biking with headphones

By admin, October 8, 2009 6:07 pm

Biking with headphones, okay or unsafe?

I’m really getting into biking, but also I’ve been a life-long music jukie. Do you think it’s okay to have an earbud in one ear just to listen to my iPod on the way to work. Or should a cyclists be able to hear everything around them at all times? Your thoughts on the matter please!
I’m only entertaining the idea for my commute to work which is about 1:00 AM in a town with a population of about 4,500. To clarify, I don’t think I would listen when I’m riding to train which is during the day and much more traffic is about.

Bad idea, and it has very little to do with volume, or 1 bud vs. 2.

When your brain is processing music, it is not processing outside inputs like traffic noise, peripheral vision, or someone like me trying to get your attention by repeatedly yelling “ON YOUR LEFT”.

Your reaction time is slowed significantly. I put it in the same category with yapping on a cell phone while driving: Stupid and dangerous.
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Edit: Bear in mind that at 1 AM, you need to be focusing even more on visual inputs. Without traffic, you still have ruts, potholes, animals crossing the road, all more difficult to see in darkness, and coming at you faster, since you can’t see very far ahead. Slowing your reaction time still doesn’t seem like a good idea.

I wouldn’t do it, but at that hour you’re mainly putting yourself at risk, rather than other people. Your call.

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