Helmets with speakers (opinions on the dangers of listening to music while cycling)

I like to hear when a juggernaut / cabbie / blue badge is coming up behind me just before they cut me up....if you wanna remove this forewarning from your riding experience....go for it but you will be more at risk.

Don't use a Bern helmet for cycling in!! I have one for snowboarding and it's jam dandy but it's only classified as a HARD HAT.

It was designed for kids who ride rails a lot snowboarding who don't want to replace their helmet every time they slam and bump their head.

It wont cope with a serious accident and in weather like this it will make you sweat like a mofo.

I shove a headphone in left ear if i'm going to listen to my ipod as i go along. Can still hear traffic, just give a background noise and keeps the abuse i get from a distance away quiet. Only do it when i got normal clothes on, got no where to put my ipod when i'm in full roadie kit. Could put it on a mount but the wires will be dangling around too much.
If i do want music when i'm in full roadie kit, i have this thing i got free from Nokia on my bars. Its a rubber mount that you strap your phone to. Phone is like its glued down and dont move, but when its windy or theres lot of traffic you cant hear the music. Can also talk on the phone and ride while its on speaker phone. But the band on the mount has broke so its fucked at the moment.

bunp

i listen to music when i cycle all the time. i just don't have it up really loud and since i don't have noise canceling headphones i can still hear the lower tones of traffic fine.

I used to cycle with music, didn't notice that much of a difference ( I always had it on low in crappy head phones and only in one ear), but in the end I decided I didn't want to disconnect from my surroundings.

i always listen to music while i cycle, lowish i guess, as i can still hear what's going on. Have been doing it for over 10 years in london and no hits (of the car/bike variety, not the hit-parade sort). Other people get hit after 10 weeks without headphones so i guess there's a lot more to it than it being dangerous or not to listen while cycling.

B.

http://www.mashsf.com/store.php

are these any good?

what are you referring to, the mp3 speaker thing?

Has anyone seen the weird vest-with-integrated-speakers thing? My mother showed it to me a while ago when I was a motorbikenger. They're really weird, they look like a stab jacket with speakers on the shoulders and stomach. I cba to google but you get the idea.

I usually ride with "Cheap" headphones in and the volume low. Loud enough to drown out mundane traffic, quiet enough to hear buses and tw*ts revving to overtake ridiculously

Saying that, I tried it with an expensive pair of "In-Ears" and the noise isolation was bloody scary!

doesnt look good at all!!!

I don't really understand the argument AGAINST wearing headphones really.. if you're relying so much on just hearing to avoid danger then there's something wrong with you. I'm a firm believer that it forces you to use your sight more effectively.
I'd even go as far as to say that it can boost adrenaline levels and fire you up depending on your choice of music.

if you're relying so much on just hearing to avoid danger then there's something wrong with you.

¿ Wrong ? Who's said anything about overly relying on hearing?

It's extra input for your brain to work with, pretty handy in traffic. No earbuds while riding for me.

2009... And the arguments are still valid today...

Shall we recap?

No, I think we should put a lid on this thread and can it.

But they're having so much fun...

I don't really understand the argument AGAINST wearing headphones really

You said it.

I'm sure there'll be some people along soon to explain them to you. Until then, good luck and be safe out there.

I've got a skiing helmet with built in headphones. Or at least they used to be built in...removed them as soon as I got it. Always good to hear who is about to barrel into the back of you...

Why stop at headphones? Go for total sensory deprivation for a fully liberating cycling experience.

yeah definitely set myself up for a ribbing there!...
if i were to be a little more diplomatic about the subject, i'd say personally the negatives of cycling with headphones in doesn't outweigh the positives of having music while I ride. Maybe a little more risk, given, but i'm happy with that.