ipods on the bike

what do people think? honestly

I'm still quite new to all this so take this with a large dose of salt but ...

I use my ipod for Turbo training sessions which to me seem really useful for working in particular HR zones but really quite dull unless livened up with a bit of Celine Dion or Status Quo.

Personally wouldn't dream of using it on the road for two reasons: 1. I'm likely to get killed ... which on reflection makes a second reason rather superfluous !

I agree

ALWAYS on the Turbo (well maybe 95% of the time.. sometimes the rythmn just doesn't fit the session!)


NEVER on the road. As mentioned above, impending death being the primary reason.

as a secondary, you aren't allowed to use them in races

I dont have a turbo trainer I do however have a stationary bike, its a spinning bike so like a fixed wheel (flywheel) is turbo training worth it!? I like hills!

being new to this forum, I don't want to seem rude, BUT the only way celine dion on an Ipod would make me go faster would be to try to get away from the dreadful noise!!

On the road, DON'T DO IT!

On the turbo I find the Wombats are really good for my cadence.

If you haven't got a turbo I suggest you get one so that you can suffer as much as the rest of us!

Just to put the other point of view: I've cycled with MP3 player, and cassette player before that for over 10 years. You can still hear traffic. Have you ever ttried having a normal conversation next to a busy main road - you have to shout. In fact with cheap headphones, you can't get it loud enough to actually hear the music in traffic, and I listen to hard rock! The only down side I find is that you don't get to identify the irritating squeaks and knocks until you're riding with others, which can be a bit embarrassing.
I find it really motivating when I'm out on my own, particularly on a 5 or 6 hour ride. Maybe I'm just obsessed with music in general; I have it playing all day too.
So, if you're happy without one, its probably easier not to bother.
If you are going down the MP3 route, might I suggest anything other than an Ipod. They're overpriced and under-featured. I use a sony now, as its splash-proof and has an exceptional battery life (50hrs). More usefully, a 3min recharge gives 3hrs play, so its not the end of the world when its flat. The software is pants, but I think that might have been fixed now. Sorry to go slightly off topic.

I use my ipod when the weather is good but only use the left headphone (in uk, right in europe) then I can still hear the traffic coming from behind.

There is a new type of earphone now on the market that i saw recently which sits behind/around your ear and transmits the music through your skull, leaving your ear canal open so you can hear all noises around you. They were specifically designed for sports and were not rridiculously expensive... £60 or £70 from memory, same as a decent set of Sennheiser or equivalent...