Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on June 10, 2009 at 9:48am

The truth is that biking with headphones is illegal. Bikes must follow the same code as cars so if it's illegal for cars, then it's illegal for bikes.

It's the same with biking and talking on a cell phone (in Chicago and select municipalities)...unless you have a hands-free headset. But we at Active Trans do not recommend even that.

Be safe; don't distract yourself while biking!

Ethan, with Active Trans

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Permalink Reply by Seri97 on June 10, 2009 at 10:27am

What if you are deaf or hard of hearing? Should you not ride a bicycle? Please do not only rely upon saying something to other riders. Cars do not usually lower thier window and communicate when passing. Although cars have signals. You can use non verbal hand signals to inform other cyclists of your intentions and to warn of road debris. cycling defensively like driving defensively is the best practice to avoid issues when possible.

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Permalink Reply by Maximilian on June 10, 2009 at 10:49am

drinking is also illegal while riding a bike. and how many of us listen to that one, need i mention other things. didnt think so. u just have to look out all the time! never forget that you can die at every corner. safety laws dont help anyone. they just make people think there safe so they go around doing whatever cuz.. well there safe. so why look left and right.
your the same people that put warning labels on hot coffee. u people make me sick. you better no its hot!

Active Transportation Alliance said:

The truth is that biking with headphones is illegal. Bikes must follow the same code as cars so if it's illegal for cars, then it's illegal for bikes.
It's the same with biking and talking on a cell phone (in Chicago and select municipalities)...unless you have a hands-free headset. But we at Active Trans do not recommend even that.
Be safe; don't distract yourself while biking!

Ethan, with Active Trans

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Permalink Reply by o0_dan_0o on June 10, 2009 at 11:42am

i wear headphones when i ride- by myself, out of traffic. if im riding with others i dont, if im riding in the city, i dont.

what bothers me is people who see a guy with headphones on and decide that its their time to be social enforcer. i usually use universal sign language in that case, so whatever..

honestly, im gonna agree with the poster above that said something about relying on vision therefore being more careful.. i feel the same way..

plus listening to stuff like this:


while going really fast is pretty frikkin awesome...

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Permalink Reply by o0_dan_0o on June 10, 2009 at 3:27pm

im all for banning/re-educating(with or without U-lock justice™) all other cyclists that arent as _uber_ as i am.

h3 said:

Considering the discussion here, in the "beef" thread, and on pretty much every bike-related list encroaching into my inbox at the moment, I'm starting to think the majority of cyclists would be happy if we could just get rid of all the other cyclists.

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Mitzit on June 10, 2009 at 3:58pm

Headphones, iPods, cell phones, texting etc.all are pretty offensive to me. And depressing. These all seem tools to me to shut out attention, contemplative thought, the world, life. If I were inclined to think so, I'd argue these are the Devil's devices designed to keep us away from any spirituality or self-examination or insight. The world is an astonishingly noisy place and others try to obscure it by overlaying more noise to drown it out. I can't say this is an improvement.

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Permalink Reply by dav on June 10, 2009 at 4:39pm

I wear my headphones while I ride. I enjoy listening to music and podcast's on my commute and joy rides. I keep the level low enough to hear vehicles approach.

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on June 10, 2009 at 5:15pm

i wear headphones... on the trainer. Who needs to listen to the rollers rumble?

Never on the road.

i'm with the "keep your ears open" bunch. Good on you if you don't need to rely on your hearing - i do.

i'm not about to play Mr. Bike Cop and gigg you for using the 'phones out there, but i am going to feel free to think you're only kidding yourself that you're "safe enough" with 'em on. C'mon, i've HEARD the music oozing from others' earbuds as they cruise by with the 'pod at earbleed level, and so have you.

Do what you like. Whatever. But someone up there has already mentioned the negligence angle if a mishap occurs whilst you're tuned and Zuned...

Like helmets and brakes, use or no is your choice, but why minimise your chances?

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Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on June 10, 2009 at 6:25pm

i'm sure some of you have seen my "wear helmets not ipods" sign, a message i tried to take to the people last CCM. but what more can you do? if i saw a person exiting a public restroom without washing her hands, it'd be ridiculous to chase her down and lecture her. sometimes you have to let people make their own decisions, then just do your best to avoid them for the sake of your own health and safety!

h3 said:

Considering the discussion here, in the "beef" thread, and on pretty much every bike-related list encroaching into my inbox at the moment, I'm starting to think the majority of cyclists would be happy if we could just get rid of all the other cyclists.

yeah, sheeeeesh get outta my bike lane!! you're doing it wrong!!

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Permalink Reply by Chris on June 10, 2009 at 6:48pm

ahh nothing like some good old victim blaming.

Look, especially on a bike, what good does it do you to hear things from behind? YOU CAN'T HEAR SOMEONE ABOUT TO PLOW INTO YOU. You will just get plowed into.

As for the roller blading case, a driver HIT A PEDESTRIAN. While he might have gotten off due to "comparative negligence" I ardently believe it is the driver's fault. Should everyone who runs or bikes or blades (okay i hate rollerblading just in the interest of full disclosure), jump out of the way whenever they hear a car coming?!

everytime you hear a car behind you do you erratically swerve into the gutter? of course not. you track a straight line like you're supposed to and hope the driver will too.

For the record, if someone yells "on your left" and passes you and yet you get clipped because you're in la la land it's your fault period. the music is only tangential.
BK said:

Deaf is not a choice. Headphones are. On a slight tangent I remember a case from when I lived in Michigan where a guy was roller-blading on a street at night with headphones on and was hit and killed by a car. The driver did not get in to any trouble because of the negligence of the roller-blader, which I agree with. The same could easily happen to a cyclist. I'm going to chalk this one up to Darwinism. Those who are best suited to survive will. I don't think that includes headphone wearing cyclists. You know I must feel strongly about this if I am siding with motorists. Man.

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Permalink Reply by David Travis on June 10, 2009 at 9:16pm

So many voice their reliance on vision as their only necessary defensive sense, but so few bikes or riders have mirrors. Because of mirrors vision is much better in a car.

I understand the pleasure of audio stimulants, I don't understand how decreasing or eliminating hearing makes one better aware of one's surroundings or makes another sense acute enough to compensate for something totally different.

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Permalink Reply by dav on June 11, 2009 at 1:10am

Chris said:
For the record, if someone yells "on your left" and passes you and yet you get clipped because you're in la la land it's your fault period. the music is only tangential.


If someone yells "on your left" and passes you and you get clipped that person didn't pass properly. That person didn't allow for enough distance to safely pass on the left.

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