MP3 Player or Mini-Disk player while you ride?

Senorx said:

Just wondering what most of you use out there on your rides? Christmas is coming up and I think some prtable audio will make a great stocking stuffer. What brands and models do you all use too? I don't know much about either MP3 players or Mini-Disk players. Pros/Cons? Happy Holidays.

I use the Ipod mini (4 gb). Its small and holds about 1000 songs. There are also lots of configurations on which songs play. Apple also sells armbands where you can put the ipod in while you ride. The price might be a little steep its $249(USD) (for $50 more you can get a 15gb) The only bad thing is that all the songs are kept in the hard drive of you computer. So if your computer goes dead say bye to your songs. (Happened to me twice)

I wouldn't suggest getting mini-disk players. The last thing you want to do while your riding is trying to change disks. While the mini disk player is cheaper than the ipod, you'll also need to purchase lots of mini disks.

I say go with the ipod. Hope this helps

I used to own a minidisc player and I was constantly changng disks so I decided to buy an mp3 player instead.
I was going to buy an Ipod 20gb but I got a Dell Jukebox instead. It was the last generation of the Ipod's with the limited battery life. I bought it about a year ago. I love the Jukebox but need to updrade the [censored] earphone that they give with them.
I currently have about 150 cd's on it and have room for another 150 easily.
If I was to buy one today I would probably go with the ipod 20gb. The battery life has improved and the accessiories you can buy for the ipod are way better than anything else out there.

Hope this helps.

Colin

There are few things less wise than riding your bike with *anything* stuck in your ears (unless of course, you are in a place uninhabited by motorized vehicles).

I'd often like to listen to tunes while I ride... but I depend on hearing to keep me aware of what is going on around me, something which is very difficult to do with a set of headphones stuck in your ear.

In my mind, riding while listening to music is only *slightly* less smart than riding with your eyes closed.

Joe West

Senorx said:

Just wondering what most of you use out there on your rides? Christmas is coming up and I think some prtable audio will make a great stocking stuffer. What brands and models do you all use too? I don't know much about either MP3 players or Mini-Disk players. Pros/Cons? Happy Holidays.

Nothing!! Why be stupid?

i-pod all the way, for the ease of being able to change volume, song or browse with only one finger pretty quickly. And they can hold up a lot of music (mine's a 15gb)...

apple rules

Senorx said:

Just wondering what most of you use out there on your rides? Christmas is coming up and I think some prtable audio will make a great stocking stuffer. What brands and models do you all use too? I don't know much about either MP3 players or Mini-Disk players. Pros/Cons? Happy Holidays.

When riding my local trails solo, I usally take my Rio Karma along. Check www.riovolution.com for more info on Rio players.

I have an old Rio something or other. Very nice, enough memory for a couple of hours of high quality music. Decent earphones (given that I sweat in them and they are already all icky).

I would argue that an MP3 player is the way to go - no mechanical parts!

boudreaux said:

Nothing!! Why be stupid?

Why stupid? I ride all the time in traffic with my MP3 player and have no trouble hearing traffic, more importantly i look rather then trust my hearing. Good visual situational awarness is alot more effective then hoping that you can judge distance, size and direction by sound alone

Hey everyone.Those of you with MP3 players, do you guys have earphones that plug in both ears or one ear? I would think that if you have it in one ear you are able to hear traffic with the other ear more clearly! 😕

My 5c...

Joe West said:

There are few things less wise than riding your bike with *anything* stuck in your ears (unless of course, you are in a place uninhabited by motorized vehicles).

I'd often like to listen to tunes while I ride... but I depend on hearing to keep me aware of what is going on around me, something which is very difficult to do with a set of headphones stuck in your ear.

In my mind, riding while listening to music is only *slightly* less smart than riding with your eyes closed.

Joe West

I completely agree. I use my ears as much as my eyes when I'm cycling. Think of those times when you're riding on a path and one or more faster riders want you to know of their approach and for you to keep to the right - or when the faster rider is YOU. VERY PROBLEMATIC if the person ahead has earphones stuck in their ears. [This happened to me on a bike path on Martha's Vineyard last summer and the person ahead was not only wearing earphones on both ears, but also was on rollerblades. Because they couldn't hear me when I shouted-out "on your left", I chose my moment and zoomed past when they swerved to the right. Would you believe that the person yelled at me?!] Anyway, to me the only thing worse than cycling with earphones is driving a car while wearing them - and I've seen that too!

XM radio roady worn in an "Armie" only on the trails, of course.
😉

I occasionally ride with my mp3 player, and usually only have one of the two earphones in. When I do this, I am riding at a local park with aloop, and limited traffic flow. I don't think I'd do it out on the open road. mp3 players are definitely the way to go though!!

Jeff

I ride all the time with my ipod, when i'm riding on my own. I didn't get the mini, because i have more than 1000 songs, and i wanted my entire music collection on the ipod as well as on my computer, incase one of the two craps the bed. It is great, and as for not hearing traffic, go to radio shack, and get a mono earbud, they sell a few different types, i had to try two different types before i found one that stayed in my ear when it got sweaty and on a fast descent. I really don't think that i'm loosing anything as far as traffic noise goes, i just wear the earbud in my right ear (living in the US), so my left ear is unhindered and can hear the traffic. The tunes help the miles slip away, and with the ipod setting up a nice playlist for a ride is very easy. I have even set up playlists for interval workouts, which takes alot of time and i was bored, but kinda neat to go hard when the music was hard and fast, and then recover when it was quiet and easy.

I never ride with anything in my ears. None of the roadies I ride with use anything either. Every once in a while, we have someone show up at the club ride with a music player. They are asked to take it off if they want to ride with the club.

I use my ears as much as my eyes while riding. My ears are better than my eyes for traffic that is approaching me from behind. I don't think this would be as much an issue for trail riding or mountian biking.

Go with the ipod! Best purchase I've made.

If you use common sense, I don't see any safety issues with riding with music. At the volume level I listen, traffic can still be heard. On the roads I ride with my player, traffic is moving at 45-55 mph. I'm not sure what I would do differently hearing a car a half second earlier. Never ride with a group while listening to music.

Other than that, listen and enjoy!

It should be noted that operating a bicycle in California, and certainly other states, while wearing headphones is in violation of the vehicle code... FOR GOOD REASON. That said, there's no reason you still can't enjoy some tunes, you just may need a little extra gear. I'm a messenger, so I'm already wearing a large bag. On the shoulder strap, basically in the middle of my chest, I have a radio holster with a set of Creative TravelSound speakers... great sound, good bass, tiny package, insane battery life. Inside my bag is my iPod, with the headphone cable running out, under the strap pad, to an iPod remote that hangs off the shoulder strap, and finally to the powered speakers.

It may sound unwieldy... but if you're already wearing a timbuk2 or like bag, it works great. You can still hear what's coming up behind you, listen to your tunes, and share them with everyone else while you're at it. Tell me tearing through downtown with Slayer coming from your chest doesn't sound great.

That's riding in traffic. I can't see too much harm riding in more rural or mountain areas with your ears plugged up. I liken earphones/plugs to the blinders they put on race horses.

Senorx said:

Just wondering what most of you use out there on your rides? Christmas is coming up and I think some prtable audio will make a great stocking stuffer. What brands and models do you all use too? I don't know much about either MP3 players or Mini-Disk players. Pros/Cons? Happy Holidays.

They are both equally good at making you unable to hear cars and trucks. If price is a concern, the mini disc player would be best.

But what does it matter if you are dead?

I use an iPod sometimes. I've ridden with and without it and can hear traffic just fine. Adjust the volume to a reasonable level or ride with only one earbud.

As for mp3 player vs disc, get an mp3 player imho, and that mp3 player should be an iPod, also imho. Gotta love Apple.

lamazion said:

Go with the ipod! Best purchase I've made.

If you use common sense, I don't see any safety issues with riding with music. At the volume level I listen, traffic can still be heard. On the roads I ride with my player, traffic is moving at 45-55 mph. I'm not sure what I would do differently hearing a car a half second earlier. Never ride with a group while listening to music.

Other than that, listen and enjoy!

Yes totally agree! music players do have different sound levels you know!! just adjust the volume to suit the conditions.....

Personally, i have a Nokia 6230 cell which has a built in MP3 player AND FM radio... i just bought myself a 256Mb card - certainly not the capacity of iPods... but who is gonna liten to 10 000 songs on a saturday morning ride!!??