I’ve Got the Music in Me
There is no shortage of blog posts, Twitter threads, and Linkedin comments talking about cycling with your iPod….but I wanted to join in on this one for a minute. I’ve been listening to music while biking ever since I got my first mp4 player six months after becoming a road cyclist. The first day I wore it, I cycled both directions of the St. Kitts Peninsula…..a feat I hadn’t attempted up until then. Right then and there, I realized that having the music with me was going to do good things for my cycling.
Since that day, there’s only been a few times that I’ve cycled music-less over these past six years. Whether I’m letting the rock and rap beats help pedal me forward, or singing along to Bob Marley when I’m out in the middle of nowhere on a long ride….I’ve got the music in me.
How about you?
I actually wrote about the same thing about a week ago (when I tried riding with iPhone for the first time since I was a kid).
I know in Philadelphia, PA, it is illegal to cycle with headphones in (the state itself doesn’t prohibit it).
I usually leave it off in the morning, but commuting home at night, in the dark, I need something to entertain me as there are no creatures to watch out for, very few fellow cyclists/commuters, and the bike lanes and paths are dark and empty.
As others have said, I kept the volume low enough to be able to hear cars and traffic, but loud enough that I could sing along if I chose to.
I guess I need to get over to your site more often….I’ll be sure to go check out your post on this subject right now.
Darryl
I’m a five-day commuter and I listen to my iPhone every leg. Of course, there’s the occasional call from the Boss because some crisis can’t wait until I get to my office at 7:30. So, having the earbuds in means I don’t have to fumble to answer. I also listen to music during my solo fitness rides. Luckily, I don’t have to deal with too much traffic and what there is around here is non-hostile for the most part.
I never listen to music on group rides; I need to be able to hear all the communication between the other riders.
Yeah, I would never use one on Group Rides….but I’m mostly a solo rider so I use it on pretty much every ride.
Never have. For some reason I understood it is illegal to ride with headphones so never did it. I don’t find information to support that though I do know it’s illegal to drive a car in Minnesota with headphones so perhaps I figured that would apply to any vehicle.
I have seen people ride with iPods using speaker systems.
It never even crossed my mind that it could be illegal to wear earphone while cycling. I’d actually never heard of it being illegal while driving a vehicle either. I really hope they never make it illegal to wear them on a bike.
Darryl
It’s definitely illegal in some US states. I also know that it is usually frowned upon at big cycling tours. I know I’ve seen it as a rule for some of the tours I’ve done.
I would never use it for tours or group rides, but I’ll have to look into which States that made it illegal. It’s sad because there are so many more important laws out there that should be around.
I’ve got the music in me and the world makes its own music.
All an iPod can do is drown out the real music.
Nicely said.
I use a speaker system i bought off ebay. It fits in the water bottle cage and has connections for older ipods, but they cell a female ipod doc to 1/4 inch chord and then you can attach anything. Working on rigging my bike with my android phone so i can have turn by turn nav and pandora or shoutcast streaming tunes. Pimp bike… hollah if you hear me.
Music is a huge part of my cycling. I make new playlists every week and they motivate me to go further, stronger and faster. The only time I don’t listen to music is my sunrise rides. I love watching and listening to the start of another great day.
Just another one of the many connections you and I have, my Brother.
Got any hints or tips for those of us racing the virtual alleycat?
I’ve spent a lot of time poking around lovingthebike, and haven’t been able to find anything.
Hi, I’ll give you a good tip. It’s located in one of my more popular posts.
Good luck with the Alleycat.
Darryl
Thanks, Darryl.
Don’t know how I missed that.
I can’t do any type of exercise w/o my iPod, whether that’s running, working out at the gym & especially cycling (unless I’m riding w/ others). I do however have the volume low enough to hear my surroundings. I barely turn them up, but enough to hear the music but as well as the cars & other cyclists that might be around me. It also helps drown out some of the wind during the rides.
It does annoy me though that people blast their music so loud they can’t hear their surroundings. If I have to yell “on your left or passing” several times as well as yell it as I’m passing then shame on you. If anything, do your eardrums a favor and turn the music down some.
Yeah, good advice. The music has to be loud enough to hear over the wind, but not so loud that you can’t hear the vehicles and people around you.
Darryl
I never wear my iPod while commuting I need all my senses operating at peak effeciency.
It also annoys the hell out of me that it’s always the slower riders on the canal towpath that wear them too. They never hear my polite “excuse me’s” that have to increase in decibels until I’m shouting my head off just to get heard. Then when they do eventually hear me they jump out their skins and wobble dangerously all over the shop! Nightmare!
Nope, sorry mate, iPods and bikes don’t mix for me. Glad you live in an environment where they can work.
Yeah, I’ve never done any serious commuting so I’m sure they wouldn’t work out very well in that environment. When I cycle, I like to be in as much solitude as possible so it works well. I never had it loud enough to not be able to hear traffic and other things though.
Darryl
I often ride with my iPod. I even ride with it in traffic. Nothing different from all the motorist clowns with their six speaker sound systems. I keep the volume low enough that I can hear cars behind me, but I never rely solely on hearing to keep me safe anyway. I never wear it during group rides. I would miss out on funny stories and all the banter.
I’ve found that music can motivate me, especially on a long solo ride or when I’m trying to explode my heart on a hill repeat.
It sometimes seems as if the iPod has some intelligence to it. The particular timing of a song can be freaky.
http://oldguy2wheels.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/ipod-serendipity/