Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stacie Hudgens on August 1, 2008 at 11:29am

I am with you on this - I keep my headphones really low when I do wear them riding because I am deaf in one ear and terrified of cab drivers! All of the people I ride with here in Tucson are completely deaf...they are the ones who taught me to ride years ago...all eyes and if you can hear that distant siren..right on!

vxla said:

Hopefully you don't get behind someone who is hearing impaired or has limited hearing.

Here's an interesting article:
http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-1-283-13276-1,00.html

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Permalink Reply by natalee on August 2, 2008 at 8:53pm

i don't even like to walk with headphones on...

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Permalink Reply by Rachel on August 4, 2008 at 5:09am

i wanna make sure i can hear a honking horn, the roar of a CTA engine, and myself yell, "HEY WATCH IT ASSHOLE! You'd get shot for that in Philly!!" that being said...no headphones for this girl. guess i'm forced to sing to myself and my fellow riders and we pass each other.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on August 4, 2008 at 5:11am

My brother-in-law rides with just one earbud in. That seems to work for him. I have bad hearing as it is, so I prefer to keep my ears available.

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Permalink Reply by evanK on August 4, 2008 at 5:19am

I'm going to chime in and say that it's unsafe to ride with headphones.
It's probably more unsafe as people ride faster. Going 8 mph in a straight line on a joy ride is different than commuting at 15-20. The amount of information you need to take in increases as you go faster.

As for hearing-impaired riders: I just got back from RAGBRAI and noticed one rider with a seat-post license plate that said "deaf rider." It wouldn't do a whole lot on the road, but for a group ride or the bike path, it's probably a good idea.

Maybe people who ride with headphones should get similar plates.

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Permalink Reply by Joe on August 4, 2008 at 7:04am

I ride with headphones in daily but im pretty much the only one who commutes on the bike path out here, lazy burbanites, on the way to work i keep the volume up to wake my ass out the hangover coma. on the way home there are usually families riding and i keep one bud in till i get to the side street i take home with little to no car traffic.. so i guess im sayin it depends where you are and how well you know the area, i wouldnt ride with them in the city though. i'de be terrified

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Permalink Reply by Vanessa B on August 4, 2008 at 7:50am

I personally love listening to music while i ride. and i think you can do so responsibly. Keeping the volume lowish helps. I make sure i can hear sounds other than my music before i take off. My feeling is if cycling gear is specifically made for portable music, it's ok.

-vanessa



-vanessa

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Permalink Reply by amandaland on August 4, 2008 at 1:07pm

hear, hear!

No really, hear, hear! I hate it when people don't by choice. I agree, it is inconsiderate.

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Permalink Reply by 2slowtrek on August 6, 2008 at 7:10am

I have never ridden in the city with headphones. I am not even tempted. If I lived out in the burbs or the country it would be another thing, but here.... you have to be paying attention.

Is it a law? I dont know, but I think it should be. I know you cant drive a car with headphones on for a fact.... but you can have a radio.

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Permalink Reply by Chris on August 10, 2008 at 3:48am

i agree that its a bad plan to block your hearing when riding for sure. i know all people obviously cant do this but ive got my ear lobes stretched so i just put my ear buds in my earlobes that way i hear music but i can hear everything around me.

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Permalink Reply by igz on June 10, 2009 at 7:22am

in a car it is illegal for the exact same reason it should be illegal. yeah...you can listen to music in a car with a radio, but often enough, you can still hear other noise. With headphones, you got nothing but the music in your ear.

And god forbid you need to skip that song you thought was a good idea to download when drunk the other night. One hand on the bars, deaf to the world, looking down. Spells disaster to me.

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Permalink Reply by Maximilian on June 10, 2009 at 9:16am

headphones are not the problem. people not looking out is the real problem. I've been riding with headphones in my ears for god knows how long now and ive never had an issue or a situation where i said to myself, maybe i shouldnt be listening to music while i ride.. music and bikes go together hand in hand. just like beer ;)
if your a good rider, your eyes are all you need. if you see whats around you, what is sound going to help with? beside, hearing all the car horns drive me crazy enough to snap on some of the drivers out there. so its really to keep me sane :D
And there should be no reason someone with headphone should ride you off the road if your trying to pass them. if you see that there all over the place, whats yelling on the left going to help with? pass them with more space. Its like saying on your left to someone that doesnt speak english it doesnt help in all cases so you shouldnt rely on it. i dont. i make weird and strange noise. anything that doesnt sound like a city noise so it gets them to look back. if you pass someone, and they hit you, its your fault just as much as there. headphones or not, you should see the way there riding from a distance. blame yourself, not the headphones.

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