Should you listen to music while riding a bike? I tested headphones and speakers while riding

A viewer emailed recently with a question I had long pondered but never actioned: Is listening to music on a bike a good thing? If so, how? I have never worn headphones while riding, always assuming that it was terribly unsafe to plug your ears while riding city streets, so I had no answer. So in this video, I set out to answer the question.

0:00 Introduction
0:51 Will I get arrested?
2:14 Earbuds
3:06 One earbud
8:01 Conclusion

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[woodywoodverchecker]

Music in a car with closed windows also prevents you from hearing a lot of stuff. Bike bells, for example.

[etienneschramm]

I used to commute by bike several years ago, and the largest part of the 15 km were secure bikepaths. I really enjoyed listening to podcasts and especially audiobooks, it really helped me get motivated getting on my bike. Then, the usage of any kind of headphone while cycling was banned in France. The PR of the law was totally BS, arguing that it was in order to stop car drivers from using their phone. It was the only time I wrote to my deputy, who voted for that law. I argued that it was discriminatory against cyclists, because for example, cars do have radios, and they are not required to run with their windows open in order to hear the other cars... And despite the PR, the usage of a phone while driving was not banned, you just needed a Bluetooth system. The hypocrisy was even greater, because motorcycle drivers could continue to have speakers, if they were integrated in their helmet.

[thezenarcher]

Frankly I find this whole "debate" ridiculous. One, cars come standard with high-def sound systems (and sound insulation) and no one is talking about that as a risk factor. Two, are we saying that it's dangerous for deaf people to ride bikes? Just like helmets, this is a "debate" about blaming victims for being killed by cars. In-ear headphones *protect* my ears from traffic noise, and music makes gliding along on my bike a joy. Also I can call my family while commuting, just like "normal" people get to do with their cars.

[godowrk]

Here’s my take, for those who care:

One of the things I love about driving my car is being able to listen to music and podcasts, something I want on my bike ride.

What I do is ride with one AirPod in with the open ear facing traffic. If I’m on a path or slow street I’ll listen to music, on a busy road with bike gutters I keep it in but with no music.

Having one in always lets me use hands free. Call, text, and if something happens make an emergency call without having to get out my phone if it isn’t nearby.

Do with that what you will.

[LameFaun]

Of course best practice might be to ride with only one or no headphones, but don't forget a few things:
1. Deaf and hard of hearing people do exist
2. Apple earbuds do no noise cancelling, meaning you can still hear your surroundings very well
3. Cars drive around in soundproof tanks, usually playing music as well.

[blackman]

Would like to see a sequel where he test open ear headphones or noise-cancelling headphones with an ambient sound feature.

[DaveBasener]

I agree with Tom's final sentiment, getting on my bike feels like I am getting away a bit, just being with myself. Also, I simply love the sound of my tires. It is such a calming sound. Wouldn't want to give that up.

[Geshmaal]

I ride a motorcycle and wear earplugs every time I do so. I can still hear emergency vehicles and tyre roar from cars despite my full face helmet, engine and 30dB of noise reducing foam plugs. I think the main difference is you can get away from hazards much more quickly on a motorbike and you also have mirrors which make rear observations a lot easier.

I don't think wearing earphones is anywhere near as much of a hazard as people think it is when cycling. If you consider that wind noise and car tyres alone can hit 100dB (ear damaging levels of noise) it's probably worth thinking about wearing earbuds for protection reasons alone. If you have a podcast on at reasonably low volume you aren't going to eliminate noise from other vehicles but you will give yourself a bit more protection from the damage they can cause at a distance. I think there's also a gap in the market for cycling specific hearing protection, you can get filtered earplugs that only block out loud noises at certain pitches and I think that kind of thing could work very well.

[woutervanr]

I cycle with headphones on all the time, especially when it's colder and they double up as earwarmers. I cycle mostly on seperate lanes. I get your point though, it's also nice to cycle without anything just to have a bit of piece and quiet.

I have also cycled with a speaker, but that was on vacation with a group. I would never do that when I'm cycling just on my own.

[geerussell]

I went through a very similar arc. Went for years of a mind that open ears maximized immersion in the experience, enjoyment, and safety and may have been caught saying (or at least thinking) that earphones in traffic is a death wish. Then I tried it...

Mileage is going to vary tremendously based on how your audio solution fits and seals out outside noise and your listening volume. It can be anywhere from a hard mute to most of the outside noise gets in. I would feel very unsafe if I couldn't hear traffic noises while IN traffic but my earbuds don't seal that tight and enough gets in to hear approaching car tire noise, distant sirens, etc. Of course listening volume is a big factor too.

These days I mostly ride with the buds in and agree with the conclusion that there is some marginal safety loss but mixed in with everything else like how attentive the rider is, the quality of the infrastructure, etc... impact on the safety bottom line might be non-zero but also very small.

Also, open speakers are just obnoxious.

[bikinglemur]

Bone conduction is my favorite too. I usually ride either in a downtown environment or on lakefront trails in my city, and I value the ability to hear things around me without being disruptive to people who are trying to enjoy nature

[RoScFan]

Disconnecting, relaxing and listening to the outside world can feel very good. However sometimes there s a lot of noise that you dont really want to listen to (for example traffic). Sometimes you can get bored - an interesting youtube video sometimes feels better than listening to your own thoughts. But the best reason to listen to music/other stuff while riding bicycle is the free energy boost that high adrenaline music (like heavy metal or rock or whatever) gives you. If you re tired, you re on your return journey or you re going too slow and want to go as fast as when you first left home: music can be an efficient way to boost adrenaline so much it s like 5 cups of coffee. So should you listen to music while on your bicycle? I say yes.

[melloncollic]

I used earbuds for voice navigating, on tours I didn't know, but never felt safe on my day to day riding listening to music. I have a bone conducting headset for something like 2 years now (I think the same ones you tested actually) and they're great! Now I'm always listening to music on my way to work and also use them for navigation. But as with all things (and as you more or less said) it's a compromise as most things in life are. Audio Quality isn't as good as with actual headphones and you can't go too loud, but it works for me and I feel very safe and have fun on my rides with music. So I'm very happy with that option. :-)

[langhamp]

The urban environment is extremely loud because cars and motorcycles make it so. And often drivers can and will honk at you because you're on the road they believe you don't have the right to be on. So generally I wear earplugs when bicycling, as loud noises are proven to be almost as harmful to your health as air pollution.

[dijikstra]

I go with the one earbud option, plus pass-through audio. I've gone on a long distance trip like that. There are certain situations where I turn the music/podcast off for maximum concentration though.

[jordanbuxton]

"This is what's known to some people as a bike helmet, " made me laugh harder than I should have.

[rtbobo]

Use to ride full headphones. I’ve had an opposite arc. I have grown more and more concerned with safety as I’ve seen accidents happen. I use a speaker or one ear headphone, but still love the experience of riding a bike with music. I can appreciate the meditative experience of a pure bike, but think biking with music is a joy not to be missed.

[wlker]

I jumped to the conclusion part and the man had such a strong sense of reason that I had the urge to watch it from beggining.

[Likelybiking]

Speaker placement is also very important to how much you hear vs how much others hear. I have the Bose speaker with the handlebar strap and it directs sound right to me.

[NickCombs]

There's a phenomenon I've noticed in that wearing earbuds in noisy situations actually helps focus on the sounds that matter. I'm neurodivergent, so that probably factors in, but there have been many times at restaurants, bars, and events when I can't tell what someone is saying until I put in my earbuds. The music doesn't have to on either.