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what about racing with music?

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racing with music?

1247 Views 15 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  thumpduster, 
cunnilinux
well, i just have finished a playlist for tomorrow 6-hour race and became curious about this: does anyone else here do racing with music?
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M
I was wondering about this myself... coming from the triathlon world, it is illegal. Is it allowed by the rules?
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cunnilinux
seems like it depends on location. it's not strictly prohibited here in ukraine.
of course, common sence is against riding in earphones, but there are other options.
as for me, i have cowon d2. it's very powerful thing (74 mW), so i just raise volume to maximum and put my iGrado phones on my neck. it's absoluttely sufficient to keep ears free & hear the music well.
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Silentfoe
It's specifically prohibited in all Intermountain Cup races (you'll be booted from the whole series if caught). I personally can't stand coming up behind hikers, joggers or other riders and asking for the right to pass, I get ignored. Only to find out as I finally get past that they had no idea I was behind them.
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pagey
I race with one earphone in.
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verslowrdr
Silentfoe said:
...I personally can't stand coming up behind hikers, joggers or other riders and asking for the right to pass, I get ignored. Only to find out as I finally get past that they had no idea I was behind them.
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The only thing funner than that is coming up behind an earbud-zombie in winter with a dog team. Fortunately I've got pretty solid leaders so they usually just trundle on by, but the look on the person's face is always priceless.

I go old school and run only with brainworms. When they're in your favor they're awesome- lately my cranial jukebox has been dishing up SilverSun Pickup's 'Panic Switch' a lot, which I'm diggin' on. The all-time worst had to be 2+ hours of nonstop 'Crocodile Rock' while overheated, out of fuel, out of water, and bonking bad out in 20+ miles of steep central Wa sagebrush. The all-time strangest would be Bloc Party's 'Mercury' blasting relentlessly in my skull as I was dealing with a cougar in a very remote area running dogs at night on a cart this March.
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M
one earphone is what I use. I have seen some research that the right music can increase one's endurance by 10 to 15%.

For me, I have some fast paced techno dance music that really helps to keep a quick pedal cadence.
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cunnilinux
mcmurv said:
...I have seen some research that the right music can increase one's endurance by 10 to 15%.
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well, that's what i'm talking about :cool:

mcmurv said:
For me, I have some fast paced techno dance music that really helps to keep a quick pedal cadence.
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my favorites are AC⚡DC for day time and psy/goa trance for night time & especially morning.

p.s. btw, my 100th post
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meanjoe
Some races specify no headphones, Cohutta 100 comes to mind.

I ride with the headphones around my neck most of the time. I can hear folks telling me to get out of the way, heckling me about my tortise like pace, and asking me if i'm ok. Later on when I really hit the pain cave I'll throw them up over my ears to drown out my sobs.

FWIW: I just saw on the news a couple of days ago that loud music raises your heart rate. Maybe that is why I suck...It was the music all along. not my lack of training or poor nutrition but the music was sucking my will to live.
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ewarnerusa
I have before and when I do I prefer mindless techno in those instances. But I prefer not to these days and also get annoyed when coming up on others who are tuned out and unaware. I don't buy that it increases endurance. I'd rather be aware of everything around me instead of running on 4/5 senses.
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M
USAC also does not allow headphones, but that doesn't stop people. I haven't had too many issues in races, but if you are going to listen to music, just use one bud or keep it low enough IMO. If you can't hear people yelling out to pass, then your music is too loud ;)

I like to use music for endurance events, though. I did two 12-hour races last year and my iPod got me through some dark hours! I use a mono-bud and can still fully hear the trail and all other racers. I've had full conversations with music playing.
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M
I agree about coming up behind people and them not being able to hear you. For me it really depends on the ride. For tempo training and long climbs, I will use 1 ear bud, so I can still hear around me. The beat of the music really helps me keep a quick cadence. On some climbs, it is about 1 to 2 mph faster. Given that I am going or 4 or 5 mph on some of these long climbs that is about a 25 to 40% increase. Since the optimum cadence is 90 rpm, I usually build a playlist of music at about 180 bpm. This is where the term dancing on the pedals came from. :)


Vance
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D
for XC, hell no. for endurance, one earphone in.
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brownieinSC
For XC or short track no but the last lap or two of an endurance event yes. Only one earphone in. By the time I am on my last lap of a 50 mile race there are only a few other souls left out with me. I like all kinds of music but have been known to sing "Its raining men!" during the last lap of a 24 hour team event. It gets your brain happy and you don't think about the suffering as much.
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Steady Grind
I do....depending on how many riders are on the course and how tight the trail is. Just rode a race last weekend and was full on dual headphones...but the course rode through a huge field where there is no tight passing spots and there weren't enough riders to really be passed that often anyway.

What am I saying...I never get passed! haha!
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T
Naw, no music while I ride. My brain has some background music going on its own, and I try to tune in to that. Or, I get a theme song in mind and sing it out loud during the long monotonous portions of races or training rides. Sometimes I do it to let folks know I'm riding behind them. Made the unfortunate mistake of singing "when I think about you I touch myself" once, the dude in front of me (who I thought was a riding buddy, but he was not the person I thought he was) pulled over and said "stay the F away from me". Sorry. Different song next time.

There have been times, usually after about the 7 hour mark, where I think I hear someone's NPR talk radio going in the background, you know, like Dianne Ream, Talk of the Nation, etc. Often I realize his after its been present in the back of my conscious mind for a while. And then I snap to, and its like, "whoa, there's no radio on anywhere within miles of me."

On the trainer, or at the gym working out, then the musical cocoon of personal space is a must.
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