Is it okay to ride with music, ever?

Nothing wrong with listening to some music if you want to, I think most people only get annoyed when someone is blasting music over a speaker rather than using headphones (which you aren’t doing). Will the music distract you? Maybe, but only you can answer that for yourself. I prefer the quiet and listening to my wheels on the trail, so I don’t listen to music. I also listen for rattlesnakes, so music would be a distraction in that regards. I think complacency on home trails, when we don’t give our full focus to the trail because we’ve ridden that trail numerous times, is probably more hazardous than having music play in the background. At least it seems like I crash most often on trails I’ve ridden numerous times and aren’t fully focused on for whatever reason that day.

No

I just sing the “eye of the tiger” song from that Rockie movie to myself the whole time. But I only know like the first couple lines so it gets old by hour 3. Sometime I sing “tub thumper” to myself to mix it up a bit. That song on endless repeat. 😉

You get used to it. I don't do it much when mountain biking but I do when gravel biking at times. The paths are deserted and no cars on them...they are dedicated to walkers, runners, and cyclists. Since I have a toddler, it is also one of the rare times that I can ride AND listen to music, and let my mind float away. I'd do it more when mountain biking but really only on the longer rides and grinding climbs.

I don't care for hearing other peoples music on speakers, but once they are out of ear shot it doesn't matter,
When they have their head sets turned up so loud that I can hear them and they can't here me is not a good or safe idea.
Last saturday there was a 50 mile trail race and one of the racers had the loud ear buds. She couldn't hear my handle bar bell, nor my pleasant good mornings until I was right up behind her. She startled and tripped, fell and began cussing me out for not letting her know I was there.

I wear earbuds generally, I can still hear well enough. On the trails they will be pretty low, but my singing voice high.

I'll never do speakers. douche move. I also don't turn it up very loud like some runners do.

That's actually cool. I see some guys with larger dangling speakers you can hear 100 ft away.

I wear a single earbud with pretty low volume. I wear it alone and on group rides. I can carry on conversations and hear the environment perfectly. I have not noticed any degradation when focusing on trail challenges.

i wear headphones all the time. they really cut out all the whining everyone does...

There are plenty of BT-enabled hearing aids that allow you to listen to music and have superhuman hearing.


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If I'm riding alone on my home trails I'll listen to music. I find it helps motivate me to push harder and it does make the ride more enjoyable.
But I only use Aftershokz headphones and only a relatively low volume so I can still hear anyone coming up behind me. And I can still hear the wind and the rustling of trees.
It hasn't been a problem at all.

Flyer said:

I'd do it more when mountain biking but really only on the longer rides and grinding climbs.

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That sounds like a good idea, save the music for the brutal climbs. Distract myself from the pain cave.

I used to use earbuds (ever since mp3 players were available) in one ear, now aftershokz. Keep the volume low enough to hear the bike, my surroundings, and talk with people passing by. never had an issue

I wear my Aftershokz when riding alone.

Have you ever noticed on the days you do wear earbuds those are the days people talk to you on the trail and then look all butt hurt when you ignore them because you don't feel like stopping to take out your earbuds to ask them what they said.

Music is distracting and I can’t hear rattlesnakes with Doja Cat blaring in my ears.