Helmet music

[Feasty]

I'm intrigued.
I come across many people on bike forums who say they listen to ipods etc whilst riding, but I would've thought that would be rather dangerous!

Surely it's safer to be able to hear traffic around you and the odd warning beep as something swerves towards you without seeing you?
I actually wear hearing aids so perhaps I'm just coming from a different perspective, and I'd feel very insecure if I couldn't hear things happening around me...

Opinions please?


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(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[big2dave]

i some times use ipod, i dont have it that loud that i cant hear the road, 70% volume means i still hear my bike cars and horns and any thing elce
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[killa]

When someone calls me on my bike when i have the MP3 plugged in, i can't concentrate properly. But with only music playing i'm fine, i step up my observations and kinda glide with the music.

I crashed back in 1999 badly listning to Slipknot full whack and riding like a pleb.

I've learnt a lot from that, i don't let the music effect my riding that much anymore.
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[DidierD]

I was listening to my mp3 player today on the bike (Enter Shikari) and it was quite pleasant. BUT when I took my helmet off... O my GOD! The pain was ridiculous, I crumpled over, my ear felt like it had been ripped in half!

So I would suggest getting some decent earphones if you're going to listen to music

...and do a search this has been discussed a million times and there's a number of headphone suggestions lying around such as these:

https://www.dv247.com/invt/51872/
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[Benj]

isnt it the same as someone having a loud stereo?


except for the fact that people dont see bikes 100% of the time
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[Feasty]

[prowler]

I'v always listened to music when riding and it doesn't effect me in the slightest, i can still hear horns or sirens whaling and they don't startle me, it even makes me focus better on the road.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

There have been loads of threads on this recently, have a search, although for me if you listen to an iPOD whilst on your bike it's going to damage your hearing even more than not wearing ear plugs.

I always wear ear plugs.
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[deliriousthun...]

I should get some earplugs.. I keep meaning to and forgetting..

anyway.. on topic.. I think it's different for different people.. I'm a music student and when I listen to music I usually end up actively listening to it.. which takes my attention away from the road, so I wouldn't listen to music while riding personally..

that and the fact that my earphones are pretty effective at noise cancelling and I don't think I would hear sirens over the music..

but with the right earphones and the right person, (someone who can listen and still give their full attention to the road), I don't see why it would be a problem..
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[PsychoHippy]

I have an Autocom system on the Blackbird that I usually plug my MP3 player in to. It also has my Tom Tom and phone connected up as well as a bike to bike radio for when I am riding in a group. It almost feels strange when I don't put music on now, I certainly don't think I am less aware of whats going on around me.
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[Tarmacsurfer]

I've been riding with earphones since music players and headphones got portable enough to make it feasible. None of my offs have been even remotely attributable to using them.
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[Alex-RS]

Been tempted to try it for a while but can't imagine it being worth it with the music quiet, and wonder whether I would end up actually ignoring the music to make sure it's not distracting me, again making me question whether or not it is worthwhile. Anyway, suppose it just depends on the rider

[fourten]

At first (during first week or so) I didn't listen to music as I wanted to get confident on my new bike, but now I listen to my ipod in one ear all the time so I can still hear sirens and traffic around me which I think is really important on a bike.

I must admit i get a little carried away when my fave songs come on and start bopping my head and screaming at the top of my lungs. But at other times (particularly filtering fast between standstill and crawling traffic), i do feel i concentrate a bit more with the ipod on.

I dont think it's an issue of whether it's safe or not to listen to music, it's the issue of who is listening to the music.

As killa has mentioned above- he has learnt a lesson for letting the music take over. But a lot of people also say the music makes the focus on the road more..... So down to the individual really.
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[The Tot]

I only bother with in when i'm out on a hoon in the county - very little traffic when you hit the outskirts of the city (Edinburgh). I feel that i've sufficiently screwed up my hearing what with all those hours in the garage/studio with the amps and PA cranked onto 11 and riding home with tinnitus - ironically, at download fest i didn't even suffer a single bout .

In the town, i'd rather wear ear plugs since the stuff I listen to would probably cause me to launch out at a car car window with my fist or worse. At least with the ear plugs, you still have the option of not listening to what the twat in the car has to say.

Big ham's right about the hearing damage - i use my MP3 player on full blast on very long, tedious motorway runs to mask out the wind noise, which in itself is a bad thing considering the amount of decibels you are effectively substituting, but i see it as the lesser of two evils. Although, having said that, well designed earphones block out the wind noise yet your still able to listen to music at lower volumes . I think wind noise at 90-100mph is about 100-110db depending on riding position, wind direction and helmet design. Please note that the decibel scale IS exponential, so you are talking about a MASSIVE increase in noise.
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[Kris]

Whatever you do, do not listen to mentalist drum and bass whilst filtering through rush-hour traffic on your way to work. Still not sure how I survived that particular 'riding like a complete tool' moment. Doh.

'eesa clazie mayte
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[TechJinx]

[Scouse]

I always have my MP3 player on full shout when I'm on the bike. Usually find that at a swift pace I can't hear it anyway for wind and exhaust noise or if I'm concentrating I seem to block it out.

[Kris]

[TechJinx]

[pa_broon74]

If memory serves from previous threads on this topic, opinions range from 'if you listen to music you're going to DIE!!' to 'it makes no difference whatsoever.'

For me, the latter is true although, it does become uncomfortable after a while if you have rubbish earphones. I find that the music just adds to the general din making it marginally more bearable, I could still hear cars and lorries etc.

The main downside is having to rewire yourself if you stop.


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