[hardrockmtn]

So I was flipping through the latest issue of Bicycling magazine and saw a blurb on this guy who makes music dedicated to cycling. Check it out at 53x11.com. The guy goes by the name 53x11 because of the gearing ratio, and all his music is at a tempo of 90-120 beats per minute, perfect for cycling. I did the online download for $5, and love the stuff. Kind of techno on super acid with some jazz and hoedown mixed in. I like it almost as much as my canned techno, all 14 hours of it on my ipod. Thought I'd share the love.

---Aron

 

[Christine]

These iPods have an insatiable appetite for music. It's after 4am and I had to hear one song before bed. Half an hour later I'm listening to Devo as I type, wondering what else to feed it. In fact, tomorrow (uh....later today) I'm supposed to visit my sister specifically to raid her CD collection. She's like, "I know, when I get started with it, I can't stop either."

I'm a little nervous about biking with music, though. Guess I should try it at least once. Music for bikers, by a biker, eh...?? That's like a speedball.

 

[mondaycurse]

I only listen to heavy metal and rock my head so freaking hard I'd probably crash if I listened while riding.

 

[jrm]

After a while

i found that i had so much on their that i couldnt even find time to hear it all if i wanted to too.

 

[BobKreyole]

I love music but, music and biking in my opinion don't mix because it deadens your awareness of your surrounding and can result in accidents. You also don't need a techno beat to enjoy music during physical activity. Spinning uses regular music because the aerobic beat is counterproductive due to its enforced pace.

 

[hardrockmtn]

iPods take over your life...mine can hold 40GB, and by G-d if I'm not going to find some way to fill that cursed thing up. I don't think I've actually listened to 1/4 of the stuff on there. By the way, were I to play my iPod nonstop, it would run for 279.5 days before running out of music to play. That made me realize how much of a dork I am...

And I do ride with music, but only by myself, and never mountain biking. If I'm road riding alone, then I'll use music to add a little "umph" to the workout. Here's a blurb I pulled from our 53x11 buddy's site that expresses my opinion perfectly:

"I will begin by stating that I fully condone the reckless act of blaring music into headphones while you ride. As long as you maintain a strict awareness of your surroundings and the death-machines that hog the road, you can crank that **** up as loud as possible. I have only been hit once, by a snowplow – and the driver did it on purpose. At all times I ride my bike as defensively as the guy who drives the pope-mobile."

Happy New Years, ya'll
---Aron

 

[eebeedah]

I only listen to heavy metal and rock my head so freaking hard I'd probably crash if I listened while riding.

maybe be like angus young on bike?

 

[AOF]

My iPod has taken over my life.....

..... I just got one for my b-day (3 days ago), and I can't stop, the only reason I am on the forums is because I am waiting for a CD to be imported.

Will it ever stop!!!!!

-dan

 

[lidarman]

I love music but, music and biking in my opinion don't mix because it deadens your awareness of your surrounding and can result in accidents. You also don't need a techno beat to enjoy music during physical activity. Spinning uses regular music because the aerobic beat is counterproductive due to its enforced pace.

You sound like grampa on his soap box.

I have been listening to progressive techno for years while I ride alone. They don't call it trance for nothing. I feel like I get some sort of weird high when I grind up a long trail and when I descend, I feel like I have my own soundtrack as I blaze down the trail.

..and yes, it's like a drug, and when I ride without it, the ride seems dull. It sucks that I'm a techno-junkie, but I deny I have a problem.

 

[Pain Freak]

Bought one

a few months ago. I love this little gadget. But for riding,it just doesn't feel safe for me. I'm okay with it on a long grind where we all stretch out and you'll be riding by yourself for awhile. In fact I found my pace actually went up and the climb didn't seem so hard. On the downside I find it a little rude to be ignoring your friends if they're trying to talk to you and you don't turn it down to hear them. We were being told by a guy who'd done a ride a few weeks before about a new trail hazard and one of the guys with a MP3, didn't hear the warning. His response after we helped him back up from over the side "Why didn't somebody tell me about that?" We all got a good laugh about that, but you can see the potential.
On the road it is just to dangerous. I do a lot of long distance rides 100 to 200 miles at a time, and I will never ride with one again. I tried it once and even on a low volume I could not hear a car coming up from behind me, and if you road ride, you know that it's important to be fully aware at all times whats around you. I tried it with one plug in and this works well, but then the quality of the music sux, so I just don't ride with it on the road anymore.
Just my .02

 

[DirtDad]

Grandpa checking in

I prefer not to listen to music when I ride.

I like to hear the sounds of nature when I ride. I like the call of a hawk or the rustle of deer alongside the trail. I want to make sure not to miss the hiss of a snake or the growl of a mountain lion.

I like to hear my bike when I ride. I like to hear the sounds of the braking, shifting, tires sratching, I like to know if something is coming loose or going flat.

I like to hear other riders when I ride. I like to hear other when people say "hello", or "on the right", or "do you have an extra tube?".

 

[dtrek4500]

Ok don't laugh, Dire Straights "Money for nothing", I had that going in my head during the ride today.
Dave

 

[jtrider]

I prefer not to listen to music when I ride.

I like to hear the sounds of nature when I ride. I like the call of a hawk or the rustle of deer alongside the trail. I want to make sure not to miss the hiss of a snake or the growl of a mountain lion.

I like to hear my bike when I ride. I like to hear the sounds of the braking, shifting, tires sratching, I like to know if something is coming loose or going flat.

I like to hear other riders when I ride. I like to hear other when people say "hello", or "on the right", or "do you have an extra tube?".

Amen ! Well said !

 

[shiggy]

I listen to the rhythm of the ride. Nothing else. Ever.

 

[hardrockmtn]

pops...

I listen to the rhythm of the ride. Nothing else. Ever.

i think my view on riding with music just changed completely. just me, the bike, and the trail from now on. thanks gramps!

 

[Full Mountain]

the only time i listen to music while riding is during communting and even then only on those really crappy days
DMR

 

[Fiona]

Metal, Techno, Celtic, and Biking

They can really mix well. I love playing music while I'm riding, headphones clipped to my straps by my ears allow me to hear music and surroundings equally. It doesn't mean that I'm blaring my music so loud that I cannot hear what's going on around me. Personally, I love music in most aspects of my life. Thank goodness for iPods. My nano is filled with 2 gigs of music and 1 gig of podcasts that get played for my 8-9 hour work day. Try driving 40-50 miles everyday by yourself. Music makes the day flow. Same happens on the trail. I use the music like an incentive. "I'm going to finish this section by the end of this track".

Fiona

 

[endo verendo]

music and biking in my opinion don't mix because it deadens your awareness of your surrounding and can result in accidents.

I think that's an odd opinion and maybe you should try it if you haven't. I ride better with music, especially technical trails. I can't see why it would deaden awareness when it's contantly stimulating your brain. I've rode off of trails just from zoning out before I bought an iPod.

Plus I've had some amazing experiences where my iPod was shuffling songs that matched the climbs, the dh's and just the surroundings perfectly. It makes a nice soundtrack for your ride.

 

[lidarman]

I think that's an odd opinion and maybe you should try it if you haven't. I ride better with music, especially technical trails. I can't see why it would deaden awareness when it's contantly stimulating your brain. I've rode off of trails just from zoning out before I bought an iPod.

Plus I've had some amazing experiences where my iPod was shuffling songs that matched the climbs, the dh's and just the surroundings perfectly. It makes a nice soundtrack for your ride.

It's all part of that "purest" mentality; "If you aren't doing what I believe is right, it's not!" Get with it, when you have your ipod on, not only are you deaf, you must be blind too....you are different and that is the problem!

I wonder what the purest mtber is...:

rides a Unicycle,
jeans,
tee shirt,
no camebak,
Old-school helmet,
....and definitely no ipod onboard!

 

[adamantane]

current favorite = baby mammoth

basically anything from SomaFM (Groove Salad)