Honestly, who rides with music? (Page 2)

I caught up to a guy on the MUP this weekend, shouted "On your left". Nothing. Shouted again. Nothing. Once more. He looked surprised when he finally noticed me. Yep, he had earbuds in. I try not to judge, it's not my place, to each their own. But if you have no idea what is going on around you, then you are making it unsafe for you and others. 

I might try one ear if I tried it at all.

This!  I'm amazed at how distracted people are when they're riding with music, on closed trails as well as open roads.

I don't get it.

I do. 

/shrug

Wow - anger issues?

As others have said, you can still hear "road noise" with the buds in if you don't crank the music up to max...And honestly who does that?  Sure there are times where someone is oblivious to "on your left" because they're jamming but that same scenario plays out often where people aren't listening to music and are still clueless to repeated "on your left" callouts..

I also think for every person you can produce that says:  "if it weren't for my unfettered hearing I wouldn't have been able to evade that runaway train about to hit me" there are thousands who weren't wearing ear buds and yet didn't hear things in time to do anything about it..

Do you ride into the ditch every time you hear a loud car behind you? 

In my neck of the woods, riding the white line is all but an invitation to buzz me (plus country roads rarely have shoulders so it's just not safe). I've found that if I swing out to about where your car's right wheel sits, I'm more visible to drivers and/or they move over more often. 

I never listen to music on the bike. 

It's my personal preference, not just for the safety aspects, but also because it helps me feel me more tuned into my HR, breathing, intensity level etc.  Actually, I gave up listening to music while running for the same reasons.

Not to mention that it's illegal here in FL.

I should also mention that I've had a neighbor killed and another friend who had life-altering injures in bike accidents.  Both were talented, accomplished cyclists.  Listening to music wasn't a factor in either of their accidents, but it does drive home the inherent risks involved riding on the open roads. 

Mark

Multi use path. Usually closed to motorized traffic but open to walkers, joggers, cyclists, dogs, kids, rollerblades, skateboards, etc.

"Multi-Use Path", generally a paved path for biking and walking/running.