[Ogre]

Something I have been wondering if people listen to music while they ride. If you do listen, How do you listen to it?

[LongRanger]

I listen to my MP3 player using either earbuds or helmet speakers, depending on which helmet I am using that day. The helmet speakers I feel are alittle safer than the earbud since the earbuds seem to block alot of the outside noise that I can still hear using the helmet speakers.

[Jim]

I bought these helmet speaker for my ipod, they go under the padding of your helmet, You don’t even know they are there. They jack is under the lip of the back padding, just put my ipod in my jacket pocket and plug the cable into the jack.

http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Helmet-Speakers-Inline-Control/dp/B000K5IZUW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1223257814&sr=8-3

The volume isn’t very loud, but I can hear my ipod at full speed ok, you can buy louder ones for more money.

[Rab]

No, I feel it would be too distracting and I need all of my attention on the road.

[megaspaz]

used to. don’t any more. haven’t found a comfortable pair of noise cancelling/isolation headphones…

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[LongRanger]

Those are similar to the ones I bought

http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Helmet-Speakers-w-Control/dp/B000W8GY8M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1223258087&sr=1-2

I removed the volume control because mine seemed to have a short in it and just use a straight 1/8″ plug from the mp3 to the speaker jack. Seems to make it slightly louder that way.

[Munch]

I need to find headphones/ speakers that have a bit more mid and low range that is audible…the standard i-pod ear buds are all high pitch and it kills my ears. Distracting? Can’t hear whats going on around ya……..I guess for those lucky enough to live near a main town where 35-45 mph is most of their drive…All of my traveling is on highway and at 75mph if you waiting to hear a car… too late. You need to use your eyes more then your ears. A 75 mph wind and rate of speed makes highway sound not close to your head almost non existent anyway.
Having a Jeep if you’ve driven at highway speed with the top down you know exactly what I mean.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[CBennett]

agree, and on top of that unless its a onboard system like on the dash of say a goldwing its illegal in PA cant even actually wear earplugs headphones or anything.

[Munch]

Let me guess … GPS units are ok

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Matt]

I certainly understand the concept behind wanting music on a ride, but I’ve found that I don’t really mind not having it. Long freeyway/interstate type rides could really use it, but then, I consider that an excuse not to ride those roads

—
“The two seconds between ‘Oh S**!’ and the crash isn’t a lot of practice time.”

[Candice]

I was wondering the same thing, but I already decided that there is no way I want music in my ear. Better to just concentrate on riding.

[Ogre]

In California it is illegal to have 2 ears obstructed. This law has been around for a while but police are just now ticketing because of the new cellphone law crackdown. Does anyone who uses headphones use just one?

[megaspaz]

As long as the main use of the earbud’s are for hearing protection, you should be fine. a wierd little loophole in california law. So technically, using the default ipod ear buds would be illegal, using decible reducing earbuds (even with music going haha) would be fine. IANAL.

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[Budd]

I use the earplug headphones they sell at walmart for about 20 bucks. they are pretty good at killing just enough noise. I can still here sirens and what not. On the interstate you aren’t going to hear much above the wind anyway. I usually listen to NPR though. Music tends to make me go faster.

“I am the best there is at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine

[Rab]

Munch said:

“Distracting? Can’t hear whats going on around ya……..I guess for those lucky enough to live near a main town where 35-45 mph is most of their drive…All of my traveling is on highway and at 75mph if you waiting to hear a car… too late. You need to use your eyes more then your ears. A 75 mph wind and rate of speed makes highway sound not close to your head almost non existent anyway”.

I mostly ride freeways too but the distraction I’m talking about has nothing to do with being able to hear other things. Our brains only have so much processing power available and our conscious (as opposed to subconscious) mind doesn’t multi-task very well. If you’re using some of that processing power listening to music, singing along in your helmet and/or visualizing things conjured-up by the music in your head, then that’s less processing power you have available to deal with the other aural and visual messages being received, processed and reacted upon by your brain.

You only have to watch someone in a car fiddling with the radio, eating their cornflakes or yakking on a cell-phone while driving, to realize that when they’re multi-tasking, their driving suffers; big time. I realize that listening to music is more passive than those things, but I’m sure it affects the ride nonetheless.

[Author]

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