Do you wear headphones when you ride?

[GirishH]

Many of my running friends wear Shokz and swear by them. Looks like yhey are the go-to headphones for athletes—especially ultra-runners and cyclists.

(04-19-2026, 11:50 PM)Flowrider Wrote:  I found these earphones, which don't block out surrounding sounds, so you can still ride safely.

https://shokz.com.au/products/openrun

[meamoantonio]

(04-19-2026, 08:23 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @meamoantonio, I’m not sure how I missed your reply!

Frankly, I find the sound of my fat tires against the pavement or dirt so soothing; on the road, it sounds like a buzzing swarm of bees. When I’m flying down a highway, that sound becomes even more pronounced and pushes me to go even faster.

I’ll be honest: I don't know how these electronics become so addictive, but I’ve actually walked into traffic while looking at my phone.

That’s exactly why I hate the thing! :-)

(09-28-2025, 09:59 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  the sound of my tire rolling against concrete, asphalt or the trail is the one that keeps me entertained hahahaha

but seriously I like the hum of road tires against pavement and mountain bike tires against soil or dirt haha

Hey @GirishH yeah that’s right, you exactly know what I’m talking about, it’s a weird soothing sound , if you get the time and the budget I hope you get to try road tires with a deep carbon rim, it really makes a sound that is so addicting you kinda feel like you’re riding a speeder from star wars haha

[Charles Thomas]

(08-26-2025, 01:51 AM)Anton Lee Wrote:  I’ve been looking for a decent pair of headphones for cycling, both on the road and during longer trail rides.
I used to ride with regular in-ear buds, but I always felt a bit cut off from the surroundings, which isn’t ideal when you need to hear traffic or other riders.

Recently I tried a pair of open-ear headphones (NANK Runner Diver2 Pro). They don’t block the ears at all, so you can still hear cars, people, and nature sounds while listening to music or podcasts.

My takeaways so far:
- Very secure fit, even with the helmet on
- Waterproof enough for rain rides
- Battery lasts through long sessions
- Much safer feeling than closed earbuds

Curious what you all use when cycling – do you prefer in-ear, open-ear, or nothing at all?

Honestly, I'm the same as you: open ears win for riding. You can still hear traffic and what's going on around you, which is the whole point. That's why they're becoming more popular for cycling and running. In-ears sound better, but they block out too much sound. I would only use those when I'm not on my bike.

[GirishH]

@meamoantonio, ​I definitely need to try a road bike with deep carbon rims.

   

​One thing that wasn't addictive, however, was the sound of yak bells in the Himalayas. I once bought a cattle bell from some Yak herders and tied it to my backpack (and later to MisterGordo’s saddlebag) while cycling. Attached is a picture of a mule with a LARGER bell..

https://youtube.com/shorts/Y2Wf5WS5C0s?si=hqQPd4_WgLpDFrD4

Locals joked about why I was carrying a "mule's" bell, and after two days of riding, the constant clanging became so grating that I finally gave it away.

Attached is a video of the same without the Yak bell. Now, I could ride listening to my favorite buzz..

https://youtube.com/shorts/fUM1bMIXvTU?si=PCzTeEZnWQx46Z8F

(04-28-2026, 08:56 PM)meamoantonio Wrote:  

(04-19-2026, 08:23 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @meamoantonio, I’m not sure how I missed your reply!

Frankly, I find the sound of my fat tires against the pavement or dirt so soothing; on the road, it sounds like a buzzing swarm of bees. When I’m flying down a highway, that sound becomes even more pronounced and pushes me to go even faster.

I’ll be honest: I don't know how these electronics become so addictive, but I’ve actually walked into traffic while looking at my phone.

That’s exactly why I hate the thing! :-)

(09-28-2025, 09:59 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  the sound of my tire rolling against concrete, asphalt or the trail is the one that keeps me entertained hahahaha

but seriously I like the hum of road tires against pavement and mountain bike tires against soil or dirt haha

Hey @GirishH yeah that’s right, you exactly know what I’m talking about, it’s a weird soothing sound , if you get the time and the budget I hope you get to try road tires with a deep carbon rim, it really makes a sound that is so addicting you kinda feel like you’re riding a speeder from star wars haha

[Flowrider]

These are AWESOME!! Highly recommended for everyone

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

[Mr. Beanz]

JBL Endurance Race 2. Good connectivity, rarely lose the signal and plenty of bass while using the music player EQ.

Lucky enough to have a couple of wide open paved bike trails around here that run 60+ miles round trip. Mountains to the sea so using buds is not a problem with so much wide open road.

Now on the roads, I don't use buds in order to hear traffic around me.

[Flowrider]

If you check out the Shokz site, you'll find earbuds you can wear that let you hear music and also the traffic around you.

Like these: https://shokz.com.au/products/openmove

This is the link to their site, where you can find others that might suit you better: https://shokz.com.au/

[meamoantonio]

(05-01-2026, 04:11 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @meamoantonio, ​I definitely need to try a road bike with deep carbon rims.



​One thing that wasn't addictive, however, was the sound of yak bells in the Himalayas. I once bought a cattle bell from some Yak herders and tied it to my backpack (and later to MisterGordo’s saddlebag) while cycling. Attached is a picture of a mule with a LARGER bell..

https://youtube.com/shorts/Y2Wf5WS5C0s?si=hqQPd4_WgLpDFrD4

Locals joked about why I was carrying a "mule's" bell, and after two days of riding, the constant clanging became so grating that I finally gave it away.

Attached is a video of the same without the Yak bell. Now, I could ride listening to my favorite buzz..

https://youtube.com/shorts/fUM1bMIXvTU?si=PCzTeEZnWQx46Z8F

(04-28-2026, 08:56 PM)meamoantonio Wrote:  

(04-19-2026, 08:23 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @meamoantonio, I’m not sure how I missed your reply!

Frankly, I find the sound of my fat tires against the pavement or dirt so soothing; on the road, it sounds like a buzzing swarm of bees. When I’m flying down a highway, that sound becomes even more pronounced and pushes me to go even faster.

I’ll be honest: I don't know how these electronics become so addictive, but I’ve actually walked into traffic while looking at my phone.

That’s exactly why I hate the thing! :-)

(09-28-2025, 09:59 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  the sound of my tire rolling against concrete, asphalt or the trail is the one that keeps me entertained hahahaha

but seriously I like the hum of road tires against pavement and mountain bike tires against soil or dirt haha

Hey @GirishH yeah that’s right, you exactly know what I’m talking about, it’s a weird soothing sound , if you get the time and the budget I hope you get to try road tires with a deep carbon rim, it really makes a sound that is so addicting you kinda feel like you’re riding a speeder from star wars haha

oh man, it is annoying, I can imagine it constantly ringing while you're climbing something steep and it'll be extra annoying hahahah good decision to give it away, I like your Nepal video too, I can really hear your tires rolling against the asphalt, music to my ears haha I hope you're well my friend

[GirishH]

@meamoantonio, bike rolling on pavement or a trail is truly music to my ears.

That's why I don't wear earphones or anything similar.

About a month ago, I decided to backpack from Kathmandu to pickup MisterGordo in Pokhara. Along the way, I got distracted and ended up in a National Park. So, poor MisterGordo will have to wait for me... maybe for a few more months.

(05-29-2026, 11:51 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  

(05-01-2026, 04:11 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @meamoantonio, ​I definitely need to try a road bike with deep carbon rims.



​One thing that wasn't addictive, however, was the sound of yak bells in the Himalayas. I once bought a cattle bell from some Yak herders and tied it to my backpack (and later to MisterGordo’s saddlebag) while cycling. Attached is a picture of a mule with a LARGER bell..

https://youtube.com/shorts/Y2Wf5WS5C0s?si=hqQPd4_WgLpDFrD4

Locals joked about why I was carrying a "mule's" bell, and after two days of riding, the constant clanging became so grating that I finally gave it away.

Attached is a video of the same without the Yak bell. Now, I could ride listening to my favorite buzz..

https://youtube.com/shorts/fUM1bMIXvTU?si=PCzTeEZnWQx46Z8F

(04-28-2026, 08:56 PM)meamoantonio Wrote:  

(04-19-2026, 08:23 AM)GirishH Wrote:  @meamoantonio, I’m not sure how I missed your reply!

Frankly, I find the sound of my fat tires against the pavement or dirt so soothing; on the road, it sounds like a buzzing swarm of bees. When I’m flying down a highway, that sound becomes even more pronounced and pushes me to go even faster.

I’ll be honest: I don't know how these electronics become so addictive, but I’ve actually walked into traffic while looking at my phone.

That’s exactly why I hate the thing! :-)

(09-28-2025, 09:59 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  the sound of my tire rolling against concrete, asphalt or the trail is the one that keeps me entertained hahahaha

but seriously I like the hum of road tires against pavement and mountain bike tires against soil or dirt haha

Hey @GirishH yeah that’s right, you exactly know what I’m talking about, it’s a weird soothing sound , if you get the time and the budget I hope you get to try road tires with a deep carbon rim, it really makes a sound that is so addicting you kinda feel like you’re riding a speeder from star wars haha

oh man, it is annoying, I can imagine it constantly ringing while you're climbing something steep and it'll be extra annoying hahahah good decision to give it away, I like your Nepal video too, I can really hear your tires rolling against the asphalt, music to my ears haha I hope you're well my friend

[JJMarsh]

(08-26-2025, 01:51 AM)Anton Lee Wrote:  I’ve been looking for a decent pair of headphones for cycling, both on the road and during longer trail rides.
I used to ride with regular in-ear buds, but I always felt a bit cut off from the surroundings, which isn’t ideal when you need to hear traffic or other riders.

Recently I tried a pair of open-ear headphones (NANK Runner Diver2 Pro). They don’t block the ears at all, so you can still hear cars, people, and nature sounds while listening to music or podcasts.

My takeaways so far:
- Very secure fit, even with the helmet on
- Waterproof enough for rain rides
- Battery lasts through long sessions
- Much safer feeling than closed earbuds

Curious what you all use when cycling – do you prefer in-ear, open-ear, or nothing at all?

I ride with Shokz. They are great for trails. You hear everything. Much safer than earbuds.