AirPods when riding ?? Yes or no

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,457
5,362
Scotland
Just wondered peoples thoughts / views on listening to music while riding ??

I ride mainly alone so thinking it would be good , but I guess there is the risk of not hearing traffic other riders walker or even something breaking down on the bike !!

anyone use them ??
I use Aftershox Jawbones not inside the ear so hear anything coming up behind me. And fit ok with helmet.
 

The Hodge

Mystic Meg
Subscriber
Sep 9, 2020
4,030
8,630
North West Northumberland
Galaxy buds ..but none of that kiddie music you all seem to like 😉😁
I'm more into raaawk.. man..but only when riding solo and off road ..
Something like this hits the spot ..
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,705
the internet
I'm open to listening to any genre but Rock guitar masturbation solos have always bored me to death. But I guess 90s American rock might work quite well as a soundtrack to ride to when you get old and slow probably why it's so popular with the shiny Harley Davidson pensioner crowd. :p
 

The Hodge

Mystic Meg
Subscriber
Sep 9, 2020
4,030
8,630
North West Northumberland
I'm open to listening to any genre but Rock guitar masturbation solos have always bored me to death. But I guess 90s American rock might work quite well as a soundtrack to ride to when you get old and slow probably why it's so popular with the shiny Harley Davidson pensioner crowd. :p
Unlike that stale old 90's house shite ..that particular track / album that I posted was released in 2007..😁..
I'll let you know if I grow tired of it when I get old 😂
 

urastus

⚡The Whippet⚡
May 4, 2020
1,548
995
Tasmania
I hate coming up behind people plugged into music - they always get a fright. I wonder to myself how many times does that have to happen before they wise up?
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,457
5,362
Scotland
I hate coming up behind people plugged into music - they always get a fright. I wonder to myself how many times does that have to happen before they wise up?
Walkers the worst I've actually put a bell on but personally I think a lot of people are anti bike. Some still ignore you and give you a look like you shouldn'tbe there.. I use the bone conducting ones sometimes and hear everything . Lot of grumpy people out there I think .
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,098
9,589
Lincolnshire, UK
I had a hearing test recently, sound proof booth and everything. Towards the end the headphones were replaced with bone conducting kit. They sounded exactly the same to me. I was surprised by that.
 

Binhill1

🍊 Tango Man 🍊
Mar 7, 2019
3,457
5,362
Scotland
I had a hearing test recently, sound proof booth and everything. Towards the end the headphones were replaced with bone conducting kit. They sounded exactly the same to me. I was surprised by that.
Yes they are great for bike or hill walking. If its windy though or going downhill fast you need a headband .If you are remote area put earplugs in it makes them sound a lot louder .
 

Marksou

Active member
Dec 24, 2021
94
138
Llanbedrog
I don't like wearing earbuds when running or cycling. I do have something going on in the background when on the spin bike, as that's as boring as hell :cool:
 

Gordon

Member
Oct 18, 2018
22
18
Porto Portugal
I often ride listening to music or ebooks when I am just out spinning. Only wear 1 side so I can hear runners, other cyclist, auto traffic etc.

Have had 3 or 4 crashes over the years with people listening to loud music and having no real understanding what is happening around them.

As an aside - I was reading an article in a magazine while at the dentist last year. An insurance company refused to pay out when a cyclist caused an accident, wearing ear buds and not being aware of surroundings. In the resultant court case the judge agreed with the insurance company that rider was not taking due care.
Here in Portugal my driver's license says I wear hearing aids, so I'm legally required to wear them while I'm driving. I think the same logic extends to riding with ear buds, especially in traffic.
I hate going to the beach and having to endure the noise of blaring boom boxes or esplanada café sound systems. When I ride MTB or go to the beach I want peace and quiet and to feel in contact with nature. I love music and I sing in 2 choirs, play an instrument and attend concerts. I rode for a year with a friend who always had earbuds playing, but finally I got tired of always having to shout or wave if I wanted to say something to him and I don't see him anymore.
I love the silence and the sounds of nature and my tires crunching on the gravel when I ride. IOW being present and just listening to my own thoughts as I reflect on life.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,705
the internet
I hate coming up behind people plugged into music - they always get a fright.
This has never happened to me in well over 100000 miles of cycling with headphones in.
Do you look like Jimmy Saville or something ?
 

urastus

⚡The Whippet⚡
May 4, 2020
1,548
995
Tasmania
This has never happened to me in well over 100000 miles of cycling with headphones in.
Do you look like Jimmy Saville or something ?
They really look as though they thought they had the track to themselves. It's like that trying to get past them too :rolleyes:
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,705
the internet
I find a lot of pedestrians are exactly like that fully blinkeres and blissfully unaware of what's around them with nothing blocking their hearing whatsoever. Especially folk who live in towns an cities and don't live particularly active lifestyles. It's become pretty much a daily occurence for some gormless twat to step off a kerb infront of me without looking at some point on my commute through the city centre. You almost gain a sixth sense for always being aware of what's around you and pre-empting other people's stupidity after a while. It's so common I've considered riding with my little insta360 to capture a few and make a little montage of it.
Some folk just lack spacial awareness, perception of themselves in their surroundings or self preservation. Those sort of people really shouldn't wear headphones out in pubic at all. But what can you do?
 

urastus

⚡The Whippet⚡
May 4, 2020
1,548
995
Tasmania
I find a lot of pedestrians are exactly like that fully blinkeres and blissfully unaware of what's around them with nothing blocking their hearing whatsoever. Especially folk who live in towns an cities and don't live particularly active lifestyles. It's become pretty much a daily occurence for some gormless twat to step off a kerb infront of me without looking at some point on my commute through the city centre. You almost gain a sixth sense for always being aware of what's around you and pre-empting other people's stupidity after a while. It's so common I've considered riding with my little insta360 to capture a few and make a little montage of it.
Some folk just lack spacial awareness, perception of themselves in their surroundings or self preservation. Those sort of people really shouldn't wear headphones out in pubic at all. But what can you do?
Yep, that's it :). If I'm really honest, I don't mind if they get a fright :LOL:. Everyone else can hear me coming a mile away; me huffing and puffing and the bike whining
 
Last edited:

militantmandy

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2022
399
369
Tweed Valley, Scotland
Not for me. If I'm out on my own I'm generally on the e bike. This will involve passing many people and I'd prefer to be able to let them know I'm coming and respond / chat etc. Having music on would make that more difficult. If I'm on the regular bike I'm almost always with someone else.
 

Tubby G

❤️‍🔥 Hot Stuff ❤️‍🔥
Dec 15, 2020
2,696
5,421
North Yorkshire
When we were at Glenlivet last year, there was a guy that had mounted a fairly substantial Bluetooth speaker to his bars and was blasting out fast laps whilst dropping some pumpin’ repetitive bass &.beats. We called him Techno Terry. You could certainly hear him coming!
 

The Hodge

Mystic Meg
Subscriber
Sep 9, 2020
4,030
8,630
North West Northumberland
When we were at Glenlivet last year, there was a guy that had mounted a fairly substantial Bluetooth speaker to his bars and was blasting out fast laps whilst dropping some pumpin’ repetitive bass &.beats. We called him Techno Terry. You could certainly hear him coming!
Didn't meet him when I was there a few years back ..but it was midweek and I had the place to myself ..
I thought it was a cracking little trail centre 👍
 

Tubby G

❤️‍🔥 Hot Stuff ❤️‍🔥
Dec 15, 2020
2,696
5,421
North Yorkshire
Didn't meet him when I was there a few years back ..but it was midweek and I had the place to myself ..
I thought it was a cracking little trail centre 👍

Yeah we loved it there too, it wasn’t just the location, scenic drive to location, and great trails, but the general atmosphere there was really friendly, almost like a happy party vibe

Apparently they’ve recently done a load of work and created more downhill & ‘natural’ trails there too. We’d go back in a heartbeat if it wasn’t a 6 hr drive away
 

mas

Member
Apr 3, 2020
60
35
Australia
Just wondered peoples thoughts / views on listening to music while riding ??

I ride mainly alone so thinking it would be good , but I guess there is the risk of not hearing traffic other riders walker or even something breaking down on the bike !!

anyone use them ??
Use airpods every time I go for a mtb ride. Never had them fall out even with crashes. When riding behind or near others I hit pause and turn back on once past.
 

Tim1023

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2020
665
590
Hamburg, Germany
I find a lot of pedestrians are exactly like that fully blinkeres and blissfully unaware of what's around them with nothing blocking their hearing whatsoever.
That's one downside of getting my brakes sorted. A screaming bike brake applied with the appropriate timing would scare the bejesus out of oblivious pedestrians walking out onto the street
 

Kyokushin

Active member
Mar 28, 2021
332
195
Sol
I am using Airpods Pro with boosted environmental sound mode. Its allowing me to hear music and other importand sounds that are around me.
Its also comfortable because i can manage calls/songs/volume by Siri voice commands.
 

Tubby G

❤️‍🔥 Hot Stuff ❤️‍🔥
Dec 15, 2020
2,696
5,421
North Yorkshire
That's one downside of getting my brakes sorted. A screaming bike brake applied with the appropriate timing would scare the bejesus out of oblivious pedestrians walking out onto the street

There was a guy stood on the trail at Sutton Bank on Sunday staring through the lens of his Canon SLR. I slowed down and politely squeezed the rear brake to engage a small skid to alert him of my presence. The guy absolutely shat himself, did a full loopy shock dance, almost dropped his camera and was moments away from falling off the cliff edge. Luckily he saw the funny side of it and stepped to one side
 

chrismechmaster

Well-known member
Dec 7, 2020
816
420
Newbury
I am using Airpods Pro with boosted environmental sound mode. Its allowing me to hear music and other importand sounds that are around me.
Its also comfortable because i can manage calls/songs/volume by Siri voice commands.
I just brought these and that function is really good as my worry was I wouldn’t hear anyone but the boosted environment means I can
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

559K
Messages
28,312
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top