Earphones / Headphones: Where to try, what to buy?

God knows how many times an iPod (music, to be politically correct) listener has walked right out in front of me. I can't help but think the same goes for cyclists...

each to their own in any case.

i think it's unsafe to listen to music while riding, so i don't do it.

Everyone else, do what you want, i know whats good for me, and I'm sure you know whats good for you.

Once again, I respect that you're not trying to change anyone's mind, but what makes it okay for drivers to listen to their ipods while cyclists and peds are seen as unsafe when they do it?

cos u can't really use your ears inside a car, you can on a bike, and since cars can squash bikes and not the other way round, I'll use everything I've got to make sure that doesn't happen.

cos u can't really use your ears inside a car, you can on a bike...

but that would suggest it's safer to listen to music on the bike than in the car.

it's all the same, I see some bad driving with drivers playing Survivor at full tilt because they want to 'dance'.

But if you don't need your ears while driving, why do you need them while cycling? Especially considering you've got a 360 degree view with no blind spots which is already a massive improvement over a driver's perception. What is it about cycling that demands so much more perception than driving?

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.206-7185.aspx

£20, iPhone compatible, memory foam insert so they don't fall out of your ear when cycling. So far I am in love. Sound quality isn't a patch on decent headphones but it's definitely worth £20, and the fact that they don't fall out is worth a lot more. The bass makes my head vibrate which is nice.

But if you don't need your ears while driving, why do you need them while cycling? Especially considering you've got a 360 degree view with no blind spots which is already a massive improvement over a driver's perception. What is it about cycling that demands so much more perception than driving?

you could argue that walking is a lots easier and safer than cycling, thereforth you shouldn't have that much perception than cycling, but you still get people walking without looking straight due to talking on the phone/listening to their iPod/etc.

point being, it's nothing to do with using iPod while riding, moreof to do with the *person* who doesn't adapt him/herself accordingly when using an audio device.

But if you don't need your ears while driving, why do you need them while cycling? Especially considering you've got a 360 degree view with no blind spots which is already a massive improvement over a driver's perception. What is it about cycling that demands so much more perception than driving?

I'm sure you can cycle perfectly safe with earphones, but what i'm saying is that without headphones it's safer, and i'd rather be safer. It's that simple.

What is it about cycling that demands so much more perception than driving?

Because the speed difference between car and cyclist, is far greater than car and car.

What is it about cycling that demands so much more perception than driving?

The fact that being hit by someone you didn't notice gets the bike rider a trip to hospital and the car driver a trip to the garage to sort out the paintwork?

you have to be far more alert cycling, so many careless wankers on the road.

i know, the fact they cant hit the open eye straight on every time is shit

Mick - of course it's less safe, you are depriving yourself of one more source of information that will inform your riding, however wearing fifteen rubber rings, a full set of leathers and having thirty mirrors and a siren on your bike will also provide extra degrees of safety - it's where your'e comfortable with the risk/reward ratio that matters - personally I don't think the advantage of listening to music on the bike outweighs the extra information I receive about my surroundings and other traffic

Because the speed difference between car and cyclist, is far greater than car and car.

Smart guy^

you have to be far more alert cycling, so many careless wankers on the road.

This too^

Theoretically we'd all be aware of all other road users around us. The reality is cyclists go unnoticed. We need to be extra vigilant to compensate.

Right, all you guys saying you can't hear anything on the road while listening to music, give it a go. Even when I have my music at full volume, I can still hear cars coming up behind me.

you're just weird

you could argue that walking is a lots easier and safer than cycling, thereforth you shouldn't have that much perception than cycling, but you still get people walking without looking straight due to talking on the phone/listening to their iPod/etc.

point being, it's nothing to do with using iPod while riding, moreof to do with the *person* who doesn't adapt him/herself accordingly when using an audio device.

+1

you're just weird

You've seen what I listen to, that shouldn't be a surprise =P

Cycling with headphones on is like wearing sunnies in the dark while riding........
........why would you want to degrade your senses,when,you need them at
full capacity..............

Right, all you guys saying you can't hear anything on the road while listening to music, give it a go. Even when I have my music at full volume, I can still hear cars coming up behind me.

I was'nt saying that. I was just pointing out why you need to be more aware of things behind you when your cycling, in comparision with driving.

I went for a ride with my Ipod a couple of weeks ago as it happens. Figured snow riding, on a quite out of town road, in the dark, with some tunes.....nice.

Hit some ice moguls on a steep hill, which started throughing the bike all over the place (was going far too fast), just as my Ipod saw fit to select some Prodigy.

Cycling with headphones on is like wearing sunnies in the dark while riding........
........why would you want to degrade your senses,when,you need them at
full capacity..............

because there's no such thing as spider sense.

I was'nt saying that. I was just pointing out why you need to be more aware of things behind you when your cycling, in comparision with driving.

I went for a ride with my Ipod a couple of weeks ago as it happens. Figured snow riding, on a quite out of town road, in the dark, with some tunes.....nice.

Hit some ice moguls on a steep hill, which started throughing the bike all over the place (was going far too fast), just as my Ipod saw fit to select some Prodigy.

Fair enough i'll agree that you need to be more aware when cycling. But my point still stands, because someone is wearing headphones, it does not make them less aware. In fact, I find the opposite, I find myself looking around much more when wearing headphones. And i'd rather have much higher awareness of my surroundings using sight than being required to rely on my hearing.

On the last point, I had a similar experience, 2nd driving lesson, Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart came on the radio, country lanes, wet winter evening, 50+mph, little Nissan Micra, ahh, good times indeed.

looking for some head phones (over head type)£50 budget

what do you guess recommend

found these

and these

I'd like some recommendations for same headphones, on the ear ones.. for wearing on top of my hearing aid.
I used to have awesome sony headphones, but after having them for 10years it gave up it's ghost :(
I dont have a iphone/ipod though, so don't worry about that.

Help guys? Otherwise I'd go with skullcandy.

Sony MDR-V150.

Cheap and really good.

lileth - Grado.

SR-60, excellent sound quality, get the old model if you can on ebay.

the new SR60i is nice, but the original SR-60 (or the SR-80 if you can find it for cheap) is much more comfortable with hearing aids.