Riding with an MP3 player going - distracting?

[Forest]

I wear ear-plugs.

I don't listen to music. Certain songs get my heart-pumping and I find it screws with my judgement.

[Fudmucker]

Disable any of your senses and you are less able to ride defensively.

I prefer being alone and quiet inside my helmet.
I ride with earplugs to save what is left of my hearing - (Sixties-Seventies-Eighties rock music) and to reduce the tiring effect of wind noise.

I also have speakers inside my helmet so that lovely girl in the Zumo GPS can tell me where to turn now and again.
I leave the MP3's for when I'm chilling in camp and I don't want the boss to bug me when I'm riding, so the cell phone isn't linked either.

That way I can think while I ride...

[RC1]

i prefer listening to two brothers at 8000rpm

[CookMySock]

I have always had quality sound systems in cars, and now I have tinnitus. You won't like tinnitus. I have to be very careful with what I do now, or else I hear bass drums and subwoofers all night in my sleep. Quite un-funny.

I listen to a wide range of music, but trip/chill/ambient/sci would be rather dangerous to listen to on a bike. I find it spectacular and beautiful, but rather intoxicating - ok'ish in a cage, unwise on a bike. Some rock or popular music with a damn good foot-tap to it would be fine I think.

DB

[jonbuoy]

Oops.


I'm functionally deaf in an environment with lots of background noise. The lips move, but I can't hear what they say, and all that. But I thought that was just life after 40.

I've tried the MP3 player thing but found I had to make it too loud to be able to hear anything but the basic structure of the music, so usually don't. I have a relatively noisy helmet.

Yeah mate I'm the same, can't handle noisey pubs- its just a roar. You won't see any moto gp riders with MP3's going.

[jrandom]

it is a pain in the arse at the pub not being able to talk with people because you cant hear what the fuck they are saying. It also severely limits you're ability to score a one night root...

Hardly a loss. I've never met anyone at a noisy bar who was worth talking to.

[madbikeboy]

Hardly a loss. I've never met anyone at a noisy bar who was worth talking to.

Ditto, drunken slappers aren't on my list of to do's that's for sure. Don't you have to boil slappers first these days to get rid of the diseases?

Okay, two issues, hearing loss, and sensory overload.

Hearing loss has been covered here - but my 2 cents worth, I used to professionally install on the sound off circuit here in NZ, I had about 150 trophies in my cupboard, so I guess I wasn't completely crap at it. I was into Sound Quality - but all my mates who were into SPL, who had all the hot chicks turning up, well, most of them are hearing impaired.

Life as a hearing impaired person sucks, you are isolated at parties, you can't follow conversations, you just smile and nod. That chick who's intently watching your mouth as you talk in a nightclub isn't impressed at you, she's got hearing damage as well - it's not just a guy thing, thanks to inner ear headphones.

Sensory overload.
Now, as a beginner, you probably think that you've got it all under control, and you're at that stage where you don't think so much about the mechanical element, and you're building enough confidence that you're not having to pay that much attention...

Right?

Okay, so this is the reason why so many noobs get nailed on the road. A bike is different from a car, mainly because of consequence. If you do something stupid in a car because you're not mentally engaged, you take the car to the panel beaters, and hey preso, fixed.

Bikes are different. For reasons that should be obvious.

Don't ride with music, you need all your senses functioning properly if you want to survive. If you have a burning desire to be roadkill, then use the iPod, ride like an idiot, have a few drinks beforehand, and let your emotions rule your judgement.

[FruitLooPs]

I use waterproof headphones which block out most wind and road noise, similar to ear plugs, when the mp3 is not on. Because they let in very little outside noise I'm able to keep the volume comfortably low. I don't find gentle background music at all distracting, well no more so than the radio playing quietly in the car.

Interesting comment about using engine noise or failing that a tacho as an indication for when to change gear, Ive heard this before and the need for a gear indicator so you know what gear your in. Is this a common thing ?

I'm the same, very background or not on at all. phone plays the music at 20% volume and with sound cancelling phones its fine. Sometimes I just use them without music to kill the wind noise etc. helps heaps, just like plugs at the track so you can concentrate.

Common sense on where and when to use them though, do it at ya own risk I guess. No way i'd have 'blaring' music in my ears any time anymore though.


Last year right before the greymouth street races I got rolling drunk and vaguely recall being in those stupid drum and bass clubs. For the next 2 days straight it seemed my hearing was clipped badly past about 12khz. Music wasn't the same, speaking to people was a mission (first time @ hotel in greymouth I said 'what was that?' when lady at counter was talking to me, she repeated second time i couldnt hear i just smiled and nodded). Sounded murky or underwater

I was 21 at the time, and it buggered off after the weekend finally. When I woke up 2nd morning and it was the same I was quite worried. Scared the crap out of me though, never letting that happen again. Never was into loud music either.

[jrandom]

I wouldn't want to road-ride on the pushy without phat beats, but I agree with the posters regarding ear damage and distraction on the road when motorcycling.

Heck, wind noise from a mere 40kph on the pushy makes loud music on the headphones inaudible - I've learned not to turn it up and deafen myself; listening to music is for climbing and cruising.

To be perfectly honest, once I get Betty back with her TBR exhaust on, I can't imagine wanting to distract myself from that beautiful growl with MP3s.

[Swoop]

In NZ the health and safety nazi's harp on about hearing protection and its importance. The number one area of focus.

It is interesting that OSHA, in 'Merica, that their primary focus is eye protection, and hearing protection is secondary.
The logic is that if an accident occurs, you can put a false eyeball in to "look the part" but it will never provide sight.
Hearing loss can be alleviated by hearing aids. Co-workers have very small units that fit entirely within the ear and have changed their life. "Being able to actually hear my grandkids" is a common statement.

If riding on long straight roads, then "maybe" and a weak maybe at best...
Anything more involved (even commuting), no way. The only thing in the ears are plugs or the radar detector earphone.

[slimjim]

sound's of a bike is pretty enough,

[James Deuce]

In NZ the health and safety nazi's harp on about hearing protection and its importance. The number one area of focus.

It is interesting that OSHA, in 'Merica, that their primary focus is eye protection, and hearing protection is secondary.
The logic is that if an accident occurs, you can put a false eyeball in to "look the part" but it will never provide sight.
Hearing loss can be alleviated by hearing aids. Co-workers have very small units that fit entirely within the ear and have changed their life. "Being able to actually hear my grandkids" is a common statement.

If riding on long straight roads, then "maybe" and a weak maybe at best...
Anything more involved (even commuting), no way. The only thing in the ears are plugs or the radar detector earphone.

Bear in mind that the US have used ear protection for the noisier jobs in combat since the Vietnam war. The majority of the chaps now in their late 40s/early 50s and older in NZ had their hearing absolutely muntered while doing their CMT by small arms fire, artillery and riding around in vehicles from SWB Land Rovers to UH-1Hs. These people are over represented, along with railway workers and MoW gangers in the damaged hearing stats.
The US probably have more eye injuries and we almost definitely have worse hearing damage stats, from farmers with unmuffled chainsaws through to those damn kids sticking their heads in front of house speaker bins at concerts and dance parties.

[Morcs]

I ride like a lunatic with my MP3 player on.

but then again I listen to happy hardcore...

[avgas]

Well um, yes you are a noob and i would wait for my skills to get up to scratch before trying any distraction.
I actually find that music focuses me. So when i listen to MP3 on the bike i am a better rider. Without music or some form of excitement i become 'complacent' and dont pay enough attention.
In saying that i do not use noise canceling headphones so i can still hear everything around me.

[Ragingrob]

I find that I can tune out from the music and listen to every road noise without even noticing the music when I need to, and relaxing and listening to the music a bit more when those long straights appear. Around town sometimes I forget music is even playing until I stop at some lights and then I'm like sweet that's a cool song while I wait a few minutes for the lights to change.

Jim2 - I don't see how the music can be so amazingly loud if I can put my helmet on and listen to music at the same volume without riding, still being able to talk to people and not being completely blown away by the sound.

Just like fruitloops said, walking into a night club is 100x worse, you can not even nearly have a conversation with the person beside you.