Headphones

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Tue May 20, 2008 5:38 am

Does anyone else wear headphones and listen to music while riding? I recently tried it, and LOVE it... but I know it is more dangerous, so I keep it down quiet enough where I can still here the clicking of my turn signals. I figure that is quiet enough for me to hear other cars etc...

I know it is illegal here in Washington... anybody know about other places?

brimstone · Post by **brimstone** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:06 am

i don't.

ScooterNewbie · Post by **ScooterNewbie** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:09 am

I go one ear on my commute once in awhile. Only on the ride to work though since I only take side streets and nobody's really driving yet. No way do I listen to it on the drive home when everyone's out. Oh how I miss a good NPR in the morning.

addictionriot · Post by **addictionriot** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:25 am

ScooterNewbie wrote:Oh how I miss a good NPR in the morning.

A little Click & Clack?

Post by **ericalm** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:26 am

ScooterNewbie wrote:I go one ear on my commute once in awhile. Only on the ride to work though since I only take side streets and nobody's really driving yet. No way do I listen to it on the drive home when everyone's out. Oh how I miss a good NPR in the morning.

The only thing I miss about caging it!

Actually, one ear is all that's legal in CA.

I don't ride with headphones, though. I'm too prone to distraction. At the same time, on a long ride on open road I think it may actually help. Haven't tried that out yet.

ScooterNewbie · Post by **ScooterNewbie** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:39 am

addictionriot wrote:
ScooterNewbie wrote:Oh how I miss a good NPR in the morning.

A little Click & Clack?

Actually what I do now is download the podcasts from the shows I like (mainly science fridays) and I just listen to those when I scoot.

goodbluegrass · Post by **goodbluegrass** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:48 am

i actually like to hear everything going on around me, whether on my scooter, bike, snowboard, etc.
so no!

Post by **jmazza** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:21 am

In Florida the one ear thing is legal, as is using a headphone system mounted in your helmet. There are headphones you can buy to mount in there or, as our resident DIY queen KRUSTYburger did, you can break a set of headphones apart and velcro the ears in.

For me, listening to music at a low enough level to still hear almost all of what is going on tends to focus and calm me so I do it quite often. The music isn't much louder than wind noise and I use my iPod shuffle clipped to my jeans pocket so at any time I feel I need to stop the music, I easily can.

I admit that I use headphones though- I've yet to get a mounted system. I'd really love the Nolan N-Com system - a guy at my scooter shop has it - but it's too expensive for me to spend money on, so for now I have a set of over-the-ear ear buds that don't really go very far into my ear. The over-the-ear loop keeps them in place when putting on my helmet.

Orange Guy · Post by **Orange Guy** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:29 am

Time on my scooter is like time mowing the grass or taking a shower. It is one of my rare moments when I'm not plugged into some electric gadget ... and I am not interested in changing that.

Post by **jmazza** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:45 am

Orange Guy wrote:Time on my scooter is like time mowing the grass or taking a shower.

I listen to music doing those things too!!

sailortot · Post by **sailortot** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:52 pm

most things are so close by (including work) that it isnt worth the effort to stick in the headphones.

but on longer rides i enjoy listening to my ipod.

one ear has the bluetooth. one ear has a headphone.

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Tue May 20, 2008 1:00 pm

goodbluegrass wrote:i actually like to hear everything going on around me, whether on my scooter, bike, snowboard, etc.
so no!

No. I enjoy listening to everything around me also, but once in a while the voices won't let me. It's scary to ride by yourself and have a backseat driver.

Dennis

Post by **ericalm** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:15 pm

sailortot wrote:one ear has the bluetooth.

Just a standard in-ear thingy or do you have a special in-helmet thingy? (I apologize for the technical language.)

kazoo · Post by **kazoo** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:21 pm

Foam plugs. I here to much as it is.

ON the open road it would be nice to keep the mind from wandering . . .

kaz

NathanielSalzman · Post by **NathanielSalzman** » Tue May 20, 2008 5:23 pm

I've been wondering about the whole headphone question as in my helmet, I can't really hear much that's useful anyway. Because it's a modular, there's a good amount of wind noise, so it's not like I can hear other cars anyway unless I get honked at. I can only just hear the snarl of the engine really, and only hear the click of the turn indicators when I'm going 10 mph or slower. So I've wondered if I'd be any less safe with some NPR in my ears. I suppose I was only thinking about the sound portion of it, not the distraction part. But it's a far cry from talking on the phone. I've usually got NPR in podcast or streaming form at work and it actually HELPS me focus. But I'm one of those scatter-brained creative types.

Post by **jmazza** » Tue May 20, 2008 5:30 pm

NathanielSalzman wrote:I've been wondering about the whole headphone question as in my helmet, I can't really hear much that's useful anyway. Because it's a modular, there's a good amount of wind noise, so it's not like I can hear other cars anyway unless I get honked at. I can only just hear the snarl of the engine really, and only hear the click of the turn indicators when I'm going 10 mph or slower. So I've wondered if I'd be any less safe with some NPR in my ears. I suppose I was only thinking about the sound portion of it, not the distraction part. But it's a far cry from talking on the phone. I've usually got NPR in podcast or streaming form at work and it actually HELPS me focus. But I'm one of those scatter-brained creative types.

That's basically how I feel... I'm generally more focused with some music. But I also really love using the iPod shuffle so I can turn it off very quickly if I need to. But like you, I normally can't hear much but the things you mentioned anyway.

I do have to fight the urge to turn the music too loud though... I've done that before to the point it is dangerous.

southernscoot · Post by **southernscoot** » Tue May 20, 2008 6:48 pm

MikieTaps wrote:Does anyone else wear headphones and listen to music while riding? I recently tried it, and LOVE it... but I know it is more dangerous, so I keep it down quiet enough where I can still here the clicking of my turn signals. I figure that is quiet enough for me to hear other cars etc...

I know it is illegal here in Washington... anybody know about other places?

I bought a cheap 5.00 radio that I slide down in the front console and it's loud enough that I can hear it most of the time and not be distracted (I was listening to Blondie this morning) but I saw some guy in Paris tricked out his scoot with a full audio under his seat !

Ken82 · Post by **Ken82** » Tue May 20, 2008 8:49 pm

most times i ride my bike i wear headphones..and i've been doing the same on the buddy...im always suuuuper alert...

besides it's no worse than some fool blasting his car radio...in my opinion.

ScootScoot · Post by **ScootScoot** » Tue May 20, 2008 8:56 pm

Ken82 wrote:most times i ride my bike i wear headphones..and i've been doing the same on the buddy...im always suuuuper alert...

besides it's no worse than some fool blasting his car radio...in my opinion.

Agreed. There have been times I hardly noticed an ambulance passing me while rocking out in my car. I actually think I'd hear things better on a bike or scooter.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue May 20, 2008 9:50 pm

Hope no one minds, but I split the responses about the Buddy, NPR, microbrews, etc. into its own thread here. It's an interesting topic but not about Headphones, so I wanted to let it breathe. Plus, I had a very long-winded reply.

sailortot · Post by **sailortot** » Wed May 21, 2008 3:41 am

ericalm wrote:
sailortot wrote:one ear has the bluetooth.
Just a standard in-ear thingy or do you have a special in-helmet thingy? (I apologize for the technical language.)

just the standard in-ear model. no special rig...though i am considering making one.

Modern Buddy

Headphones

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