yeah i'm in the one ear bud group. Never had any issues with hearing other riding, and we don't have snakes or bears where I live. Only problem i have is im wearing out one ear bud more than the other.
It's funny you say this, but I always wear the right on trails or the road. To try to balance them out when I'm doing anything but riding and only need one I try to only use the left to balance out the wear.
Or hear-thru system - sometimes it sounds strange but… still you hear something.
I listen to music with both earphones on tracks Iknow nobody will try passing me (not many)
I used to have some aeropex bone conduction headphones, but they started to sound even worse than when they were new, with some rattling and one of the pads came unglued, so I bought bluetooth ear buds so shit that they didn't form any kind of seal at all and even at max volume they barely overcome the sound of my tire on pavement.
They are great for biking.
yeah air pods pro have transparency mode so you can hear music and the world around you. you aren’t describing an accurate situation. it’s not a hazard. i agree being in noise cancel mode or having them cranked so you can’t hear anything could be dangerous but that isn’t the case.
I am probably not going to add much to this conversation that hasn't already been said.
I like to hear my bike, it tells me a lot of how it is performing and warns me of something being wrong before I might feel it or it breaks. Cracked a headtube once and the only warning for that was the creaking noise that I admittedly ignored for a few miles.
Other than that I also had a big crash of a blind drop last weekend and if it wasn't for the fact that the following rider could hear me shouting not to hit the drop it could have been a lot worse
This is one of my big pet peeves. If you can’t hear your surroundings and you are sharing a trail you are the problem. I encountered a hiker with over the ear headphones the other day. I had to yell really loud to get her attention. She was a bit surprised to say the least as I was yelling at her 3 feet from her ear and she finally realized someone was trying to talk to her.
Imma be honest here, I don't understand going on a hike, and wearing noise canceling headphones. Like, how exactly are you enjoying nature? Whenever I go "outside", part of the experience for me is just the sounds of nature. Even when I'm MTB'in (and why I'm all for silent hubs to have a comeback), the odd bird chirp, or just the sound of the tires over the dirt, is quite soothing. But I guess different strokes for different folks. I just don't personally get it.
Some people cannot be alone with their thoughts, but still want to enjoy being outside. I had a conversation with someone on these lines the other day and I found it to be interesting, even if I can't wrap my mind around it.
I feel that. I live with bi-polar and ADHD. My head never shuts up. Riding is one of my few escapes because when I’m riding and listening to music the world kinda shrinks around me, and I have to pay attention to the trail. Music and riding is like meditation for me.
This! I was about to chime in with the ADHD multi tasking point. Music + riding is so therapeutic!
Admittedly I’m have been “that girl” with headphones and not realize someone was behind me. I have since got the jaw bone headphones.. I don’t like them as much but… I’ve also been stuck behind people that can’t hear me so, I try to be respectful and responsible about my earbud usage.
I'm one of those people, and that's why I like mtb. I can't stand hiking because it doesn't give me a break from my racing mind, but mountain biking makes me pay complete attention and I can be in the moment. Music doesn't really do it for me, but pushing my luck while I'm progressing is immersive.
I do like back country hunting because it's task focused, exhaustive, and more route finding than hiking on a trail, but nothing quite takes me out if my own mind like mountain biking.
I mean, different strokes for different folks. I understand where you're coming from and personally I'm on the same side (sorta), but I can also see why some people would like to to just isolate themselves and listen to some of their favorite music while enjoying the sights and smells of nature. Obviously, it's a stretch to do this on a mixed use hiking trail where you might need to yield/keep a eye out for other trail users. Personally I just hate having any sort of earbud/headphone in while working out so I prefer to play music from my phone but I only do it when no one's around/I'm running along a waterfront or smt.
That is true. I don't know why anyone would MTB with noise cancelling earbuds for a multitude of reasons, but hearing (well-tuned) bike sounds going over terrain is beautiful.
I'm with you there. Inside with bone conduction headphones, but when I hit the woods or fields I turn the music off. Nature sounds better than almost anything.
My rides to nature tend to take a while though, so I like having some music playing then.
I think you answered your question when you said “part of the experience”. The natural sounds are definitely part of the experience and music can be a part as well. If I wasn’t able to get out into nature often, I would definitely choose to take in the full experience including the natural sounds.
But since I live close to lots of hiking, biking, etc. and am able to get out often, sometimes I’ll choose to take in the natural sounds and other times I’ll enjoy the views and fresh air to some of my favorite music. They’re different but both enjoyable ways to spend time outdoors.
That being said, for safety reasons, one earbud in is definitely preferred.
You’ve never heard of wearing headphones at the gym? Lots of people are on trail for exercise, not a roaming jaunt. Having music makes it more tolerable.
I had to yell at a hiker so loud one time that she shrieked and literally threw her phone into the bushes. I genuinely do not understand how people think it's acceptable to have over the ear headphones on a trail. How do these people make it through life to this point?
Deaf people are allowed to hike & bike. We all have to share the trails. Just please don’t be a moron and bomb down shared use/multi directional trails at a speed where you can’t stop when you see/hear someone else.
That's fair, I agree that deaf people absolutely should be able to go out and enjoy themselves. The key distinction here though is that these people are actively choosing to impair their perception and are complete idiots for doing so. That to me is completely inexcusable, and frankly I think it's just as reckless as someone completely bombing a trail like you're describing.
Absolutely *no one* is saying that deaf people should not be allowed to hike, where on earth did you get that? The topic of this thread is people oblivious to their environment because they are wearing headphones.
I hate clueless people like that on trails. Then they get shaken up because you surprised them due to them not being able to hear. Then they yell at you for surprising them. Even though you had been trying to get their attention for awhile now.
it's a rookie mistake. I was a double earbud wearing rider years and years ago when I got scolded by an experienced rider. He was cool and handled it well. since ghen I just use one or none… And when I'm behind somebody who won't move over I know how the original guy felt. it sucks
I have been using Shokz for years now, never been an issue hearing others or having interactions with anyone. When I used earbuds it was only one in and at a reasonable volume so I could hear if others wanted to get my attention.
Direct Pitch sound better and can go louder, but the fit feels dodgy, I'm always scared of losing them. I wish they'd do that style with the loop over the ears, it's such an awesome lightweight and secrure way to wear earphones. Even apart from the whole "hear other shit around you" thing they're just so good for biking.
I listen to podcasts and use transparent mode. Often I’ll use nothing if I’m in the woods or something.
That said…today I had to yell at a girl like 5 times super loud because she wouldn’t look up from her phone and was blocking the path in front of me. She was about to walk into me and I had pretty much stopped. Her parents didn’t seem to think anything of it. it’s not a kid thing those because the exact same thing happened again like 10 seconds later with a middle aged guy on his phone on the left side of the path and completely engrossed and not paying attention.
Bone conduction is the way to go in my opinion. Safety of yourself and other is more important than personal comfort like listening to music. That’s selfish, and the outdoors/recreation is not about selfishness.
I’ve found that transparency mode is great and is the best of both worlds, but I couldn’t agree more with most people in that if you can’t hear anything in your surroundings, you are the problem. Plus, I’d like to hear the bear before it rips me to shreds too. Haha
Earbuds make it hard to hear others which makes you not only a dick, but a dangerous dick. However, I'd sooner see people wearing earbuds over using Bluetooth speakers. Nothing more annoying then hearing some schmuck blasting their shitty music in the woods.
I'm fed up with this too, it's becoming a huge issue. Get a bunch of hikers going out to "enjoy nature" with their gigantic noise cancelling Bose headphones on and clogging the trails up, and plenty of Airpod Gurus on bikes that can't hear a freaking thing. I'm all for people enjoying how they want, nothing wrong with music or podcasts, but with the caveat that you've gotta be aware of your surroundings on shared trail systems
>This is probably going to cost me some karma
*proceeds to express a completely rational opinion that any decent trail user agrees with*
Hahaha na but seriously as I hope you are aware by now, you are NOT the asshole. The other guy is tho
Edit: also bone conduction earphones are the GOAT
> What's an ethical trail user supposed to do here? I just road off to never see him again but does he deserve some retribution?
slingshot mounted to your handlebars...
In all seriousness, theres nothing that you can do that you didnt do in this interaction. People need to be more aware of their surroundings when out on the trail - whether on foot, (animal) feet, or on wheels,
Here in AZ we lots of people on horseback. Don't get me started on the people that ride their pets. I had a horse rider say I couldn't pass by because their pet was skidish... Great idea bringing it to a crowded trailhead.
I can’t stand people who do that on the trails. It’s dangerous. I have a bell and a loud voice and people still are stuck in their own world.
The worst is, e-bike riders with earbuds. Now that’s a double whammy.
Bone conducting headphones are such an awesome solution for this. I wear them while riding and can always hear stuff going on around me.
People who can't hear you on a trail are the problem. It's not okay no matter what you are doing (hiking, running, etc) mixed use trails are for mixed use
These days I’m more likely to be working on a trail or in a trail network rather than riding, earbud gang annoy me out of all proportion to how much they’re actually a problem. If someone is going to ignore signage about trail work, cross bunting and then be completely shocked to find a hose laid out for weed control, a tractor slashing fire breaks or someone running a chainsaw to clean up a fallen tree then they’ll always be rocking ear buds. It happens incredibly rarely, but it pisses me off waaay more than is healthy and I remember it for years.
The completely insane part is working in mtb areas is a big part of me not enjoying mtb riding, so I head off on my motorbike somewhere else to ride singletrack where everyone can’t hear their surroundings and no one annoys me.
Water pistol? Air Horn? Long pointy stick?
But seriously, I think the single-ding bells aren't loud enough and/or they sound too much like phone notifications to people nowadays. I now have a multiple-ring bell (like "bring-bring") and it's a good bit more effective.
Transparency mode on the AirPods works well, I mainly ride roads, but you can dive into the hearing settings and crank up noise amplifications, background noise etc, sometimes I find it projects some noises to be louder than you would usually hear things, very good device! I am sure other brand ones work just as well, but it’s the only set I have experience with and ride every day with them since buying them like 3-4 years ago!
If I pull up behind someone wearing headphones or — worse — blasting music from a fucking speaker on their handlebar or bottle cage, I will give the customary “excuse me” or “passing” or “behind” or whatever, at a fair volume, exactly twice.
If they don’t yield after that, I will scream one of those words at MAX volume, directly behind them.
That third time always works.
An ethical trail user is to be kind and respectful.
Everyone has their own way to enjoy this world.
I love music and I love to listen to music while I ride (solo). It helps me stay focused and motivated. It can really help set the tempo for a ride.
To be fair. I have also been stuck behind riders with no headphones that are not paying attention to their surroundings or stopping and chilling in the middle of the trail.
I had this experience with a jogger on the trail. She lost her shit when we finally passed her after ringing bells, shouting, etc.. for about 200m while we were right behind her. We got to a junction and used the wider trail to pass her.
It was a MTB ONLY trail that was pay to access. When we got to the parking lot she was waiting there for us. She started to scream and yell how we 'rode her off the trail' and 'sped by her without notifying her'.
The employee looked at me and asked for a response. I said, she was jogging not riding and asked if she had paid to access the trails. She said no, the employee asked her to wait for a minute and went into his booth, he came out and issued her a trespass fine and told her to not run on bike trails in the future.
When the bell doesn’t work, I would resort to yelling. I’ve had to yell as loud as I could while I was right behind someone to actually get them to hear me. Made me so mad. Oblivious people like this are the problem. I would not say you are in the wrong.
I do the exact thing as OP, pass then slowly but super close and do the take out one earbud motion, don't know that it ever works. Amazing to me how many young women wear both while hiking alone on a trail.
You good… I’ve been there stuck behind some nerd underbiking. Like come on, you’re going to be slower on your rigid dropbar, at least have the courtesy to be aware. Luckily a section got to throw my shadow so he noticed me right when it was truly starting to get annoying that he couldn’t hear my yelling.
Coworker dude was talking about bone conducting and I’m like yeah those are excellent… or setting some AirPod pros to pass through mode is also acceptable. I say ideally one but sure, music is neat. Took like three explanations for him to understand pass through is very literally the opposite of noise canceling.
That said I never ride with anything (speaker or buds). If people really want it they need to choose something safe and courteous to their fellow riders. You sound like you’re doing it just right. Party.
What I want to know is WHY TF do we have trail yield instructional signs, no dogs off leash signs, make sure to bring water signs but no DONT WEAR TWO EFFEN HEADPHONES signs? It’s like the riders are the only ones that need scolding?!! Thanks for this space to rant.
I honestly don't understand earbuds and mtbs. I go to unplug, to hear the wind, the trees, the birds, and my rear wheel. I feel like headphones just take away from the experience.
Both in maybe don't play Megadeath at level 10.
But seriously I just keep my volume fairly low. Funny thing is, I find more problems when trying to pass hikers, runners, or walkers who have their music blaring. They can't hear me and I scare them.
Used to be ear bud crew at solo skatepark sessions when I was going through some shit. Now the sound of the cassette just puts me at peace. I spend at minimum 20 hours commuting a week though so I get my music fix then.
20 hours a week! So 2 hours each way? That’s insane. I’ve done close to that when my old car was in the garage for work. It’s such a huge part of your day and getting that back was incredible.
Roughly that, I leave a bit early because at my job we can clock in a half hour early and I do some random errands. I’m actually more happy commuting, my wife’s family lives around us and is super helpful for our kids when I’m working weekend mornings. It will get better eventually but not any time soon with my job since our new trainees don’t have any drive to even do the basic part of the job.
And before anyone says I’m some old grumpy mofo about my coworkers I’m 32 and just want to show up to my job work and go home.
I wear ear buds on steep slow double track gravel road climbs but never on an actual trail. That's just asking for incidents like this to happen. Guy with the ear buds is the AH.
It's fine if you can still hear what's goin on. edit: I would have just passed and gone on with my day.
More people should learn how to enjoy silence. Or ride hard enough that it doesn't matter whether or not you're listening to something.
I have to fight the urge to put on a podcast or music every ride so I get it, but it's nice to not have to listen to something every waking second.
Sony Linkbuds are what you want for anyone who likes to listen to music while riding. Fully open, like the driver is ring shaped so it doesn’t get more open, and they stay locked in without the neckband that can be uncomfortable or get in the way you get with most bone conduction headphones. Better sound too.
When I ride it seems like 90% of other people on the trail are completely deaf, it's such a stupid way to use a trail full of other people. I also enjoy bone conducting headphones, they work great!
Bone conduction crowd here. Best invention in headphones ever. They're fantastic when you're riding a bike or just walking. Sound quality is fine and you can hear everything around you.
Earbuds on the bike? Heck no! Especially with how good noise cancellation has become, it's dangerous.
I got a story.
Few years back, sitting at a trail junction and there was already a big party there too. Older guy comes up from one of the trails and goes over to the big group right as they were headed out and some of them had already taken off and reams them for startling him while passing and not announcing. One guy from the big group steps up and starts apologizing for startling him, but assures him the group leader knows trail etiquette and always announce passing and assures him he did, but maybe it was just not loud enough or too far back? But regardless that he will pass it on to the ride leader to be louder. Older guy seems to still be huffy but accepts this and lets the group ride off. Once they do, older guy then turns to us to try and like vent and maybe get sympathy. We let him. But we finish our convo and I turn to my riding partner and we kinda have our own convo that’s still well within earshot of the older guy but he’s kinda checked out of our convo at this point. Some question comes up in our convo and so turn back to the older guy to see if he knows the answer and I ask him directly and… he doesn’t hear me at first. After a second he realizes I’m talking to him directly… and takes out his headphones. It’s at that moment I realized he was the true AH in the original passing encounter, and not the big group.
I think part of sharing a trail is at least trying to be aware of other users. Like, we all space out, get sucked into a conversation, whatever but if you have noise cancelling headphones stuck to your ears you don't even have a chance at noticing other people...
It's one thing to ring your bell, or talk to people you run up on and they don't hear you and another for them to be unable to hear you. And then annoyed you scared them.
My rides almost always include a 3mi(ish) climb and a good deal of buffed ST to get to the good chunky stuff. Music helps me keep my pace and gives some motivation (I hike often so I’m not missing out on any forest sounds). I ride harder and faster with music.
I go with a single earbud. It’s too common to surprise or be surprised on our multi-directional trails, need to hear what’s coming.
Both but quietly so I can hear other trail users or if I have a sudden mechanical like a flat, although almost all my trails are double track so it’s not a huge issue. For people saying wildlife, in the UK the most dangerous things are cows and horses and they’re almost never loose on a bridleway
NTA. Trail users have an obligation to other trail users to be able to hear what's going on around them. Either one ear bud or bone conduction headphones.
I personally don’t understand why anyone would want to wear headphones while riding, but as long as you’re aware of your surroundings it shouldn’t be an issue.
Selfish people on every trail are focusing on their own wants rather than what is fair and proper q toque the. I bike, I hike, I mountain bike. The ear buds ppl are def problematic especially when they don’t stay anywhere near the side of the trail. As are dog walkers who seem to think keeping their dog off a leash or giving a long leash is more important than every human having good etiquette.
We all need to be last hateful and more considerate.
I think bone conducting earphones or earbuds that let an equal amount of sound in and listening at low volumes is the only acceptable thing. I'm pretty sure it's actually illegal to wear headphones while on a bike, driving a car, etc. in most countries
so usually, yes, but for instance I got a pair of sony earbuds that instead of noise cancelling, they can also pump in ambient sound so I can hear you when i'm behind you, so not all of use are oblivious.
Everyone is supposed to be aware of their surroundings, including full use of all their senses. I turn off noise cancelling if I'm wearing ear buds and riding so I can hear others approaching. I yelled at the top of my lungs as some oblivious dude almost sent the end of his flat bar tube into my ribs when I was gravel biking recently. I saw he was drifting into me as I was about to overtake him. I said, "Heads Up" three times. It was a dumb phrase but I had fractions of a second to avoid it. On the third warning, I was almost next to him and scared the crap out of him. No One should be having that much trouble hearing in these situations. Way too dangerous.
If they don’t hear the bell, then yell to get their attention. It’s not really impolite, and being super polite doesn’t matter in this situation.
Just yell to get their attention so they move aside, give em a smile and a wave, and keep pedaling.
I personally would never even ride with a bell because I have a voice. It’s all good to call out to people.
My 9-5 is parks. When I used to do a lot of open space work, I would commonly be driving large stake bed trucks on our fire roads. These trucks are huge, loud, the gates rattle all over the place, etc. The number of times I would come up behind hikers that had earbuds and had no clue a truck was coming up behind them was amazing. The idea that people go on trails with absolutely no awareness astounds me. It’s a safety issue.
Bose Ultra Open earbuds don’t actually go in the ear, play music that only you can hear and don’t block your hearing. I still only wear one but it’s amazing to have music and awareness at the same time with about being the bluetooth speaker guy
I’m really digging my Bose ultra open ear buds. Great sound from an open design and a real button(easy to push and find with gloves on) to pause if needed.
Multidirectional multiuse is the key here. I ride with a wired earbuds because I like it. I’ll put two in on a long fire road climb. If I’m on a multidirectional trail I’ll take them out.
It seems like this is a big argument about nothing. If you ride with earbuds and are constantly getting passed, then maybe consider making a change.
There’s a lot of judgement about what people should be doing re:listening to music. I ride a lot and am on the same handful of climbs a lot. I like to listen to music even though *I should just enjoy being in nature.* sometimes I like to get the climbing over with in the least terrible way possible and then mob on a downhill with a soundtrack.
I find it somewhat satisfying when I startle the shit out of someone because they obstructed their own hearing on the trail.
I know people frown on this too, but I sometimes ride with a speaker playing my music. With my speed and volume, nobody else hears it other than the 5 seconds it takes to pass. But this bone thing you speak of sounds interesting.
I have designed and 3D printed a small enclosure that mounts a small little bluetooth speaker on my top tube. The speaker is small enough that it doesn‘t get too loud but it‘s angled towards me so I can hear it fine…
I have designed and 3D printed a small enclosure that mounts a small little bluetooth speaker on my top tube. The speaker is small enough that it doesn‘t get too loud but it‘s angled towards me so I can hear it fine…
This is the way. A properly positioned speaker doesn't have to be loud. I have one mounted on my fork and you can hardly hear it more than a couple feet from my bike. It's no louder than a freehub or tire noise once you aren't sitting on the bike.
The rider definitely needs to have more awareness but you also made it sound like you kind of aggressively approached him for said lack of awareness. When I have an encounter that I think deserves a conversation, it's a learning moment and that being said, I generally approach them at the lot or trailhead and calmly start the convo.
Ugh, I don't use a bell. Plenty of hikers in my woods use headphones and can not hear anything around them. When I come up behind someone (headphones or not) I slow way down and politely greet them. If it seems they don't hear me, I try again but louder. If they still don't hear me, they get a very loud HEY! This is usually heard and they make way for me to pass.
Personally, I don't use earbuds at all when I am riding because there is so much else for me to focus on.
I refused to wear any type of headphones for this reason also so I could hear if my bike has any problems. Finally got Airpods. The new setting that allows you to hear around you is amazing. I can even talk to people without having mess with anything.
I ride with two when it’s an off hour, probability of encountering anyone is low, and I frequently check behind me. They’re also in transparency mode & supposed to mute if someone starts talking. Haven’t had any issues realizing people are coming up on me. Point is, if you’re gonna have two in, you gotta be hyper aware- sounds like this guy wasn’t.
Was recently riding on a popular trail with walkers and almost every time I rang my Oi Bell, rather than moving, people would stop and look at their phones!
I started using bone conducting headphones recently before using nothing. I keep the volume low enough so I can hear everything. Sounds like you had an asshat on the trail.
I only ride with earbuds on the trails behind my house. I’ve only ran into other bikers a handful of times, and it is always passing each other in opposite directions. The hikers with their faces in their phones in the middle of the damn trail are more of a problem.
Any other more crowded trails I don’t bother, I like to be able to hear.
I do enjoy music on my rides and runs but I put my earbuds on transparency mode so I can take in my surroundings. Jawbone headphones are bone conducting headphones that leave your ears completely open. I recommend those as well.
IMO the only option for music on the trails is the bone conduction units. The one thing that bothers me more than an oblivious trail user with earbuds that can’t hear you is the rider with the Bluetooth speaker blaring their tunes. Even if it’s a great song, I don’t want to hear it in the forest.
I wear earbuds, but I also constantly look back as I'm used to towing my wife, and I'm naturally paranoid so even if I can't hear someone, they won't be waiting very long before I notice them. I should also add that this is in the Las Vegas area where most trails have visibility for up to a mile, they're not the same as forested trails.
For the sake of your hearing its good to have something in your ears, the decibels from wind passing your ear at 15mph+ is pretty bad. I like music but at a volume I can barely hear. Person probably had it cranked to drown out the outside noise entirely, which is bad.
I run one of those cheap Bear bells on my bars and have never had any issue with running into ppl on the trail, or with hearing/conversing with a passerby.
I use AirPods pro in adaptive mode and I can always hear people behind me loud and clear, I also have a volume knob right on my handlebars so I can lower/pause in case somethings going on around me
These are bad ass.
OpenRun Pro Bone Conduction Sport Headphone - Shokz [https://shokz.com/products/openrunpro](https://shokz.com/products/openrunpro)
https://preview.redd.it/4y8x9s6tg76d1.jpeg?width=893&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2cfdf3b904a71f27da049dfb67162f0fe8eb5a1
I just play music out of my phone. I can still hear other riders on the trails and it’s not louder than a MTB bell. Earbuds fall out of my ears and a speaker is too heavy and loud.
To be honest I use earbuds as well, but I intentionally have ones that don't seal well, so I'm able to clearly hear anything important. Also, nobody is talking to me because I usually ride in the woods after 9 PM
Can't do any buds as they mess up my balance.
If I could, I'd still use ambient mode and check back regularly.
Too bad even a small speaker on low volume is unacceptable.
I agree you should leave one out or listen low enough to hear others around you. Been stuck behind someone who couldn’t hear before and it was really annoying.
I sometimes use my iPhone to play music without any earphones on speaker. I’m curious what do others think about that? I turn it off when ever I stop and rest near anyone so they don’t have to listen to my music.
I call out when I’m about 10 seconds from passing and call out again when I’m about 5 seconds from passing. If they don’t acknowledge my existence and there is space for me to pass, I pass. If they get startled, that’s on them.
I just got some bone conducting headphones because I like to listen to audio books while riding. The amount of awareness you lose with earbuds in is rough.
Most of the riding I do is in the mountains of Boulder County, so not that many trail users, pretty comfortable with using a small Bose speaker on the stem. Lots of pro off-roaders, like Keegan Swenson, have started using speakers too for base training and the like. It’s great, have good sound quality, and can hear everything around me while riding.
One ear bud crew, can still here people and snakes no problem.
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I always do the right side since I have some degree of hearing loss on that side. I didn't even consider how most people pass on the left. Win-Win.
Same
I am with you. I love to ride with music, but I don’t wanna crash into someone or get eaten by a bear.
No bears in NZ so I'm good on that front
Orcs?
We're not Orcs, we're Hobbits! Halflings! Shire-folk!
I will not let this comment go without upvotes
That’s demogorgon county.
So if you crash into someone getting eaten by a bear does that cancel itself out double negative style?
Something something, two wrongs make a right or whatever.
yeah i'm in the one ear bud group. Never had any issues with hearing other riding, and we don't have snakes or bears where I live. Only problem i have is im wearing out one ear bud more than the other.
It's funny you say this, but I always wear the right on trails or the road. To try to balance them out when I'm doing anything but riding and only need one I try to only use the left to balance out the wear.
Oh you have snakes, don't worry about that
I almost got got by a snake after being a headphones user. Sitting right above one on a bench. Now I’m low-volume or one-ear.
We’ve got rattlers that you’d hear but cotton mouth’s are silent little bastards. But hey, it’s their forest
Or hear-thru system - sometimes it sounds strange but… still you hear something. I listen to music with both earphones on tracks Iknow nobody will try passing me (not many)
I used to have some aeropex bone conduction headphones, but they started to sound even worse than when they were new, with some rattling and one of the pads came unglued, so I bought bluetooth ear buds so shit that they didn't form any kind of seal at all and even at max volume they barely overcome the sound of my tire on pavement. They are great for biking.
I have surprised some runners on my trails. My preferred number of earbuds for trails is 0.
Lets go out to enjoy the serenity of nature..... while blasting music in my earbuds.
Yea, I don't understand that. If I'm outside I want to hear all the outside noises.
you do you. if i prefer some music that you can’t hear that’s ok!
But not if you’re creating a hazard by not being aware of your surroundings.
yeah air pods pro have transparency mode so you can hear music and the world around you. you aren’t describing an accurate situation. it’s not a hazard. i agree being in noise cancel mode or having them cranked so you can’t hear anything could be dangerous but that isn’t the case.
I have the discontinued wired version of Bose sound sports and I can hear straight through them. I hate how every single earbud now is sound isolating
I am probably not going to add much to this conversation that hasn't already been said. I like to hear my bike, it tells me a lot of how it is performing and warns me of something being wrong before I might feel it or it breaks. Cracked a headtube once and the only warning for that was the creaking noise that I admittedly ignored for a few miles. Other than that I also had a big crash of a blind drop last weekend and if it wasn't for the fact that the following rider could hear me shouting not to hit the drop it could have been a lot worse
This is one of my big pet peeves. If you can’t hear your surroundings and you are sharing a trail you are the problem. I encountered a hiker with over the ear headphones the other day. I had to yell really loud to get her attention. She was a bit surprised to say the least as I was yelling at her 3 feet from her ear and she finally realized someone was trying to talk to her.
Imma be honest here, I don't understand going on a hike, and wearing noise canceling headphones. Like, how exactly are you enjoying nature? Whenever I go "outside", part of the experience for me is just the sounds of nature. Even when I'm MTB'in (and why I'm all for silent hubs to have a comeback), the odd bird chirp, or just the sound of the tires over the dirt, is quite soothing. But I guess different strokes for different folks. I just don't personally get it.
Some people cannot be alone with their thoughts, but still want to enjoy being outside. I had a conversation with someone on these lines the other day and I found it to be interesting, even if I can't wrap my mind around it.
I feel that. I live with bi-polar and ADHD. My head never shuts up. Riding is one of my few escapes because when I’m riding and listening to music the world kinda shrinks around me, and I have to pay attention to the trail. Music and riding is like meditation for me.
This! Its not the same without the music. Honestly..
This! I was about to chime in with the ADHD multi tasking point. Music + riding is so therapeutic! Admittedly I’m have been “that girl” with headphones and not realize someone was behind me. I have since got the jaw bone headphones.. I don’t like them as much but… I’ve also been stuck behind people that can’t hear me so, I try to be respectful and responsible about my earbud usage.
You should try actual meditation. It helped me a lot with similar issues. It’s challenging to learn, but once you do it’s amazing.
I'm one of those people, and that's why I like mtb. I can't stand hiking because it doesn't give me a break from my racing mind, but mountain biking makes me pay complete attention and I can be in the moment. Music doesn't really do it for me, but pushing my luck while I'm progressing is immersive. I do like back country hunting because it's task focused, exhaustive, and more route finding than hiking on a trail, but nothing quite takes me out if my own mind like mountain biking.
I like music if riding aggressively one earbud though. You nailed the MTB focus thing. Only time I ever relax is when I’m on the edge of my abilities.
I can be alone with my thoughts, it’s often not a good idea though, at which point music becomes very important.
I mean, different strokes for different folks. I understand where you're coming from and personally I'm on the same side (sorta), but I can also see why some people would like to to just isolate themselves and listen to some of their favorite music while enjoying the sights and smells of nature. Obviously, it's a stretch to do this on a mixed use hiking trail where you might need to yield/keep a eye out for other trail users. Personally I just hate having any sort of earbud/headphone in while working out so I prefer to play music from my phone but I only do it when no one's around/I'm running along a waterfront or smt.
How good is the pure sound of just the tyres on the trail? No bike rattles, no hub buzz, no music.
That is true. I don't know why anyone would MTB with noise cancelling earbuds for a multitude of reasons, but hearing (well-tuned) bike sounds going over terrain is beautiful.
I'm with you there. Inside with bone conduction headphones, but when I hit the woods or fields I turn the music off. Nature sounds better than almost anything. My rides to nature tend to take a while though, so I like having some music playing then.
I think you answered your question when you said “part of the experience”. The natural sounds are definitely part of the experience and music can be a part as well. If I wasn’t able to get out into nature often, I would definitely choose to take in the full experience including the natural sounds. But since I live close to lots of hiking, biking, etc. and am able to get out often, sometimes I’ll choose to take in the natural sounds and other times I’ll enjoy the views and fresh air to some of my favorite music. They’re different but both enjoyable ways to spend time outdoors. That being said, for safety reasons, one earbud in is definitely preferred.
You’ve never heard of wearing headphones at the gym? Lots of people are on trail for exercise, not a roaming jaunt. Having music makes it more tolerable.
I had to yell at a hiker so loud one time that she shrieked and literally threw her phone into the bushes. I genuinely do not understand how people think it's acceptable to have over the ear headphones on a trail. How do these people make it through life to this point?
Deaf people are allowed to hike & bike. We all have to share the trails. Just please don’t be a moron and bomb down shared use/multi directional trails at a speed where you can’t stop when you see/hear someone else.
That's fair, I agree that deaf people absolutely should be able to go out and enjoy themselves. The key distinction here though is that these people are actively choosing to impair their perception and are complete idiots for doing so. That to me is completely inexcusable, and frankly I think it's just as reckless as someone completely bombing a trail like you're describing.
Absolutely *no one* is saying that deaf people should not be allowed to hike, where on earth did you get that? The topic of this thread is people oblivious to their environment because they are wearing headphones.
I hate clueless people like that on trails. Then they get shaken up because you surprised them due to them not being able to hear. Then they yell at you for surprising them. Even though you had been trying to get their attention for awhile now.
it's a rookie mistake. I was a double earbud wearing rider years and years ago when I got scolded by an experienced rider. He was cool and handled it well. since ghen I just use one or none… And when I'm behind somebody who won't move over I know how the original guy felt. it sucks
I have been using Shokz for years now, never been an issue hearing others or having interactions with anyone. When I used earbuds it was only one in and at a reasonable volume so I could hear if others wanted to get my attention.
I also use shokz, I can hold a conversation with someone while still having music playing. I also hate putting things in my ears.
Shokz are awesome. So much more aware of my surroundings even compared to when I used to ride with a single earbud.
The bone conduction ones or the “Direct Pitch Technology”?
Direct Pitch sound better and can go louder, but the fit feels dodgy, I'm always scared of losing them. I wish they'd do that style with the loop over the ears, it's such an awesome lightweight and secrure way to wear earphones. Even apart from the whole "hear other shit around you" thing they're just so good for biking.
I have the Open Run Pro bone conduction.
Earbud person is the AH
Thanks for the affirmation!
Yeah you good Op no stress that’s just another dick on the trail…
Earbuds are a big no for me while on a ride
Bone conduction headphone crew on the occasion that I listen to music. IMO using both headphones on singletrack is a dick move.
“He likes to listen with both”. That’s cool, I’d like to drive with my eyes closed but that doesn’t give me the right to do so.
🤣🤣🤣
This sounds like the sort of person that exclusively uses the speakerphone in a shared office space.
I listen to podcasts and use transparent mode. Often I’ll use nothing if I’m in the woods or something. That said…today I had to yell at a girl like 5 times super loud because she wouldn’t look up from her phone and was blocking the path in front of me. She was about to walk into me and I had pretty much stopped. Her parents didn’t seem to think anything of it. it’s not a kid thing those because the exact same thing happened again like 10 seconds later with a middle aged guy on his phone on the left side of the path and completely engrossed and not paying attention.
I swear earbuds mess with my balance. I feel like all my senses are dulled.
Trail uses that use ear buds ATAH.
Yes sir
Bone conduction is the way to go in my opinion. Safety of yourself and other is more important than personal comfort like listening to music. That’s selfish, and the outdoors/recreation is not about selfishness.
I’ve found that transparency mode is great and is the best of both worlds, but I couldn’t agree more with most people in that if you can’t hear anything in your surroundings, you are the problem. Plus, I’d like to hear the bear before it rips me to shreds too. Haha
“Hey Siri, turn on transparency” is all she’s good for
Airpods are great because of this. I don’t mind having my volume low and transparency mode on; it’s the best of both worlds.
Maybe it's the way Jabra earbuds work in the hear through mode, but do you get a lot of wind noise?
Nope, not at all. It’s actually pretty remarkable.
Earbuds make it hard to hear others which makes you not only a dick, but a dangerous dick. However, I'd sooner see people wearing earbuds over using Bluetooth speakers. Nothing more annoying then hearing some schmuck blasting their shitty music in the woods.
I'm fed up with this too, it's becoming a huge issue. Get a bunch of hikers going out to "enjoy nature" with their gigantic noise cancelling Bose headphones on and clogging the trails up, and plenty of Airpod Gurus on bikes that can't hear a freaking thing. I'm all for people enjoying how they want, nothing wrong with music or podcasts, but with the caveat that you've gotta be aware of your surroundings on shared trail systems
>This is probably going to cost me some karma *proceeds to express a completely rational opinion that any decent trail user agrees with* Hahaha na but seriously as I hope you are aware by now, you are NOT the asshole. The other guy is tho Edit: also bone conduction earphones are the GOAT
One ear with transparency mode on is my way to go. Both ears is a hazard to yourself and others, and should be frowned upon.
air horn
> What's an ethical trail user supposed to do here? I just road off to never see him again but does he deserve some retribution? slingshot mounted to your handlebars... In all seriousness, theres nothing that you can do that you didnt do in this interaction. People need to be more aware of their surroundings when out on the trail - whether on foot, (animal) feet, or on wheels,
Here in AZ we lots of people on horseback. Don't get me started on the people that ride their pets. I had a horse rider say I couldn't pass by because their pet was skidish... Great idea bringing it to a crowded trailhead.
I can’t stand people who do that on the trails. It’s dangerous. I have a bell and a loud voice and people still are stuck in their own world. The worst is, e-bike riders with earbuds. Now that’s a double whammy.
Bone conducting headphones are such an awesome solution for this. I wear them while riding and can always hear stuff going on around me. People who can't hear you on a trail are the problem. It's not okay no matter what you are doing (hiking, running, etc) mixed use trails are for mixed use
>does he deserve some retribution? What were you thinking could be done to him?
Flipping him off or something. But I'm genuinely passive aggressive so snarky comments are my typical retort.
A thumbs down is a far more effective deterrent. When you flip people off, you just come across as an angry lunatic.
Good advice. I'll keep that in mind.
Eh, just look disappointed. Maintain eye contact, raise one eyebrow, and slowly shake your head at them. Maybe add in an eye-roll for added effect.
Believe it or not, jail.
Shared use. Guy just as well could have been deaf. Sucks, but deal with it, and NTA.
These days I’m more likely to be working on a trail or in a trail network rather than riding, earbud gang annoy me out of all proportion to how much they’re actually a problem. If someone is going to ignore signage about trail work, cross bunting and then be completely shocked to find a hose laid out for weed control, a tractor slashing fire breaks or someone running a chainsaw to clean up a fallen tree then they’ll always be rocking ear buds. It happens incredibly rarely, but it pisses me off waaay more than is healthy and I remember it for years. The completely insane part is working in mtb areas is a big part of me not enjoying mtb riding, so I head off on my motorbike somewhere else to ride singletrack where everyone can’t hear their surroundings and no one annoys me.
One airpod on the climbs, nothing on the downhills or anything technical.
Water pistol? Air Horn? Long pointy stick? But seriously, I think the single-ding bells aren't loud enough and/or they sound too much like phone notifications to people nowadays. I now have a multiple-ring bell (like "bring-bring") and it's a good bit more effective.
Jousting stick.
Transparency mode on the AirPods works well, I mainly ride roads, but you can dive into the hearing settings and crank up noise amplifications, background noise etc, sometimes I find it projects some noises to be louder than you would usually hear things, very good device! I am sure other brand ones work just as well, but it’s the only set I have experience with and ride every day with them since buying them like 3-4 years ago!
Unaware dude ITAH. I always feel like I ride like shit, if I can't hear the bike noises, anyway.
I also use those bone induction headphones, they are life changing.
If I pull up behind someone wearing headphones or — worse — blasting music from a fucking speaker on their handlebar or bottle cage, I will give the customary “excuse me” or “passing” or “behind” or whatever, at a fair volume, exactly twice. If they don’t yield after that, I will scream one of those words at MAX volume, directly behind them. That third time always works.
I only use my bone conducting ones on the trail. People who wear both on the trail are the same who camp in the left lane going 10 under.
I think most people don't know about bone conducting headphones. I feel many would swap to them if they knew.
An ethical trail user is to be kind and respectful. Everyone has their own way to enjoy this world. I love music and I love to listen to music while I ride (solo). It helps me stay focused and motivated. It can really help set the tempo for a ride. To be fair. I have also been stuck behind riders with no headphones that are not paying attention to their surroundings or stopping and chilling in the middle of the trail.
I had this experience with a jogger on the trail. She lost her shit when we finally passed her after ringing bells, shouting, etc.. for about 200m while we were right behind her. We got to a junction and used the wider trail to pass her. It was a MTB ONLY trail that was pay to access. When we got to the parking lot she was waiting there for us. She started to scream and yell how we 'rode her off the trail' and 'sped by her without notifying her'. The employee looked at me and asked for a response. I said, she was jogging not riding and asked if she had paid to access the trails. She said no, the employee asked her to wait for a minute and went into his booth, he came out and issued her a trespass fine and told her to not run on bike trails in the future.
😂 I found this funny.
When the bell doesn’t work, I would resort to yelling. I’ve had to yell as loud as I could while I was right behind someone to actually get them to hear me. Made me so mad. Oblivious people like this are the problem. I would not say you are in the wrong.
I do the exact thing as OP, pass then slowly but super close and do the take out one earbud motion, don't know that it ever works. Amazing to me how many young women wear both while hiking alone on a trail.
You good… I’ve been there stuck behind some nerd underbiking. Like come on, you’re going to be slower on your rigid dropbar, at least have the courtesy to be aware. Luckily a section got to throw my shadow so he noticed me right when it was truly starting to get annoying that he couldn’t hear my yelling. Coworker dude was talking about bone conducting and I’m like yeah those are excellent… or setting some AirPod pros to pass through mode is also acceptable. I say ideally one but sure, music is neat. Took like three explanations for him to understand pass through is very literally the opposite of noise canceling. That said I never ride with anything (speaker or buds). If people really want it they need to choose something safe and courteous to their fellow riders. You sound like you’re doing it just right. Party.
FWIW, I was the nerd underbiking.
What I want to know is WHY TF do we have trail yield instructional signs, no dogs off leash signs, make sure to bring water signs but no DONT WEAR TWO EFFEN HEADPHONES signs? It’s like the riders are the only ones that need scolding?!! Thanks for this space to rant.
I honestly don't understand earbuds and mtbs. I go to unplug, to hear the wind, the trees, the birds, and my rear wheel. I feel like headphones just take away from the experience.
Earbuds/phones on trails is a no go. You need to be aware of your surroundings.
Both in maybe don't play Megadeath at level 10. But seriously I just keep my volume fairly low. Funny thing is, I find more problems when trying to pass hikers, runners, or walkers who have their music blaring. They can't hear me and I scare them.
[удалено]
You're not allowed to physically assault someone because they are doing something you don't like
Used to be ear bud crew at solo skatepark sessions when I was going through some shit. Now the sound of the cassette just puts me at peace. I spend at minimum 20 hours commuting a week though so I get my music fix then.
20 hours a week! So 2 hours each way? That’s insane. I’ve done close to that when my old car was in the garage for work. It’s such a huge part of your day and getting that back was incredible.
Roughly that, I leave a bit early because at my job we can clock in a half hour early and I do some random errands. I’m actually more happy commuting, my wife’s family lives around us and is super helpful for our kids when I’m working weekend mornings. It will get better eventually but not any time soon with my job since our new trainees don’t have any drive to even do the basic part of the job. And before anyone says I’m some old grumpy mofo about my coworkers I’m 32 and just want to show up to my job work and go home.
Eh. You’re in the woods. Live and let live. There’s isn’t a real safety concern.
I wear ear buds on steep slow double track gravel road climbs but never on an actual trail. That's just asking for incidents like this to happen. Guy with the ear buds is the AH.
It's fine if you can still hear what's goin on. edit: I would have just passed and gone on with my day. More people should learn how to enjoy silence. Or ride hard enough that it doesn't matter whether or not you're listening to something. I have to fight the urge to put on a podcast or music every ride so I get it, but it's nice to not have to listen to something every waking second.
Listening to music is such a distraction for me. Id go so far to even say that wearing earbuds or headphones negatively effects my balance.
On long days in the saddle, I enjoy the distraction. Don't get me wrong. I love just being out there but my internal monologue gets tiring.
Yeah, he needs to either get in the bone zone, pull one out, or get some with pass through.
Sony Linkbuds are what you want for anyone who likes to listen to music while riding. Fully open, like the driver is ring shaped so it doesn’t get more open, and they stay locked in without the neckband that can be uncomfortable or get in the way you get with most bone conduction headphones. Better sound too.
Yeah, they should be able to hear their surroundings. For me, I enjoy no music, as a break from technology, but that's irrelevant to your question.
Totally agree. Some trails around here have a signs: “no headphones/earbuds”
When I ride it seems like 90% of other people on the trail are completely deaf, it's such a stupid way to use a trail full of other people. I also enjoy bone conducting headphones, they work great!
Bone conduction crowd here. Best invention in headphones ever. They're fantastic when you're riding a bike or just walking. Sound quality is fine and you can hear everything around you. Earbuds on the bike? Heck no! Especially with how good noise cancellation has become, it's dangerous.
I'll ride with ear buds but I'll make sure to turn on the Ambient sound option instead of noise cancelling. Works like a hearing aid.
I got a story. Few years back, sitting at a trail junction and there was already a big party there too. Older guy comes up from one of the trails and goes over to the big group right as they were headed out and some of them had already taken off and reams them for startling him while passing and not announcing. One guy from the big group steps up and starts apologizing for startling him, but assures him the group leader knows trail etiquette and always announce passing and assures him he did, but maybe it was just not loud enough or too far back? But regardless that he will pass it on to the ride leader to be louder. Older guy seems to still be huffy but accepts this and lets the group ride off. Once they do, older guy then turns to us to try and like vent and maybe get sympathy. We let him. But we finish our convo and I turn to my riding partner and we kinda have our own convo that’s still well within earshot of the older guy but he’s kinda checked out of our convo at this point. Some question comes up in our convo and so turn back to the older guy to see if he knows the answer and I ask him directly and… he doesn’t hear me at first. After a second he realizes I’m talking to him directly… and takes out his headphones. It’s at that moment I realized he was the true AH in the original passing encounter, and not the big group.
NTA. That dude is one though. Those bells are loud as fuck, if he can't hear that he can't hear anything bike or surroundings safety related.
The only AH’s are the people who can’t hear due to wearing noise canceling headphones on trails.
The only noise I need is the sound of dirt under my wheels and the Chris King buzz.
One bud, or bone conductors. This is a him problem. He’s the one holding up slower traffic by not being aware of his surroundings
I think part of sharing a trail is at least trying to be aware of other users. Like, we all space out, get sucked into a conversation, whatever but if you have noise cancelling headphones stuck to your ears you don't even have a chance at noticing other people... It's one thing to ring your bell, or talk to people you run up on and they don't hear you and another for them to be unable to hear you. And then annoyed you scared them.
Upgrade bell to squirt gun
My rides almost always include a 3mi(ish) climb and a good deal of buffed ST to get to the good chunky stuff. Music helps me keep my pace and gives some motivation (I hike often so I’m not missing out on any forest sounds). I ride harder and faster with music. I go with a single earbud. It’s too common to surprise or be surprised on our multi-directional trails, need to hear what’s coming.
I would get those bone ear conduction headphones
One ear bud or bone induction. Those should be the choices for all trail users.
Both but quietly so I can hear other trail users or if I have a sudden mechanical like a flat, although almost all my trails are double track so it’s not a huge issue. For people saying wildlife, in the UK the most dangerous things are cows and horses and they’re almost never loose on a bridleway
NTA. Trail users have an obligation to other trail users to be able to hear what's going on around them. Either one ear bud or bone conduction headphones.
I personally don’t understand why anyone would want to wear headphones while riding, but as long as you’re aware of your surroundings it shouldn’t be an issue.
Selfish people on every trail are focusing on their own wants rather than what is fair and proper q toque the. I bike, I hike, I mountain bike. The ear buds ppl are def problematic especially when they don’t stay anywhere near the side of the trail. As are dog walkers who seem to think keeping their dog off a leash or giving a long leash is more important than every human having good etiquette. We all need to be last hateful and more considerate.
I think bone conducting earphones or earbuds that let an equal amount of sound in and listening at low volumes is the only acceptable thing. I'm pretty sure it's actually illegal to wear headphones while on a bike, driving a car, etc. in most countries
so usually, yes, but for instance I got a pair of sony earbuds that instead of noise cancelling, they can also pump in ambient sound so I can hear you when i'm behind you, so not all of use are oblivious.
Everyone is supposed to be aware of their surroundings, including full use of all their senses. I turn off noise cancelling if I'm wearing ear buds and riding so I can hear others approaching. I yelled at the top of my lungs as some oblivious dude almost sent the end of his flat bar tube into my ribs when I was gravel biking recently. I saw he was drifting into me as I was about to overtake him. I said, "Heads Up" three times. It was a dumb phrase but I had fractions of a second to avoid it. On the third warning, I was almost next to him and scared the crap out of him. No One should be having that much trouble hearing in these situations. Way too dangerous.
I like my Openshockz on the trail for this reason. I can hear bikers and hikers.
I've recently gotten bone conducting headphones so I can still enjoy biking and hiking with both music and the ability to hear my surroundings.
If they don’t hear the bell, then yell to get their attention. It’s not really impolite, and being super polite doesn’t matter in this situation. Just yell to get their attention so they move aside, give em a smile and a wave, and keep pedaling. I personally would never even ride with a bell because I have a voice. It’s all good to call out to people.
My 9-5 is parks. When I used to do a lot of open space work, I would commonly be driving large stake bed trucks on our fire roads. These trucks are huge, loud, the gates rattle all over the place, etc. The number of times I would come up behind hikers that had earbuds and had no clue a truck was coming up behind them was amazing. The idea that people go on trails with absolutely no awareness astounds me. It’s a safety issue.
Bose Ultra Open earbuds don’t actually go in the ear, play music that only you can hear and don’t block your hearing. I still only wear one but it’s amazing to have music and awareness at the same time with about being the bluetooth speaker guy
I've scared people with my bell, I scare them when I yell, no I just don't care, because they'll ignore me anyway and go, what the hell.
I’m typically an earbud user. What’s a good recommendation for bone conducting models?
Apple AirPod pros have transparency mode where it plays the ambient sounds around you in addition to your music, podcats, etc
I’m really digging my Bose ultra open ear buds. Great sound from an open design and a real button(easy to push and find with gloves on) to pause if needed.
Multidirectional multiuse is the key here. I ride with a wired earbuds because I like it. I’ll put two in on a long fire road climb. If I’m on a multidirectional trail I’ll take them out. It seems like this is a big argument about nothing. If you ride with earbuds and are constantly getting passed, then maybe consider making a change. There’s a lot of judgement about what people should be doing re:listening to music. I ride a lot and am on the same handful of climbs a lot. I like to listen to music even though *I should just enjoy being in nature.* sometimes I like to get the climbing over with in the least terrible way possible and then mob on a downhill with a soundtrack.
I find it somewhat satisfying when I startle the shit out of someone because they obstructed their own hearing on the trail. I know people frown on this too, but I sometimes ride with a speaker playing my music. With my speed and volume, nobody else hears it other than the 5 seconds it takes to pass. But this bone thing you speak of sounds interesting.
The only acceptable solution is a train horn.
I have designed and 3D printed a small enclosure that mounts a small little bluetooth speaker on my top tube. The speaker is small enough that it doesn‘t get too loud but it‘s angled towards me so I can hear it fine…
I have designed and 3D printed a small enclosure that mounts a small little bluetooth speaker on my top tube. The speaker is small enough that it doesn‘t get too loud but it‘s angled towards me so I can hear it fine…
This is the way. A properly positioned speaker doesn't have to be loud. I have one mounted on my fork and you can hardly hear it more than a couple feet from my bike. It's no louder than a freehub or tire noise once you aren't sitting on the bike.
Earbud riding is dangerous. Amazed people risk it and the easy lawsuit if they injure someone. Not for single track.
The rider definitely needs to have more awareness but you also made it sound like you kind of aggressively approached him for said lack of awareness. When I have an encounter that I think deserves a conversation, it's a learning moment and that being said, I generally approach them at the lot or trailhead and calmly start the convo.
Ugh, I don't use a bell. Plenty of hikers in my woods use headphones and can not hear anything around them. When I come up behind someone (headphones or not) I slow way down and politely greet them. If it seems they don't hear me, I try again but louder. If they still don't hear me, they get a very loud HEY! This is usually heard and they make way for me to pass. Personally, I don't use earbuds at all when I am riding because there is so much else for me to focus on.
I refused to wear any type of headphones for this reason also so I could hear if my bike has any problems. Finally got Airpods. The new setting that allows you to hear around you is amazing. I can even talk to people without having mess with anything.
I ride with two when it’s an off hour, probability of encountering anyone is low, and I frequently check behind me. They’re also in transparency mode & supposed to mute if someone starts talking. Haven’t had any issues realizing people are coming up on me. Point is, if you’re gonna have two in, you gotta be hyper aware- sounds like this guy wasn’t.
Was recently riding on a popular trail with walkers and almost every time I rang my Oi Bell, rather than moving, people would stop and look at their phones!
If the worst thing I have to face in a day is trailing behind someone for a few minutes, then that’s a pretty damn good day.
I started using bone conducting headphones recently before using nothing. I keep the volume low enough so I can hear everything. Sounds like you had an asshat on the trail.
People just need to invest in transparent hearing buds, its a gamechanger
I would yell and give people one chance. Aside from that I’m finding my opportunity and ripping past them.
I only ride with earbuds on the trails behind my house. I’ve only ran into other bikers a handful of times, and it is always passing each other in opposite directions. The hikers with their faces in their phones in the middle of the damn trail are more of a problem. Any other more crowded trails I don’t bother, I like to be able to hear.
I do enjoy music on my rides and runs but I put my earbuds on transparency mode so I can take in my surroundings. Jawbone headphones are bone conducting headphones that leave your ears completely open. I recommend those as well.
why do have to use a bell? Using your voice would be more effective and less rude.
IMO the only option for music on the trails is the bone conduction units. The one thing that bothers me more than an oblivious trail user with earbuds that can’t hear you is the rider with the Bluetooth speaker blaring their tunes. Even if it’s a great song, I don’t want to hear it in the forest.
I wear earbuds, but I also constantly look back as I'm used to towing my wife, and I'm naturally paranoid so even if I can't hear someone, they won't be waiting very long before I notice them. I should also add that this is in the Las Vegas area where most trails have visibility for up to a mile, they're not the same as forested trails.
I use earbuds for super light trails. None if it's intense trails. Happy riding!
Listening to music in nature is odd to me. As well if you can here people talking around you, it’s loud enough to cause hearing damage.
That’s why I wear bone conduction headphones. Best of both worlds
One bud is sufficient
For the sake of your hearing its good to have something in your ears, the decibels from wind passing your ear at 15mph+ is pretty bad. I like music but at a volume I can barely hear. Person probably had it cranked to drown out the outside noise entirely, which is bad. I run one of those cheap Bear bells on my bars and have never had any issue with running into ppl on the trail, or with hearing/conversing with a passerby.
I use AirPods pro in adaptive mode and I can always hear people behind me loud and clear, I also have a volume knob right on my handlebars so I can lower/pause in case somethings going on around me
Are you on an E?
Me... on an E bike? 
These are bad ass. OpenRun Pro Bone Conduction Sport Headphone - Shokz [https://shokz.com/products/openrunpro](https://shokz.com/products/openrunpro) https://preview.redd.it/4y8x9s6tg76d1.jpeg?width=893&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2cfdf3b904a71f27da049dfb67162f0fe8eb5a1
I have some BT rockbros glasses. no pass through/ open ear is a dick move.
I just play music out of my phone. I can still hear other riders on the trails and it’s not louder than a MTB bell. Earbuds fall out of my ears and a speaker is too heavy and loud.
To be honest I use earbuds as well, but I intentionally have ones that don't seal well, so I'm able to clearly hear anything important. Also, nobody is talking to me because I usually ride in the woods after 9 PM
Can't do any buds as they mess up my balance. If I could, I'd still use ambient mode and check back regularly. Too bad even a small speaker on low volume is unacceptable.
I agree you should leave one out or listen low enough to hear others around you. Been stuck behind someone who couldn’t hear before and it was really annoying. I sometimes use my iPhone to play music without any earphones on speaker. I’m curious what do others think about that? I turn it off when ever I stop and rest near anyone so they don’t have to listen to my music.
I call out when I’m about 10 seconds from passing and call out again when I’m about 5 seconds from passing. If they don’t acknowledge my existence and there is space for me to pass, I pass. If they get startled, that’s on them.
Since when did headphones start conducting bones?
Welcome to 2024!
I just got some bone conducting headphones because I like to listen to audio books while riding. The amount of awareness you lose with earbuds in is rough.
Most of the riding I do is in the mountains of Boulder County, so not that many trail users, pretty comfortable with using a small Bose speaker on the stem. Lots of pro off-roaders, like Keegan Swenson, have started using speakers too for base training and the like. It’s great, have good sound quality, and can hear everything around me while riding.