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not resolvedNow I can't abide cyclists with headphones in and ipods on, however I do like a musical accompaniment to my commute.
Does anyone else amuse themselves on their rides by "playing" songs over in their head, humming, whistling, singing or dinging their bell musically or otherwise tapping out percussion with their foot on the tarmac at lights or their glove on the bars?
Or maybe it's just me...
Usually Radio 4.
On fast days Fat Boy Slim, 808 State or similar. On the Pashley Elgar. Recently Stephen Fry's new book.
I did get through a meeting at the boy's school by singing a Kraftwerk song to myself. It involved counting to 8 in German.
I get a steady rhythm on hills by whistling "Going Courting" from Seven Brides.
I rarely have a commuting soundtrack other than the aural mêlée of infernal combustion, but when I'm touring or on my semi-regular canalside pootle, I often seem to have 'An der schönen blauen Donau' playing in my head. I find Johann Strauss particularly conducive to a 80-90rpm cadence.
Usually the last song on the radio before i haul my self out of bed gets stuck and depending on the weather it may end up being just a couple of lines replaying over and over...
I don't know if its self punishment or a survival instinct but in really bad weather or on really long climbs I end up focusing on a couple of lines or a few bars of a song, yes i'm odd....
I like to randomly tap out beats at the lights to make it clear to the drivers behind that I'm so laid back I can't even be bothered to worry about when the light will change (obviously I also coincidentally manage to clip in just beforehand and burst away on the change).
When I have a working iPod, I quite like to listen to any old assortment of random music. I find it makes me pay a lot more attention to what's going on behind me and a lot less time assuming that because I can't hear a problem developing, there isn't one!
Have considered getting audiology earplugs as an alternative though - no chance of a Daily Mail style "the cyclist, who was wearing headphones when the drunk ploughed into them at 90mph..." epitaph.
@steveo I get that a lot, specially on long tours...
was thinking of taking headphones this weekend (shock!) Id never wear them in the city but for a few hours on quiet roads?? or is that more dangerous?
If you want to be strict about it, it's definitely worse to listen to music on the open road.
If you think about it, riding through town you're bombarded with noise and constantly looking around anyway. In this situation it's hard to know what the value of hearing is, except as a comfort blanket.
On the open road, you don't need to keep as good a lookout and so most people won't. Also, regardless of how well you look, the closing speed of vehicles is much higher, the sightlines can be poor, and they won't be expecting you. A vehicle doing 70mph down a country road they know well is a big hazard. Being able to hear that the Lothian bus behind you is still behind you (as opposed to what?) - hmm.
There are definitely quiet roads where I wouldn't feel safe listening to music.
I may accept a small speaker in either bar end as a suitable compromise alternative to headphones. So long as the cables are routed neatly under the bar tape that is.
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