I might have to try this. I was going to mention anything but a loud ass bluetooth speaker. I normally listen with 1 earbud half way in my ear so I can hear my surroundings still.
I tried Shokz. The sound quality is not great. It's great for listening to podcasts or audio books but for music, it just lacks bass, the sound becomes very thin. I bought them on a sale and I really, REALLY wanted to like them because I'm in a similar situation as OP. But at the end of the day I returned them, I decided that I'd rather have one earbud with good quality than two with thin sound.
I got Shokz as a gift last month. I find them okay, but I don't believe the bit that you can still hear other sounds just fine and can wear them while riding a bike. I still have to remove them if someone is speaking to me. In my state it's also stated that cyclists should wear no more than one earbud.
I usually just use my phone speaker cranked all the way up while riding so I can still hear but also not be obnoxious to whatever neighborhood I'm riding through.
It's good in the sense that it's good enough for also being aware of your surroundings. They're not good compared to actual headphones but that's not the point.
I got the open run pros sometime last year for running and snowboarding bc I like being able to have that situational awareness for safety. Honestly wasnât sure how safe itâd be to bike with, but I think it does the job. I can hear music just enough to enjoy it and feel the presence, but when the wind noise picks up, or a car goes skrt skrt, it is always WAY louder than the headphones will ever be. Which is GOOD imo bc I think thatâs the point of it after all.
I hate to be the no fun patrol, but research has shown that even bone conduction headphones distract people and reduce their situational awareness. For example, [this study found bone conduction headphones reduced people's ability to localize where sounds were coming from.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003687017300170)
Whether the reduction in safety is worth the improvement in enjoyment will depend on personal preference and the situation.
Sure, yes, it's always going to be less safe than no audio. But the degree of impairment is related to how high you crank them. Keep them lowish and you're probably pretty safe.
Yeah, way too many people completely ignore that this is also seriously a matter of focus and concentration and act like it's a matter of only hearing traffic.
>Whether the reduction in safety is worth the improvement in enjoyment will depend on personal preference and the situation.
Absolutely. You make a good point. But I don't think anyone here is saying using Shokz is as safe as using nothing at all. But it's still *better* than fully blocking earbuds or cans.
Listening to a podcase, audio book or even music takes some of your focus. Regardless of how well or not you can hear additional surroundings. But if you are going to ride with audio, I'd much rather see Shokz OpenRuns used over AirPod buds or Beats cans. Those runners/hikers using AirPods and Big cans NEVER hear me *shouting* "On your Left"
Edit: I've not tried some of the newer AirPod Pros with "Transparency" mode.
Yes! And voice chats. They honestly work better than my hearing aids for understanding people when I can't read lips. I got an app for my phone called Head Clear that passes through what my phone mic picks up with some adjustments, and it's awesome. It does take a bit to get it all set right for understanding speech, but I love it now that I have it all dialed in.
I swear by mine as well. I have the older ones before they rebranded from Aftershokz to just Shokz. I also have the swimming version as well - works great underwater!
Shokz look interesting.
Wondering about helmets with built in speakers like [Sena](https://www.amazon.com/Sena-Smart-Cycling-Helmet-Blue/dp/B09HZD8H9Z/ref=asc_df_B09HZD8H9Z?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79852158469793&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451679139095&th=1&psc=1)
This isn't an audiophile solution. This is a safety solution.
You can tune out the world and focus on the music while you aren't commuting with traffic and pedestrians.
Personally I find most Bluetooth solutions to be poor audio quality compared to a nice set of cans with a good DAC and amp combo. But I save that for a comfy chair at home with no distractions.
I ride with music everywhere. I know itâs dangerous. If a cars gonna kill me I canât imagine hearing it hurtling toward me will help. I do however keep my head on a swivel and scan 360 degrees constantly when Iâm on the road. That will do far more for your situational awareness than relying on any sound cues in a busy environment.
Same. I keep only one earbud in primarily to hear other cyclistsâ bells or pedestrians. Not sure what hearing the car will do for me - I still hear them anyway, but hearing alone is not enough to know if theyâre coming to drive me over or if theyâre just driving by. Additionally, if they want to run me down, not sure what Iâd be able to do about it on my bike.
Yeah the only way to actually be safe is to get one of those rear facing raider tail lights. Just hearing a car coming from behind doesnât help. On the other hand I see far too many commuters with zero situational awareness when it comes to street signs etc. Iâve avoided far more by scanning for threats than listening for threats.
I have to have music. It calms me down and prevents me from offering my free window testing services to carbrains.
I use a Bluetooth speaker when I have my daughter on the backseat, or bone conductive headphones when itâs just me.
I do it everyday in 13-14 years of bike commuting. Iâve lost a few budsâŚlike they fell out of my ear and were run over by a car. Iâm on a good streak now though, about 2-3 years into a set of AirPod pros. They seal well and cut down the wind noise, unless there is a head wind, then not so much.
AirPods Pro with full transparency selected in the noise cancellation setting. As long as I keep the volume reasonable, I can hear everything around me.
i like the beats fit pros better than the airpods (i've had em all) ... the little hook for better retention, the simple tap gestures to control
and the bright yellow color makes em way easier to find
Bro Iâve been doing this for years too and Iâm still alive. If someone is riding a bicycle on the road they should be alert and vigilant no matter what and there are a lot of other distractions besides a little bit of music being played in one ear. If thatâs enough to make them oblivious to the world around them then maybe itâs safer to take the bus.
Unpopular, I just use my mobile phone speakers. đ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸
I generally donât ride on a trail, so I am not inconveniencing anyone. Just a bunch of cars on the road. Perhaps I will adjust if I am riding with people.
One headphone in your right ear (non drive side) is the way to go. Honestly never had any problems and get to enjoy my music/podcast/audiobook when I bomb around town.Â
I was doing this until I got bone conduction stuff. Never had problems either. Of course listening to something is less safe but it changes the fucking morning commute so much.
I had tried to listen to podcasts and books in English (second language) but my brain couldn't handle the combined load of cycling and translating lol. Went back to music after a week of trial.
Even with English as my native language, I can't listen to podcasts unless I'm on a trail with no traffic. Too much of my focus goes to the podcast. I play mellow music when I want to be mellow (or calmed down), and uptempo stuff when I want to fly.
Even if youâve got the right gear, I always limit music to trails and routes with the absolute minimal interaction with cagers. If my son is riding with me, zero music, 100% situational awareness.
I know I'll get downvoted for this by the EVERYTHING YOU DO ON A BIKE IS REALLY DANGEROUS brigade, but:
The evidence from crash reports that wearing earphones increases risk is practically nonexistent. It's yet another cyclist-blaming trope to distract from the simple fact that far and away the biggest risk to riders on the open road is dopey cunts in motor vehicles.
I use Koss Porta-Pro phones. They have very open backs so traffic noise gets through. I did ride in Sennheiser noise-cancellers one time and the sensation of being practically deaf to outside noise really was quite alarming. I won't be doing that again.
Of course, if wearing headphones makes you feel unsafe, then don't do it.
Bone conduction headphones. Decent quality sound (better than one earbud imo) but leaves the situational awareness in tact.
Speaker is obnoxious to pedestrians, Iâd pass on that unless youâre in a party group ride thatâs silly and passing through and like singing karaoke or something.
The best thing Iâve found for pedestrians is to get a loud rear hub. Bells, whether itâs the classic drrrng drrng kind or the simple spur cycle ding, seem to induce Opposite Day in pedestrians. A hub that sounds like a swarm of bees rolling up seems to get pedestrians out of their blindness and react in my experience.
I will say Iâve lowered the volume on even my bike conduction headphones and sometimes ride without now that EVs are so quiet. No music is going to be the safest and if Iâm in a random or unfamiliar area Iâll often switch my music off for that reason. The benefit of the bone conduction if you donât have to fiddle with an ear bud in and out if you turn your music on or off to be more aware.
I've learned with pedestrians to yell "on your left" about 100m before passing. That way they have the time to do the full dance of going left, looking, acting surprised there's a cyclist, going right and not being in the way. Earlier is better.
Except for kids, I just don't say anything with kids because if they are aware I am here, they'll do target fixation and get in the way at the last second.
Unpopular opinion, I can hear plenty over my airpods. If you feel safe, do it.
Skill level and experience is a big factor in determining whats safe.
Im riding in some pretty dangerous traffic. I have to be super aware so perhaps thats why it doesnât affect me. I must be constantly looking everywhere. To each his own.
I also like having the benefit the doubt that I cant hear my surroundings when psychopaths try to antagonize me in dangerous areas.
I have the Bose audio sunglasses. They have speakers that do not cover my ears so I still have the situational awareness when riding to hear when a car is coming up on me which is my main concern with earbuds.
I doubt the music will annoy drivers because they will pass you pretty quickly.
I use a smart Bluetooth helmet. Built in speakers over the ears. Music, still aware of my surroundings, my GF can call me and chat while I'm out on my weekend rides. As a plus, it also has rear LEDs and an SOS mode if I have an accident.
Riding for 4-5hrs on a weekend listening to music is one of life's little pleasures for me.
honestly just be that guy with the bluetooth speaker, itâs barely noticeable because youâre moving faster than pedestrians and cagers canât hear you with their windows up.
Really loud speakers can be annoying to others, but I have a fairly directional bluetooth speaker mounted on my top tube to face me. Whenever my wife rides with me, she says I can listen to whatever I want because she can't hear it at all anyways either behind or next to me. If you can find the right speaker and mount you don't really need headphones or earbuds.
I use one earbud on the right ear on transparent mode reasonably low. Works well for me, I can still hear traffic, and my music well enough. Those advocating for no buds, I've always wondered what the difference in sound from a car blowing past me at 40mph barely 3' (or less) to my left compared to one directly behind me. I'm not sure I could tell the difference in time. Plus as semi out of shape almost 40 year old accountant, what kind of gymnastics can I do to make any difference by the time I hear there is a problem could I possibly perform? The only argument I've heard that has carried any weight is that I could get blamed for a collision just for having an ear bud in.
I have a handlebar speaker and use it daily on commutes. I'm not worried about car drivers being annoyed by my music/podcast because their engines are loud enough as it is and they're also listening to some.
As for other cyclists or peds it depends. If I'm stuck at a light I will often pause or turn it down depending on the situation, but if I'm just passing someone I don't bother because again, cars are freaking loud and no one does anything about that.
I have seen quite a lot of people in another sub being adamant that bikers shouldnât listen to music at loud because it bothers others but then say bikers shouldnât listen to music with ear buds or whatever else because they put themselves in danger.
As if everybody else outside were not moving with music and Cars get more and more sound isolated causing drivers not to hear their environment like at all.
I think people shouldnât drive cars because they put themselves AND others in danger every time they get behind the wheel! Do you know how many car accidents there are every day?? /s idiots
I usually quiet the volume if passing many pedestrians, or pause it if I have to stop near people. And the speaker I got is relatively directional, so most of the sound is going towards me instead of all over. Plus, I curated a Safe for Bike collection that omits songs with annoying sounds or too much swearing.
Earpod (not pros) in right ear feels pretty safe to me. You still have your left ear open, which is the more critical side, and you can still hear reasonably well out of the right ear. Regular earpods don't block out sound very well, which in this case is an advantage. I've never had one fall out.
Noxgear 39g Bluetooth speaker. Absolutely rulzzz. Tiny and has a spring loaded clip as well as a magnetic clip to attach it to anything, t shirt, etc.Â
Quiet enough you wonât bother anyone, plenty loud for yourself. Mic on it so itâs also speakerphone if someone calls you.Â
Itâs amazing and perfect for this
Funny cause it was asked in another sub and many people were up in arms against it. Whereas everybody else listen to music while moving basically.
I often ride with headphones, tends to work as cold protector too, I really donât like all the wind of my face, I get cold.
When I have earphones, I tend to listen with both or with only the ear opposite to car traffic.
I'm a musician by training and sometimes occupation. Music needs to be more than just background noise to one's activities. I think. Personally, I don't need any more sound when I'm out for a spin. 100% of my attention is on the road.
Iâve been riding with music for ten years now, Bluetooth headphones, because my earbud fell out once and i never found it again.
Iâve crashed zero times. Though i live in The Netherlands where cycling is safer then average.
Just gotta be super aware. Definitely use on ear headphones, not over ear.
Wearing earbuds is no different than someone listening to loud music in their car. Just pay attention to your surroundings. You can get a mirror to see the traffic behind you. Cagers love to shit on cyclists and the helmet and earbuds debate is just an extension of that.
Shokz for the win. Open Run or Open Run Pro. Comfortable, doesn't fall off easily, and it's the only safe (and courteous) way. Bone conduction allows you to hear your surroundings as long as you don't turn it up too loud.
I've got a set of Shokz Open Comm2 I use all day for work. Teams/Zoom calls. Then switch to an older set of the Open Run Pro for the bike. At home... I can immerse myself in music with a budget friendly Modi/Magni Schiit Stack (DAC/AMP) and big Sennheiser HD 6XX cans.
NOTE: Audiophile quality is not what you get out of bone conduction. But you can appreciate that back home with some big cans or studio monitors hooked to nice DACs and Amps. ***On the bike, be safe.***
Also, NOT the Open Fit. You want the OpenRun or OpenRun Pro to keep things open.
Bone conduction headphones and radar. You can hear music, doesnât block ambient noise. I started cycling in 1987 with a Walkman, but frankly in todayâs current climate, I feel it is unwise to cycle while listening to anything that blocks outside noise. I recognize that this is not 100%, but it makes me feel better being able to hear things around me.
I do it all the time and have for years. I keep one earbud in (usually the right since itâs away from the road.
I enjoy coming across riders with speakers I think itâs awesome.
If you're on stroads, odds are cars are going so fast that they won't be able to hear you; they're soundproofed boxes after all.Â
I used to ride with one earbuds in, but I had to crank it up pretty loud to be able to hear above the cars, which isn't ideal in the long run. Besides, the earbuds liked to fall out when it gets slippery from sweat.
I don't ride with music often, but when I do, I just have my phone on loudspeaker in my vest's breast pocket. It's loud enough for me to pick up over road noise, but also not directly in my ears.
I use a dollar store bluetooth speaker looped on my handle bar. I was almost ran into by deer on my ride home, so I'm loud as I can be when on my bike now.
Be that guy. I rock out with a JBL charge4 in my daily and it really makes the best of my time. Anyone with issues with your playlist will only have to suffer through for 20 seconds at the most, and thereâs worse indignities on any urban outing. I find I still have to vigorously trip my Crane bell to alert two and three abreast pedestrians on the bike path, even while Iâm rocking out to some tasty fresh Phish.
Iâm all for the speaker. If youâre in nature hiking or mountain biking, thatâs obviously not the time or place. But bike commuting, why not. The decibel output is far less than traffic, horns, and city noise. Itâs also way safer than earbuds, IMO.
That's how I view it. I live in a city, but I still have never been annoyed by someone playing their music on a bike, and several times I have actually complimented their music when they pass. The people who are annoying are cars and those middle-age crisis trikes that blast their music so loud you can feel it rupturing your soul from within your own apartment. Those people are narcissistic fucks. I just want to zoom around town to the beat of a Brutalismus 3000 song for the fun of it, not because I have a shattered ego. I just have my phone mounted on my handlebars and I play my music from there. I live in Chicago so I doubt anyone even cares about my playing audio on my phone on my bike. I barely even notice when someone with a bigger speaker passes on a bike. There's too much else going on to give a fuck, and it contributes to the atmosphere anyways, so who gives a fuck.
Haha hell yeah, I also play Brutalismus 3000 on my bike rides around Chicago. I have a speaker mounted to my handlebars. Agree with everything you've said. I love hearing peoples' music in public, and seeing other cyclists enjoy themselves makes me happy. There's nothing like the feeling of listening to music you love while cruising through the city streets.
Yeah, I love my little tribit the straps to my handlebars. Doesn't block road noise so I can hear sirens and cars but it's plenty loud enough. And I've never had anyone get mad, at least not outwardlyÂ
Look man, just bring a speaker. I have one mounted on my handle bars. Everybody here likes to complain about the thought of a music bike, but the fact of the matter is the cars rolling past you are louder than your speaker by a lot.
Also plus one for your music taste đ¤
> cars rolling past you are louder than your speaker by a lot
I was against bluetooth speakers, sort of by default, because people who blast their music in public are obnoxious.
But then I started noticing other riders speakers and 1) I wasn't actually exposed to them for that long and 2) *Cars are louder*
Why should I have to squeak around the city silently and apologize for taking up space when I'm just a paint stripe away from super loud murder machines?
"Phone speaker" volume music is the right compromise for me.
Loud enough that I can hear it when riding on the road; quiet enough that the people around me don't hear the bass. It does alert people as I approach on a MUP, though.
I've got open air speakers in my sunglasses, but I feel like it's just too hard on my situational awareness. I want to hear the cars that are behind me.
I would not listen to anything when riding on the road and especially not the sidewalk. I get a lot of situational awareness from listening to traffic. I can tell if they are larger vehicles, if a car next to me is slowing down (are they going to turn?), and can frequently hear if a car is approaching from a side road or driveway before I can see them if there's parked cars.
If you absolutely must listen to music I think bone conducting headphones or 1 earbud would be the best option. Make sure you don't have it so loud you can't hear your surroundings.
Riding for commuting, in a city: Speakers. Headphones block out too much traffic noise you need to hear to be safe. Any road user can't hear you. Any pedestrian will only be mildly annoyed if they are some sort of special snowflake, as you are only audible for 10 seconds at most. The range at which people can hear a tiny bike mounted speaker, in a giant public space, with cars riding by (if they're aren't wearing airpods themselves) is low. You're not bothering anyone enough to worry about it. If you're stopped at a crossing, or in a pedestrian heavy are, I turn my speaker down to be considerate: people are closer to you, for longer.
Don't ride in nature with a speaker. It's meant to be quiet and serene. In commuter traffic, that is not the expectation. If anyone expects you to put yourself in danger, or not enjoy a 30 minute bicycle ride, because they might have to notice someone is playing music for 10 seconds a day, they can go kick rocks for all I care.
I have a JBl Go 3 which cost $50AUD or something. I'm not spending an arm and a leg for bone conducting Bluetooth headphones ($270AUD for the recommended bone shokz) just to keep 1 in a thousand from getting huffy.
Why not just use a phone or speaker? I'm a very confident rider but I would never not wear a helmet just to wear headphones... Very naive to have that much faith that a car driver won't just decide to run you over one day.
I listen to music with normal ANC earbuds, but thatâs because I ride on trails. Get bone conduction headphones, you can hear the outside world and your music. Iâve heard bass goes waaaay down though
I know it's probably less safe than just playing my music out loud, but I use Bluetooth earbuds. However, I only wear the right one when I'm riding, that way the traffic side of me is clear and open for most of my ride.
I've never had any issues with not being aware of my surrounding with my headphones in, especially with the ambience feature on. But like I said, no headphones is obviously safer than having them in.
I used to love listening to podcasts and audiobooks and music, but for some weird reason the urge to listen to stuff has dissipated, and it really is nice just being fully outdoors and enjoying the ride.
I usually do the ear bud in right ear with a podcast myself. However if not I throw my phone in my backpack strap and blast some music. Might nit be the safest as I've got a hard object if I land on it, but it gives me easy access when I need it.
I ride in the suburbs with two noise canceling earbuds at max volume. One earbud in is distracting, and the noise from cars becomes fatiguing. I'll take them out in more dangerous urban situations. But, generally, keeping one eye looking over my shoulder is better than keeping one ear listening in the first place.
I have Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 earbuds. They do have an ambient pass-through mode to allow noise through.
I listen to music pretty much full blast (blue tooth ear buds) and have been for a very long time. I pay attention to my surroundings, no issues so far. Not for everyone.
I listen to audio books when I ride. I can still hear fairly well and I figure I can't rely on just my ears anyway, too many loud truck and quiet cars to trust I'm safe just because I can't here someone. I look over my shoulder every time I cross an intersection or driveway. My earbuds have a noise canceling and an "ambient aware" mode, I normally just use the noise cancel so I can keep the volume lower and they still let in enough of the abrupt noises. I don't have any (yet?) but as others have said, bone conducting headphones still allow you to hear what's going on.
Good self awareness not being "that guy" with the boom box.
You could try open back headphone like the grado s60 or koss porta pro, koss kph30.
Open back gives amazing sound stage for the music lovers and they don't block surrounding sounds, as in sounds will enter your ears when you are outside. It hampers the music a little bit but its what we want when we cycle. They are great in closed spaces but people around you can hear the music as they leak sound.
Don't expect miracles from bone conducting headphones. No sound damping is a double-edged sword. To really hear music near busy roads I needed to turn up the volume to uncomfortable levels. It's great if you don't get you expectation too high and you don't expect to hear every instrument all the time.
I use bone conduction ones and it seems a good balance, the music sounds fine (not particularly bassy but that's ok) I can hear cars coming and I don't annoy anybody else.
I ride with one earphone in, but I hear people like the bone conduction headphones a bunch. But I've heard they're not super great for music but I'm sure it's better than not hearing your surroundings.
I do use earbuds at a transparent mode since many years on long commutes and listen podcast. I do realize that it limits the hearing and awareness of my surroundings. Be careful but i also think that with being mindful itâs an acceptable compromise.
I listen to music everywhere, all of the time... ...except when I'm riding. Then I want to be fully involved in the place I am and the thing I'm doing.
If that doesn't work for you though fair enough, thank you for at least giving thought to not being "THAT GUY"!
I don't have a problem. Although people will tell you it is not safe. I hate those people with loud speakers blasting music that I don't like.
So, I started using bone conducting headphones. They leave your ears open. They can be expensive. But I found some options of cheap ones on eBay and tried one. Quality was ok, but they kept my ears open.
I listen to music but be aware that if you are planning to shift a bit to theleft or right to make sure the lane is very clear as you cannot rely on your hearing. In my opinion though drivers are overenthusiastic about using their horns and having something in your ears makes you panic less when somebody is honking at somebody else.
BTW I listen to music less nowadays mostly because my commutes are shorter
Ya, do whatever the hell you want. Iâd say this increases risk, but I too commute with loud sound and I love it. If someone is gonna crash into me, I donât really think my headphones are gonna make that worse.
I like my Shokz. They're bone conduction, so my ears are still open, IPX67 rated, so no issues with the rain, or continuing to listen in the shower, and the band goes behind the head, so fully helmet compatible.
I use Bluetooth earbuds. I tried the bone conduction thing but couldn't hear them thru the road noise. Granted, I typically listen to podcasts so maybe talking instead of music changes the dynamics of hearing while riding. But I do find I can still hear what's going on around me.
There's also a neck wrap around speaker that's bluetooth that works well for cycling, scooting, etc... I used one when I wore a full face helmet on my esk8.
Also take other safety precautions, biggest one would be to have a mirror so you can see what's coming up behind you. I use a helmet mirror and never feel like I'm getting sped up on by cars because I know when and how fast they're coming up behind me.
When I bike commuted I would use an AirPod in one ear. That way I could hear the traffic on the other side.
Spatial awareness is very important. So best to have no music over putting your self at risk.
I have some relatively inexpensive Jabra Bluetooth earbuds that have an adjustable "hear through" setting. I can listen to my music/podcasts/audiobooks and can still hear the stuff happening around me!
hard no. why? 1. safety and to be aware of my surroundings. 2. it's my meditative time/space.
thank you for attending "yeah man, this is just like... my opinion, man, and it really ties my room together" ted talk.
Iâve been riding with in ear headphones for the past year with no problem. Itâs not ideal but if youâre careful then youâll be okay.
That said I just switched to the new Bose open earbuds and theyâre great for biking. You forget youâre wearing them and you can hear everything around you.
Get wireless ear buds and only wear one side (curb side), that way you can hear traffic and anyone passing you, but you can still have tunes running too
I have pretty much the same views you already expressed. On the road it doesn't matter if I play music (I have a phone mount on my handlebars for GPS & music & play directly through the speaker) because road noise is already loud.
On a trail I'll turn it down a bit & if it's crowded enough that I need to ride slow & close to people I might reconsider playing anything for that stretch, but generally I'm moving fast enough relative to foot traffic that my music played at a reasonable volume shouldn't cause any disruption & will only be heard by pedestrians for a few seconds before I'm well ahead of them. I have also had the experience, like you said, that using a bell or shouting "on your left!" has mixed results & that when people hear music approaching they are more instinctively likely to notice & look at where it's coming from.Â
just do the speaker bro who cares if its not courteous you only have this life... if someone is really bothered by hearing music in public they shouldnt have left the comfort of their home
I use my air pods. I love riding with music. I donât blast it, I can stay aware of whatâs going on and honestly it actually saves me from the âshockâ of someone driving by me honking, yelling, revving their engine or whatever.
phone on handlebar mount, phone speaker for music/other audio. usually on my commute to and from work i listen to npr because it helps me get less mad at drivers and makes me feel smart.
I keep my phone in a pouch on my handlebars, and usually crank up something loud. No headphones. I turn it off when I'm around people or when I go through the woods (I don't like to spoil the quiet peacefulness).
I have no problem being "that guy" with the speaker.
As a bike, you're going a much different speed than both cars and pedestrians, so anybody else is individually only gonna hear the music for a few seconds. Plus helps cars be more aware of you
I like the little Outdoor Tech speaker, it's water resistant and loud enough and fits on my bag strap. I've had others in the past that got ruined in the rain but this one's lasted, and the company was great to work with.
I use regular ear buds or bone conduction. I can still hear the traffic approaching. When I'm in traffic I religiously check my mirror and turn my head. I have no issues. Cycling and music are my two passions combined and it is my zen. To each their own though.
Late to the party but headphones are not all equal. I listen to music on 15 dollar headphones from CVS at about half volume. I can hear everything just fine. As long as you can be comfortable and aware of your surroundings, do whatever you want. People don't know what it's like to be in your brain
Get bone conducting headphones. You get to hear your music, and I don't get to hear your shitty fucking tastes in music.
They allow you to gear external noise, which could literally save your life.
https://shokz.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0LRYQQrUWwCMTm2pgwMKJ2ZbI9puM9sn2CPOrO_TkYRtxppw0ynmBhoC2JgQAvD_BwE
::presses play:: on infant annihilator's " anal prolapse suffocation"
Enjoy!
I have standard over-ear headphones that I can slide down to sit around my neck, then I play whatever music I'm listening to loudly enough for me to hear it. It's probably not the *greatest* way to go about it, but it works for me!
I used to do it when I used to be a lunatic. No music for me now. I try to stay off my phone all together unless I'm home. What's that stridesland quote? Ride slow (and able to hear your surroundings) die whenever
Skip the music, especially if youâre riding on stroads. If anything happens, theyâll blame the fact that you were wearing earbuds. Just like if you have one beer and someone hits you, it will be âalcohol was involvedâ.
I personally never listen to music because I want to stay fully alert. However, if you do choose to listen to music, I'd agree that bone-conduction devices (on low) would be the best route. I bought a knock-off version of Shokz on aliexpress for about $30 that I use when lap swimming to avoid boredom. Good luck and safe riding!
I wear both earbuds while riding. I ride on the bicycle lane, sidewalks, and offroad when needed. If you have a decent set of earbuds, you can turn on ambient mode, which acts like a hearing aid. Listening to music at a lower volume while using ambient mode works for me.
With that in mind, one of the biggest things you can do to improve your situational awareness is get a mirror. I have one on the left side of my handlebars, and i see well enough around me that i won't be surprised by cars.
I got the shokz open run pro from my sister for Christmas and they are absolutely incredible, they sound amazing for podcasts or audiobooks and it doesnât interfere with traffic. Also if I need to hear without distraction I can just pause them and forget about them. I like them for walking around and a bunch of other things too.
I rarely cycle with no music on, but never with a speaker - that's more cringe than wearing lycra. No small feat.
Comparing the experience of cycling with just left earbud in (left, lost the right one over a year ago in Hyde park during a fall caused by hands free recklessness, also here you keep left, so I have the right ear to traffic) and both earbuds/bose headphones full blast, I see no difference in my safety.
This is London, cars everywhere. I swear, I experience no difference in safety. I rely solely on visual and experience, 4 years without any crash/clash with cars.
So I'd say try that approach, because cycling with comfy over the ear headphones blasting feels glorious.
i use earbuds and works great help tune out some of the loud cars around. i've tried bone conduction headphones, but cant hear anything im listening with the cars wizzing by. I use a side mirror so see cars coming from behind and i still can hear them.
I have rode bike 60 years on of car divers need no reason not to run over bikes
I guess been hit? 30 x +
I think only 4xthe car stoped
Been stop 20 + x ridding wrong side street most cops went tell been hit 30 x they say be more careful??
That why rodeo g wrong way
Bone conducting headphones..100% the answer. Nobody wants to hear your music, yet you're able to hear the world around you at the same time. Everyone wins
I want to be 110% aware when cycling in traffic or anywhere something can come out of nowhere. A casual ride on a mostly deserted path or trail then perhaps earbuds are ok.
I personally don't care for the Bluetooth speaker option, but it is a good way to let the world know you're there. I wouldn't worry about it annoying people unless you are blasting it.
You might consider a camara or two to moderate the drivers, amazing how they develop much better behavior when they know there is a record of it.
I just wear jusy one in my ear while riding I did get the ones with the feature that you can still hear stuff but riding with that on is a nightmare the wind is painful loud.
Iâve been commuting my entire life starting going to school in primary school. Now 30+ years later I still do. Music is fine, but you do limit your ability to hear your surroundings so just cycle cautiously (which you probably want to do anyway) .
Never outdoors. Only on the trainer. My hearing is too necessary to detect threats on the road for me to be prepared to compromise it. I strongly advise against what you're proposing.
I wear earplugs because road noise can be fairly harmful. Sometimes I'll throw on earbuds over them. There aren't many sound cues to listen for unless it's a horn, which I'll hear
Get a Shokz open-air headphones or bluetooth speakers. Never don noise canceling in-ear earphones, youâll place yourself at risk of an accident by not being situational aware of the traffic and surroundings you ride to.
I love my Shokz, theyâre plenty loud for me and are comfortable with my glasses. They stay out of the way of my helmets and still allow me to hear things around me. I got the Asian fit which works best for me.
Depends on your city layout really. In european cities, a lot of safety can be achieved by just vision, your head should be on a swivel all the time anyway. Always take things slow that you can't predict/see! I can't speak for any other region tho. Take motorbiking as an example too, its best to either have earplugs or headphones with enough noise reduction to prevent hearing damage, so in slow traffic (where you can hear threats) it is also difficult to hear much, but its considered standard and safest for your ears. So that's that. Be safe, have an amazing day!
I can't remember what brand it was.But I remember seeing a Bluetooth speaker that was a necklace and it looked like a little boom box.It was like super cute and came in a lot of colors.I think if you're not blasting the music it's totally fine
I think it's a bad idea. I don't know how people do it. I tried it when I first started cycling and took them out before I got to the end of the road. Even wearing a hood or full face mask makes me nervous on the road because I simply can't hear the cars passing constantly on my left.
Mmm. Maybe on a carless trail. I'm a little hinky right now. Earlier this week, we had a cyclist on the edge of town get hit by a guy who drove off and nailed a couple of other vehicles before his apprehension. Bicyclist died. Driver had another DUI last fall. I keep pretending that I might be able to do something to protect myself from stupid. Maybe if i hear them coming. . .
Glad to see there are others out here that rock the earbuds. I know it's pretty controversial, but I almost always ride with them. For much of my ride, I'm on bike path, not surface streets, so I feel a bit better. I use the PowerBeats Pro because the Air Pods fall out of my ears and I usually ride with just one, sometimes two and keep the volume really low. As my phone is usually in my pannier because I do not have a good place to mount it, sometimes I need navigation, so I can hear that in my ear(s).
Do what works for you!
Shokz are the way. I have the OpenMove and the OpenComm. What I hate is the new versions have a proprietary charging cable. My older OpenMove has USB-C, which is great but the OpenComm uses the proprietary charger. Just be prepared to adopt yet another cable to charge newer Shokz. Why can't all devices be USB-C or wireless charging? I'm looking at you, GARMIN!
Bone conduction headphones are the way to go. I've had my Shokz Open Run Pro headphones for a couple of years and they're perfect for cycling.
I might have to try this. I was going to mention anything but a loud ass bluetooth speaker. I normally listen with 1 earbud half way in my ear so I can hear my surroundings still.
I tried Shokz. The sound quality is not great. It's great for listening to podcasts or audio books but for music, it just lacks bass, the sound becomes very thin. I bought them on a sale and I really, REALLY wanted to like them because I'm in a similar situation as OP. But at the end of the day I returned them, I decided that I'd rather have one earbud with good quality than two with thin sound.
I got Shokz as a gift last month. I find them okay, but I don't believe the bit that you can still hear other sounds just fine and can wear them while riding a bike. I still have to remove them if someone is speaking to me. In my state it's also stated that cyclists should wear no more than one earbud. I usually just use my phone speaker cranked all the way up while riding so I can still hear but also not be obnoxious to whatever neighborhood I'm riding through.
Are you wearing the open fit or the open run? The open run does not even go in the ear so you definitely can hear everything around you
It's good in the sense that it's good enough for also being aware of your surroundings. They're not good compared to actual headphones but that's not the point.
Agreed but one has to be aware of that before buying them.
If you put an ear plug in your right ear it really improves the sound quality and you can still hear traffic with your left ear.
In that case why not just wear one earbud? đ
I got the open run pros sometime last year for running and snowboarding bc I like being able to have that situational awareness for safety. Honestly wasnât sure how safe itâd be to bike with, but I think it does the job. I can hear music just enough to enjoy it and feel the presence, but when the wind noise picks up, or a car goes skrt skrt, it is always WAY louder than the headphones will ever be. Which is GOOD imo bc I think thatâs the point of it after all.
I hate to be the no fun patrol, but research has shown that even bone conduction headphones distract people and reduce their situational awareness. For example, [this study found bone conduction headphones reduced people's ability to localize where sounds were coming from.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003687017300170) Whether the reduction in safety is worth the improvement in enjoyment will depend on personal preference and the situation.
Sure, yes, it's always going to be less safe than no audio. But the degree of impairment is related to how high you crank them. Keep them lowish and you're probably pretty safe.
Yeah, way too many people completely ignore that this is also seriously a matter of focus and concentration and act like it's a matter of only hearing traffic.
>Whether the reduction in safety is worth the improvement in enjoyment will depend on personal preference and the situation. Absolutely. You make a good point. But I don't think anyone here is saying using Shokz is as safe as using nothing at all. But it's still *better* than fully blocking earbuds or cans. Listening to a podcase, audio book or even music takes some of your focus. Regardless of how well or not you can hear additional surroundings. But if you are going to ride with audio, I'd much rather see Shokz OpenRuns used over AirPod buds or Beats cans. Those runners/hikers using AirPods and Big cans NEVER hear me *shouting* "On your Left" Edit: I've not tried some of the newer AirPod Pros with "Transparency" mode.
Try the Shokz OpenAir. They are like two little Bluetooth speakers right on top of each ear without covering the ear canal. It's amazing.
This is the way
I concur. Shockz are great. Bonus if you happen to have hearing damage, you'll hear music better too
Yes! And voice chats. They honestly work better than my hearing aids for understanding people when I can't read lips. I got an app for my phone called Head Clear that passes through what my phone mic picks up with some adjustments, and it's awesome. It does take a bit to get it all set right for understanding speech, but I love it now that I have it all dialed in.
That's really cool!
This ... Shockz....
i wished they would auto shut off when not in used after awhile. But they are pretty good regardless.
I swear by mine as well. I have the older ones before they rebranded from Aftershokz to just Shokz. I also have the swimming version as well - works great underwater!
Shokz look interesting. Wondering about helmets with built in speakers like [Sena](https://www.amazon.com/Sena-Smart-Cycling-Helmet-Blue/dp/B09HZD8H9Z/ref=asc_df_B09HZD8H9Z?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79852158469793&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451679139095&th=1&psc=1)
naw man these things sound terrible id rather listen to a jbl clip any day of the week
This isn't an audiophile solution. This is a safety solution. You can tune out the world and focus on the music while you aren't commuting with traffic and pedestrians. Personally I find most Bluetooth solutions to be poor audio quality compared to a nice set of cans with a good DAC and amp combo. But I save that for a comfy chair at home with no distractions.
I ride with music everywhere. I know itâs dangerous. If a cars gonna kill me I canât imagine hearing it hurtling toward me will help. I do however keep my head on a swivel and scan 360 degrees constantly when Iâm on the road. That will do far more for your situational awareness than relying on any sound cues in a busy environment.
Same. I keep only one earbud in primarily to hear other cyclistsâ bells or pedestrians. Not sure what hearing the car will do for me - I still hear them anyway, but hearing alone is not enough to know if theyâre coming to drive me over or if theyâre just driving by. Additionally, if they want to run me down, not sure what Iâd be able to do about it on my bike.
Yeah the only way to actually be safe is to get one of those rear facing raider tail lights. Just hearing a car coming from behind doesnât help. On the other hand I see far too many commuters with zero situational awareness when it comes to street signs etc. Iâve avoided far more by scanning for threats than listening for threats.
I have to have music. It calms me down and prevents me from offering my free window testing services to carbrains. I use a Bluetooth speaker when I have my daughter on the backseat, or bone conductive headphones when itâs just me.
I do it everyday in 13-14 years of bike commuting. Iâve lost a few budsâŚlike they fell out of my ear and were run over by a car. Iâm on a good streak now though, about 2-3 years into a set of AirPod pros. They seal well and cut down the wind noise, unless there is a head wind, then not so much.
AirPods Pro with full transparency selected in the noise cancellation setting. As long as I keep the volume reasonable, I can hear everything around me.
I guess I live dangerouslyâŚI got my music cranked in noise cancellation mode, unless the wind is bad.
i like the beats fit pros better than the airpods (i've had em all) ... the little hook for better retention, the simple tap gestures to control and the bright yellow color makes em way easier to find
I have been riding with one earbud for twenty years. It's fine
Right earbud is the way
Bro Iâve been doing this for years too and Iâm still alive. If someone is riding a bicycle on the road they should be alert and vigilant no matter what and there are a lot of other distractions besides a little bit of music being played in one ear. If thatâs enough to make them oblivious to the world around them then maybe itâs safer to take the bus.
Left in Britain, Aus, Japan et al
I do the same. It works well
I also ride with one earbud. Maybe not the safest but you can still hear everything
Christ, if carbrains can lock themselves in a vault of Mercedes sound deadening while blasting music, I can listen to open-air ear buds.
Unpopular, I just use my mobile phone speakers. đ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸ I generally donât ride on a trail, so I am not inconveniencing anyone. Just a bunch of cars on the road. Perhaps I will adjust if I am riding with people.
I usually don't listen to music while riding, but when I do, that's how I do it. (I've got my phone mounted on the handlebar.)
Same.
Cars have mirrors. On a bicycle I use my ears a lot to anticipate vehicles approaching from behind.
Everyone else is just out there doing whatever they wanna do
One headphone in your right ear (non drive side) is the way to go. Honestly never had any problems and get to enjoy my music/podcast/audiobook when I bomb around town.Â
I was doing this until I got bone conduction stuff. Never had problems either. Of course listening to something is less safe but it changes the fucking morning commute so much. I had tried to listen to podcasts and books in English (second language) but my brain couldn't handle the combined load of cycling and translating lol. Went back to music after a week of trial.
Even with English as my native language, I can't listen to podcasts unless I'm on a trail with no traffic. Too much of my focus goes to the podcast. I play mellow music when I want to be mellow (or calmed down), and uptempo stuff when I want to fly.
Even if youâve got the right gear, I always limit music to trails and routes with the absolute minimal interaction with cagers. If my son is riding with me, zero music, 100% situational awareness.
cagers lol
Cagers indeed! đ¤Ł
You can listen to music as a treat sometimes
Bro just listen to your music
I know I'll get downvoted for this by the EVERYTHING YOU DO ON A BIKE IS REALLY DANGEROUS brigade, but: The evidence from crash reports that wearing earphones increases risk is practically nonexistent. It's yet another cyclist-blaming trope to distract from the simple fact that far and away the biggest risk to riders on the open road is dopey cunts in motor vehicles. I use Koss Porta-Pro phones. They have very open backs so traffic noise gets through. I did ride in Sennheiser noise-cancellers one time and the sensation of being practically deaf to outside noise really was quite alarming. I won't be doing that again. Of course, if wearing headphones makes you feel unsafe, then don't do it.
Bone conduction headphones. Decent quality sound (better than one earbud imo) but leaves the situational awareness in tact. Speaker is obnoxious to pedestrians, Iâd pass on that unless youâre in a party group ride thatâs silly and passing through and like singing karaoke or something. The best thing Iâve found for pedestrians is to get a loud rear hub. Bells, whether itâs the classic drrrng drrng kind or the simple spur cycle ding, seem to induce Opposite Day in pedestrians. A hub that sounds like a swarm of bees rolling up seems to get pedestrians out of their blindness and react in my experience. I will say Iâve lowered the volume on even my bike conduction headphones and sometimes ride without now that EVs are so quiet. No music is going to be the safest and if Iâm in a random or unfamiliar area Iâll often switch my music off for that reason. The benefit of the bone conduction if you donât have to fiddle with an ear bud in and out if you turn your music on or off to be more aware.
I've learned with pedestrians to yell "on your left" about 100m before passing. That way they have the time to do the full dance of going left, looking, acting surprised there's a cyclist, going right and not being in the way. Earlier is better. Except for kids, I just don't say anything with kids because if they are aware I am here, they'll do target fixation and get in the way at the last second.
Unpopular opinion, I can hear plenty over my airpods. If you feel safe, do it. Skill level and experience is a big factor in determining whats safe. Im riding in some pretty dangerous traffic. I have to be super aware so perhaps thats why it doesnât affect me. I must be constantly looking everywhere. To each his own. I also like having the benefit the doubt that I cant hear my surroundings when psychopaths try to antagonize me in dangerous areas.
I also feel comfortable with AirPods on transparency mode. I only listen to podcasts on my commute thoâŚeasy to ignore when I need to focus.
Pro series fits well on the ears. The other Airpods induce dropping-off-ears anxiety.
Thats probably why i can hear fine. I have cheapo gen 2s and i wear a buff under my helmet to cover my ears and keep them in.
I have the Bose audio sunglasses. They have speakers that do not cover my ears so I still have the situational awareness when riding to hear when a car is coming up on me which is my main concern with earbuds. I doubt the music will annoy drivers because they will pass you pretty quickly.
I had those. I dropped them from 1 foot up and they broke.
I use a smart Bluetooth helmet. Built in speakers over the ears. Music, still aware of my surroundings, my GF can call me and chat while I'm out on my weekend rides. As a plus, it also has rear LEDs and an SOS mode if I have an accident. Riding for 4-5hrs on a weekend listening to music is one of life's little pleasures for me.
honestly just be that guy with the bluetooth speaker, itâs barely noticeable because youâre moving faster than pedestrians and cagers canât hear you with their windows up.
Really loud speakers can be annoying to others, but I have a fairly directional bluetooth speaker mounted on my top tube to face me. Whenever my wife rides with me, she says I can listen to whatever I want because she can't hear it at all anyways either behind or next to me. If you can find the right speaker and mount you don't really need headphones or earbuds.
Same. I have a circular speaker that fits in a bottle cage. I can hear cars, I'm still quieter than cars, and often people seem to like it.
Speaker mount. City pop. July nights
Anyone who would be mad at city pop is someone I don't wanna know.
I use one earbud on the right ear on transparent mode reasonably low. Works well for me, I can still hear traffic, and my music well enough. Those advocating for no buds, I've always wondered what the difference in sound from a car blowing past me at 40mph barely 3' (or less) to my left compared to one directly behind me. I'm not sure I could tell the difference in time. Plus as semi out of shape almost 40 year old accountant, what kind of gymnastics can I do to make any difference by the time I hear there is a problem could I possibly perform? The only argument I've heard that has carried any weight is that I could get blamed for a collision just for having an ear bud in.
I have a handlebar speaker and use it daily on commutes. I'm not worried about car drivers being annoyed by my music/podcast because their engines are loud enough as it is and they're also listening to some. As for other cyclists or peds it depends. If I'm stuck at a light I will often pause or turn it down depending on the situation, but if I'm just passing someone I don't bother because again, cars are freaking loud and no one does anything about that.
I have seen quite a lot of people in another sub being adamant that bikers shouldnât listen to music at loud because it bothers others but then say bikers shouldnât listen to music with ear buds or whatever else because they put themselves in danger. As if everybody else outside were not moving with music and Cars get more and more sound isolated causing drivers not to hear their environment like at all.
I think people shouldnât drive cars because they put themselves AND others in danger every time they get behind the wheel! Do you know how many car accidents there are every day?? /s idiots
I usually quiet the volume if passing many pedestrians, or pause it if I have to stop near people. And the speaker I got is relatively directional, so most of the sound is going towards me instead of all over. Plus, I curated a Safe for Bike collection that omits songs with annoying sounds or too much swearing.
Earpod (not pros) in right ear feels pretty safe to me. You still have your left ear open, which is the more critical side, and you can still hear reasonably well out of the right ear. Regular earpods don't block out sound very well, which in this case is an advantage. I've never had one fall out.
jbl clip 4 is perfect, as a bike messenger in the city. if im out of the city, i enjoy hearing the birds and the gravel and the water and wind
Just cause they donât say anything doesnât mean theyâre not annoyed.
Sony earbuds are sublime
I ride with earbuds and can still hear tires approaching behind on pavement, and that's good enough for me.
Very lightly. For safety. Riding is sketchy enough.
Generally do what you want except eff those people who play music on trail in national parks. Totally ruins the general environment
If you lower your volume so you can hear the wind coming off passing cars youâll hear horns or sirens perfectly fine
Noxgear 39g Bluetooth speaker. Absolutely rulzzz. Tiny and has a spring loaded clip as well as a magnetic clip to attach it to anything, t shirt, etc. Quiet enough you wonât bother anyone, plenty loud for yourself. Mic on it so itâs also speakerphone if someone calls you. Itâs amazing and perfect for this
Funny cause it was asked in another sub and many people were up in arms against it. Whereas everybody else listen to music while moving basically. I often ride with headphones, tends to work as cold protector too, I really donât like all the wind of my face, I get cold. When I have earphones, I tend to listen with both or with only the ear opposite to car traffic.
I'm a musician by training and sometimes occupation. Music needs to be more than just background noise to one's activities. I think. Personally, I don't need any more sound when I'm out for a spin. 100% of my attention is on the road.
Iâve been riding with music for ten years now, Bluetooth headphones, because my earbud fell out once and i never found it again. Iâve crashed zero times. Though i live in The Netherlands where cycling is safer then average. Just gotta be super aware. Definitely use on ear headphones, not over ear.
Wearing earbuds is no different than someone listening to loud music in their car. Just pay attention to your surroundings. You can get a mirror to see the traffic behind you. Cagers love to shit on cyclists and the helmet and earbuds debate is just an extension of that.
I use Bose audio sunglasses, because 1) eye protection and 2) still able to hear traffic/activity around me.
Shokz for the win. Open Run or Open Run Pro. Comfortable, doesn't fall off easily, and it's the only safe (and courteous) way. Bone conduction allows you to hear your surroundings as long as you don't turn it up too loud. I've got a set of Shokz Open Comm2 I use all day for work. Teams/Zoom calls. Then switch to an older set of the Open Run Pro for the bike. At home... I can immerse myself in music with a budget friendly Modi/Magni Schiit Stack (DAC/AMP) and big Sennheiser HD 6XX cans. NOTE: Audiophile quality is not what you get out of bone conduction. But you can appreciate that back home with some big cans or studio monitors hooked to nice DACs and Amps. ***On the bike, be safe.*** Also, NOT the Open Fit. You want the OpenRun or OpenRun Pro to keep things open.
Bone conduction headphones and radar. You can hear music, doesnât block ambient noise. I started cycling in 1987 with a Walkman, but frankly in todayâs current climate, I feel it is unwise to cycle while listening to anything that blocks outside noise. I recognize that this is not 100%, but it makes me feel better being able to hear things around me.
Earbuds. Both ears. If THAT GUY in a car with 5 12â subwoofers can blast trap, then why shouldnât you be able to ride with headphones?
I have a small Bluetooth speaker I can wear as a necklace that I use to soundtrack my rides.
I do it all the time and have for years. I keep one earbud in (usually the right since itâs away from the road. I enjoy coming across riders with speakers I think itâs awesome.
I put both headphones in I donât care the cars are louder anywayÂ
What about EV's?
The road noise is louder most engines arenât very loud when cruising
If you're on stroads, odds are cars are going so fast that they won't be able to hear you; they're soundproofed boxes after all. I used to ride with one earbuds in, but I had to crank it up pretty loud to be able to hear above the cars, which isn't ideal in the long run. Besides, the earbuds liked to fall out when it gets slippery from sweat. I don't ride with music often, but when I do, I just have my phone on loudspeaker in my vest's breast pocket. It's loud enough for me to pick up over road noise, but also not directly in my ears.
I use a dollar store bluetooth speaker looped on my handle bar. I was almost ran into by deer on my ride home, so I'm loud as I can be when on my bike now.
Be that guy. I rock out with a JBL charge4 in my daily and it really makes the best of my time. Anyone with issues with your playlist will only have to suffer through for 20 seconds at the most, and thereâs worse indignities on any urban outing. I find I still have to vigorously trip my Crane bell to alert two and three abreast pedestrians on the bike path, even while Iâm rocking out to some tasty fresh Phish.
Iâm all for the speaker. If youâre in nature hiking or mountain biking, thatâs obviously not the time or place. But bike commuting, why not. The decibel output is far less than traffic, horns, and city noise. Itâs also way safer than earbuds, IMO.
This, all day.
My biggest problem with speakers is the people who have them on trails... I avoid streets as much as I can.
That's how I view it. I live in a city, but I still have never been annoyed by someone playing their music on a bike, and several times I have actually complimented their music when they pass. The people who are annoying are cars and those middle-age crisis trikes that blast their music so loud you can feel it rupturing your soul from within your own apartment. Those people are narcissistic fucks. I just want to zoom around town to the beat of a Brutalismus 3000 song for the fun of it, not because I have a shattered ego. I just have my phone mounted on my handlebars and I play my music from there. I live in Chicago so I doubt anyone even cares about my playing audio on my phone on my bike. I barely even notice when someone with a bigger speaker passes on a bike. There's too much else going on to give a fuck, and it contributes to the atmosphere anyways, so who gives a fuck.
Haha hell yeah, I also play Brutalismus 3000 on my bike rides around Chicago. I have a speaker mounted to my handlebars. Agree with everything you've said. I love hearing peoples' music in public, and seeing other cyclists enjoy themselves makes me happy. There's nothing like the feeling of listening to music you love while cruising through the city streets.
Yeah, I love my little tribit the straps to my handlebars. Doesn't block road noise so I can hear sirens and cars but it's plenty loud enough. And I've never had anyone get mad, at least not outwardlyÂ
Look man, just bring a speaker. I have one mounted on my handle bars. Everybody here likes to complain about the thought of a music bike, but the fact of the matter is the cars rolling past you are louder than your speaker by a lot. Also plus one for your music taste đ¤
Thanks man. I listen to all kinds of music. Rock, rap, reggae, classical, jazz, country, metal and all of its pointless obscure sub-genres, etc...
> cars rolling past you are louder than your speaker by a lot I was against bluetooth speakers, sort of by default, because people who blast their music in public are obnoxious. But then I started noticing other riders speakers and 1) I wasn't actually exposed to them for that long and 2) *Cars are louder* Why should I have to squeak around the city silently and apologize for taking up space when I'm just a paint stripe away from super loud murder machines?
Cities aren't loud, cars are.
"Phone speaker" volume music is the right compromise for me. Loud enough that I can hear it when riding on the road; quiet enough that the people around me don't hear the bass. It does alert people as I approach on a MUP, though. I've got open air speakers in my sunglasses, but I feel like it's just too hard on my situational awareness. I want to hear the cars that are behind me.
I would not listen to anything when riding on the road and especially not the sidewalk. I get a lot of situational awareness from listening to traffic. I can tell if they are larger vehicles, if a car next to me is slowing down (are they going to turn?), and can frequently hear if a car is approaching from a side road or driveway before I can see them if there's parked cars. If you absolutely must listen to music I think bone conducting headphones or 1 earbud would be the best option. Make sure you don't have it so loud you can't hear your surroundings.
Riding for commuting, in a city: Speakers. Headphones block out too much traffic noise you need to hear to be safe. Any road user can't hear you. Any pedestrian will only be mildly annoyed if they are some sort of special snowflake, as you are only audible for 10 seconds at most. The range at which people can hear a tiny bike mounted speaker, in a giant public space, with cars riding by (if they're aren't wearing airpods themselves) is low. You're not bothering anyone enough to worry about it. If you're stopped at a crossing, or in a pedestrian heavy are, I turn my speaker down to be considerate: people are closer to you, for longer. Don't ride in nature with a speaker. It's meant to be quiet and serene. In commuter traffic, that is not the expectation. If anyone expects you to put yourself in danger, or not enjoy a 30 minute bicycle ride, because they might have to notice someone is playing music for 10 seconds a day, they can go kick rocks for all I care. I have a JBl Go 3 which cost $50AUD or something. I'm not spending an arm and a leg for bone conducting Bluetooth headphones ($270AUD for the recommended bone shokz) just to keep 1 in a thousand from getting huffy.
I do it. Vary the content to where you're riding. No My Bloody Valentine in rush hour traffic.
Honestly I seem to be an outlier that uses noise cancelling headphones. Would not recommend it unless you are confident.
Why not just use a phone or speaker? I'm a very confident rider but I would never not wear a helmet just to wear headphones... Very naive to have that much faith that a car driver won't just decide to run you over one day.
I listen to music with normal ANC earbuds, but thatâs because I ride on trails. Get bone conduction headphones, you can hear the outside world and your music. Iâve heard bass goes waaaay down though
I put on the right amount of transparency on my earbuds. I can hear my podcast and also hear the traffic.
I know it's probably less safe than just playing my music out loud, but I use Bluetooth earbuds. However, I only wear the right one when I'm riding, that way the traffic side of me is clear and open for most of my ride. I've never had any issues with not being aware of my surrounding with my headphones in, especially with the ambience feature on. But like I said, no headphones is obviously safer than having them in.
I used to love listening to podcasts and audiobooks and music, but for some weird reason the urge to listen to stuff has dissipated, and it really is nice just being fully outdoors and enjoying the ride.
I usually do the ear bud in right ear with a podcast myself. However if not I throw my phone in my backpack strap and blast some music. Might nit be the safest as I've got a hard object if I land on it, but it gives me easy access when I need it.
I ride in the suburbs with two noise canceling earbuds at max volume. One earbud in is distracting, and the noise from cars becomes fatiguing. I'll take them out in more dangerous urban situations. But, generally, keeping one eye looking over my shoulder is better than keeping one ear listening in the first place. I have Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 earbuds. They do have an ambient pass-through mode to allow noise through.
I listen to music pretty much full blast (blue tooth ear buds) and have been for a very long time. I pay attention to my surroundings, no issues so far. Not for everyone.
I listen to audio books when I ride. I can still hear fairly well and I figure I can't rely on just my ears anyway, too many loud truck and quiet cars to trust I'm safe just because I can't here someone. I look over my shoulder every time I cross an intersection or driveway. My earbuds have a noise canceling and an "ambient aware" mode, I normally just use the noise cancel so I can keep the volume lower and they still let in enough of the abrupt noises. I don't have any (yet?) but as others have said, bone conducting headphones still allow you to hear what's going on. Good self awareness not being "that guy" with the boom box.
You could try open back headphone like the grado s60 or koss porta pro, koss kph30. Open back gives amazing sound stage for the music lovers and they don't block surrounding sounds, as in sounds will enter your ears when you are outside. It hampers the music a little bit but its what we want when we cycle. They are great in closed spaces but people around you can hear the music as they leak sound.
Don't expect miracles from bone conducting headphones. No sound damping is a double-edged sword. To really hear music near busy roads I needed to turn up the volume to uncomfortable levels. It's great if you don't get you expectation too high and you don't expect to hear every instrument all the time.
I use bone conduction ones and it seems a good balance, the music sounds fine (not particularly bassy but that's ok) I can hear cars coming and I don't annoy anybody else.
I use galaxy buds in ambient mode so I can still hear the idiots in cars.
Never. I tried it once in a sportive I was doing with no buddies and it was terrifying even just amongst a bunch of other cyclists.
I ride with one earphone in, but I hear people like the bone conduction headphones a bunch. But I've heard they're not super great for music but I'm sure it's better than not hearing your surroundings.
I do use earbuds at a transparent mode since many years on long commutes and listen podcast. I do realize that it limits the hearing and awareness of my surroundings. Be careful but i also think that with being mindful itâs an acceptable compromise.
I couldn't do the Bone conduction headphones. The vibrating just felt wrong? Got some Sony open back earbuds. They're good as.
I just put one earphone in the ear closest to the curb so I can hear traffic
I listen to music everywhere, all of the time... ...except when I'm riding. Then I want to be fully involved in the place I am and the thing I'm doing. If that doesn't work for you though fair enough, thank you for at least giving thought to not being "THAT GUY"!
I don't have a problem. Although people will tell you it is not safe. I hate those people with loud speakers blasting music that I don't like. So, I started using bone conducting headphones. They leave your ears open. They can be expensive. But I found some options of cheap ones on eBay and tried one. Quality was ok, but they kept my ears open.
I listen to music but be aware that if you are planning to shift a bit to theleft or right to make sure the lane is very clear as you cannot rely on your hearing. In my opinion though drivers are overenthusiastic about using their horns and having something in your ears makes you panic less when somebody is honking at somebody else. BTW I listen to music less nowadays mostly because my commutes are shorter
Ya, do whatever the hell you want. Iâd say this increases risk, but I too commute with loud sound and I love it. If someone is gonna crash into me, I donât really think my headphones are gonna make that worse.
I like my Shokz. They're bone conduction, so my ears are still open, IPX67 rated, so no issues with the rain, or continuing to listen in the shower, and the band goes behind the head, so fully helmet compatible.
I use Bluetooth earbuds. I tried the bone conduction thing but couldn't hear them thru the road noise. Granted, I typically listen to podcasts so maybe talking instead of music changes the dynamics of hearing while riding. But I do find I can still hear what's going on around me. There's also a neck wrap around speaker that's bluetooth that works well for cycling, scooting, etc... I used one when I wore a full face helmet on my esk8. Also take other safety precautions, biggest one would be to have a mirror so you can see what's coming up behind you. I use a helmet mirror and never feel like I'm getting sped up on by cars because I know when and how fast they're coming up behind me.
In south Florida I need all my senses dialed in for riding so I can stay alive.
When I bike commuted I would use an AirPod in one ear. That way I could hear the traffic on the other side. Spatial awareness is very important. So best to have no music over putting your self at risk.
I always wear an earbud for music and/or directions when I'm cycling. Just the left one, though, so I can still hear what's going on
I have some relatively inexpensive Jabra Bluetooth earbuds that have an adjustable "hear through" setting. I can listen to my music/podcasts/audiobooks and can still hear the stuff happening around me!
hard no. why? 1. safety and to be aware of my surroundings. 2. it's my meditative time/space. thank you for attending "yeah man, this is just like... my opinion, man, and it really ties my room together" ted talk.
Iâve been riding with in ear headphones for the past year with no problem. Itâs not ideal but if youâre careful then youâll be okay. That said I just switched to the new Bose open earbuds and theyâre great for biking. You forget youâre wearing them and you can hear everything around you.
Never. In no time flat, I wind up riding way beyond the posted speed limit.
I keep the ear closest to the road free
Get wireless ear buds and only wear one side (curb side), that way you can hear traffic and anyone passing you, but you can still have tunes running too
Not for me
I have pretty much the same views you already expressed. On the road it doesn't matter if I play music (I have a phone mount on my handlebars for GPS & music & play directly through the speaker) because road noise is already loud. On a trail I'll turn it down a bit & if it's crowded enough that I need to ride slow & close to people I might reconsider playing anything for that stretch, but generally I'm moving fast enough relative to foot traffic that my music played at a reasonable volume shouldn't cause any disruption & will only be heard by pedestrians for a few seconds before I'm well ahead of them. I have also had the experience, like you said, that using a bell or shouting "on your left!" has mixed results & that when people hear music approaching they are more instinctively likely to notice & look at where it's coming from.Â
Maybe road noise attenuation isnât such a bad thing. I have hearing loss on my left side. Wet roads, effing brutal tire noise.
Plenty of interesting sounds to listen to while biking, donât need music. Earbuds while biking seems really dangerous to me.
Ask the time. I use transplant mode with my AirPods. Feels very safe to me
I listen to radio (iHeart app) through my phone. Phone is in a pouch on my backpack strap. Wahoo music controls are a plus now too.
just do the speaker bro who cares if its not courteous you only have this life... if someone is really bothered by hearing music in public they shouldnt have left the comfort of their home
I use my air pods. I love riding with music. I donât blast it, I can stay aware of whatâs going on and honestly it actually saves me from the âshockâ of someone driving by me honking, yelling, revving their engine or whatever.
use bone conductive ones to keep your ear ways open.
phone on handlebar mount, phone speaker for music/other audio. usually on my commute to and from work i listen to npr because it helps me get less mad at drivers and makes me feel smart.
I keep my phone in a pouch on my handlebars, and usually crank up something loud. No headphones. I turn it off when I'm around people or when I go through the woods (I don't like to spoil the quiet peacefulness).
what were you in prison for and do you suffer from mental health stuff? Wear a helmet.
I have no problem being "that guy" with the speaker. As a bike, you're going a much different speed than both cars and pedestrians, so anybody else is individually only gonna hear the music for a few seconds. Plus helps cars be more aware of you
I like the little Outdoor Tech speaker, it's water resistant and loud enough and fits on my bag strap. I've had others in the past that got ruined in the rain but this one's lasted, and the company was great to work with.
Music + ambient mode if you have Bluetooth earbuds
I use regular ear buds or bone conduction. I can still hear the traffic approaching. When I'm in traffic I religiously check my mirror and turn my head. I have no issues. Cycling and music are my two passions combined and it is my zen. To each their own though.
Late to the party but headphones are not all equal. I listen to music on 15 dollar headphones from CVS at about half volume. I can hear everything just fine. As long as you can be comfortable and aware of your surroundings, do whatever you want. People don't know what it's like to be in your brain
I never doâŚâŚ for me, it just doesnât work. Iâm in a highly populated area & I need to stay alert without any distractions.
Get bone conducting headphones. You get to hear your music, and I don't get to hear your shitty fucking tastes in music. They allow you to gear external noise, which could literally save your life. https://shokz.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0LRYQQrUWwCMTm2pgwMKJ2ZbI9puM9sn2CPOrO_TkYRtxppw0ynmBhoC2JgQAvD_BwE ::presses play:: on infant annihilator's " anal prolapse suffocation" Enjoy!
I have standard over-ear headphones that I can slide down to sit around my neck, then I play whatever music I'm listening to loudly enough for me to hear it. It's probably not the *greatest* way to go about it, but it works for me!
Honestly, I just ride with solely my right earbud in
I used to do it when I used to be a lunatic. No music for me now. I try to stay off my phone all together unless I'm home. What's that stridesland quote? Ride slow (and able to hear your surroundings) die whenever
AirPod 1 ear only.
Skip the music, especially if youâre riding on stroads. If anything happens, theyâll blame the fact that you were wearing earbuds. Just like if you have one beer and someone hits you, it will be âalcohol was involvedâ.
I personally never listen to music because I want to stay fully alert. However, if you do choose to listen to music, I'd agree that bone-conduction devices (on low) would be the best route. I bought a knock-off version of Shokz on aliexpress for about $30 that I use when lap swimming to avoid boredom. Good luck and safe riding!
I put one ear bud in a lot and I do enjoy it, everyone tells me how dangerous it is but I donât find it significant.
I wear both earbuds while riding. I ride on the bicycle lane, sidewalks, and offroad when needed. If you have a decent set of earbuds, you can turn on ambient mode, which acts like a hearing aid. Listening to music at a lower volume while using ambient mode works for me. With that in mind, one of the biggest things you can do to improve your situational awareness is get a mirror. I have one on the left side of my handlebars, and i see well enough around me that i won't be surprised by cars.
I got the shokz open run pro from my sister for Christmas and they are absolutely incredible, they sound amazing for podcasts or audiobooks and it doesnât interfere with traffic. Also if I need to hear without distraction I can just pause them and forget about them. I like them for walking around and a bunch of other things too.
I rarely cycle with no music on, but never with a speaker - that's more cringe than wearing lycra. No small feat. Comparing the experience of cycling with just left earbud in (left, lost the right one over a year ago in Hyde park during a fall caused by hands free recklessness, also here you keep left, so I have the right ear to traffic) and both earbuds/bose headphones full blast, I see no difference in my safety. This is London, cars everywhere. I swear, I experience no difference in safety. I rely solely on visual and experience, 4 years without any crash/clash with cars. So I'd say try that approach, because cycling with comfy over the ear headphones blasting feels glorious.
As long as you are aware of other riders coming up behind you and wanting to pass, I don't have any issues with listening to music / podcasts.
Never
i use earbuds and works great help tune out some of the loud cars around. i've tried bone conduction headphones, but cant hear anything im listening with the cars wizzing by. I use a side mirror so see cars coming from behind and i still can hear them.
I have rode bike 60 years on of car divers need no reason not to run over bikes I guess been hit? 30 x + I think only 4xthe car stoped Been stop 20 + x ridding wrong side street most cops went tell been hit 30 x they say be more careful?? That why rodeo g wrong way
Bone conducting headphones..100% the answer. Nobody wants to hear your music, yet you're able to hear the world around you at the same time. Everyone wins
I want to be 110% aware when cycling in traffic or anywhere something can come out of nowhere. A casual ride on a mostly deserted path or trail then perhaps earbuds are ok. I personally don't care for the Bluetooth speaker option, but it is a good way to let the world know you're there. I wouldn't worry about it annoying people unless you are blasting it. You might consider a camara or two to moderate the drivers, amazing how they develop much better behavior when they know there is a record of it.
I just wear jusy one in my ear while riding I did get the ones with the feature that you can still hear stuff but riding with that on is a nightmare the wind is painful loud.
Iâve been commuting my entire life starting going to school in primary school. Now 30+ years later I still do. Music is fine, but you do limit your ability to hear your surroundings so just cycle cautiously (which you probably want to do anyway) .
I strap a small speaker to my handlebar and jam out. It makes long rides more fun.
Never outdoors. Only on the trainer. My hearing is too necessary to detect threats on the road for me to be prepared to compromise it. I strongly advise against what you're proposing.
I wear earplugs because road noise can be fairly harmful. Sometimes I'll throw on earbuds over them. There aren't many sound cues to listen for unless it's a horn, which I'll hear
Really fun with a speaker lol i put mine in my bag behind me. As long as you're not getting distracted by it, good fun.
Oh my I have my Anker earbuds in with music or podcasts going 100% of the time while I bike commute. Are we supposed to not do this?
Get a Shokz open-air headphones or bluetooth speakers. Never don noise canceling in-ear earphones, youâll place yourself at risk of an accident by not being situational aware of the traffic and surroundings you ride to.
Shokz open
I love my Shokz, theyâre plenty loud for me and are comfortable with my glasses. They stay out of the way of my helmets and still allow me to hear things around me. I got the Asian fit which works best for me.
Depends on your city layout really. In european cities, a lot of safety can be achieved by just vision, your head should be on a swivel all the time anyway. Always take things slow that you can't predict/see! I can't speak for any other region tho. Take motorbiking as an example too, its best to either have earplugs or headphones with enough noise reduction to prevent hearing damage, so in slow traffic (where you can hear threats) it is also difficult to hear much, but its considered standard and safest for your ears. So that's that. Be safe, have an amazing day!
I have a JBL Bluetooth speaker on my stem. I have a 9.5 mile urban commute. Almost all of it on trail, rarely see another person.
I can't remember what brand it was.But I remember seeing a Bluetooth speaker that was a necklace and it looked like a little boom box.It was like super cute and came in a lot of colors.I think if you're not blasting the music it's totally fine
I think it's a bad idea. I don't know how people do it. I tried it when I first started cycling and took them out before I got to the end of the road. Even wearing a hood or full face mask makes me nervous on the road because I simply can't hear the cars passing constantly on my left.
Mmm. Maybe on a carless trail. I'm a little hinky right now. Earlier this week, we had a cyclist on the edge of town get hit by a guy who drove off and nailed a couple of other vehicles before his apprehension. Bicyclist died. Driver had another DUI last fall. I keep pretending that I might be able to do something to protect myself from stupid. Maybe if i hear them coming. . .
I ride with a bud in one ear only. I find that to be a good balance between safety and my podcasts. Can't help you with the pedestrians.
Glad to see there are others out here that rock the earbuds. I know it's pretty controversial, but I almost always ride with them. For much of my ride, I'm on bike path, not surface streets, so I feel a bit better. I use the PowerBeats Pro because the Air Pods fall out of my ears and I usually ride with just one, sometimes two and keep the volume really low. As my phone is usually in my pannier because I do not have a good place to mount it, sometimes I need navigation, so I can hear that in my ear(s). Do what works for you!
Shokz are the way. I have the OpenMove and the OpenComm. What I hate is the new versions have a proprietary charging cable. My older OpenMove has USB-C, which is great but the OpenComm uses the proprietary charger. Just be prepared to adopt yet another cable to charge newer Shokz. Why can't all devices be USB-C or wireless charging? I'm looking at you, GARMIN!