Headphones on bike?

Ride on roads everyday with headphones in and have never had any issues

I wear them and I don't feel any less safe. I have a helmet mounted mirror that I use often so I know my surroundings and honestly I hear subtle sounds like people better with them in. If I don't use earphones the noise of the wind and traffic makes it impossible to use my hearing to help in any way.

If a car is on a collision course with me, how is my hearing going to tell me that? They drive close enough to me that the only way I will know there is a problem is my mirror. I think riding without a mirror is very unsafe but earphones? If you feel safe, go ahead. It makes my 100km daily commute less tedious.

I ride 13km on a bike path (that crosses roads) and then another 9km on the roads, this is my commute and I NEVER wear headphones while cycling. It is far too dangerous. I also never wear headphones while running early in the morning although I will wear them on the weekend if I go for a run around the lake later on (say 9am) but usally I like to give myself little pep talks and listen to the birds and the dogs comming up behind me or infront of me. It doesn't hurt to have your own voice in your head sometimes! :happy:

I did the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer twice and the Breast Cancer 3-Day once, and love to take my dog for nice long walks. Both breast cancer walks forbid Walkers from wearing headphones/earbuds during the events, and strongly discourage them during training, for safety reasons. That said, I do use ear buds sometimes, but I mostly listen to podcasts, not music, and find that it doesn't drown out my surroundings or distract me much. I'm super-careful about crossing driveways and intersections (I think having my dog along to think about helps there). On the Walk itself, there's always a couple of people who have speakers playing music, and last time, I found a little bitty speaker thing that my iPod could plug into and used that. I suppose I could use that during training, too, if I wanted music then.

Biking is another matter. I'd like to ride my bike to work and for recreation, but my experiences on local roads have not been good. I've been yelled at, cut off, had cars go by so close their mirrors almost hit me, etc. No, I don't go very fast, but even a fit cyclist isn't going near as fast as a car would. I go up on the sidewalk, even if it is technically illegal, rather than ride on a busy road. The cops won't do anything to protect bikers -- I've never heard of them ever giving anyone a ticket for not giving a bike enough room etc. Given that environment, I wouldn't add to the risk by wearing headphones. What I've seen of the local bike/walking paths has been pretty crowded, too, and a rung bell or friendly "on your left" is needed pretty frequently, so I wouldn't be likely to use them there, either. However, if I were to go on a long ride in the Forest Preserve District, where paths are wide and much less crowded, I would probably use them there without too much worry. I guess it depends on the circumstances, but better to err on the side of caution.

If you bike early in the morning or late in the evening, any time there's *any* chance of still being out when it's getting dark, you *need* a set of lights. A headlight and a red tail light make a *huge* difference in how visible you are. If you find yourself out after dark even once, spring for a reflective vest and/or ankle and wrist reflectors, too. Remember, a headlight isn't just about you being able to see the road, it's about the cars being able to see where you are and where you're going. There are plenty of good drivers out there, too, despite what I said above, and you need to give them every chance to avoid hitting you. I've been on the driver side of this one far too many times, with a bike being almost completely invisible until they're only a few yards away. And don't forget about parked cars -- a door opening into a bike's path is one of the most common causes of accidents!

Interesting trivia -- not sure if it's national, but I know the Rules of the Road here forbid using headphones/earbuds while driving a car. Always seemed silly to me, since you can turn your car stereo up loud enough to drown out anything you might need to hear, *and* since it's not illegal for deaf people to drive. Still, that's apparently the letter of the law, make of it what you will. :-)

I don't bike, but when I run I keep the volume pretty low so I always know what is going on around me.

I crank out 12 miles almost every day on our bike trail and I wear headphones. I have a mirror on my handle bars for watching who is coming up behind me. I'm also one of those people that prefers not to wear a helmet. I guess I am a risk taker...even at 51. Life is to be enjoyed to the fullest. A bike helmet makes my scalp itch and music makes it a very pleasant experience. Too each his own!!!

Um, just saying, but there is a special term for folks who engage in such activity, it's "organ donor".

Just make sure your card is up-to-date...

First, any solution that allows you to hear your music but also hear your surroundings is best. Those who say no way must also prefer for deaf people to not run or ride. I just purchased some bone conduction headphones which leave both ears open and the music is fantastic.

http://www.aftershokz.com/

If it's not too disturbing to others, you can listen to it without any earbuds in your ear. If you use a phone with a speaker that's one way, or you can crank your volume all the way up and keep your headphones around your neck.

Otherwise, one earbud (NOT A NOISE CANCELLING ONE) on a lower volume.

I wear mine I just don't turn them up super loud.

For me, listening to low volume music does not equate to wearing blinders and not paying attention to anything else. As with anything, if you can multi-task and still function safely...go for it (just be sure you're still paying attention to your surroundings). You listen to music or talk radio while driving a car without killing yourself or others, right?

Apparently a lot of people here are not able to do this. They probably don't chew gum while walking either :laugh:

for all of you declaring riding with earphones on a bike path (i mean one with no cars not a bike path on the side of a road) "extremely dangerous" or even "suicidal" can you please show me that this is anything other than your opinion? i do it all the time, have for years, can still hear outside noise even with earbuds in, and have never had any kind of an incident that seemed even remotely dangerous to me.

Single bud, only in right ear, low volume. Pause it when in high traffic/intersection areas.

I've only ever done it once (for directions on a route in an unfamiliar city) and didn't care for it. Though, having been hit by a car before, I'm probably a little biased.


.

I do it. I keep the volume low and if the bike trails are busy I only use one. Until I broke my strap that held my iPhone in place though I would strap it to middle of the handlebars with the volume full blast.

My earlier responses were all related to riding on a PATH.. When it comes to riding on streets, its definitely a different story.

I am of the opinion that the rule of bikes riding WITH traffic should be reconsidered in this day and age of distracted drivers. When I do ride "off path", I'm generally on dirt/country roads with a few stops/crossings, and I generally ride against traffic. As both a biker and a driver, I'd rather know that we can both see the other one coming!