Headphones on bike?

Yeah, I guess I jumped the gun a little on my post - sorry I probably still wouldn't, but like someone else said, I guess it all depends on whether you can multi-task well. I'd probably run some poor sap over because I'd be singing to the music and not paying attention.

With kids? No way.

By myself, YES. I live in a very rural location, so traffic is light, and I'm VERY good at watching in my mirrors what is going on behind me. I have yet to have someone pass me that I didn't know was coming.

I crank it, too.

I run and bike both at the gym and outside on the streets around my house. When I'm at the gym I can't do anything without music. But when I'm home and outside, I never listen to any music. I always want to be completely aware of anything going on around me, don't want to be distracted.

This! I thought I'd be bored to death running without music, but I love it now!

It's not good to "ever" wear headphones when biking anywhere. The same goes for running. You need to be able to hear traffic, sounds of all sorts. Moreover, in the special case of women, headphones can keep them from being aware of danger lurking in brush and the side of the lane, path or road. Nothing is more important than your safety and that of others - just like when driving.

^^^^My thoughts exactly^^^^

On all the roads I cycle, including country roads I always wear 1 ear bud and never had any problems, wear it in the ear furthest from the road side. :-)

Bad idea, anything that interferes with your ability to hear what's going around you creates a hazard for you.

I think it's a bad idea. You should be able to hear what's around you, even on a bike path. I know when I'm cycling and say "on your left" when I pass someone with ear buds or headphones and they can't hear me, it makes me worry that they might move into my path, not realizing I'm passing them.

As the overtaking party, it is totally your responsibility to make the pass safely. If you see someone with headphones, or they don't seem to acknowledge when you call out, then you better slow down and be extra careful when you go around that person.

To the OP: I ride a couple hundred miles a year on the road. I wear ear buds with the music turned up to the point I can just barely hear it over the wind noise. I'm still quite aware of my surroundings, can hear traffic and other sounds, and have never had a problem. If you don't think you can do it safely don't. Personally I prefer to have music playing at all times, at home, in the car, at work, on the bike, wherever.

I think it's best to be as alert as possible. Even if you're on a dedicated bike path, you never know who might sneak up from somewhere and attack you. I don't even wear headphones when walking for that reason.

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.

Well, just off the top of the google search:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231835/Generation-cycling-iPod-zombies-blamed-rise-deaths-road.html

and

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2009/12/10/headphone_death.ART_ART_12-10-09_A1_KUFUT8R.html

Anecdotal data, for sure, but from little reports great aggregations can come.

And by the by, here in California, DMV regs say:

21200. (a) A person riding a bicycle or operating a pedicab upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division, including, but not limited to, provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs, and by Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000), Section 27400, Division 16.7 (commencing with Section 39000), Division 17 (commencing with Section 40000.1), and Division 18 (commencing with Section 42000), except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

which leads us to (from DMV publication):

Wearing headphones or earplugs is illegal in California regardless of the age of a driver.

And being a certified industrial hygienist, my opinion does actually carry a tad bit o' weight, at least in regards to safe work practices...

Distractions in the workplace are often proximate contributors to industrial accidents. And just because you're not in a "work environment", yet still surrounded by dangerous moving machinery (i.e. cars), does not really change potential accident conditions. Awareness is often a key component in accident avoidance. But then again, as adults, you get (sometimes) to choose your level of risk avoidance. And like I said, someone's gotta be the organ donor.

I actually don't ride bikes due to not interested in them. But in my past yes I wore ear plugs but only had one in at a time. The same thing I do when I walk or jog. I always leave one out so I can hear what's coming up behind me or what's going on around me. And I don't keep my music blarring in the one ear so I can keep a conversation going with those I am walking with if I choose to. I think it's dangerous to have both ears filled with music...