When cycling, do you like listening to music?

[Brian-s]

My go-to for biking is last podcast on the left.

I do use Bluetooth headphones, but I also have my Garmin varia set up in case I'm not paying attention.

 

[RandallS]

Wear Shokz c/w Cat Ears, and unless it's windy, can hear OK. But it's only audiobooks and only when I am riding by myself and not in busy areas.
I don't spend very much time on streets, just trails and pathways.

 

[BikerG]

I never listen to music while I ride. But once I reach my destination I listen to classic rock.

 

[il Munduato]

Not a big fan of speakers on bikes. Would much rather hear the birds chirping and the waves pounding and the Tesla coming up behind me than someone else's music.

I'm sure the speaker users above play theirs at considerate volumes. But in my local SoCal beach towns, we get a lot of posers on e-cruisers blaring absolutely awful music you can hear half a mile away, thinking they're the coolest dudes alive. (Yep, all male and most old enough to have some manners.)

Good thing I don't have a handlebar-mounted RPG.

My speaker is tiny and even then played at a personal volume . Been using it for years even before e was a part of my biking and not once was I put in a situation where I was unaware of my surroundings because of it.
No problem walking and chewing gum either...

It did almost get me into a fight on the mup about a month ago. I was singing along I guess a little louder than I realized to Black Sabbath - Digital Bitch and was pumping hard in anticipation of the upcoming hill when I passed a couple of guys drinking beers and one of them thought that I called him a bitch. He jumped into the middle of the path and started shouting and calling me out. I stopped and gave him the "what" gesture and then told him I was singing along to some Sabbath as I raised the volume on the speaker so he could hear the song. He quickly calmed down and said... I like that song.

Music once again saves the day...

 

[fooferdoggie]

Interesting design. Wouldn't adress my issue with dividing auditory attention between ambient and earbud sound in traffic, but others might be a lot better at that.

Maybe this business of listening to music on a bicycle is unmasking a loss of bandwidth I didn't know I had. A lot of things get lost on the way to 75.


with me listing to books or podcasts hep me kewep my attention on the road. otherwise my mind wanders too muc. good old ADHD at work.

 

[Cook Parker]

I enjoy upbeat and energizing music when cycling to keep me motivated and maintain my pace.

 

[fauconnier]

It's illegal to wear earphones in Québec.

 

[jabberwocky]

Illegal to have them in both ears in Virginia as well.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-1078/

 

[il Munduato]

Since most earbuds effectively block most ambient noise a small speaker is far more practical.
When riding I prefer music to be part of the ambient and not so immersive anywho.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Generally, no.

But sometimes when I am confronted with a seriously long and dispiriting hill I'll use a bone-conducting headset and some tunes to make the long slow miles pass by. That's especially likely if there is little or no traffic.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I splurged on the bose open ear earbuds for my wife. she could not hear me well with her other bose. Now she can hear her music well and me and even with traffic she can hear her music, plus no chance of falling out and no sleeves or tips to lose. Plus she finds them easier to deal with when you can't see. the only bad part is the price.

 

[Chargeride]

Its a weird phenomena for me, as Ive got older I listen to music less and less, no radio in my van, cant listen to the radio for more than ten seconds.

So many things about the internets have rewired my brain that Im sort of concerned Ive lost a part of me.

I havent watched a movie for years, dont listen to music unless its the soundtrack for visuals, going to see a play or a band bores me to death , sport bores me to death, I find fireworks tedious now, used to love them.
Cars, motorbikes were my life...no interest whatsoever now.

Whats taken over is discovery, ambience, experiencing shades of light, atmosphere, adventure, exposure.

I did toy with playing Jean Michelle Jarre during epic rides in the mountains, too false and forced.

Rolling tyres over different terrain, thunder in the distance, branches hitting spokes, climbing into wind blasts. the quiet motor sweet spot, involuntary grunts, wind in trees, creaking bark, my own internal narration of difficult terrain , or out loud for the camera.

Which is its own music I guess.

 

[DaveMatthews]

I love music. I play in a band, and it is very important to me, but...
As others have already shared, for me it is critical that I hear cars coming up behind me. At 67 my hearing is still very good (amazingly) and I can hear a Tesla coming up behind me at well over 100'.
That makes me look in the mirror to make sure everything is "jake".
Wearing my earbuds wipes all of that out, and it makes me feel (sadly) uncomfortable.
So yeah... ambient sound FTW.