Since the days have gotten shorter and the weather colder, a lot of people have hung up their pedals for the season. Riding partners are tending to exterior household illumination, hiding from household guests or simply disinterested in fighting the cold and wind. Group rides are going into hibernation for the winter, people are sitting inside riding their trainers, and you're left all alone to grind out early winter miles on your own. But there are alternatives to spending your day alone and miserable on the windswept, barren roads, and the answer is right at your fingertips.
Tuning in, but not tuning out
Everyone has a mobile music device these days, and with iPods becoming cheaper and more compact, they've become more and more suited to entertaining us while exercising. A quick look to your nearest copy of iTunes will provide you hours upon hours of company on the roads. You can build playlists for different kinds of rides, whether you're planning intervals, recovery rides or tempo work, with music to match and encourage you throughout. Music can keep your mind from focusing on the cold, the wind or the your solitary existence on the road, but before you tune in, you need to think about a few things to keep you from tuning out.
Sound bites
Cyclists rely on their vision to protect them from hazards in their path Perhaps more critically, they rely on their hearing to protect them from hazards approaching from behind them. While headphones and music are a good way to add some company to your lonely rides, you have to recognize how important your hearing is while riding. In this respect, plugging both ears with artificial noise is asking for trouble. Many riders will put some kind of headphones in their right ear only, leaving their left ear (which just so happens to be the one facing traffic) open to pick up the noise of vehicles approaching you.
Even though your left ear is open to take in all the sounds around you, keep in mind that without stereo hearing, your ability to detect direction and distance of sounds is greatly diminished. Consider this when choosing the volume you listen to your theme songs at, and adjust accordingly. Under no circumstances should you have the volume so high that you can't hear anything but music in your right ear. Keep the volume at a reasonable level at which you can still hear things over your music (if for not other reason than to preserve your hearing.) Keep in mind too that wind noise will increase in your right ear, depending upon the type of earbuds you use.
Another consideration you may wish to address is the aspect of changing songs, changing volume or otherwise controlling your iPod. In most cases, you'll have to remove your hand from the handlebars to control your device, and this can lead to accidents. The combination of being distracted by your music, your hand off the bars and fumbling for something in your jersey pocket can lead you to miss a pothole or other obstacle, swerve into traffic or crash. A little forethought can prevent this though.
When building playlists you intend to use on the bike, pick music that you enjoy, that fits the specific ride you have planned and that you generally won't be tempted to change mid ride. Another way to minimize the amount of time with your hand in your pocket is to consider using a headphone set with an inline volume (or even track) control. In this case, you can simply reach up to the wire (which is likely to be in front of you) and change the volume or advance the playlist. This can sometimes require creative placement of the headphone wire in your jersey (you are running the wire under your jersey so it doesn't snag on anything, right?) but it will make the music experience much more enjoyable.
Use your judgement
Many, many discussions have been had on forums and around coffee tables about the merits of riding with or without headphones. While there are dangers associated with listening to music while out on the road, many of them can be minimized. You'll never be as alert with AC/DC pumping into your brain as you would be just taking in the scenery around you, but occasionally a little rock or metal is what it takes to make a ride tolerable. Use your common sense and your judgement as to what is safe and what isn't. Follow the few basic rules outlined above, be hyper vigilant of your surroundings and you and your iPod will make it home safely.
Questions? Comments? Disagree? Leave a comment below and start the discussion flowing.
