You guys may have covered this subject before but what are your opinions on wearing an MP3 player when riding your bike? Is it safe if it isn't too loud? I've noticed at some of the bike to bike comms kits come with phone / mp3 inputs so does that make it OK?

On the same subject which are the best bike to bike comm systems to use. I've looked at some on Ebay but are they any good.

Thanks

In my experience it's safe. I used it a lot when touring around Europe earlier this year. And then I used it mainly when I had to eat up hundreds of miles going from place to place. It served a dual purpose of blocking out a lot of wind noise (on the major/fast roads going from place to place) and giving me some music. I did wear it in town also with reduced volume but much less.

I don't know about bike comms, sorry.

Pete

Of course it's not safe - It's a distraction.

Same as having a PMR radio, same as listening to music in your car, same as talking to your passengers...

However, it's not illegal (AFAIK) and many people quite happily play music while on the bike.

Volume will be an issue as you can't reduce it when the unit is stowed in yer pocket. Besides which, last thing you need is Axl Rose belting out a sudden loud note while you're concentrating on a corner.

Keep it low - If it's loud, you'll also probably lose concentration before you notice the headache.


So yeah, those are the risks I can think of.
If you're gonna do it, do it well, have fun and enjoy!!

Personally I don't liten to a music player while riding - I have a feeling it would distract me too much. But a lot on my mates do, whether with an MP3 player, or they used to have a CD player stashed in the tank bag, or even, in one case, a car radio mounted in the fairing with a headphone socket. It's very much down to how personally you cope with distractions, and (unfortunately) really the only way to find out if it works for you is try it.

I've always listened to music on the bike - I don't feel like it distracts me, hell car drivers have radios, bluetooth for their phones, sat-nav and cigarette lighters galore to feck about with, why should I worry about listening to music on the bike?

9/10 I have my iPod on when on the bike

*EDIT*

Oh yeah, and add to that list dog barking in back seat, children jumping around, wife arguing about directions, friends getting fag ash all over place, relatives dropping bits of food on seats, kids drity shoes on carpets, middle-aged women in the 4x4 fleet still getting to grips with how to drive them.....

You know, I love my bike... I pop in my ear-phones, load up my favourite album, stick on my lid and off I go in my own little bubble of tranquility until some idiot in a car suffering from one of the above afflictions near runs me over....

I love the smell of bigotry in the morning - it smells of - bigotry.

Jeez, man, you sound like some sort of reversed Daily Mail reader - it's not what I do so it must be bad.

As for Bike 2 Bike comms...

Check the FAQ section - I'll post a brief guide for y'all...



OK, here ya go;
Woody's guide to bike radios

Now, it IS only very basic, but it should answer the FAQ...
Gimme a shout if ya wanna know more.

At half 3 in the afternoon?



Dunno how I offended you by what I said, didn't mean to, just describing what all the other distractions are that can present themselves to car drivers



Listen to music, don't listen to music, do what you like, it's up to you - I don't see a problem with listening to music on the bike so I do it anyway

well,,, i wouldn't use one in London...

too busy,,, need every little bit of help,,,


but on quieter roads I might......

I have been known to pop headphones in (using the handsfree from my mobile so I can talk at the same time).

I only use it when I'm doing lots of dual carraigways when i'll otherwise be singing to myself anyway (shatterproof viser ).

If I'm in town or places I don't know I'll either pull over and turn it down so I can just about hear it- or pull the plug out of the mobile (I can feel it through my pocket- it's easy enough to sever the connection and re-attach it later).





BTW- Nice guide woody

I use my mp3 player when riding and found it very good but each to there own.

I don't use anything when riding, only my helmet

Yeah, well i was borrowing from apocalypse now.




Just that you came across as the same as all the people who alwys go on about all bikers are hooligans, all bikes speed, all bikes are ridden dangerously, everyone on the cat and fiddle rides at 200 miles an hour - yes, I've heard that one trotted out as verifiable fact - it just struck a nerve because, living in the sanctimonious SE of England I have to put up with that kind of proselytising from old farts who don't have the facts but none the less know all the answers.

Know what I mean?

Not all 4x4s are driven round Chelsea by dopy mums dropping Tarquin and Jacinta off at the prep. Not all car drivers are blinkered stupid killers.

Get my drift?

Well, to stir in my own ingredients...

I happily use my mp3 player on the bike. In central London I tend not to, because the level of stimulus there is a little high and I tend to move my head a lot more so the earphones drop out anyway...

But long solo journeys would be maddening without tunes. I did a run down to Newquay in Cornwall last month and I'd have gone crazy without Led Zeppelin keeping me company

i have used headphones, but to be honest i prefer listening to the engine (via earplugs of course)