Who listens to music when they ride??

+1 on eliminating distraction
+1 on the Ety's


Hey all,

Just wanted to pipe in and add my experiences with earplugs/headphones. I put 20000 miles on my 2004 VFR in 2005 and 19900 of them were either with earplugs or headphones, mostly with headphones. Love the Etymotics. I don't leave home without them. I've done 1000 mile days with them in the whole time.

Just a couple of comments:

I find that I'm actually more alert at stoplights when I have earplugs or headphones. I tend to subconsciously assume nothing is going on at the stoplight when I don't hear any ambient noise "warning signs". But when I have earplugs or headphones, I'm scanning way more than otherwise.

I use music on rides as background noise, more white noise than anything. I listen to full albums on my iPod for the most part, and there have been times when I hear the last song on an album and realize I didn't really hear the first 11 songs. So no, music isn't a distraction for me. It takes away stress, it takes away boredom, it takes away tedium. When I have music playing on the bike, I'm in my uber-alert mode, for lack of a better term.

I can still hear everything I need to when I have earplugs in: dogs barking, cars honking, police sirens, etc. When listening to music some of that is reduced, but it's still there, what I need to be there, anyway.

The last thing I'll say is that I don't know how many times I've been listening to music on the bike and pulled over for an emergency vehicle to go past me from behind, and cars four or five back haven't even noticed it yet.

Situation awareness is the key. :thumbsup:

 

Hi friends! First post here.

I have 2 sets of earplugs at all times. The silicone jobbies.

I also have a set of Etymotic noise cancelling earpods for my iPod. These ones will block out 34dB of sound, which is about what my normal plugs block out.

If I'm in traffic, I'll turn the iPod down and still have the benefit of 34dB noise reduction. If I'm cruising on the highway in light or no traffic I'll turn the ipod up a bit.

With the noise reducing earpods the music doesn't have to be very loud.

Too early for me to be getting in to the rest of the debate - just thought I'd pass along the Etymotic suggestion.

I'm not sure how much these cost retail. I have a friend who is an engineer at Etymotic, so I beta tested these and got to keep them free. Strangely he sent them to me because I'm a gamer and he wanted to see how the isolation affected 3D positional sound in computer games.

He was awfully surprised when I told him that I used them far more often on the bike.

Etymotic Research, Inc. - ER-4 MicroPro Insert Earphones

 

It must be way cool to have two sets of ears. Do you have a pic you can post? TIA

 

Jabra BT320s and my $.02

I bought some Jabra BT320s a while back (~$65). Not really loud enough when used with my cell phone with "normal" background noise - much less while riding. Ipod should have better power out than the cell phone though. Unfortunately, I don't have BlueTooth for the Ipod to test it. Would recommend trying them out. They are stereo and come with short foamy earplugs. Also, the 320 mic has a clip that could be placed inside the front of a full face helmet. For Your Consideration -

My $.02 - Music is mindless and shouldn't distract unless tooooo loud. Cell phone conversations are distracting and should not be attempted in motion (on a bike or in a car)!

Cheers!
G

 

Does anyone know where I can buy a bracket for my Sony Watchman that will fit on my crash helmet. I have been using duct tape and it just looks tacky. I like to watch Oprah while I am riding.

 

BadBilly! I LOVE your style my friend. As happens many times on this (and other forums), it is revealed just how different every one is. One man's safe distraction is another man's unsafe or inappropriate activity. One man's "mindless" activity is another man's full-time attention activity. I'll repeat myself: I think our society is, by and large, prone to ADD. We have a hard time being happy doing ONE thing. We seem to crave multiple levels of stimulation and paradoxically, don't fully experience anything in its fullest. I opt to only motorcycle when I motorcycle. I only listen to music (giving my undivided attention) when I listen to music. When I talk to someone, I only speak and listen to them and eschew other distractions. I don't feel the need to force this on other people though. Do what you want and don't expect others to agree with you or do the same. I just hope that someone motorcycling and listening to music and talking on their phone and thinking about the other 6 things they will do simultaneously when they get off the bike do not run into me when doing all that stuff.
And PLEASE leave me alone when Billy and I are watching Oprah!!! That is our "me" time!!!

 

I was really expecting more on the bracket. If Oprah and Dr. Phil kiss and make up and I miss it, I will be depressed. I was out cruising when Cruise was jumping on her couch and never have never been the same since.

My view on riding and listening to anything but the really nifty sound of that V4 or BSing on a cellphone is parallel to the famous movie line " I vant to be alone."

A good three out of five times someone makes my asshole pucker when I'm out on the bike is somebody all zoned out on some third rate rock group that will be in the "whatever happened to" category in six months or jammin on a cell about what to pick up at WalMart for dinner.

I may be in deep doodoo here but what the hey, the thread must go on..

 

What device do you use to listen? I've been experimenting with an iPod Shuffile, with and in ear, speak in just one ear.

 

Anytime my helmet goes on, the ear plugs go in first. No exceptions.

As for music, only on trips and never too loud. What is happening around me is far more important.

 

I don't listen to music while I ride but if I did, I would use that very same procedure. I knew a guy once that tried it the other way round using a screwdriver ruining a perfectly good earring.

 

I listen to music through my Ipod regularly both over the road and in traffic. As they say use some common sense in most things and you will be fine. I really dont fiddle with my controls while riding as that appears a little too distracting for me. I have a nice set of Sony headphones that seal out ambient noise.
What ever happened to Let those who ride decide?
In Illinois I beleive there is a law against "wearing headset receiver while driving"? What about Blu tooth stuff?

 

The other day on my way back from Walmart, I spotted a guy on a Harley. It looked like he had sawed the top off one of those Storm Trooper skidlids from some WWII B movie and epoxied one of those Bose Wave players on it. I didn't get a chance to talk to him. He was rockin out bigtime.

 

I donlt listen to music but I find my self singing a lot?

 

Me too. My favorite song of late is " Hey asshole in the Winnebago, move your rig over and put that cellphone where the sun don't never shine."

I hope you can find it on the net. It was written by a guy I know that has a steel guitar strapped to the tank of his Goldwing.

 

:thumbsup: now thats a song for the open road!

 

Instead of music, I like to catch the news and some documentary stuff on CBC. Does anyone use a real small compact am/fm radio? That's what I would like to use.

 

I usually only ride in a "bannana sack" thong and a wife beater so I dont have a pocket for my IPOD

 

You mean Bannana Hammock?

 

I'm with two4one. And my name says it all...but it's not just my name, it's my life. If it can go wrong it will. Music just makes it easier to handle. I never adjust my mP3 once I'm going because I already know the levels and the tunes. And there is never any Kenny G! When I ride it's somewhat of an out of body experience as I assume the worst from all the other drivers(& riders) and ride with ultra caution to reflect that notion. I also won't listen to it at high volume. Just enough to hear the beat and myself - singing off key.