodes, but only when riding on dedicated cycling trails.


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

I like to have all my senses available to full capacity. No earphones, ear plugs or endless chit-chatting about the birds and the bees being three deep on a single lane road.....


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## Scott B (Dec 1, 2004)

Nope, I don't. I never wear headphones while riding (or driving for that matter). I'm not sure where people got the notion that this is a good idea. Headphones, even at a low volume, isolate you from your surroundings. Relying on visual cues alone takes away an important second sense that really helps to keep you safer. Kerry Irons is right on with this: "You need your hearing to deal with traffic and other riders."

I have been known to tour with people who roll with a small speaker for music or the radio. This seems WAY safer than headphones, and much more amusing. Much more like radio in the car and not nearly so isolating from your surroundings.

If I had a dollar for every clown who nearly ran into me while wearing headphones on the MUT I'd have a custom touring bike by now.


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## RyleyinSTL (Aug 6, 2012)

Cycling with music blasting away in your ears is a good way to die and or annoy everyone else around you.


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## Eiron (Sep 9, 2006)

*Music: Yes! - Headphones: No!*

I've been bike commuting for more than 20 yrs & I've never used headphones. Hearing is an integral part of riding *safely* with traffic. (Note to *fevans*: hearing isn't the only sense you rely on, just as I wouldn't rely only on a rear-view mirror.)

However, my daughter recently bought me a vibration speaker for my iPod & I've been giving that a try. I found that a paper coffee cup provides the best sound (most bass), while a plastic Solo cup gave 2nd-best sound. I stash my iPod & speaker "amp" in my seat bag, place the cup into my seat tube bottle cage, & drop the vibe module into the cup.

I like it! :thumbsup: I can play my personal soundtrack & still hear what's going on around me. The sound gets a little lost in heavy traffic, but that's the point, isn't it?


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## xjbaylor (Dec 28, 2006)

fevans said:


> If you are relying on your hearing to know what's going on around you, you're screwed anyway.


Exactly. Who needs more than one sense?

Oh wait, I can only see in a limited field at one time, but I can hear in all directions at once. That seems like it could come in useful.


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

Eiron said:


> However, my daughter recently bought me a vibration speaker for my iPod & I've been giving that a try. I found that a paper coffee cup provides the best sound (most bass), while a plastic Solo cup gave 2nd-best sound. I stash my iPod & speaker "amp" in my seat bag, place the cup into my seat tube bottle cage, & drop the vibe module into the cup.


How considerate of you to share your musical tastes with your fellow travelers؟!
:nono:


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## RyleyinSTL (Aug 6, 2012)

Agreed....I hate people who blast music for all to hear while riding, or walking or anywhere for that mater. Kids are doing this all the time now with their mobile phones.


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## bmach (Apr 13, 2011)

I soemtimes listen to music while riding using a stereo to mono ear bud. I find that when riding above 18mph I don't hear cars until they are right being me even without music.


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## Eiron (Sep 9, 2006)

LOL! And who's going to hear it besides *me*?? I must not have described my setup clearly enough for either of you to visualize it (or perhaps you didn't take the time to try), so I'm including a picture this time. As you can see from the picture, the cup points directly up at me, & focuses the sound (out the open end of the cup) _directly to me!_

Even if it didn't, you're forgetting that I'm commuting with *cars*, not cyclists!!  Everyone around me is sealed in their own steel & glass box, playing their own music (or talking on their phone, or texting, or receiving a fax, or...) So with narrowly directed sound, & car traffic, which "fellow travelers" do you think I'm offending??


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## Ruby13 (Aug 11, 2011)

I don't commute (retired) but wear a bluetooth ear piece in my right ear leaving my left to traffic. Listen to sports radio and music. However 80% of my riding is done on a MUP in NY so more important to see whats in front than behind for me.
However when I go down to S Florida for the winter the land of the headless drivers, I need "all" my senses and my head on a swivel to ride safely.


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## bayAreaDude (Apr 13, 2012)

fevans said:


> If you are relying on your hearing to know what's going on around you, you're screwed anyway.
> 
> I ride with a very good rear view mirror on the bars and listen to what ever I want, as loudly as I want. Just make sure you keep an eye on what's approaching from the rear. The roads I ride on have moderate city traffic, so your situation might be different.


Disagree that this is true in all situations for everyone. Where I ride I've never NOT heard a car either before or at the same time I first see it. I would be terrified not to have full use of that sense while riding.


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## desertgeezer (Aug 28, 2011)

I think you have to consider where it is that you ride. If you ride in areas where the traffic is heavy and fast moving and you need to be super alert, then I think you should forget about listening to music and focus on riding.

If you live in an area, like I do, where there's not a lot of traffic and not a lot of fast moving traffic, then I don't have a problem with listening to music.

I listen to various artists on Pandora Radio - Rolling Stones, Dire Straights, Bob Marley, J.S. Bach, Bluegrass, ZZ Top, all kinds of stuff. I also listen to talk radio on IHeart Radio. I've never had a problem not being able to hear approaching traffic, but then I don't crank up the volume to deafening levels.


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## BianchiJoe (Jul 22, 2005)

I only listen to headphones when night riding, when there's little traffic. I can always hear the few cars I encounter, but I usually see their headlights first, anyway.


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## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

I always ride with my iPod and ear-buds. I find it adds to the experience, much more than a cycling computer, which was thrown away a long time ago. The computer was a much bigger distraction.


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## Cyclin Dan (Sep 24, 2011)

I never ride with headphones. I agree with the others that think it's dangerous to myself and others around me.


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## tmotz (May 16, 2002)

I ride to work with one ear bud in. I listen to podcasts but at a low volume. Most of the roads are country roads.


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## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

blackvans1234 said:


> My ipod stopped working about a week or two ago


Trip to the genius bar at Apple is in order


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

I don't know about y'all but I believe that driving a car with headphones or ear buds is illegal in every state I've ever lived in.

There's sound reasoning behind those laws.

I often wonder why those ordinances don't apply to cyclists.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Nope. Not me.


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## hir0 (Aug 16, 2012)

blackvans1234 said:


> My ipod stopped working about a week or two ago


did you try the reset trick?

How to reset iPod

i thought my ipod classic was toast a while back. a friend told me to hold the Menu and Select buttons together for several seconds, I was amazed when it rebooted.


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## Skoezie (Jun 15, 2012)

Tried it twice. Found it to much of a hassle with the wires and stuff. 

Now trying to take only the essentials with me while riding.


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## Tschai (Jun 19, 2003)

Here are just a few thoughts on this issue:

1. One's hearing while riding can be very deceptive. Anti-headphone people fail to recognize this.
2. Riding in a pack without headphones is much more dangerous than riding alone with headphones. Applying this anti-headphone logic, cyclists should not ride in packs. Indeed, they should all ride slower, not ride downhill, not ride in the rain or maybe just not ride at all. It is dangerous. 
3. The anti-headphone people get really hot and bothered by MUT users that allegedly can't hear them while passing. These people just don't want to deal with passing safely by giving up their precious flow, something which cyclists depend on when it comes to cars. 
4. Wind noise, wind noise, wind noise. 
5. Many anti-headphone people are righteous about how cyclists should enjoy their ride, arguing that listening to the sounds of nature is the best way to enjoy a ride. What a load of bunk. I don't like the sounds of nature. I also don't like anchovies. 
6. Statistics show that the vast majority of bike accidents arise from in front of the cyclist, where things can be seen and sight being the most important sense by far.

At the end of the day, outside of riding in a group, wearing headphones that don't block all hearing and that are used at a reasonable volume is simply not more dangerous. In a group it is not such a good idea for various reasons.


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## fevans (Mar 3, 2005)

Tschai, do you have a mirror? I agree with every point you made as long as you have a mirror to see what's going on behind you as well as in front.

I would never ride with earphones in a group. It's just a bad idea. I don't have any MUTs to ride on, but I would think this would be fine as long as you have a mirror and are careful with respect to other users.

It's the pedestrian-variety of earphone users that give us a bad name. They're the ones that are completely oblivious of their surroundings. 

In my experience, by the time you hear the cars, it's too late. And what if there's more than one car? It's a little hard to tell exactly how many cars are coming by ear. That's why you need a good mirror.


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## bayAreaDude (Apr 13, 2012)

Tschai said:


> Here are just a few thoughts on this issue:
> 
> 1. One's hearing while riding can be very deceptive. Anti-headphone people fail to recognize this.
> 2. Riding in a pack without headphones is much more dangerous than riding alone with headphones. Applying this anti-headphone logic, cyclists should not ride in packs. Indeed, they should all ride slower, not ride downhill, not ride in the rain or maybe just not ride at all. It is dangerous.
> ...


Riding in a group, or down hills, or fast, or in the rain are separate risk factors.

Listening to music through headphones doesn't enhance your hearing while you're riding a bike. It does have potential to interfere with what you can hear, putting you and others around you at greater risk. You can choose to ride a unicycle blindfolded in a group down a hill in the rain with your monster beats on, but realize that you're choosing to take each one of those risks and it's not just your safety you're putting in jeopardy as a result of your choices.


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## Tschai (Jun 19, 2003)

bayAreaDude said:


> Riding in a group, or down hills, or fast, or in the rain are separate risk factors.
> 
> Listening to music through headphones doesn't enhance your hearing while you're riding a bike. It does have potential to interfere with what you can hear, putting you and others around you at greater risk. You can choose to ride a unicycle blindfolded in a group down a hill in the rain with your monster beats on, but realize that you're choosing to take each one of those risks and it's not just your safety you're putting in jeopardy as a result of your choices.


Yes, they are separate risk factors. As to the rest of your comment, I really don't see what point you are making. Riding in a group puts more people at risk than riding alone with headphones. As such, please realize that when you choose to ride in a group, it is not just your safety, but the safety of numerous others you are putting in jeopardy as a result of your choice to ride in groups.


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## bayAreaDude (Apr 13, 2012)

Tschai said:


> Yes, they are separate risk factors. As to the rest of your comment, I really don't see what point you are making. Riding in a group puts more people at risk than riding alone with headphones. As such, please realize that when you choose to ride in a group, it is not just your safety, but the safety of numerous others you are putting in jeopardy as a result of your choice to ride in groups.


The topic of the thread is music while riding, not 'what are all the things that make cycling dangerous'.


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## Tschai (Jun 19, 2003)

bayAreaDude said:


> The topic of the thread is music while riding, not 'what are all the things that make cycling dangerous'.


Yes, it is and I have remained on topic. I have addressed all the posts in this thread that assert riding with headphones is unsafe. One point I made, which you may have missed, is that those that are so righteous about how unsafe it is, are likely choosing to ride in groups, which is, in my opinion, more dangerous than riding alone with headphones and puts more people at risk. If this thread was limited simply to one's like or dislike for headphones, with all the other opinions and criticisms left out, I may have remained silent. 

Again, all I am saying is that we make decisions for all sorts of reasons to engage in risky behavior. No one really questions riding in groups. Why should riding with headphones be questioned, especially with such contempt.


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## scorchedearth (Mar 22, 2012)

I have never really liked riding with headphones. I feel too disconnected from my surroundings with music playing so I just prefer the sounds of the ride.


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## Sanath (Jul 12, 2012)

I listen to podcasts or audiobooks. My headphones don't block out too much sound from the outside world, I can usually hear traffic coming up behind me. It's never been a problem so far.


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## SCOOTERINSLC (Apr 18, 2003)

*So, about the music...*

Love how this turned into the ear bud debate. I wear ear buds while riding 100% of the time if I'm riding alone. Klipsch S4A's. Killer sound below the 100 dollar price point. They are utterly noise cancelling and I crank them. Anti earphone crowd need not reply to me, as I simply don't care what you think. At all. 
Onto the music: currently loaded onto my phone for rides: Joe Bonamassa, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, Buddy Guy, Tinsley Ellis, Monkey Junk, Brian Setzer, Derek Trucks Band, Jonny Lang, Mannish Boys, Luther Allison, (I like the blues in case you didn't notice), Cross Canadian Ragweed, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Lonnie Mack, Jimmie Vaughn, Hubert Sumlin.
What are you listening to?


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## whatthefunk (Apr 15, 2012)

Never. It doesnt seem safe and I dont know why people have to listen to music all the time. Whats wrong with other sounds? Is the world so horrible that we have to block it out? Why not be the guy singing as he pedals instead of tunned out and in oblivion?


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

SCOOTERINSLC said:


> I simply don't care what you think. At all.



If you don't care, at all, you wouldn't have posted to the thread.

I suspect you care a great deal what the rest of us think of you.


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## SCOOTERINSLC (Apr 18, 2003)

You should work for the media. You took my quote out of context. How about the whole sentence? "Anti earphone crowd need not reply to me, as I simply don't care what you think. At all." Regarding the fact that I do in fact wear ear buds while riding. And no, really I don't care those folks think. Do I care about what the rest of you think? Sure, about as much as I should care about what a bunch of anonymous people on the internet that I don't know think of me. A little, but not too much.


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

SCOOTERINSLC said:


> You should work for the media. You took my quote out of context. How about the whole sentence? "Anti earphone crowd need not reply to me, as I simply don't care what you think. At all." Regarding the fact that I do in fact wear ear buds while riding. And no, really I don't care those folks think. Do I care about what the rest of you think? Sure, about as much as I should care about what a bunch of anonymous people on the internet that I don't know think of me. A little, but not too much.


Dude that seals it. It you really didn't care, you wouldn't have posted the above. So, it's pretty obvious, now that you do care.

If I wanted to comment on your post, I had to do so to you directly. To do otherwise, to make a post _about_ you like this:

"SCOOTERINSLC obviously cares .... "

That would be "META" discussion - something that is generally frowned upon on discussion forums like this one and on the net in general. This is a custom that goes back to the earliest days of USENET. It's rude., So, like it or not, it was incumbent on me to address you directly, although you specifically asked not to be. 

I was not incumbent on you to respond to me and if you really didn't care what I thought, at all, you would have just shined on what I posted.

You'll also notice I didn't address your habit of wearing earbuds "cranked" when you ride. If you want to risk your neck, and that of those around you, it's your karma and because it appears that you don't live anywhere close to me, I don't have to worry about your karma messing with mine.

It would also appear that you may be trying to troll the thread. Is that what you're up to?


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## SCOOTERINSLC (Apr 18, 2003)

If I am trolling, it is funny how you're the only one who took the bait. Maybe I used an oldJedi mind trick. Maybe I'm having a battle of wits with an unarmed man.... However, I think it is more. I think you've taken a special interest in me because, well, you really do care! And darn it, I do care that you care! Praise the maker of all things! You really love me! I may just flush my ear buds down the toilet and invite you out for a ride! How is next Sunday?


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

SCOOTERINSLC said:


> If I am trolling, it is funny how you're the only one who took the bait. Maybe I used an oldJedi mind trick. Maybe I'm having a battle of wits with an unarmed man.... However, I think it is more. I think you've taken a special interest in me because, well, you really do care! And darn it, I do care that you care! Praise the maker of all things! You really love me! I may just flush my ear buds down the toilet and invite you out for a ride! How is next Sunday?


Ok, Scoot, you're starting to get a little creepy.

I'm already booked. I'll tell you what, though, be at the summit of Wilkerson Pass at 10am. Ride for Buena Vista and then on to Salida. I won't be there. I'll have ridden that route Saturday, but you can ride it without me and pretend I'm there. With those earbuds in and cranked, having company on your ride would be utterly pointless.


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## rigginglizard (Sep 7, 2012)

I currently work for Ringling Brothers circus, live on a train, and commute to work everyday while wearing headphones. I find myself riding on all varieties of roads in all conditions and all levels of traffic. I believe that headphones are no different than having a stereo in a car. Drivers have their car stereos turned up loud enough to block out everyone else in the world, they put on makeup, drink coffee, eat triple cheeseburgers, and talk on the phone when driving. I put my headphones on and put my phone in my pocket. My average pace is 18+ mph and I cant hear the cars coming up behind me without headphones. So yes, I listen to music while I ride. it helps me keep pace and blocks out the annoying idiots in their steel and glass coffins who think i should ride on the sidewalk. Its a personal choice. I understand the risks I take. Be responsible for your own safety, no one else will.


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## cparrish (Jun 21, 2010)

ride behind someone with them on for awhile then decide if its a good idea.


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## fevans (Mar 3, 2005)

cparrish said:


> ride behind someone with them on for awhile then decide if its a good idea.


If you rode behind me, you probably wouldn't realize that I had my tunes going. That's because I would see you behind me in my mirror. The anti-headphones group seems to make two common and invalid assumptions:
1) Every headphone-wearing cyclist is oblivious to their surroundings. I believe this is because there ARE some people that fit into this category, cyclists and non-cyclists, but not everyone fits into your narrow stereotype. As I've said many times, if you have a mirror, wearing headphones shouldn't detract from your spacial awareness.

2) Not wearing headphones adds safety because you can hear cars, riders, etc. coming from behind. This is nonsense. If there's one car, you might be able to hear it before it clobbers you, but how can you tell if it's coming right at you or will miss you. Does it sound different? Will you have enough time to react once you hear it? I doubt it. What if there's more than one car? Does that sound differently than just one? With a mirror you can see cars coming a 1/4 mile away and as they approach, you can tell if they are moving over or not. Can you do that with your ears?

Just my 2 cents.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

In addition to the obvious safety issues, I think it also sends the wrong message to people around you (drivers, other cyclists, etc.) and can probably screw you in court if you got into some kind of collision where liability is questionable.



Bizman said:


> Never music, but I do wear earplugs to help with wind noise.


How fast do you ride?


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## leaftye (Oct 6, 2012)

Bizman said:


> Never music, but I do wear earplugs to help with wind noise.


Not a bad idea if you're riding where it's terribly noisy, like alongside an interstate. The noise there is already overwhelming and high enough to cause hearing loss. I find that I can actually hear more with ear plugs because it reduces the noise to a level I can tolerate, which allows me to focus more on what's important. For example, on my motorcycle at highway speeds all I can hear without ear plugs is the wind. Without ear plugs I can hear other vehicles, horns, sirens and even my valvetrain.

Maybe "hear" is not the right word since obviously all those sounds make it into my ears to hear. Perhaps it's more accurate to say I can listen better with ear plugs when I'm in very noisy environments.


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## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

Never for me. Not just that I might not hear some kind of danger around me, but mostly because it's a distraction that I don't need. I prefer my entire mind focused on riding and what's around me. For me it's too easy to get in to the tunes or talk and loose my alertness.


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## sunawang (Oct 10, 2012)

Sometimes. But, it's not recommended


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## moskowe (Mar 14, 2011)

Whenever I interact with a cyclist riding with music in their ears I pre-emptively move around them with twice the distance as I would any other cyclist.
It still baffles me people think that riding with music in your ears is "not dangerous" and that since "there is not a lot of traffic" or excuse 2 or excuse 3 then it's okay. Loss of hearing = bad. You may think that you're doing perfectly fine, that hearing is an over-rated sense anyway, but the people around you will suffer. It happens every single time I ride with, pass or get passed by someone with headphones. 

Riding with a mirror does make things marginally better, but in my opinion doesn't replace riding with your ears open. But the way I see it, people who take the trouble to put a mirror on their bike/helmet are concerned enough with their safety that they'll usually be pretty cautious, so even if they're listening to music and not as aware as they could be, they're still safer than most of the cycling population out there.


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