MP3 Players

I have had three MP3 players. Two were made by Creative Labs (Nomad),
and I just bought an Ipod about three weeks ago. For the money, the
Nomads were excellent. For road use they all work great, if you are
doing a lot of mtn biking you may want to ge one with a flash memory.
The flash isn't as succeptable to bumps and jarring. Peace out.

I use a sports version of the Sony Discman that reads MP3 as well as
regular CD's. Never had a skip skiing, road biking, mountain biking,
motorcycling, etc.

Eric

E said:

I use a sports version of the Sony Discman that reads MP3 as well as
regular CD's. Never had a skip skiing, road biking, mountain biking,
motorcycling, etc.

Eric

Speaking as a Mom of three grown kids who participate in all types of
dangerous sports. GET THOSE FREAKING THINGS OUT OF YOUR EARS!!!!!

Everyone talks about drivers who talk on cell phones....why is riding a
bike with earphones in your ears any different. Aren't you supposed to
be aware of your surroundings when participating in a sport. Even in
the mountains. Isn't awareness of your environment a safety factor?
The only place I use earphones is at the gym when I am on something
stationary.

My kids always had those things in their ears while biking,
skateboarding, running, snowboarding etc and it drives me crazy. Its
dangerous. Do people really have to ride, jog, skate, etc. while
listenting to music.

Listen to the music of life, you may end up having a longer one.

End of another Maggie Rant.

All Good things,
Maggie - UNPLUGGED

Maggie said:

Everyone talks about drivers who talk on cell phones....why is riding a
bike with earphones in your ears any different.

A car weights 2000+ pounds, a bike weighs 30-.

Rich said:

Maggie said:

Everyone talks about drivers who talk on cell phones....why is

riding a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bike with earphones in your ears any different.

A car weights 2000+ pounds, a bike weighs 30-.

What does that have to do with being aware of your surroundings. If
you are on a bike weighing 30 and a 2000 pound car goes out of control
and starts honking while you are listening to Alternative Rock cranked
up to hearing loss level.....you are gonna be road kill sweets.

Don't you think awareness of your surroundings is important. I don't
think you should even walk with earphones in your ears. Some [censored]
may come up from behind you and you will be the next days headlines. I
learned that in a self defense class. I also learned where to kick a
man and use my monte blanc pen as a weapon.

I never relized women carry so many weapons disguised as accessories.
;-) Watch out for those spike heels fellows. It was a fun class
Maggie.

Maggie said:

What does that have to do with being aware of your surroundings. If
you are on a bike weighing 30 and a 2000 pound car goes out of control
and starts honking while you are listening to Alternative Rock cranked
up to hearing loss level.....you are gonna be road kill sweets.

Don't you think awareness of your surroundings is important. I don't
think you should even walk with earphones in your ears.

Here's California's take on it, in part. It's just the law. Whether
or not a particular cyclist feels it safe to filter out half of the
world for a monaural version of Jon Bon Jovi is a personal decision.
Lately, I've tried it . . . and I like it.

Bicycles and motorcycles get special dispensation on this one, Maggie,
for they are not operated in hermetically sealed environments. With
the stereo on at a reasonable volume in my motorcycle helmet, it's far
easier for me to hear a car horn or an emergency vehicle's siren than
it is in the quiet comfort of my car, windows up, and the fan on.

Quoting:

"27400. A person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may not wear
a headset covering, or earplugs in, both ears. This prohibition does
not apply to any of the following:

(a) A person operating authorized emergency vehicles, as defined in
Section 165.

(b) A person engaged in the operation of either special construction
equipment or equipment for use in the maintenance of any highway.

(c) A person engaged in the operation of refuse collection equipment
who is wearing a safety headset or safety earplugs.

(d) A person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of
earplugs or molds that are specifically designed to attenuate
injurious noise levels. The plugs or molds shall be designed in a
manner so as to not inhibit the wearer's ability to hear a siren or
horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle.

(e) A person using a prosthetic device that aids the hard of hearing.

Amended Sec. 45, Ch. 594, Stats. 2003. Effective January 1, 2004."

Maggie said:

E said:

I use a sports version of the Sony Discman that reads MP3 as well as
regular CD's. Never had a skip skiing, road biking, mountain biking,
motorcycling, etc.

Eric

Speaking as a Mom of three grown kids who participate in all types of
dangerous sports. GET THOSE FREAKING THINGS OUT OF YOUR EARS!!!!!

Everyone talks about drivers who talk on cell phones....why is riding a
bike with earphones in your ears any different. Aren't you supposed to
be aware of your surroundings when participating in a sport. Even in
the mountains. Isn't awareness of your environment a safety factor?
The only place I use earphones is at the gym when I am on something
stationary.

You need to check local laws, in some places, wearing headphones or
earphones when operating a vehicle, may be illegal, and if a bicycle is
considered a vehicle then it could result in charges.

Quoted message said:

My kids always had those things in their ears while biking,
skateboarding, running, snowboarding etc and it drives me crazy. Its
dangerous. Do people really have to ride, jog, skate, etc. while
listenting to music.

I do like listening to music, when walking, biking, naw, too dangerous.....

W

Maggie said:

Rich said:

A car weights 2000+ pounds, a bike weighs 30-.

What does that have to do with being aware of your surroundings.

If your 2000 pound car goes out of control, it's not just you that's
endangered, but innocent bystandards as well. If you're 30lb bike goes
out of control, it's just you you endanger.

If you want to take a chance with your own life, that's OK. But it's
not OK to take a chance with other's lives.

Rich

Rich said:

Maggie said:

Rich said:

A car weights 2000+ pounds, a bike weighs 30-.

What does that have to do with being aware of your surroundings.

If your 2000 pound car goes out of control, it's not just you that's
endangered, but innocent bystandards as well. If you're 30lb bike
goes out of control, it's just you you endanger.

I'm not totally convinced of that last statement, Rich. Any kind of crash or
going out of control on a road MAY endanger someone else on that road. A
180-lb object (30+150) at speed hitting someone talking along the road can
be dangerous.

Quoted message said:

If you want to take a chance with your own life, that's OK. But it's
not OK to take a chance with other's lives.

Agreed.

RonSonic said:

bbaka said:

Dave said:

Hey guys,

I was curious as to your thoughts of what mp3 players are rugged enough
for biking off road and such... what does everyone else have and use,
and does it work well for you? And what ones can really take a beating
without breaking?

PS- Im trying to get an iPod just for this reason.
http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=16796740

Thanks,
-Dave

Why the hang up on music and headphones of any sort? I grew up believing
that hearing was one of natures was of keeping us alive by hearing
threats and responding. Many people have died as a result of walking in
front of trains/cars/etc. due to headphones.

Is that true? Has someone got some kind of statistics on this? Knowing that
people do stupid [censored] like walking in front of traffic all the time, do a
statistically suitable share of them have 'phones on?

Quoted message said:

Just wondering where you are coming from.

Not just phones, cell phones too. Some woman walked right into the path
of an 80 MPH commuter express train a few years back while yakking on
her cell phone with obvious results.

Quoted message said:

Myself, I mostly prefer listening to whatever is the sound of where I am,
otherwise I'd go somewhere else with a more favorable ambience. Still, do people
really walk and bike stupidly when headphoned?

Ron

I have to say the answer is yes and that you need your full attention to
the sounds of cars or trucks coming up behind you so you can at least
turn your head and see that they will give you some clearance. I am not
of the school of thought that all drivers will automatically pull over
for you since I almost got hit (close whoosh) twice in one day, and
another by a truck passing at about 80 when he went by me. I was on the
right side, no bike lane, and the guy in the truck didn't give a damn
about waiting for the safety of a guy on a bike before his pass. The
real pisser was that it was only a half mile to a light where he had to
stop anyway, so why the pass in the first place?

Some drivers are idiots and I would rather see/hear them than feel them
hitting me.

Bill Baka

Dave said:

Hey guys,

I was curious as to your thoughts of what mp3 players are rugged enough
for biking off road and such... what does everyone else have and use,
and does it work well for you? And what ones can really take a beating
without breaking?

PS- Im trying to get an iPod just for this reason.
http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=16796740

Thanks,
-Dave

I would recommend against the iPod because I understand its storage medium is a
hard drive.
Hard drives aren't known for taking the kind of beating you seem to have in
mind. Yes, I know iPod is cool. But you want rugged.

Michael said:

I would recommend against the iPod because I understand its storage medium is a
hard drive.

The ipod shuttle uses flash, although it's not as cool as the original
ipod. But for riding, might be a better choice.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rich said:

Michael said:

I would recommend against the iPod because I understand its storage medium
is a
hard drive.

The ipod shuttle uses flash, although it's not as cool as the original
ipod. But for riding, might be a better choice.

Actually, the iPod hard drive versions will work quite well for cycling,
jogging, etc, because of a clever design trick.

The iPods have a fair amount of onboard RAM, enough to store about 20
minutes of music. As a battery-saving trick, the hard drive spins up
just long enough to fill the RAM, then spins down again until the RAM is
exhausted or you choose a song in some way that takes it out of the
cached data.

You can think of it as being like a CD player with a 20-minute shock
buffer. Except for the inherent fragility of hard drives (which is a lot
less than it used to be), these things are as stable as flash players.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

Rich said:

Maggie said:

Rich said:

A car weights 2000+ pounds, a bike weighs 30-.

What does that have to do with being aware of your surroundings.

If your 2000 pound car goes out of control, it's not just you that's
endangered, but innocent bystandards as well. If you're 30lb bike
goes out of control, it's just you you endanger.

Tell that to my former neighbor whos husband was died as a direct
result of being run into
by a bike messenger.

--
Mike Zamansky

zamansky wrote -

Quoted message said:

Tell that to my former neighbor whos husband was died as a direct
result of being run into
by a bike messenger.

Details please ?

best, Andrew (remove the .x1 to reply)

Andrew Price said:

zamansky wrote -

Quoted message said:

Tell that to my former neighbor whos husband was died as a direct
result of being run into
by a bike messenger.

Details please ?

I don't have all of the details - about a year ago - elderly gentleman
crossing the street (aparently legally) and was hit by a bike
messenger.

MZ

zamansky said:

Andrew Price said:

zamansky wrote -

Quoted message said:

Tell that to my former neighbor whos husband was died as a direct
result of being run into
by a bike messenger.

Details please ?

I don't have all of the details - about a year ago - elderly

gentleman

Quoted message said:

crossing the street (aparently legally) and was hit by a bike
messenger.

MZ

We had a similiar accident in our town with a cyclist and a child. The
cyclist had his head phones on and listening to music. I love
listening to my ipod but I will do it only while walking. I don't
think you should have them on when you are cycling in traffic or where
they are crowds of people.

We seem to speak only of motorists who hurt cyclists, but there are
many cyclists who have hurt pedestrians. I think all sides of the
problem should be addressed even if this is a cycling NG.

I read some recent statistics reporting a decrease in cyclist -
pedestrians accidents and supposedly it has to do with the stricter
laws for cyclists and where they are allowed to ride.

I also read a report which stated that these accidents have decreased
tremendously since cycling organizations have taken a more active role
in teaching bike safety and laws have been enforced and cyclists
ticketed. Plus many towns are actively participating in teaching young
children how to ride safely. Not only to protect themselves, but to
protect others.

The statistics of cyclists hurting pedestrians was quite high in the
80's, and has dropped considerably. Getting back to headphones, I
don't agree that a cyclist in traffic should be wearing them. You have
to be aware of your surroundings. I did not see one cyclist in the park
today with earphones on. Many people who were walking or jogging were
listening to music, but none of the riders. It was very crowded and I
think that would be dangerous.
All good things,
Maggie.

my choice - XM portable - get any type of music, plus BBC, NPR
left/right talk and much more.

i use on earpiece on right

http://www.xmradio.com/myfi/index.jsp

my choice - XM portable - get any type of music, plus BBC, NPR
left/right talk and much more.

i use on earpiece on right

http://www.xmradio.com/myfi/index.jsp