The biking thread
- Thread starter Bram Turismo
- 4,856 comments
- 262,279 views
- 35,192
- NoDak
- Cy-Fi
I have a pair of these that I use while mowing the lawn, blowing snow, riding bike, at the gym, etc. Cheap and have been going strong for a few years now. 👍
As Submerged mentioned, just don't have them up too loud so you can't hear that truck coming!
- 3,591
- Lincolnshire
- GTP_Tommi2000
'tis a bit flat round your way for mountain biking, I take it you're fully lycra'd up in your team colours like the guys round our way
I've got the shorts, but it's only a matter of time before I buy a neon coloured jersey.
I bought some the other day, not used them yet though. I might try riding with one in my ear if I go out tomorrow. 👍
Hmm, I'm undecided on playing loud music with earphones while on a bike. The rebellious side of me says do it if you want, there are plenty of drivers playing deafening music in their insulated boxes but then the cautious side of me says there are plenty of drivers playing deafening music in their insulated boxes that would barely notice if they hit something who need to be heard so they can be avoided. I used to wear ear plugs when I rode my motorbike for any greater distance than my daily commute and that blocked everything out without incident.
- 388
- Edinburgh
- daft_biker
FWIW I can think of at least one top rider that is deaf....and it seems he's still winning races
ClickyNever fancied listening to music while I ride myself but if Crawford is anything to go by I don't think being able to hear helps me go any faster.
Ride with headphones on roads? Sod that
I don't like riding on roads at the best of times but deliberately reducing ones awareness of what's going on around them is, IMHO, beyond daft
- 10,833
- Belgium
- bramturismo
Better be careful with riding with music on. I've been caught off-guard by cars a few times and since then I've stopped listening to music on my bike.
I live in Norway, nature enough to listen to during a ride
I live in Norway, nature enough to listen to during a ride
- 13,827
- Down under
I'm talking about listening to music whilst doing a few loops of the park. 
- 805
- NJ
- alpacaflip1
^Think you might be interested in a helmet with speakers. I have one for the occasion that I need to hear the surroundings, but also need music to get me pumped up. Works well too!
Older video, but song fits so well with the riding. Sweet filming too.
Older video, but song fits so well with the riding. Sweet filming too.
FWIW I can think of at least one top rider that is deaf....and it seems he's still winning races
Never fancied listening to music while I ride myself but if Crawford is anything to go by I don't think being able to hear helps me go any faster.
Ride with headphones on roads? Sod that
Cool 👍 I'm thinking of doing a jumps and drops course with Neil Donoghue who came second in that so I guess he's quite good then!
- 388
- Edinburgh
- daft_biker
I must confess some surprise with people saying that they wouldn't want to listen to music while riding (on the road).
Think about it. If you're doing 15mph average or thereabouts, you're mostly going to be hearing wind noise. Well, I do anyway. Most of the time, its reasonable level, the wind noise, but at other times (downhills) you're going so fast its pretty difficult to hear when there is a car near you.
I will say that I am similar to that downhill rider, being profoundly deaf and using a Cochlear Implant on one ear and a hearing aid on the other.
(Actual thing that goes on the side of my head on the outside)
(The thing that goes inside the skin resting against the skull)
(The artist imagination of what it looks like from the side. You can see the Implant on the side of the skull and a long plastic thing going to the cochlea itself, which is shaped like a snail)
The above pictures are for illustration so it may give you some more clarity to the following paragraphs.
The Implant itself is more for conversation sound frequencies (as I don't have much high frequency sensitivity in my ear), but while riding a bike, I have noticed that the wind noise does make things pretty difficult to be aware of the surroundings. So I tend to check my surroundings far more than an average cyclist does, especially before dangerous bends as I just don't want to risk myself making the wrong move at the wrong time on the country roads. I also cycled with my father and I have noticed that he rarely checks around him as he just simply relies on his hearing.... which isn't always the best thing to do.
So, considering that I tend to look around a fair amount and that wind noise seems to make things slightly hard to pick sounds up at times, I have played music through the Implant itself (there's a wire that plugs to the back of the unit itself) which changes the ratio 60:40 in favour of the mp3 player. So this means that I am able to hear the music a fair bit while still hearing some road noises. But as I still keep checking around me as I am aware of my lack of hearing awareness (as it will always be with me, whether I listen to music or not) as you just cannot relax while on the road (admittedly country roads, but its still relatively dangerous sometimes) and just rely on one senses all the time.
So, for Mike Rotch, my advice would be to simply make sure that he is aware that things are happening around him and just use the music as background noise, not to listen attentively. That is all what music will be, just replacing the background noise to something different that isn't the same noise over and over again.
I kinda fear I've overdone this a bit though....
Oh and before I forget.... I also drive as well (apparently some people assumed deaf or hard of hearing people would have automatically failed the driving test)
Think about it. If you're doing 15mph average or thereabouts, you're mostly going to be hearing wind noise. Well, I do anyway. Most of the time, its reasonable level, the wind noise, but at other times (downhills) you're going so fast its pretty difficult to hear when there is a car near you.
I will say that I am similar to that downhill rider, being profoundly deaf and using a Cochlear Implant on one ear and a hearing aid on the other.
(Actual thing that goes on the side of my head on the outside)
(The thing that goes inside the skin resting against the skull)
(The artist imagination of what it looks like from the side. You can see the Implant on the side of the skull and a long plastic thing going to the cochlea itself, which is shaped like a snail)
The above pictures are for illustration so it may give you some more clarity to the following paragraphs.
The Implant itself is more for conversation sound frequencies (as I don't have much high frequency sensitivity in my ear), but while riding a bike, I have noticed that the wind noise does make things pretty difficult to be aware of the surroundings. So I tend to check my surroundings far more than an average cyclist does, especially before dangerous bends as I just don't want to risk myself making the wrong move at the wrong time on the country roads. I also cycled with my father and I have noticed that he rarely checks around him as he just simply relies on his hearing.... which isn't always the best thing to do.
So, considering that I tend to look around a fair amount and that wind noise seems to make things slightly hard to pick sounds up at times, I have played music through the Implant itself (there's a wire that plugs to the back of the unit itself) which changes the ratio 60:40 in favour of the mp3 player. So this means that I am able to hear the music a fair bit while still hearing some road noises. But as I still keep checking around me as I am aware of my lack of hearing awareness (as it will always be with me, whether I listen to music or not) as you just cannot relax while on the road (admittedly country roads, but its still relatively dangerous sometimes) and just rely on one senses all the time.
So, for Mike Rotch, my advice would be to simply make sure that he is aware that things are happening around him and just use the music as background noise, not to listen attentively. That is all what music will be, just replacing the background noise to something different that isn't the same noise over and over again.
I kinda fear I've overdone this a bit though....
Oh and before I forget.... I also drive as well (apparently some people assumed deaf or hard of hearing people would have automatically failed the driving test)
- 388
- Edinburgh
- daft_biker
I've just looked into a set of these. Late Xmas present me thinks.
@Submerged, I've never really noticed much wind noise due to traffic but I will be listening out for it next time I'm going down a hill. Maybe I'm just going too fast for sound!
Square taper cranks and bottom bracket? I much prefer splined as they feel much stiffer (takes more abuse and transfer power better) and less prone to developing creaks.
Headphone wise I use these......great on the bus for cutting out everything around you but maybe not the best idea in traffic.
One soundtrack I do like while out on my bike is my little girl singing as we ride along with her on the tag-a-long hooked onto the back of my bike
- 29,891
- Thailand
It's more about the price. For double the price I could get a new bike but the parts would be crappy, much like the parts that came with my current bike, and need replacing as most of my current bike parts have been.
The drive whole chain is 10'000km exhausted and needs replacing. For a good road set I'm looking at fortunes. For a very standard but fairly good quality MTB set I can save tons of money and I really never use more than 3 gears, I just need them to be 11 teeth or 12 for extra speed.
Very interesting so you've not overdone it at all. The way you've described your riding as someone who is permanently hearing impaired proves a thought I've had on riding while listening to music. Basically someone like yourself will always be looking round to be aware of their surroundings regardless of what they can or can't hear but someone listening to music may not do this and continue riding without looking around as they may do normally. At the end of the day though it's up to the rider to look after themselves and be careful.
@Submerged, I've never really noticed much wind noise due to traffic but I will be listening out for it next time I'm going down a hill. Maybe I'm just going too fast for sound!
That's because your massive 'fro acts like one of these
Hey, don't knock square taper...some of us still live in the dark ages
I've recently replaced the cheapo one that came with the bike with a Shimano UN54 which if the reviews are to believed will be keeping the cockroaches company once the world has ended. Also excessive application of copper grease keeps it quiet.One soundtrack I do like while out on my bike is my little girl singing as we ride along with her on the tag-a-long hooked onto the back of my bike
Awesome. I've got a trailer for the one year old and the four year old has so far been in a seat attached to my seat tube but I plan to get a Trailgator tow bar soon to hook up his new bike to the back of mine.
- 35,192
- NoDak
- Cy-Fi
My typical riding is a mix of street/sidewalk/paved trails. I have ventured out onto US highways (turned around in the Knickerbocker Liquor Locker's (thought some of you would like the name
) parking lot) and County Highways but with cars flying by at 60mph, I didn't have any music on then. I'm not completely out of my mind...
- 29,891
- Thailand
That's because your massive 'fro acts like one of these
You're on the money.....
(turned around in the Knickerbocker Liquor Locker's (thought some of you would like the name
I've spent the last few minutes trying to pronounce it correctly without messing up and saying something rather different.
In regards to the square cranky thing or something or whatever, it's just cheap and kind of suits my needs. I'm not off roading so don't need fully strengthened, kryptonite, iron man crank arms. The square ones also suit my personality; square.
Great success \o/ my new Superstar Components wheels arrived today, I was planning on getting them after Christmas hoping they'd be reduced in a sale and they were so I ordered them on Boxing day...I'll admit to being ashamed to be part of the post Christmas sales statistics. The pair of them weigh in at 2,119g which is only 169g above the weight quoted on the website so I'm happy with that and they feel loads lighter than my existing knackered wheels but I won't know the difference until I swap them over. I'm more bothered about them being tough and they look the absolute muts nuts so that shouldn't be an issue. Superstars stuff is rebranded kit from the factories in Taiwan so the rims are Alex FR30 and the hubs are Novatec D881SN and D881SB...if you're interested.
Pics then...
Pics then...
- 13,827
- Down under
Good post 👍 It boils down to being 'aware' on the bike. Whether that awareness comes from eyes or hearing or some combination of both, is up to the rider. It's also common sense, for example wearing the ones TB pointed out a couple of posts back, versusSubmerged
TB
Brave man!
Nice Neal - kind of sad you didnt get the porno gold ones from the website thoughNeal
. Do you know how much your old one weigh?
- 35,192
- NoDak
- Cy-Fi
Do a full screen, 360 degree pan and tell me you can't picture yourself on this road on a beautiful, sunny, summer evening. There is nothing there but you, wheat, corn and the occasional bird that wants to dive bomb your head.
Brave man!
- 5,494
- Melbourne, Living the dream
- Aldo_GTP
Aye, he's a local lad and back in his DH'ing days I'd see him out training
Not that he ever caught up with me on the trails
Ru Cunningham was in one of our lectures a few months back.
Are you going up to the DH World Cup at Fort Bill this year? Think I might be heading up again.
- 388
- Edinburgh
- daft_biker
Aldo
Probably not...I tend to just go up to ride but haven't even done that for a couple of years.
Contemplating going to GT tomorrow though....hope the weather improves or I might just gouch at home with the other GT
Probably about a million fallen trees to find a way round anyway.Have you tried that new(ish) Berm Baby Berm trail next to the freeride? It's just a blue route but it's wicked all the same
- 5,494
- Melbourne, Living the dream
- Aldo_GTP
Probably not...I tend to just go up to ride but haven't even done that for a couple of years.
Contemplating going to GT tomorrow though....hope the weather improves or I might just gouch at home with the other GT
Have you tried that new(ish) Berm Baby Berm trail next to the freeride? It's just a blue route but it's wicked all the same
Ahhk. 👍
I'm so jealous even though it'll probably be pissing down and blowing a gale!
Yes yes yes!!! That trail is brilliant! Have you been down the one called Motorway? That is tremendous!
