Riding with headphones – yay or nay?

[KLizotte]

@Veik 20003 wrote:

What say you?
Saw a number of folks today with earbuds at various Bike to Workday stops.

Do YOU do it?
A new trend?

Not around here; I need my ears to hear what is going on around me, esp at this time of the year (more folks on trails).

[mrkenny83]

I have no qualms with people using headphones. I do have qualms with ignorant people who listen to their music so loudly they can’t hear anything else….

[PotomacCyclist]

I never ride (or run) with earphones. I see too many people on the roads and trails with earphones who simply can’t hear anything around them. When I shout out a “passing on your left” warning, the people with earphones frequently get startled as I ride by (slowly). I assume those people won’t hear me. Most of the time, the assumption is accurate.

It didn’t surprise me to read about the students who got hit by trains earlier this year because they couldn’t hear them. You have to have the volume cranked up really loud not to be able to hear a train right behind you, especially when the train operator is sounding the horn. Those train horns are loud! When I walk by people with earphones or stand next to them in elevators, I can hear every instrument in the song that they are listening to, on their earphones! It’s my experience that the vast majority of people with earphones do not listen to them at a reasonable volume.

http://wauwatosa.patch.com/articles/earphone-accidents-becoming-a-national-focus-f2a2ea8d

http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/headphone-risks.htm

This is a frequent topic on cycling and running forums, one that often generates heated discussion. But I’ve never heard any convincing arguments why it’s safe. Even if accident rates aren’t high, it’s not because the earphones are safe. It’s usually because other people have to pay extra attention and avoid the people with earphones. When I bike or run, I know that I’ll come across many cyclists and pedestrians with earphones that can’t hear anything around them, and I’ll encounter several car drivers who are texting or websurfing on their phones while they are driving, and they aren’t looking at anything around them other than the screen on the phone.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I did my first ride with headphones last weekend…80 miles out to Leesburg on the W&OD, so I figured they might help keep my energy up. I put them on when I cleared Banneker Park and the trail started to thin out a bit. Initially, I kinda dug it, but after a few minutes I found I was so focused on the trail and what my body was doing that I had zoned out the music. On the W&OD, I find that I don’t get passed very often simply because there’s so much trail and really not that many cyclists, so I think I may be more open to headphone use when I do longer rides out there in the future. I have my first century ride out in WV tomorrow and I’m debating whether or not I want to bring my headphones…they let in a pretty good amount of outside noise, but I still hesitate to wear them on the open road.

[SpokeGrenadeSR]

right ear only, modest volume. i won’t use em in the city though.

[pfunkallstar]

All around terrible idea. Good luck arguing your case if you get into an accident with earphones in. Personally, I use my time on the bike to reflect on my day and life in general – really therapeutic stuff.

[JeffC]

No I don’t do it. I do wear them when I walk though but I don’t walk on the MUPs, just regular city sidewalks, and at normal volume levels.

While it is not illegal to drive/bike with headphones, if you got in an accident, I certainly think it would be a contributing factor that would show you are negligent and if you are negligent you may be civilly liable.

Biking or walking on trails while listening to music is kind of like texting and walking. It sends a message that everybody else is less important than the user and others need to take special heed of the privileged person. I constantly find myself having to move to the side because some texter is not watching where they are walkiing. Same thing with a headphone wearer, it forces everybody else to compensate for their lack of attention.

[vvill]

Bike cop at W&OD/Grove Ave this afternoon was asking passing riders to take out both earbuds. One lady questioned “both?” and he said yep.

[acc]

On the bike, no. Theoretically I could during the middle of winter at Bull Run when I’m one five people in the entire park and riding on the loop. But even then, no.

Running, or what I call running, most of the time. It doesn’t worry me to run on the W&OD. I stick to the right edge of the trail, don’t make abrupt changes in direction and expect cyclists to whiz past. Without the music the entire “running thing” is so abominable music is the only thing that makes it even moderately tolerable. As far as I can tell that whole “runner’s high” idea is a complete myth. The only high I get is when I stop.

[off2ride]

I don’t use them. I like to hear and see what’s around me while I’m riding. When Gibson and I are gig’ing, then I wear headphones.

[creadinger]

I haven’t used them in a while, but yesterday after doing a big loop in Loudon County, I put them in to listen to some podcasts for the interminably long trip back home on the W&OD. The time did seem to go by much faster. I listened to them from Purcellville until the middle of Reston where I decided the trail was too busy and there were too many road crossings to really ride safely anymore.

I noticed while I had them in I slowed down more than I usually do at road crossings given one of the best senses for identifying approaching cars was preoccupied. I also use a helmet mirror so no one can sneak up on me from behind.

[ozmeister1984]

Only on a trail and then only in my right ear. I usually just have it on for the background music while riding to work. It’s pretty dead on my way in since I go early so I haven’t yet run into a problem. However, the second I hit the 14 St Bridge they are out. Also don’t wear them when it is busy and a lot of people are on the MVT.

[MCL1981]

I have no problem with earphones and music as long as you can be attentive and and not an idiot. There are a lot of idiots on the trails. But a lot of them were idiots before the headphones became cool, so its not likely to have made much of a difference.

[5555624]

@JeffC 20042 wrote:

While it is not illegal to drive/bike with headphones, if you got in an accident, I certainly think it would be a contributing factor that would show you are negligent and if you are negligent you may be civilly liable.

It’s not illegal on the trails; but,on the road, per the Code of Virginia § 46.2-1078:

“It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or moped on the highways in the Commonwealth while using earphones on or in both ears. “

I never wear them, since I’d need something to plug them into.

[vvill]

@acc 20064 wrote:

Without the music the entire “running thing” is so abominable music is the only thing that makes it even moderately tolerable.

I feel like this cycling on the W&OD past Vienna sometimes.

The only time I’ve employed music on the bike in the last year or so was out on a solo ride to Purcellville, and I used supra aural headphones (ones that are designed to sit on your ear – as opposed to in your ear, or over your whole ear) as mini speakers. I hooked them on the front of my undershirt/jersey near my collarbone pointing outwards. Worked pretty well – you couldn’t even see them as I had a long sleeve layer over the top. The sound only has to travel <1 ft to reach your ears, but you are not blocked from outside sound, and there are no cords to worry about. Obviously the sound quality isn't great but it doesn't really matter in this situation.

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