Poll: listening to music/headphones during street riding

P

Paula B

New member
Only on long highway runs, hours on the bike. For a commute or blast in the mountains, no way.. It's like having the radio on in the car but less ads..


For the helmet pressure thing.. Ipod buds are about the best on the market.. You DON'T need them IN your ears.

Place the bud up into the helmet and position in that socket bit where your ears go, run the wires back down the gap in the padding.. Leave yourself plenty of cable to spare. put helmet on. Switch on ipod so you can just hear the music then stick a finger up inside the helmet and move the buds till you get the loudest sound you can.. do up shin strap, fit gloves ride.. adjust sound level on the road ( switch off in the twisties or in traffic within towns.)
 
This. I seem to focus better with music when riding aggressively. My brain needs to be multitasking or else it drifts off and I don't pay attention. In addition, if I listen only to the sweet sound of my Akra's, my ears usually ring after a long ride.

If I'm in a big group and going slow, I usually turn off the music though.
 
So, you drown out the Akras with music, but the Akras make your ears ring and the music doesn't, how does that work?
 
It's all about noise levels. Music is on one level and exhaust noise is another. I wear noise canceling ear plugs that take out very high levels and very low levels. My exhaust and music are in between the levels so wind noise is eliminated and my music can be on a very minimal level so I can hear everything going on around me.
 
I've never done the music thing while riding so I can't speak from personal experience on this but I know how most if not all of us feel about the cagers not seeing us..... I'm always on the lookout for that car that doesn't see me... especially here in hawaii.... even if they see you.... they don't care.

On another note... I witnessed a guy (toolbox, not same category as everyone here) that was listening to his ipod while driving a harley down the road in traffic bobbin his head side to side and as he did that he was weaving side to side in his lane. I guess he was "feeling" the music cause when we all started slowing down for a changing light, he just cut lanes and bolted on through not noticing he cut-off a bus by mere inches!! I dont' think he ever realized it too cause he was long gone.
 
Same with me.

Long runs don't provide much to pay attention to, in turn, you start zoning.

Short runs around town, on and off of freeways; required attentivness to lights, signs and traffic.





I added to what P@ said in that the exhaust on has so many notes and can start sounding more and more like one single notes. Versus music which has different notes tempos, notes, rythmes, etc.
 
I totally don't understand the music while u ride thing. Even if it puts you "in the zone" it isn't worth the risk. I teach a rider safety course and believe me, you don't need any more distraction on a bike. Not to mention it's illegal!
 
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