Listening to music while riding?

I usually put the tunes on for short trips and my daily commute. Earplugs all the way for longer rides.

I can probably understand the idea of it being taken into account in the case of an accident. After all, we do have a lot more to think about than when driving a car.

[chris8886]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I used to listen to it all the time, found it really helped me keep focused. is what you need

Get decent in ear headphones that will attenuate background noise.

i'm pretty much the same on this, however I still do listen to music on most longer trips, ie. over 10 miles or so.

Originally Posted by granty92

i listen to music 90% of the time and the other 10% is when i have someone on the back, it helps keep me focused i find, dont listen to stupid music like dubstep but just normal chart music seems so keep me cool

also about 90% of the time, with reasons as above

Originally Posted by PyroUK

Pretty much always plugged in, I find it helps me stay focused.

It's bad as my mind can wonder easily so having the music on keeps my concentration.

I use a decent set of in-ear phones that cut out the wind and road noise. Haven't had an issue with hearing other things as I look about quite a lot. Not too fussed about hearing other cars apart from emergency vehicles and majority of the time I see them before most car drivers hear them.

Oh and I can second what others have said re choice of music, if the right (or wrong depending on your POV) song comes on it can influence the amount of throttle applied!

I am similar and so use music to help me concentrate and I also enjoy it in the same way I would enjoy listening to music etc when I used to have car and be driving around in that on my own.

I still use my custom ear plugs (or foam bog standard ones if custom are not to hand) and I then have a pair of "speaker" earphones (with the earphone hook things ripped off) and then I push them up in side my helmet into the little recess' that are there for my ear (with no discomfort might I add). my long term plan is to get some custom earplugs that can fit into my bose earphones made up, so I can get the quality level better. as, while the current setup is adequate it's not ideal and I do plan to upgrade it in time.

[Littlepeahead]

I was bimbling along on shuffle and my 'Deep sleep with hypnosis' anti insomnia came on. Had to pull over quick to switch that one off.

As for singing, I managed to screw up the cabling on my Autocom so Mr LPH accidentally got my music and my singing in his helmet headset but I couldn't hear him. My rendition of Prince's Kiss nearly had him driving into a wall.

Bach's cello concertos played by Yo Yo Ma are perfect for a smooth journey.

[DJ123]

The only time I put music on is when i'll be hacking away on a DC/motorway for an hour + (which is rare). I much prefer to hear the bike and all the noises around me. I have no trouble keeping my concentration on riding, anything that isn't related to riding is a distraction.

[BanannaMan]

Earphones while operating a bike or a car are illegal here.
Don't know anyone who's been caught.

Not for me.
While riding I tend to only listen to fast songs and find myself acting stupid to 'keep up' with the music especially when the traffic slows.
That and I rarely ride motorways or dual carriageways.
In fact going on a 850 mile trip at the end of the month. 0 miles of which will be on a dual carriageway.

so i spoke to mums boyf and he said its not illegal but a very grey area due to the fact electronic devices should be used while driving or riding, but then he also mentioned how car drivers listen to the radio and that is legal so its definately not illegal

The main difference as I see it is earphones putting the sound directly into the ear thereby obliterating the surround sound more than normal earplugs which allow a degree of surrounding sounds . In a car it is an ambient sound and not direct into your ear allowing the surrounding sounds to be heard,but the way some younger generation drive with the volume so high that the car reverberates without damaging their ears amazes me.
I think the number of accidents involving people wearing headphones speaks for itself so if you feel that you have the capability to cope without knowing what sounds are around you it is your prerogative.

We all think that loud pipes save lives but not a lot of use if somebody is pumping music into their ears directly through headphones to wipe it out

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

I think the number of accidents involving people wearing headphones speaks for itself so if you feel that you have the capability to cope without knowing what sounds are around you it is your prerogative.

Not to be too argumentative but do you have anything to back that lot up at all?

First, have you ever tried riding with earphones? I have, for thousands of miles, sure it makes conversation impossible but you can still hear the engine, horns, emergency vehicles etc fine.

Secondly, how many accidents involve people wearing headphones? Not including lemming pedestrians. If the "number speaks for itself" then you must have some strong statistical evidence surely.


Lastly I always found that commuting, sounds around me were not important. On a bike there are two things... what is in front of you, and what is behind you... you can't hear either of them. If you had ears like a bat then 99% of your traffic information would still come from your eyes.

Level crossing,pedestrians walking into the path of other road users,the girl who rolled back at the lights despite me blowing the horn are few examples.Listening to the news and reading the papers telling you of the people killed by wearing headphones while listening to music. Yes general carelessness would be a contributory factor but the fact exist that it does impair your awareness of surrounding sounds. As I said previously each to their own as it is not illegal but I personally consider it to be a safety issue.