Riding to music

[Mully]

i think by the sounds of it people seem to have helmets a tad to large they shuld be cutting down a large portion of wind noise specially at 100k

I'm not sure loose helmets are the issue.

There is an interesting study done in England about helmet noise:
http://www.isvr.co.uk/reprints/inter96mc.pdf if you are interested.

IIRC, Shuberth (sp??) helmets claim they are the quietest full face lid at around 85db at 100km/h. Still plenty loud enough to permanently damage your hearing after 15 minutes.

I'm with people here that is is distracting. Maybe Plugs for Lugs are a good idea if you want to listen to music. TBH, I tend to prefer listening to the bike and for sirens rather than music. The cheap orange foam ones will take the worst of the noise, but still have you able to hear.

Mind you, I'm a bit of a nana. I tend to wear earplugs when i mow the lawn (lawnmower is rated 96db) as I like my hearing too much.

[titirangi]

always worn ears plugs. the cheap orange 3m ones from placemakers. filters out all the crap and allows you to focus on surroundings. commuting in AKL would be 10 times more dangerous with sounds on. go the plugs.

[fliplid]

Always wear ear plugs- it seems less tiring on long trips and helps being able to hear afterwards. Remember to chuck them into a small container to keep them clean while they're in your pocket though- ear infections can be nasty! Old style film containers (pre digi cameras!) or small medicine containers from the local pharmacy are quite good for freebies!

[kanny]

....tempting..............nah..........I'll let it slide.

Oh .... go....on

[kevfromcoro]

[QUOTE=kanny;1431117]
slide or skid?

[WasPhantom]

I'm with people here that is is distracting. Maybe Plugs for Lugs are a good idea if you want to listen to music. TBH, I tend to prefer listening to the bike and for sirens rather than music. The cheap orange foam ones will take the worst of the noise, but still have you able to hear.

I find the Plugs for Lugs brilliant (note I do not have them for listening to music). I can still hear my 'bike reasonably well, certainly not as well as I would with no plugs, but well enough to pick up any weird engine/drive-train type noises, and I definitely have no problems hearing sirens, or other traffic. It really surprised me at how it seemed to take away the bad noise, but you can still make out all the good. It isn't complete silence at all.

[JATZ]

my 2 c
Wouldn't go for a ride without the option of listening to some some tunes, helps pass the time on long straights. I don't have it loud though,just loud enough to hear lyrics, and not while riding on gravel, don't know why. I seem to ride faster when I'm wearing just ear plugs. Led Zep through the Buller gorge, Frank Sinatra down the Coast or Rage on the Takaka hill, they just fit.

[Wingnut]

my 2 c
Wouldn't go for a ride without the option of listening to some some tunes, helps pass the time on long straights. I don't have it loud though,just loud enough to hear lyrics, and not while riding on gravel, don't know why. I seem to ride faster when I'm wearing just ear plugs. Led Zep through the Buller gorge, Frank Sinatra down the Coast or Rage on the Takaka hill, they just fit.

Dito - without the Frank Sinatra though

[JATZ]

Wouldn't listen to F S while having a few beers but some times it fits the mood. Tell the truth, I have no idea whats on the mp3, be cruzing along and thinkin "where the f**k did that come from, must be one of the kids tunes, don't rememeber puting that there"

[janno]

It all depends on how your brain is wired, imho.

I'm one of those people who has to study and work (writing) in silence. If any music or noise eg tv is present, I feel like 3/4 of my brain is not on the job. But other people find the right music helps them concentrate and perform better.

There's no right or wrong, it's just your make up. I can't have music when I'm on my bike, I get way too affected espicially some of higher bpm stuff, so I use that time for thinking and just being present (yeah, I know, hug the crystals and wave a tree).

But for others it would not adversely affect concentration at all, I'm sure.

[H00dz]

I tried riding with music just recently......I had planned a day ride with some mates and throught some music might be cool....It was going to be a reasonable ride (just under 400km) round the top of the North Island (Kerikeri,Kaikohe,Dargaville,Opononi,Mangamukas,Kaitaia,Mangonui,Matauri)

It started off ok but I soon found a bit distracting in some of the windy sections. I also noticed at times the type of music affected the style of my riding(one minute I'm cruising like a Nana and the next trying the tear all the rubber off my hoops) at a fuel stop my mate even commented on my somewhat erratic ridiing .........needless to say I went back to ear plugs and got on enjoying what turned out to be an awesome day!!!!

I think its a personal thing but I will think more a bout the type of ride I want and make an even song selection to suit.

I would probably leave it for solo or two up riding......(Its just too hard to trying to carve through the Mangamukas chasing ya mates with "Dean Martin crooning in ya ear' LOL)

Norfland HARD!!

[xwhatsit]

Yes, music affects my temperament largely as well. Hence why I tend to stick to playing whole albums (rather than shuffle) at once. Most music since the 60s (Jazz or mainstream) tends to be based around an album rather than individual scattered songs. The rainbow-coloured prism in my avatar being a good example.

Sigur Rós's albums, especially Ágætis Byrjun, is fascinating and uncanny to listen to on a long ride. Definitely `zone' kind of music. Old favourites like Kind of Blue are good as well, and keep one fairly relaxed and consistent (take Blue in Green out of the playlist or you'll ride into a ditch). Nothing quite so odd and cinematic as hearing Sibelius's Symphony No.1 and 4 over the course of a ride, though. And his Finlandia seemed to cause an unusual cornerning style in the tight stuff on the way to Kaiaua.

[Waxxa]

I would'nt go riding without my MP3 ever! Long rides, short rides, no matter.

After several years I haven't noticed any hearing loss, I can still hear emergency vehicles and its so much nicer listening to tunes while riding.

My rationale is that in a car I would play music (sometimes loud) so why not listen to music on the bike.

[Blossom]

I know I am going to sound like the safety police but being a sound tech by day and hearing impared for life I figure I can give my 2c worth.

It should be noted that in a cage the noise affects your ears in a different way to the ear buds on an ipod. If your volume is over halfway on your ipod and you listen for more than 1hr at a time then it is a matter of when not if you damage your hearing beyond what is the normal loss of hearing that comes with age.(10% loss by age 40 is considered normal btw)
I am however a musician and music obsessed and love my mp4 player like a junkie. I take it everywhere with me except on my bike or whilst driving the cage and never over half volume. I love it but not more than my hearing. Not to mention the errattic effects of listening to music has on ones driving.
I have no hearing at all in my left ear and so need to be extra vigilant on the listening dept, ergo I have no stereo hearing. So personally while I would love to ride along to the latest fav track I think it would be unwise and unsafe.
To each there own

[martybabe]

I never ride anywhere without ear plugs or earphones. The best phones I've found are waterproof ones,they block out wind and traffic noise but your still able to hear sirens and car horns and the mp3 volume can be kept low.

I don't find listening to music at all distracting, at a reasonable level,It's a skill learnt from years of listening to the wife but not really listening.It's a default setting, if you need to concentrate on something ,your brain automatically switches off the nagging...er music I meant music.