Should You Wear Headphones While Cycling? (Complete guide)

Should you wear headphones while riding a bike? Is a question that people are asking quite often and there are many different opinions, especially in the cycling space. But I will share with you my experience of cycling over 500km (310miles) whit headphones in and everything that I learned from those rides.

Headphones are really useful if you wanna listen to anything while cycling. But it is important to use them safely by decreasing the sound so you can hear traffic around you. Many professional cyclists use them and they found it very beneficial for their ride.

Everything that I will say here applies to all kinds of headphones. There may be some tiny changes but the principle is the same.

Is It Safe To Cycle Whit Headphones?

When it comes to safety it all comes down to just one thing, do you hear everything around you. It’s very important to hear all the vehicles and other bikes that are behind you so you can react if you have to.

Also in many countries is illegal to cycle whit headphones on, or you can just have one in your ear. So make sure you check if it is allowed in your state.

Volume is a very important factor because cyclists are exposed to higher noise levels (76.7-88.2 dBa) than people who drive a car (61.3-70.9 dBa) or even normal pedestrians (67.3-80.1 dBa). While the average headphones contain (85-110 dBa). This shows that even if you turn up the volume all the way you will still be able to hire some noises around. But I would not recommend it at all.

It can even be helpful to cycle whit headphones but if you turn the volume down a bit so you can hire your surrounding. I personally love to hold both headphones whit half increased sound, while others may ride whit just one earphone, so the best thing is to test yourself and find what is the right fit for you.

Another important thing is not to wear noise cancelation headphones. They can be very dangerous because you can barely hire a thing around you.

Do Headphones Stay In While Cycling?

Most of the headphones will stay in while cycling without any problem, regardless of how fast are you going or how bumpy the road is.

I’ve tested different types of headphones and I wanna tell you my conclusion and how they performed turning those rides.

Do Earbuds Stay In While Cycling?

I spent most of the time cycling whit earbuds and I can say that I didn’t have any single problem whit them. They stay in the ears very well, you don’t need to charge them every time, and they are super lightweight. When it comes to cable I personally don’t mind and I had no problems whit it, but it might bother some people.

Do Airpods Stay In While Cycling?

First off, they stay in the ears the best out of all headphones because they have a special rubber that is made not to fall off very easily. Airpods are not noise-isolating which means you can hear your surrounding and react when needed. They also feel very comfortable in the ears and you can easily remove them if you want.

Other Ways to Listen Music On Bicycle

Bone Conduction Headphones

The name speaks for itself, the sound is not transmitted to the ears but through the bones, they are very stable on the head but the sound can be a little bit sketchy. But you should give it a try

Bluetooth Speaker

Bluetooth Speaker is a great option if you don’t want anything in, or around your ears. Just attach it somewhere on the bike or put it in your beg and you are good to go.

Bluetooth Helmet

Bluetooth helmet is the ultimate solution for those people who love listening to music while cycling. Speaker and microphone are built-in a helmet which helps you hear the surrounding better. And the best thing is that everything is built into the helmet so you don’t need to carry any extra stuff.