Listening to your music on the go...
 

...always have been warey of listening to music while on my motorbike (sometimes did it on the pedal bike while training, but never really felt good about it), but have noticed a couple of threads on here about it and people doing it and also noticed nearly all the jackets at the london show having mp3 pouches! In theory i spose its the same as driving with the radio on

Do you feel safe not being able to hear around you?
Does anyone make some sort of special earphones you can leave in your helmet as such?
Do you just use normal earphones...and if so...don't you have issues getting your lid on?

Do you feel safe not being able to hear around you? Yes (you can still hear things if its not to lound)
Does anyone make some sort of special earphones you can leave in your helmet as such? Yes fairly easy to find on google
Do you just use normal earphones...and if so...don't you have issues getting your lid on? No I have a pair of microbuds very good like earplugs with a very small speaker inside.

Apple have just launched earphones for the iPod that exclude external noise too

what i really meant though was headphones which stayed in the lid in the ear wells....sorta speakers almsot.

I use an autocom:-

www.autocom.co.uk

Speakers permanently mounted in the lid.

Connect to Ipod - can still hear at well over the legal motorway limit with earplugs in.

Quality bit of kit.

I have an autocom also - it's great. Though i think it automaticly adjusts the volume. I found that after slowing down from 90 MPH to 60 MPH my ears were hurting, but the volume would drop down a few seconds later.

Autocom actually recomends using ear plugs that have a 10 - 15 decible drop. They say it makes the autocom system seem louder.

something like THIS.

I have a head set like the autocom one too, but I find that on longer journeys I need earplugs so the microbuds are just right.
If you want a set of the ones like autocom there are a few suppliers. Oxford do them for around £20. They all include a mic and some have a push to talk button.
You need a boom mic for open face lids and a stick on mice for closed.

If you want to use them with radios make sure the volume on the output is loud enough as some of the cheaper radios are to quiet when the wind noise picks up.

there is a link on some forum that shows how to make helmet speakers for 20 quid.

cant find the link though.

i cant recommend Autocom enough. Ive tried a few different methods to listen to music however when the wind picked up, i just couldnt hear anything. Dont buy cheap helmet headphones - theyre not loud enough and arent suited to playing music through. Either go down the autocom route or look for a set of earbuds which have noise cancelling properties. You can get a set by Koss called "the plug". I bought some but they dont look like they'll last very long. Sony do some around £40

I use normal headphones that came with my phone.

Ive been told it's nice to have something that blocks lots of noise out when you are doing longer journeys, but i have still to do one.
However, for comuting i listen to music every morning, and never put it so loud that i can't hear traffic around me.
Allthough i rely more on my eyes :wink: