Headphones for Cycling

[Mr Will]

I believe you can get ones in the style of the latter set with holes in the back so that you can hear through them, but have never tried them. Might be worth looking for though.

[anonymous-user]

I use my sennheiser CX 300 II's and I ride to work in London

I however only have the left one in when riding

This allows me to have some music but also be aware

Best of both worlds!

[shalmaneser]

Mr Will said:

surfymark said:

Mr Will said:

NitroNick said:

Mr Will said:

I can still hear what is going on around me, which is vitally important (for obvious reasons!)

What are the obvious reasons?
If you ride cautiously and stay out of the way of vehicles, indicate when appropriate to do so and look around you frequently to see where the traffic is then I dont understand why it is so important to be able to hear when cycling.

I cycled once with my ear-plug type in and hated it, too many idiots around here to stay out of the way of them all of the time and being able to hear what they are up to behind me is extremely useful (but then I am cycling in SW London, not the sleepy countryside)

But I don't find that I need to use my ears particularly if I use my eyes enough. If someone is really revving behind me then I can still hear it over my music even with in-ear phones in. If not then they simply pass and it is really down to them to give me enough room. When driving I always give cyclists plenty of room in much the same way as I would give motorcycles plenty of room or even cars when I am overtaking them.

in-ear phones don't cut off the sound completely.

M

Just in case there is confusion here, I'm saying get this type:


not this type:


The latter sort are designed to cut out external noise, which I don't see as an advantage when cycling.

With respect anyone who uses pics of Apple buds to illustrate any argument about headphones should be ignored anyway!

I do A LOT of cycling including commuting in a busy city and have had no problems wearing in ear phones. They don't cut you off completely from the outside work, it's exactly the same as having the stereo on in the car and in ear ones don't fall out and cause a distraction unlike those horrible apple phones that you posted.

I'm not sure why the PH team deems it necessary to stick their oar in quite so heavily with this debate, other than some knee jerk reaction that 'cycling with headphones is bad, Mmmkay'?

Anyway, even when you are in town you're moving so much faster than the traffic that most of the hazards come from in front.

Can we leave this now to some recommendations of headphones for the OP? Although to be fair I think that topic has been covered!

Now about to cycle into work avec Sandisk Clip+ and my trusty Seinheisers!

[shalmaneser]

BliarOut said:

I wear the original Apple ones all the time and I can still hear tyre roar well before a car is anywhere near me Noise cancelling ones would be a bit daft, but I can still carry on a conversation with mine in...

Don't assume because you see headphones that the rider can't hear.

I would highly recommend changing those phones, hideous sounding items as I'm sure everyone will agree. Best £30 I spent buying some upgraded phones for my iPod.

[ewenm]

shalmaneser said:

I'm not sure why the PH team deems it necessary to stick their oar in quite so heavily with this debate, other than some knee jerk reaction that 'cycling with headphones is bad, Mmmkay'?

Maybe because they are cyclists. I think you're reading too much into them also being PH team people.

My opinion (as a cyclist) is that I am not comfortable wearing headphones while riding. Dreadfully sorry old chap if you disagree with that, if only this were a discussion forum eh?

A colleague at work really rates his Sennheisers.

Edited by ewenm on Thursday 15th July 12:08

[croyde]

As a daft young motorcyclist in the 80s, I hollowed out the foam inside my helmet to fit a full size set of headphones in so I could listen to the radio whilst riding.

That was a long time ago and I like to think experience has made me a little more sensible now.

I cycle a lot and really depend on my hearing to hear cars coming up behind me. In fact its my 30 odd years of driving/riding that allows me to hopefully work out what everyone else on the road is doing using my sight and my ears.

It amazes me that anyone would travel a busy road being effectively deaf, and not only deaf but in your own little snug world not quite part of reality.

I came across a young girl who had crashed her scooter into the back of a car. It looked like the car had stopped at the lights but she had not noticed. She must of hit it at around 20 mph, judging by the amazing amount of damage both to the car and the scooter. The front of the scooter was bent back so much that the perspex screen had cut her throat. I don't know what happened to her but I did notice, as she lay there being attended to by the paramedics, that she had been wearing in ear headphones attached to a MP3 player.

Was she in her own little world when the car in front had stopped?

Sorry but when I am on my bicycle/motorbike, I am too vunerable to have one of my senses switched off.

I was once driving to work at 6am on a Sunday, a dark winters day, with the stereo on full blast. I crossed a GREEN light when a speeding police car with it's blues and twos on missed me by inches. I would never have seen the blue lights at that junction due to the buildings but I would of heard the siren.

Makes you think.

Edited by croyde on Thursday 15th July 12:42

[hondafanatic]

croyde said:

As a daft young motorcyclist in the 80s, I hollowed out the foam inside my helmet to fit a full size set of headphones in so I could listen to the radio whilst riding.

That was a long time ago and I like to think experience has made me a little more sensible now.

I cycle a lot and really depend on my hearing to hear cars coming up behind me. In fact its my 30 odd years of driving/riding that allows me to hopefully work out what everyone else on the road is doing using my sight and my ears.

It amazes me that anyone would travel a busy road being effectively deaf, and not only deaf but in your own little snug world not quite part of reality.

I came across a young girl who had crashed her scooter into the back of a car. It looked like the car had stopped at the lights but she had not noticed. She must of hit it at around 20 mph, judging by the amazing amount of damage both to the car and the scooter. The front of the scooter was bent back so much that the perspex screen had cut her throat. I don't know what happened to her but I did notice, as she lay there being attended to by the paramedics, that she had been wearing in ear headphones attached to a MP3 player.

Was she in her own little world when the car in front had stopped?

Sorry but when I am on my bicycle/motorbike, I am too vunerable to have one of my senses switched off.

I was once driving to work at 6am on a Sunday, a dark winters day, with the stereo on full blast. I crossed a red light when a speeding police car with it's blues and twos on missed me by inches. I would never have seen the blue lights at that junction due to the buildings but I would of heard the siren.

Makes you think.

So the moped accident was because she couldn't see the car in front and the 6am Sunday drive near miss was because you crossed a red light?

[croyde]

Ooops, sorry a green light.

[BliarOut]

shalmaneser said:

BliarOut said:

I wear the original Apple ones all the time and I can still hear tyre roar well before a car is anywhere near me Noise cancelling ones would be a bit daft, but I can still carry on a conversation with mine in...

Don't assume because you see headphones that the rider can't hear.

I would highly recommend changing those phones, hideous sounding items as I'm sure everyone will agree. Best £30 I spent buying some upgraded phones for my iPod.

I want to but I want some that allow background noise in and give the same control of the phone as the originals.

Any recommendations?

[mybrainhurts]

Why don't you lot go the whole hog and stick a DVD screen on the handlebars...?

What could possibly go wrong...?

[surfymark]

Ambulance came past me last night. I heard it well before it reached me and had plenty of time to pull up and stand on the pavement while it went past (was doing about 20mph at the time and it was pretty typical that it was one of the only pieces of actual road I travel on).

This through my current Sony isolating headphones with a spot of Armen Van Buren playing.

M

[BliarOut]

mybrainhurts said:

Why don't you lot go the whole hog and stick a DVD screen on the handlebars...?

What could possibly go wrong...?

I could 'accidentally' run over some grumpy northern bugger?

[anonymous-user]

BliarOut said:

mybrainhurts said:

Why don't you lot go the whole hog and stick a DVD screen on the handlebars...?

What could possibly go wrong...?

I could 'accidentally' run over some OLD grumpy northern bugger?

EFA

[surfymark]

So I am a little torn now. I do get that cycling and not being able to hear at all is dangerous on the road. I want to hear music but I don't want to buy a nice set of earphones and not be able to use them when on long road bike rides.

I came across this: http://www.tunebug.com/tunebug-shake.php

Has anyone heard of this before?

cheers
Mark

[hondafanatic]

surfymark said:

So I am a little torn now. I do get that cycling and not being able to hear at all is dangerous on the road. I want to hear music but I don't want to buy a nice set of earphones and not be able to use them when on long road bike rides.

I came across this: http://www.tunebug.com/tunebug-shake.php

Has anyone heard of this before?

cheers
Mark

If they did a DVD playing version I'd have one.

[Uriel]

Do all the naysayers also object to motorcyclists riding about the roads wearing earplugs specifically to block out noise?

[markoc]

Uriel said:

Do all the naysayers also object to motorcyclists riding about the roads wearing earplugs specifically to block out noise?

Not quite the same is it though. As a cyclist I'm reliant on background noise etc to inform me of my own safety. Now I'm no motorcyclist but I wouldn't have thought they have the same consideration given the noise their own machine is making - plus they have mirrors, which the majority of push bikes do not sport when leaving the factory.

My recomendation for the OP - the biggest fixed headphone cans you can find, preferably glow in the dark with red flashing lights on to earmark to anyone around you that they need to be twice as aware of you as you won't have a chuffing clue what is behind you.

You can be binned for cycling without due care and attention as well as driving, and I'd wager that wearing headphones puts you squarely in this box.

[BliarOut]

markoc said:

Uriel said:

Do all the naysayers also object to motorcyclists riding about the roads wearing earplugs specifically to block out noise?

Not quite the same is it though. As a cyclist I'm reliant on background noise etc to inform me of my own safety. Now I'm no motorcyclist but I wouldn't have thought they have the same consideration given the noise their own machine is making - plus they have mirrors, which the majority of push bikes do not sport when leaving the factory.

My recomendation for the OP - the biggest fixed headphone cans you can find, preferably glow in the dark with red flashing lights on to earmark to anyone around you that they need to be twice as aware of you as you won't have a chuffing clue what is behind you.

You can be binned for cycling without due care and attention as well as driving, and I'd wager that wearing headphones puts you squarely in this box.

It doesn't.

HTH.

[carreauchompeur]

Now, I always used to be in the camp that said wearing headphones whilst cycling was suicidal. However, having tried it a few times on a busy commute it's actually completely fine. So long as the music is at a sensible level I can easily hear what I need to otherwise.

Generally just use the Apple headphones, they stay in reasonably well with the added benefit of helmet straps to strategically position. Do have some Sennheisers with a back strap for running/gym but I don't think they would work with a helmet and also cut out too much background noise.

[surfymark]

markoc said:

Uriel said:

Do all the naysayers also object to motorcyclists riding about the roads wearing earplugs specifically to block out noise?

Not quite the same is it though. As a cyclist I'm reliant on background noise etc to inform me of my own safety. Now I'm no motorcyclist but I wouldn't have thought they have the same consideration given the noise their own machine is making

Not sure I get you. So motorcyclists don't need to be able to hear what is going on around them? As they are (usually) going a lot faster than bikes and can cause far more damage, I would have thought they would need to hear more wouldn't they? Or are you now saying that you don't need to be able hear on the road?

markoc said:

- plus they have mirrors, which the majority of push bikes do not sport when leaving the factory.

Now this is a good point and I am considering mirrors. The only reason I haven't got them already is that I already look over my shoulder every few seconds and don't really see that mirrors will add much other than distract me further.

markoc said:

My recomendation for the OP - the biggest fixed headphone cans you can find, preferably glow in the dark with red flashing lights on to earmark to anyone around you that they need to be twice as aware of you as you won't have a chuffing clue what is behind you.

I guess you haven't read the rest of the thread. I can hear enough to hear a siren or a loudly revved car just not a Prius (which I should have picked up by looking over my shoulder). I also always look over my shoulder before manoeuvring.

markoc said:

You can be binned for cycling without due care and attention as well as driving, and I'd wager that wearing headphones puts you squarely in this box.

Don't get this at all. Surely any music or even talking in a car would mean that you were driving without due care and attention? What about changing gear etc etc.

M