Good headphones

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Can anyone recommend a good set of ear phones for when out cycling , especially a set that doesnt keep falling out the ear when moving along , and they would have to be comfortable with a skullcap and a helmet.

I don't recomend using headphones, it distracts you from dangers and you can't hear traffic or problems with your bike

Sometimes I listen to music while I ride - you will have to
make your own decision on the safety factor - and I cannot say I have any trouble with the original iPod earphones while riding. YMMV, of course.

Safety issues aside , the original ipod phones are ok but once they start falling out my ear , i have no end to problems , trying to push them back in with gloves on etc. I have had a look at earphones in the superstore and i saw some that are conical that fit inside the ear and some with a clip which fits round the ear , all at varying prices .
So what do you folks recommend

I suggest getting one of the Shure model headphones. They are expensive but they will last a really long time. Its one of the best investments I have ever made especially since I cant hear anything except my music on a jet.

Oh jeez, here we go again with another headphones debate. :(

The users who use them without any issues what so ever and Non-users who will swear that you will get hit by a oversized 18 wheeler loaded with army tanks and burn in hell for doing so...

If a car is going to hit you, the fact of wearing or not wearing headphones is NOT going to help you. I wear them at times and I find the music relaxing.
The music is not blasting in my ear and actually, the foam covered ear buds filters out the wind noise which is 10 times louder than my music.

Now if you are riding listening to "Led Zepplin" with your volume turned up to 10,000 then you may have a serious issue soon, but If you have your volume set at a moderate level, you can hear your surroundings just as well if not better than someone not wearing headphones and has wind noise in their ears which is as I stated above is a lot louder than my music at the level I play it at..

Most of the people providing anti-headphones comments never actually worn a set and are just assuming that issues develope because someone does

Dude, make your own decision on this..:cool:

Oh jeez, here we go again with another headphones debate. :(

The users who use them without any issues what so ever and Non-users who will swear that you will get hit by a oversized 18 wheeler loaded with army tanks and burn in hell for doing so...

If a car is going to hit you, the fact of wearing or not wearing headphones is NOT going to help you. I wear them at times and I find the music relaxing.
The music is not blasting in my ear and actually, the foam covered ear buds filters out the wind noise which is 10 times louder than my music.

Now if you are riding listening to "Led Zepplin" with your volume turned up to 10,000 then you may have a serious issue soon, but If you have your volume set at a moderate level, you can hear your surroundings just as well if not better than someone not wearing headphones and has wind noise in their ears which is as I stated above is a lot louder than my music at the level I play it at..

Most of the people providing anti-headphones comments never actually worn a set and are just assuming that issues develope because someone does

Dude, make your own decision on this..:cool:


I don't mean that you'll get hit by a car if you where them, most likley you won't but just in case theres a problem, your a little more alert

I don't mean that you'll get hit by a car if you where them, most likley you won't but just in case theres a problem, your a little more alert
I can't disagree with you either since you put it this way...:D

Still though, safety issues should not be aside. If ever there was a time for cyclists to be more alert it's now. Just factoring in traffic volume and motorist
cell phone usage, leans toward headphones not being recommended. Maybe it
it is worth a debate. 2c.

But I wouldn't go with BHawth22 recomendation of earplugs. If I where to use anything it would be either earbuds or open back headphones so you can still hear your surroundings.

I've never had a problem with the simple Ipod brand or Koss earbuds. No need to spend $40+ unless you need to hear the bass noises at sub 10 hz

As for the safety factor, I've never had a problem hearing a car as long as my music is at a moderate volume, as mentioned above, and find the music nice on a 4 hour ride through cornfields, where traffic isn't that bad anyway.

Thanks for all the replies and for your concern over my safety and the safety of other cyclists . Although i do like to hear the birds singing and the wind blowing and the rain hitting off my helmet and motorists screaming f u at me and other motorists, I do like to listen to some tunes now and again when I ride my bike and i do listen at low levels to make sure I can hear all the traffic and the people talking round about me , and if i ride with others I wouldnt be so rude as to wear headphones when out riding with them .
So as far as we have got on the headphones subject is that the ones that plug in to the ear are no good for riding as they block out too much external noise .
So are the ones that clip over the back of the ear better for riding or do they obstruct wearing cycling glasses and helmet .

Thanks for all the replies and for your concern over my safety and the safety of other cyclists . Although i do like to hear the birds singing and the wind blowing and the rain hitting off my helmet and motorists screaming f u at me and other motorists, I do like to listen to some tunes now and again when I ride my bike and i do listen at low levels to make sure I can hear all the traffic and the people talking round about me , and if i ride with others I wouldnt be so rude as to wear headphones when out riding with them .
So as far as we have got on the headphones subject is that the ones that plug in to the ear are no good for riding as they block out too much external noise .
So are the ones that clip over the back of the ear better for riding or do they obstruct wearing cycling glasses and helmet .
I use Sony ear buds with the foam around them. The buds do not sit inside the ear canal which would block the sound, they seem to work fine for me by blocking a lot of wind noise but still allow me to hear my tunes and my surroundings, I guess the foam has a lot to do with it. I think headphones would annoy me and be a bit too clumbersome for me to ride with. But as you stated, stay away from the "in the ear canal" type of ear buds...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8001324&type=product&id=1155848394969

Those puppies have worked well for me, plus I have ridden into many rainstorms and they survive. Sound quality is good, but I would reccomend keeping the volume low, otherwise you do not hear much but with a low volume they work fine. Skullcandy headphones have better sound quality, but block sound.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8001324&type=product&id=1155848394969

Those puppies have worked well for me, plus I have ridden into many rainstorms and they survive. Sound quality is good, but I would reccomend keeping the volume low, otherwise you do not hear much but with a low volume they work fine. Skullcandy headphones have better sound quality, but block sound.
I wore my head phones for a few days when i first started riding and I accepted the risk at first now I dont think its worth it especialy in poor conditions like snow when you cant hear a car braking suddenly.

IT all up to you

Indeed it would be dangerous wearing one while biking.

My wife and I use Phillips ear buds, good noise cancelling and they stay in the ear while riding or using the treadmill.

Indeed it would be dangerous wearing one while biking.I would agree but depends where you ride like on the road or a track offroad. Sometimes I would use them on the road but only put one ear phone in and low volume. must always be alert as I assume that car/drivers are not.
I use the sony Fontopia ones with the small rubber liners that go into the ear quite snug and I find they don't fall out like the ones with foamy covers.

The other option is to hang speakers on your bike and be a rolling boombox!

We mostly ride on greenways or rail trails were there is no concern for traffic.

I some how end up destroying every pair of headphones I own...one earbud goes out...then the other..