[adouglas]

I'm a musician, but oddly enough I don't listen to music that much for recreation. Might be because my wife and I have very different tastes, so it's never on at home.

I find music distracting when operating a vehicle. I tend to pay too much attention to it.

In my experience, younger people are more moved by music. It can really pump you up... not necessarily the best thing on a bike. You want to be clear, focused and deliberate, not amped up.


In the car and on the bike, I listen to spoken word (podcasts and the like). That engages a different part of my brain. I'm not distracted the way I would be with music for some reason.

I don't find the isolation/hearing thing to be an issue. For one thing, wind noise drowns out other vehicles. For another, I always wear earplugs anyway.

I use PlugUp S-Plug earbuds on the bike... mission-critical gear for me. Isolation as good as the best earplugs, and they don't stick out of your ear at all so they're all-day comfortable.