Makes perfect sense to me because if something is going to hit me from the front or side i can SEE it about to happen then take action to prevent it. If something is going to hit me from the rear well its just going to hit me unless i grow some eyes in the back of my head i wont be able to see the accident, Having music on doesn't make one iota of difference.
i spend more time listening to cars than watching them . lets say for instance were riding down the street and theres a street going off to the left a bit further up , i can hear a car coming up behind and by the note of the engine i can be pretty sure whether or not itl go straight on or if theres a rapid downshift and the cars going to come straight across me
works the same on country roads . hear a car clearly doing 80mph and you move in a bit and keep a decent hold on the bars for the rush of wind . hear a car slowing and you know they have seen you and respect your right to exist and will give a good deal of room . hear a truck downshifting and they might not have room to pass , if im going slow ( usually am on a mtb on the road ) i see if theres a place to pull in and stop for 30secs to let it past . there was a road i rode often and the various large lorries and tractors appreciated this
saying you shouldnt listen to some tunes while riding would be like saying deaf people couldnt ride , just remember to use your eyes that little bit more
i bet in the crowded cities being able to listen to traffic wouldnt be much help anyway . i guess it all blends into one
I listen to whatever my iPod plays me as I have it on shuffle all the time. Anything from folk to full on death metal :twisted: :twisted:
Of course, always at a reasonable volume. Not that it helps on the streets of Manchester where people just aim at you anyway and give you minimal chance to take evasive action even if you did hear things completely