Anyone riding with music, a question for ya...

[RadioHowie]

Been two wheeling (the motorized version) about 40 years now and I began a personal "First" today....

I rode a bike with music! :dribble:

I know, it's not a big deal for a lot of you hosers, what with all your Zumos, iPods, Zunes, Blackberrys, microwaves and espresso machines mounted on your Feejers, but after all these years, I finally did it.

One of the ladies I work with got a 32 gig iPod for Christmas and asked me if I wanted her old Zen. Sure...why not?

She brought it in today and I spent half the day loading music in to it for the ride home. Lots of old Prog Rock like King Crimson, Yes and Rush, plus some old favorites like Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Airplane and The Who. NO personal music collection should be without Quadrophenia!

Had to stop by the local WallyWorld to get some earbuds, 'cause the units that came with the Zen just will NOT stay in the ear when you pull a helmet down.

So, for the VERY first time in over 40 years of riding, I drove home with tunes! But here's the rub....I'm not so sure I like it. Not the selections, mind you, but having music playing while riding.

For those of you that do ride with speakers in your helmets or ear buds firmly implanted, did it take you some time to become comfortable with it? And I don't mean the physical comfort, but the mental comfort?

I don't want to make any snap decisions about NOT doing it again, but it really seemed to detract from the ride, not add to it. Having those old, familiar tunes playing in the center of my head is cool, but it felt like a major distraction. Kinda like driving through a mountain meadow in full bloom, and holding your nose so you don't smell the flowers. :blink:

40 years of hearing the wind, listening to the motor winding, the tires sizzling, the pure mechanical joy of riding...it all seems too distant. Too unattached.

I'm gonna give it a few days and see if it's just getting used to something new, but I wanted to get some opinions from my forum bruthas and sistuhs. My initial feelings are to give the damn thing to the wife and continue to enjoy the ride for what it is....The Ride.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Howie - I must admit, after riding for 35 years, I also just started riding with music on long rides. It was great, but again, it takes some getting used to.

I used to be totaly focused when riding, now music is there too. So far no issues, but if it really distracts me, I'll stop.

 

[JamesK]

I for one can't imagine riding without tunes playing in the background. I even carry a backup iPod just in case the Zumo/XM craps out. For me it actually has the opposite effect, it helps me concentrate. I don't have the music blasting at max volume, just enough to hear something, for without music I start hearing voices in my head, now that's really distracting :dribble: Oh and hearing something like Aferburner by ZZ Top, that's a guaranteed 20mph+ increase in speed

I started with ER6i earbuds, but find that anything more than a couple of 1000+ mile days the buds get uncomfortable, and it's extra PITA putting them in and out every time and making sure the wries are run correctly so as not to pull on the buds or get in the way. So my preferred solution now is helmet speakers with disposable foam ear plugs. Sure the sounds quality is not as good, but like i said i run the tunes just loud enough to hear the music instead of voices in my head so perfectly fine...

 

[Bounce]

Nope. Didn't take time at all. One reason is that I turn it WAAAAY down. It has to be background with all the traffic sounds clear enough to keep riding as job #1.

 

[Duster19]

I ride with music all the time. When I was in my 20's I didn't ride with music, however, it's so much easier to have portable music now. It took me some time to get use to not "hearing" the engine and rpms.

I have NO issues with it anymore.

Just my 2 cents,

Dave

 

[juniorfjr]

If not listening to the music, I have earplugs in. So in that respect is not a lot different. At times though, I turn the tunes off for the very reasons you mentioned, Remember you have the option.

 

[RsvlFeej]

I first put in some earbuds a couple of years ago. HATED 'em at first. Annoying buds kept jamming in too deep or falling out when I put my helmet on and between trying to hear lyrics and fiddling with the XM radio, I was way more distracted than I feel is safe on a bike. Then I wore them out into the hills and damned near got taken out by a truck I didn't hear. Figured that was the end of the experiment...

After a little more thought, I figured maybe just use 'em on the highway. So, twice a day for the last year and a half, I've had tunes on my commute and on the longer trips. Now I feel kinda nekkid without buds in my ears and have decided music in the background beats the heck out of hearing myself sing. I even wear them out in the hills now.

As to the comfort - also took some time and trials. I finally settled on skullcandy earbuds for noise isolation and comfort for a reasonable price. I also have some Shure buds that isolate so well I don't ride with them (figure I won't hear sirens), but I keep them at work to make my coworkers' noises go away.

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

I definitely get your plight with becoming comfortable with listening to music while riding. I stayed away from music for a long time, because I did not want to impair my ability to hear what was going on around me. Interestingly enough, when I did try the music, first with ear buds, it was a distraction due to me listening too hard to hear what I may be missing around me...if that makes sense.

However after a few trips, I relaxed when listening. Truly you can hear everything around you (music at a moderate level) from the tires of an approaching cage, sounds of your engine, just about everything around you....No audiophile am I, but it feels that the db level of most noises are different than that of the music through the ear buds.

I recently switched to installed speakers (JVC head phones, separated speakers from head band, and tucked speakers into helmet), it works even better. It allows me to hear even more of the different pitches of noises around me and unlike the ear buds don't reduce/muffle surrounding noises. With both, ear buds or speakers, the most difficult thing to hear is someone talking to you. I love the convenience of the speakers, because no wires pulling and tangling....I mounted the mp3 player (velcro) to the outside of the helmet...it's small only 2g.. So I have no wires at anytime.

Enjoy those tunes, makes a world of difference on long rides.

 

[Patriot]

nope, was like I had always rode with music coming into my headset just like my car has sounds coming through the speakers

the first day was no adjustment except I had to plug back in when the cord departed as the bike went sliding down the road on it's side when I didn't see the obstruction in the road while digging to "Radar Love" :dribble:

<just kiddin', no music, no joy mostly>

 

[MartyA]

Sally and I listen through the Starcom, with in-helmet speakers. Treat it just like a radio - sometimes it's off and we just talk, sometimes we listen to tunes. I have it set up so we hear the music and still hear each other talking (or singing along) in a regular voice.

 

[Checkswrecks]

It depends what I'm doing and which bike I'm on. I'm never listening to music on the KLR. On the FJR, if it's a trip or a ride to work, the radio is ALWAYS on. If it's a series of short trips for errands where I'm constantly thinking, or hustling on a faster weekend ride, I turn it off. For those times, it's just intrusive.

I use regular Skullcandy earbuds in place of my regular earplugs. If the earbuds have a little plastic finger that follows the wire I cut it off (carefully) and use some RTV for strain relief. The ear buds stay in easier when putting the helmet on & off, plus I don't get the pressure points form the plastic fingers.

I have pretty much the same music selection it sounds like. My kids call it my dinosaur music.

 

[FJR DaveH]

I'm glad to see this topic. It addresses a question I've had for a long time. With wind noise, I've never been able to adjust the fairing so I'm riding in a bubble of silence unless I hunker down, don't you have to have the volume up to a level that over time could cause hearing loss?

 

[Patriot]

I have pretty much the same music selection it sounds like. My kids call it my dinosaur music.

my kids say they like most of my music "from the last century"

I'm now a "last century guy" <sigh>

I'm glad to see this topic. It addresses a question I've had for a long time. With wind noise, I've never been able to adjust the fairing so I'm riding in a bubble of silence unless I hunker down, don't you have to have the volume up to a level that over time could cause hearing loss?

what???

 

[Bounce]

between trying to hear lyrics and fiddling with the XM radio, I was way more distracted than I feel is safe on a bike.

yeah that. the difference with me is that i don't try. it's background music and not something i try and make out specifically. for this reason. i tried to listen to Sirius' "Raw Dog Comedy" and couldn't. i was always missing the jokes (because they too are in the background) so it was useless to have that channel on. if you don't try to hear the details or "make out" the words, you're on the right track (tunes can be tuned out if you need to).

when i went from headsets (with ear plugs) to in-ear monitors (custom molded) i found i could turn the volume nearly all the way off. much better for my hearing as the music is low and the wind noise is down to a less-damaging level.

 

[Aasland]

I lose my concentration but it depends on what I'm listening to. In general I turn the tunes and podcasts off when I need to concentrate on the road and corners, but being here in the midwest with lots of straight sections with nothing to concentrate on, the music and podcasts come in handy.

Getting through MN, SD, IA, MO, IL, IN, etc is painfully boring without some in-helmet entertainment.

 

[MojaveFJR]

Since getting the feej I have started to ride with music. Some of the long distances can get real boring without tuneage to keep ya movin. I have found the music to be the same as in a car, its in the background. When I go into the twisties the music is blocked out, same with getting into congested areas.

FWIW, I have the GMRS X1 Chatterbox and it made a world of difference. Many times I road with earbuds and the windnoise was killing me. Normally I ride with earplugs in to knock down the wind noise. I have found that with earplugs in and the volume at a moderate level all is well balanced in that one can still hear traffic around them, horns, sirens and such, hear the music and the wind noise is buffeted down enough that you can actually enjoy the music. Also with the GMRS and the bluetooth dongle on your MP3, you can advance the music so when that slow song comes on and you are banging the twisties you just touch a button and BAM, new song.

In helmet speakers rock and will make you way more comfortable.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I always have the tunes on

 

[old&slow]

I don't listen to music ,, I've always figured it would be too distracting..

I stay busy & entertained listening to the voices in my head ... :dribble: h34r:

 

[HYCLE]

I have to pull out my hearing aids before putting on a helmet, mostly high tone deaf. I really enjoy my in ear speakers that block out all the noise.

I find that good quality sound in my head is less tiring than annoying wind noise.

As I head out this morning for a 10 hour ride in a bad storm, the music will be much better than the sound of wind and rain.

Enjoy the tunes, you might find it helps with fatigue on long rides.