Cycling Music

alienator

A half second? Really? Do you have anything to back up that "figure?" You must really not pay attention. So that car, that's going 60 mph....which, by the way, is typically faster, as well as noisier than cars on streets where cyclists typically ride......is only heard when it's 44 feet away?

I'll make sure to never ride with you. You're an accident waiting to happen.

Yojimbo_

In the city, I can always hear trucks coming up behind me, and sometimes I get off the road to let them by. Same with buses.

It's more difficult on the country roads, since the powered vehicles are going that much faster. But you can still hear the big vehicles, and I think that is sufficient to make riding without earphones the preferred option.

Chavez

You can hear cars coming up from behind, but how do you know if its going to hit you or not, unless you're constantly LOOKING behind you?
I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about being ridin' buddies with me.

alienator

Uh-huh. I guess I'll have to bow to your vast cycling experience.

Chavez

Nice dodge.

TheDarkLord

Again, you have to trust that motorists are not aiming to rear-end you - it is probably true for the vast majority of motorists on the road, and for the remaining small minority of jackasses, you can't do anything. If the road has a bike lane, you're good most of the time. If the road doesn't have a bike lane or a shoulder, that is where it helps to be aware of vehicles coming behind you so that you can pull over to let them pass if needed as Yojimbo said. Some people claim that they are fully aware of the road/surroundings even with a portable music player plugged into their ears. YMMV.

threaded

Hate to disagree about the cycle lane, if the car driver is intent on rear-ending a cyclist they'll try to, cycle lane or not. I live in Denmark and there are lots of cycle lanes and I see cyclists rear ended by car drivers every so often, quite deliberate. Myself a few months ago I had a drunk driver, wanting my bike, mount the cycle path several times trying to force me to pull up. One of my co-workers was knocked off by a car deliberately mounting the cycle path, the car leaving several parts behind because the kerb from road to cycle path was quite high at that point. You're best off with trees separating the cycle lane from the cars, but even with that I've seen the usual Taxi trick of using the cycle path to take a short cut, forcing cyclists to take avoiding action or risk being mown down. I digress.

Anyways, cycling music: I find many things by the Wombles works well, helps with the cadence. I don't use a player, I just sing them to myself as I pedal along.

You don't want ear plugs as I feel you eventually develop a 6th sense for those approaching from behind intent on mischief, there is something about the way they drive as they approach, you can hear it. It must be something in the rush of tires as they line up, the gear changes and revs. Don't exactly know what it is, but you can hear miscreants, so why deny yourself that little bit of additional warning and safety?

And back to ear plugs and headphones: experience tells me commuters wearing those are a total hazard on the cycle path. Mainly to themselves.

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TheDarkLord

What I said (bike lanes or not) applies when you don't have people intending on rear ending you. What you mention above is a bit scary, and I don't really understand why drivers are so keen on knocking off bicyclists. Over here in Germany, life is good in that regard - drivers accept bicyclists as part of the road, and give you respect rather than try to force you off.

Chavez

Right, and I understand your view; my point is essentially that if you're riding on a fairly busy road, you either have to eyeball every car coming up behind you, or take it on faith that everyone is driving in a sane manner (and I'm not saying people are DELIBERATELY going to run you down, but how often do you see someone texting/reading/eating/whatever behind the wheel?)

I freely admit that a rider probably IS more aware sans earphones, but I think the advantage gained thereby is overall pretty negligible.

TheDarkLord

If the situation you're facing is similar to what Threaded alluded to above, then the best investement seems to be in getting rear view mirrors of some kind.

Crankyfeet

Man... I thought Denmark was a peaceful place... and similar to the rest of Europe... where cyclists are given some relative respect. The picture you paint of motorists trying to hit cyclists from the rear... even mounting the kerb like killer whales going after seals on the beach... and your numerous experiences with this happening... to the point where you can "sense" the different noise of a motorist who intends to hit you... makes it sound like cycling bizzaro world with maniacs on the roads looking to murder cyclists. Either your imagination sees many more dangers than actually exist... or you need to get off the road IMHO.

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Chavez

To echo cranky, if the situation you're facing is similar to what Threaded was talking about, I'd invest in a rear-mounted machine gun turret.

threaded

Not my imagination, I see it happening to other people. I had a set of kit ruined only a month ago whilst waiting for an ambulance to arrive after a lady that had been rear ended on the Langebro swing bridge. Only a couple or so people stopped to help, so maybe most people just don't see such things happening? There's a new set of memorial flowers in the central reservation near the junction of Roskildevej and Nyholms Allé, commented on the size of the pile to a fellowing cycling commuter, and he hadn't seen it. So yeah, people don't see such things. Also I'm in the saddle 2 or 3 hours a day, so it stands to reason I see many more stuff than most. I wear a little video camera on my helmet and have videoed many of them (I'm actually making a movie of it, discussed in another thread). Many people use such cameras and some put the results up on YouTube, but in Denmark there is a law case in motion currently about posting videos of people commiting criminal acts, and I'm waiting on that to complete...

Any who know København reading this, a perfect spot to see Taxi drivers using the cycle-path to short cut is when they exit Sansøgade towards Jagtvej to enter the IBM building, but use the cycle path so to avoid the queue at the lights to Lyngbyvej. As I pass here everyday, what taking 30 seconds, and see it once a month or so, it must be a frequent occurance. Sometimes if a van is parked for that shop next door they'll mount the pedestrian pavement too!

Like I say, I've never seen a true cycling 'accident', but I've seen plenty of cyclists attacked by car drivers, luckily not so often it's me.

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Powerful Pete

I wish that were the case here. Not that cars try to run you off the road... Car drivers are used to riders, but that does not mean that they give you respect. Although, given that cycling is becoming more popular again, I have noticed an improvement in the car drivers towards us.

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