Cycling: Can you listen to music while cycling?
CYCLING has seen a surge of interest since Prime Minister Boris Johnson's speech on Sunday, but can you listen to music while you ride a bike?
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Demand for bicycles has skyrocketed since Boris Johnson encouraged people to avoid using public transport in favour of walking and cycling. Halfords shares shot up 26 percent in a day after the PM’s address. But are you allowed to listen to music as you cycle?
Can you listen to music while cycling?
Listening to music while you cycle is legal, however, it may not be very safe to do so.
Listening to music may distract you from what is going on around you and may prevent you from being able to hear the approach of other vehicles.
However, many enjoy the escapism and motivation listening to music can provide while on a ride.
READ MORE: Cycling rules: Can you cycle on a public footpath?
Scientific research and polls are conflicted about the impact of music while cycling.
A BBC poll conducted in 2014 resulted in almost 90 percent questioned being in favour of a blanket ban.
Many respondents cited that cyclists are unaware and unresponsive to dangers, therefore more likely to be involved in incidents.
A study by Dr Katrina Jungnickel and Dr Rachel Aldred found the use of music and headphones actually helped create a “sensory strategy” which helped to calm cyclists riding in dangerous environments.
Evidence points to it being possible to cycle safely with headphones in, as long as a cyclist is still fully aware of their surroundings.
A British Cycling spokesperson told Cycling Weekly: “It’s best to use all your senses while riding a bike but your hearing is far less important than your sight.”
They added: “People who are deaf can ride perfectly safely while on the road.
“In the end we should all be looking out for each other.”
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Tips to safely listen to music while you cycle
Leave one earbud out
Wearing earbuds in both ears can block out external noise.
However, leaving one ear free from music can let you hear traffic sounds more clearly.
You should try to ensure the ear facing traffic is the one where you remove the earbud to ensure you can hear whatever comes your way.
Do not use noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds
Noise-cancelling headphones alienate background noise which is counterproductive for cycling when you need to be able to hear the sounds of oncoming traffic, sirens, pedestrians, other cyclists and traffic noises.
Keep the volume down
Keeping the volume down can also effectively reduce the dangers of listening to music while cycling, while also protecting you against the risk of hearing loss.
Try to bone conduction headphones
Bone conduction technology delivers sound through your bones meaning sound ender your ear through the cheekbones bypassing your eardrum entirely.
Buy a Bluetooth helmet
A Bluetooth helmet may be a larger investment but they usually have built-in speakers which sit above the ears allowing ambient traffic noise to be heard over the music.
Pull off the road if you need to make adjustments
If you need to make any changes to your music volume while cycling, you should be sure to pull over and out of the flow of traffic before making any adjustments to your music.
Bluetooth speaker
You can also buy a small bluetooth speaker and clip it onto whatever is convenient such as a backpack or your handle.