Today we discuss the discussions that come before rides. Very meta. Then we get into whether or not it’s ok for bike riders to wear earbuds while riding. Are there any good scenarios? Are there any ways to do it responsibly. All that and Paceline Picks.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:12 — 48.7MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS
Show Links:
Whole Grain Oats & Oatmeal | Bob’s Red Mill (bobsredmill.com)
Waterproof Cold Weather Mid Length Sock with Hydrostop – Sealskinz USA
If you ride with earbuds, try Sony Linkbuds. They have an open ear design so you can hear external sounds.
Just finished listening while vegged out on the couch with a cold….and am leaving for a ski trip on Sat….
I would think equipment choice discussions for skiing are pretty short. After skiing for 60+ years including decades of every-weekend trips, I don’t think I ever had a discussion with somebody about what they’re using. Maybe with clothing. But, in the east, there aren’t a whole lotta ski options. You always need an edge – period.
For gravel tires, I’m with Robot – I prefer round ones. I have one gravel tire – Donnelly X’PLOR MSO 40mm – and that makes the decision a lot easier. They work well for me. I don’t exactly push the limits of a tire and “2-wheel drift” is a foreign concept.
On a cycling forum I frequent, the D2R2 tire discussions can be outright painful for what is just a ride with friends. Pages and pages of opinions about tire choice for a fun ride. Ouch
And again, I’m with Robot regarding tire pressure. I’ll inflate them to some number on the pump gauge (which I’m sure is highly inaccurate), then let some air out when I get to some dirt. Then, maybe a little more out later – maybe. And yes, the forum discussions on pressure are again painful.
Two words for ear buds: Situational awareness. Never used them, never will. You should know what’s going on around you, and I really like the sounds of skiing and riding, even if the skiing is a bit *ahem* noisy.
Oatmeal – Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats all the way. Great stuff. Takes about 20 minutes, add in nuts, maple syrup, cream, maybe banana and/or raisins, and your good to go. Love it before skiing. Locally, Ocean State Job Lot has the best selection of BRM stuff and it’s all in one section. I use their stuff anytime I can.
BRM has a great story, too. Husband and wife start a small business, grow it a bit, add in some tragedy, and have a great ending by selling the company to the employees. Listen to their story on “How I Built This” here:
https://www.npr.org/2018/05/17/612108005/bobs-red-mill-bob-moore
I always like having a musical soundtrack to rides as well as most activities and have forever. I’ve done everything from carrying Walkmans with me on skateboarding adventures decades ago to them random wireless earbuds of today. Current options with transparency abilities or stereo to mono make it safer than ever to not only enjoy your music without bugging everyone else, but the ability to hear ones surroundings. That said, the most recent option I’ve turned to is a real game changer. Bone conduction earphones (they are not earbuds as they don’t go in your ear) have been around for a number of years, but early ones I tried were clunky, glitch-prone and most importantly did not fit well with a helmet on. The current OpenRun Pro from Shokz however jettisons all of those issues. They sound great, are barely noticeable while wearing them, don’t interfere with glasses/helmets, have more than nine hours of playback time, are nearly waterproof, are dumb simple to use and once again…they don’t go in your ear. Additionally, they are easy to turn on/off, adjust and manage all functions as they are not touch sensitive using actual buttons. You can hear everything around you and whatever you’re listening to also will not cause any hearing damage. My only knock against Shokz (stupid name) is that their cost is more than most earbuds, but not excessively so and IMHO are worth it to keep your ears open. I give them four-point five out of five flaming pentagrams. https://shokz.com/products/openrunpro