Ear/headphones and listening to music?

[reohn2]

,and I honestly feel they're putting themselves at risk from mugging,which is almost none existent in the area TBH.

Just so long as you dont think they may be putting themselves at risk of another sort of attack, you can think/say that.

I don't understand that statement,I was posting in general terms.
Any sort of attack would be deplorable,my meaning is that they leave themselves with one less sense to defend themselves by should the worst happen.Defence is a good form of attack

I once had a pedestrian(6ft tall suited thirtysomething male) step off the kerb in front of me without looking,on a quite road in a village,no headphones.
I had enough time to manoeuvre behind him but as I passed by I simply said ''you didn't look then'' skin,out,jump, where the result.
Now if he'd been wearing earbuds he wouldn't have heard me

[Lance Dopestrong]

We can all suggest this and that, and lulled or excluded to the other. The bottom line is there's very little - if any - statistical, scientific, or directly observed evidence that headphones make you any more likely to end up killed or seriously injured on your bike.

Because my hearing isn't the best I steer clear of headphones any way. Nevertheless, were I looking to modify my actions in the interest of safety I would want to see some evidence that the action under consideration is liable to indeed make me safer. If you go down the road of doing stuff simply because "it must be" safer you may as well stop walking on the cracks in the pavement, or reading tea leaves before each ride for all the safety benefit it may bring.

[reohn2]

We can all suggest this and that, and lulled or excluded to the other. The bottom line is there's very little - if any - statistical, scientific, or directly observed evidence that headphones make you any more likely to end up killed or seriously injured on your bike.

Because my hearing isn't the best I steer clear of headphones any way. Nevertheless, were I looking to modify my actions in the interest of safety I would want to see some evidence that the action under consideration is liable to indeed make me safer. If you go down the road of doing stuff simply because "it must be" safer you may as well stop walking on the cracks in the pavement, or reading tea leaves before each ride for all the safety benefit it may bring.

There's something logical about not deliberately dulling one of your senses when you're already at disadvantage and vulnerable in the first place,no?

[Bicycler]

Because my hearing isn't the best I steer clear of headphones any way. Nevertheless, were I looking to modify my actions in the interest of safety I would want to see some evidence that the action under consideration is liable to indeed make me safer. If you go down the road of doing stuff simply because "it must be" safer you may as well stop walking on the cracks in the pavement, or reading tea leaves before each ride for all the safety benefit it may bring.

It's not that easy though. The risk of being killed or injured cycling on the roads is fairly small, so fairly small improvements in safety are unlikely to be discernible. For example, there is little or no evidence showing that cycle training, using bicycle lights at night and greater experience reduce the chances of being killed or seriously injured on the roads.

[mjr]

There's something logical about not deliberately dulling one of your senses when you're already at disadvantage and vulnerable in the first place,no?

Not really, if the dulled sense remains adequate for the purpose.

For example, it's very windy out there today, but I still preferred to keep the rain off my head despite the booming noise the wind made on the hood and I seem to have survived.

[reohn2]

There's something logical about not deliberately dulling one of your senses when you're already at disadvantage and vulnerable in the first place,no?

Not really, if the dulled sense remains adequate for the purpose.

But is it?
And why make life harder than it needs to be?

For example, it's very windy out there today, but I still preferred to keep the rain off my head despite the booming noise the wind made on the hood and I seem to have survived.

Your choice.
The only time I wear a hood on the bike is if I'm riding off road that's mainly because it can impair my vision.
I like to be fully aware of my surroundings when sharing the road with motor traffic,too many idiots out there to trust any of them.

[meic]

And why make life harder than it needs to be?

Because music is the third most pleasant experience for human beings.

[reohn2]

It's not that easy though. The risk of being killed or injured cycling on the roads is fairly small, so fairly small improvements in safety are unlikely to be discernible. For example, there is little or no evidence showing that cycle training, using bicycle lights at night and greater experience reduce the chances of being killed or seriously injured on the roads.

I'm merely giving my opinion that to me at least seems a logical one,no potential hearing impairment,no possibility of being elsewhere due to a musical 'interlude'.
I have other wild ideas to such as making myself more obvious by wearing bright clothing and a RVM,riding out from the kerb,etc.
None I dare say could be proven to make me safer in themselves but it all adds up.
I realise I'm an oddity some might say plain out of step,I have other views.

[reohn2]

Because music is the third most pleasant experience for human beings.

And because of that we must have it everywhere we go.......

If I'm listening to music and it's giving me the third pleasant experience of my life I don't want anything intruding into that experience.
Thinks... would you want to be riding you bike whilst partaking of the first two experiences in that list

[meic]

One of them may have been cycling.

Now back when I was into motorcycles.

[reohn2]

....Now back when I was into motorcycles.

You too

[Bicycler]

Sorry R2, I was addressing the post before yours. I'll edit it to make it clearer.

We agree

[Bicycler]

Thinks... would you want to be riding you bike whilst partaking of the first two experiences in that list

I assumed that riding a bike WAS one of the first two experiences. I must be missing out on something

[reohn2]

Thinks... would you want to be riding you bike whilst partaking of the first two experiences in that list

I assumed that riding a bike WAS one of the first two experiences. I must be missing out on something

I think you're probably waaayyyy behind the curve on this one.......

[reohn2]

....Now back when I was into motorcycles.

You too

Thinks...... it wasn't too good when it rocked of the centre stand though