Music on my bike

harryS

Well-Known Member
For the past 3 years, I've been wanting to hang speakers off my bikes thinking to run them off an MP3 player. Then I saw I could get a bluetooth speaker that can also read audio files off my phone or from a mini SD card. This Muzili cost about 18-20 bucks. It runs on a Lithium battery that recharges off USB. Seems to be good for 3-4 hours. There's also an FM radio built-in, but reception was poor. Ther's a USB port too, but I haven't been able to get the Muzili to read it. I liked it so much, I bought a second one.

It's easy to throw it in a pannier or a frame bag, but I wanted access to the controls. Here, I'm using a little phone bag that I lengthened by 1/4" to fit the speaker box.

Better than going 28 mph, in my opinion.

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Had a few drops fall today so we turned around and went home. Thanks for the advice though. I'll keep a baggie under the speakers.
 
I also travel with some plastic in tow, for sure, when the weather looks to be tricky! Happy listening! :)
 
In the Big Apple, I've witnessed numerous summonses given to cyclists riding with headphones on, or earbuds in, both ears.

Glad to hear it happens somewhere!
One of the easiest-to-prevent self-made dangers on a trail, is riders, skaters and walkers with both ears plugged up for their own music. I had to basically scream “LEFT!” at someone as I approached from behind... I was practically on top of them at that point, having slowed to a crawl after several rings of the SpurCycle bell as the distance closed (which is loud to start with for walkers with open ears), and a normal-riding-loudness ‘On your left’ perhaps 12 feet behind—none of which they heard. They had big, over-ear headphones on, walking a dog on a too long leash with the dog completely across the path from the walker, all oblivious to anything behind them. My scream definitely startled the walker, but at that point, 4 feet away, it should. Mixed use trails are never meant for that kind of willful “self absorption”; no matter the pretty scenery the trail may offer, they aren’t intended to have users disengage from awareness of everyone else on the trail.
I’ve also found that riding with my Buckshot and playing music gives an additional notice to some walkers ahead of me... often they will turn to look back and/or start moving to the right, hearing my music before I go to ring the bell or announce... and I’m not “blasting” the volume, boombox style, when I ride but of course it does carry...
 
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I have the same unit that Alaskan posted. Works very well and lets walkers here you coming when you get close.
 
My wife and I both have Bluetooth speakers on our trunk bags and they are paired so they have a great stereo sound depending on how we are positioned! We love Pandora
 
I recently got a Ultimate Ears Boom 3 for hanging on the fruit trees while I'm pruning in the orchard and it works really well. It's also completely waterproof and it happens to fit perfectly in my bike's bidon cage - I haven't tried it on the bike yet but after reading this thread, I'll give it a whirl next time I'm out. I would expect I could get a phone holder for the handlebars if I wanted access to the controls while riding.
 
My wife and I use the bluetooth speakers built into our Sena helmets. We pair them with our smartphones and listen to music without obstructing the sounds around us.
 
Just got an email about this product -- combining an insulated water bottle with a bluetooth speaker. (Don't have one, so can't speak to the audio.) But a potentially space-saving idea, if you only have room for say, 1 bottle cage...!

combo bottle & speaker
 
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