Headphones while riding?

Dej wrote:
snip

ps, i find slayer, exodus, metallica, angry ****ed off music good
hillclimbing music



That sounds like some classic mid 80's heavy metal. Reminds
me of high school (and vinyl records

--
Nick

Drs wrote:
Their cabins are not soundproof. It's as illegal for a cyclist to put
themselves in a position where they cannot hear what's going on around
them as it is for anybody else on the roads.


Actually, legally speaking its not illegal, per se

However a cop can pull you over and say you did/didnt do somethin
within the law bcos you werent aware that car was beside you/turning/et

Got pulled over by one a Sunday morning last year, and as I had a whit
plug in my ear (ear infection as it turned out!) they thought i ha
earphones in. "Didnt you see those pedestrian lights back there mate?
"Yes. but they were green, as i recall officer" "How could you be awar
of anything with dem headphones on???" i pulls out earplug/banfdag
thingy... "Oh, this? Its for an infection. I can hear perfectly well.
heard the green light VERY well, officer " Funnily enough he wa
really ****ed at that!!! You know its illegal to wear headphones an
that's what we thought you were doing? "Oh, i thought you were accusin
me of running a green light?" He was going visibly red now and trie
standing just a few inches from my face. "Can you show me the law tha
states that the wearing of headphones on a bike is illegal? "Sta
there, smartarse". He walks back to the divvi... After much fumblin
thru pages with fat thumbs he starts trying to change the subject "Wel
just be careful next time mate". "So, i can wear headphones on my bik
then?" "Just get on your bike" i turn to the female officer, "So' i'l
take that as a 'No' then. She looks nervously towards fat plod an
discreetly nods

Having shared all that i couldnt agree more with cfsmtb... "Sorry, bu
everytime I see a cyclist with earphones, it sh*ts me as much as if the
had stubbed out a ciggie and left the butt on the ground.


-

Originally posted by Drs Their cabins are not soundproof. It's a
illegal for a cyclist to put themselves in a position where the
cannot hear what's going on around them as it is for anybody else o
the roads

The thing is, I CAN hear what's going on around me. It's almost lik
someone is driving past with their stereo on - there's no obvious 'lac
of awareness' on my part... I'm guessing then that it's not illegal.
homer mmm guess /homer

hipp


-

hippy wrote:
Originally posted by Drs Their cabins are not soundproof. It's as
illegal for a cyclist to put themselves in a position where they
cannot hear what's going on around them as it is for anybody else on
the roads.
The thing is, I CAN hear what's going on around me. It's almost like
someone is driving past with their stereo on - there's no obvious 'lack
of awareness' on my part... I'm guessing then that it's not illegal..
homer mmm guess /homer
hippy


I can see your point. The problem is the moderation where people hav
different perceptions on what would be quiet (safe) enough. I mysel
used to listen to radio, and then moved to using a diskman. I, too
tried to keep it low enough so it would not interfer with safety an
adrenalin pumping. Last year when my family went on a trip to Europe, m
kids borrowed both the radio and diskman. Funnily, I still haven'y gon
back to using earphones. I guess it's a habit whichever way you go

Lately, I use my stereo earphones from my mobile phone only if I shoul
take an important call which I wouldn't want to miss. Yeah, yeah, I sto
as soon as mobile rings so no riding while mobiling! During thes
occasions which are rare, I listen to radio through the phone

So if this is a bad practice, I'm afraid I commit it from time to time
Good thing is I'm not in Melbourne, so there's no chance to offen
cfsmtb. :


-

Originally posted by Nickzx6
ps, i find slayer, exodus, metallica, angry ****ed off music goo
hillclimbing music:

That sounds like some classic mid 80's heavy metal. Reminds me of hig
school (and vinyl records :

Hey, I still buy vinyl! All the latest techno comes out on vinyl. I jus
wish I could get my 'phones louder so that everyone can hear me 'doo
doof doofing' along.. :

I still listen to 'old' Metallica, not a lot of Slayer nowadays. Th
only _modern_ 'guitar bands' I've got into have been Tool and Syste
of a Down..

psycho groupie cocaine crazy psycho groupie coke makes you high make
you high makes you really want to go, STOP

hipp


-

I used to ride in country Vic all the time with a Walkman but stoppe
totally in Melbourne

This morning, for some unknown reason, I decided to use them again an
it wasn't too bad at all. Something different. It _was_ 6am Sunda
morning though and not weekday peak hour so traffic volume (not db :P
was very low

Hmm, lots of views here. I also succumbed to my headphones this mornin
for the first time in ages. I can hear all things on the road as i don
listen to music full blast. The only thing that i cant / dont hear ar
other cyclists when they are behind you and are about to pass. Thats no
because of music, its because NO ONE EVER rings bell/ says "passing" o
some other warning. Just to remind you folks, cyclists do not ride in
dead straight line. We regularily move around to avoid things on th
road, car doors etc so it pays to let a cyclist know that you ar
passing them to avoid the situation where you move out to the left a
someone is passing you. Its not fun for either cyclist or the car in th
left lane that freaks out when the cyclist moves into their lane. Enoug
of that rant

Headphones. hmmm. I only really wear them on the bike paths and track
where there are no cars. The roads are dangerous enough without addin
to the risk


-

Spider1977 wrote:

If it's good enough for a car driver to be couped up in a sound proof
cabin with the radio, stereo or mobile going then why not for a
humble cyclist.


Good point. When my air conditioning broke I started driving with the
windows down all the time. It's a habit that's been hard to break now, I
love the fact that I can hear what's going on around me so even in the
middle of winter I leave it open a crack.

I think headphones are more of a problem on (e.g.) cycle paths and
shared paths. I've had a couple of incidents where people riding at dusk
with no lights and with headphones on have appeared in front of me and
as I call out a friendly "on your right" they just keep veering wherever
they please because they haven't heard me. Not a regular occurrence
though.

Downside of wearing headphones is that you miss out on all the
intelligent information/witticisms thrown out the window by crazy/stupid
drivers. Damn shame that.

Tam

"coowoowoo" wrote
Hmm, lots of views here. I also succumbed to my headphones this morning
for the first time in ages. I can hear all things on the road as i dont
listen to music full blast.

Headphones. hmmm. I only really wear them on the bike paths and tracks
where there are no cars. The roads are dangerous enough without adding
to the risk.

I always used a radio, with two earpieces, riding to and from the city for
12 years. They don't make you deaf, you can still hear what's going on
around you, probably better than you can in a car. I had it loud enough to
listen to the music, news, jokes. No, it's not illegal. As Zebee pointed
out, deaf people can drive too. And, as Dutchy said, you can still hear the
green lights, stop signs. It does take the edge of the shock of some yobbo
in a car yelling at you from the passenger window as they go by.

Motorcycle helmets also shield you from a lot of noise, maybe they should be
illegal.

Theo

hippy wrote:
psycho groupie cocaine crazy psycho groupie coke makes you high makes
you high makes you really want to go, STOP! hippy


Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ectasy and Alcohol....C-c-c-c-c
cocaine. A blast of QOTSA first thing (pre-bike) in the morning, or Ber
Kaemfert 's, A Swingin' Safari, from the 60's. Top stuff. Don't star
talking dodgy 80's toons, I remember most of it..

Want would be really cool. Cycling down (or up) Swanston, all of
sudden, a disruption in the space-time continuum occurs and AC/DC appea
on a flatbed truck near the Manchester Unity Building.:


-

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 31 May 2004 07:56:03 +0800
Theo Bekkers wrote:

Motorcycle helmets also shield you from a lot of noise, maybe they should be
illegal.


Is the windrush noise louder or quieter with a lid?

Me, I can't hear much over the sound of my happy tappets!

Zebee