Headphones and listening for traffic...

[berserk87]

Originally Posted by Saint Vitus

Sorry bro but the playfulness stopped at audio (of which I have no issue). I'd like to be zen and 5h!t about it but I can't so there's the dogma pile for ya to navigate around...

Agree with it or not, that's funny stuff: "...there's the dogma pile for ya to navigate around". Poetic.

[jmeloy]

Originally Posted by seanile

left ear listens to traffic, right ear listens to music.

Ditto!

[lucasfarr92]

I'm a big fan of the Yurbuds. Stick one in my right ear, and it never comes out and I can hear traffic great.

[jimoots]

Have ridden with headphones in since the days of cassette Walkmans. At least 15 years.

A standard bud headphone doesn't affect my ability to know what's going on around me at sensible volumes. Which is the same as listening to music in a car.

If it affects you adversely then don't wear them. Pretty simple.

[campy man]

Headphones & earbuds, tried them and didn't like them. In LalaLand I like to hear buses, trucks and drivers approaching from behind.

While I enjoyed the boost in speed and willingness to take chances when wearing earbuds it didn't take long to discover I prefer to hear the revving engine of the knuckehead driver with a cig between their lips & cup of coffee between their legs ... speeding to make a right hand turn in front of me

I might be the odd bird cause my handlebars are clear of any monitors, gps, ... I ride to simply ride. Don't need no stinking monitor to tell me I'm going too slow

Cool with anyone that wants to listen to music or watch video when riding ... as long as it doesn't make my ride more dangerous. That person in the bike lane with the headphones that's weaving side to side ... uncool!

[ceolwulf]

I almost never listen to music whilst riding but when I do I like the Bose MIE2 earbuds. They have a fairly unique open design that impedes outside sound almost not at all so you remain fully aware of that guy careening towards your rear wheel in blissful oblivion.

[Black Dog]

There are a lot of arguments that people make here, and in all the previous incarnations of this thread, that state the importance of being able to hear the cars and trucks coming up behind them.

I would really like to know how a person can distinguish, in any way, wether that vehicle is going to hit them or miss them by inches or pass them with 1 metre (3 feet) of space. Also, if they can tell the difference, do they have time to react in order to save themselves before they get hit?

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

There are a lot of arguments that people make here and in all the previous incarnations of this thread that state the importance of being able to hear the cars and trucks coming up behind them.

I would really like to know how a person can distinguish, in any way, wether that vehicle is going to hit them or miss them by inches or pass them with 1 metre (3 feet) of space. Also, if they can tell the difference, do they have time to react in order to save themselves before they get hit?

was going to type the same thing...

personally id rather not hear the car hit me from behind.

and fortunately i don't get spooked by cars passing me and me not hearing them. that i understand...wouldnt want to be scared out there every time a car passes.

[Steve in SLO]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

I would really like to know how a person can distinguish, in any way, wether that vehicle is going to hit them or miss them by inches or pass them with 1 metre (3 feet) of space. Also, if they can tell the difference, do they have time to react in order to save themselves before they get hit?

Mirror.

I ride with a right ear bud in, and a mirror inside my glasses. To me The mirror has become much more important safety device that having both ears. In fact, I feel really vulnerable now going out on a road ride without one.

Whoa, I just noticed this with my 4000th post…what a banal way to reach a milestone.

[campy man]

It's not the sound of a bus, truck or car passing that creates fear. When I'm riding it's the sound that stands out from the typical background noise. The sound of vehicles simply passing(background) is much different than the sound of that idiot stomping on the gas pedal and racing to the corner trying save 5 secs making a turn in front of you. The sound of an approaching bus passing inches from your handlebars is different than a bus passing +1ft.

I'm guessing most people on Paceline would prefer to ride on a road with minimal traffic but accept the unavoidable situation of sharing the road with auto traffic.

[campy man]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

There are a lot of arguments that people make here, and in all the previous incarnations of this thread, that state the importance of being able to hear the cars and trucks coming up behind them.

I would really like to know how a person can distinguish, in any way, wether that vehicle is going to hit them or miss them by inches or pass them with 1 metre (3 feet) of space. Also, if they can tell the difference, do they have time to react in order to save themselves before they get hit?

Agree, there is no way to know if a vehicle is going to hit you. I think most would agree a crash can happen at anytime or place ... unpredictable. In my world, I can't afford to simply do nothing and not be proactive to minimizing the dangers of riding in traffic.

There is a freeway onramp that I pass on my regular ride. The sound of that car racing me to the onramp is much different than the sound of cars that might pass or allow me to cross that same onramp. The reaction to a car passing at a normal rate of speed is different to that idiot stomping on the gas pedal.

Can you say the choice to wearing earbuds is not much different than wearing a helmet ... the decision belongs to the individual rider.

[Black Dog]

Wouldn't your eyes be better sensory organs on the onramp than your ears?

Originally Posted by campy man

Agree, there is no way to know if a vehicle is going to hit you. I think most would agree a crash can happen at anytime or place ... unpredictable. In my world, I can't afford to simply do nothing and not be proactive to minimizing the dangers of riding in traffic.

There is a freeway onramp that I pass on my regular ride. The sound of that car racing me to the onramp is much different than the sound of cars that might pass or allow me to cross that same onramp. The reaction to a car passing at a normal rate of speed is different to that idiot stomping on the gas pedal.

Can you say the choice to wearing earbuds is not much different than wearing a helmet ... the decision belongs to the individual rider.

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by campy man

It's not the sound of a bus, truck or car passing that creates fear. When I'm riding it's the sound that stands out from the typical background noise. The sound of vehicles simply passing(background) is much different than the sound of that idiot stomping on the gas pedal and racing to the corner trying save 5 secs making a turn in front of you. The sound of an approaching bus passing inches from your handlebars is different than a bus passing +1ft.

I'm guessing most people on Paceline would prefer to ride on a road with minimal traffic but accept the unavoidable situation of sharing the road with auto traffic.

Ok I am going to call this one out. There is no way that you can tell if the bus is going to pass you with inches or a foot. The distance from the bus to your ear will be virtually the same as the bus approaches regardless if it is a foot or an inch out from your line. Think of a triangle. It is only when the bus is on top of you that you would be able to tell and by then no reaction that you could make will effect the outcome. In this, and most cases on the road, seeing is believing and everything else is guesswork.

[campy man]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Wouldn't your eyes be better sensory organs on the onramp than your ears?

Are you suggesting it's better for a rider in traffic to turn their head around to see traffic approaching from behind instead of listening ... using 1 sensory organ instead of 2?

[Zoodles]

In the area of an on ramp you better believe I'm watching behind me more than the road in front- at least 60/40
You can ride in a straight line with your head half turned but you can't trust drivers to see you or not try to beat you to the ramp.