"I often listen to my mp3 player while out on my own. When friends show up I turn it off. I used to find music very motivating in the gym so why not my own special mix out on the road?

I especially like to use it on the trainer for pre-race warmups, as the music helps block out distractions and keeps me from getting too nervous.

I used to use a cd player but it was too big and I was always hitting the wrong button in my jersey pocket. I now have a Nike ""play"" mp3 player which is tiny, light and has buttons you can can control just by feel. It doesn't have the capacity of an Ipod, but it doesn't cost as much either. I do make playlists on Itunes, however, and just switch them periodically."

":: Section 375 (24-a). It shall be unlawful to operate upon
:: any public highway in this state a motor vehicle, limited
:: use automobile, limited use motorcycle or bicycle while
:: the operator is wearing more than one earphone attached
:: to a radio, tape player or other audio device.

Don Montalvo
(diehard iPod owner)

[replaced ""stupid"" with ""irresponsible"" as requested]"

IMHO, Allen is brilliant. But such carefully written arguments are nothing against a politician seeking to make a name for him/herself by passing a cheap and easy law.

I think John Allen’s technical approach to cyclists using headphones misses the point, and that is the danger of having your concentration distracted, even subconsciously. I can see that the argument that headphones shutting out the sound to the outside world and making riding dangerous could be bogus. I see no reason why a profoundly deaf cyclist should not be able to ride their bike safely, provided they have good eyesight, are attentive and have razor sharp reactions.

I can also understand the argument that the sounds you hear on a bike can be confusing. Anyone who has ridden up or down Perkins Memorial Drive and has good hearing may have been aware that a small stretch of the road, which has a flat wall-like rock to one side, can fool you into thinking there is somebody riding right next to you, or just behind you. What you are hearing is the sound of your own bike reflecting off that solid flat surface. Anyone who understands acoustics will know that the best concert halls in the world have lots of large, solid flat walls. If you ride Perkins regularly, you may find that when there is somebody right next to you, or just behind you, there is a danger that you can dismiss it as the sound of your own bike and pull into another rider's path who is about to overtake you without having shouted “on your left”. Hearing is no substitute for taking a look before making your manoeuvre. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you wouldn’t be the first. But try doing some Bear Mt hill repeats and listen. This rock is on the right hand side as you climb and the left as you descend, and is approximately 40 to 60 feet long.

I think the real issue is why people feel the need to listen to music while they ride or blade, or even drive a car. Is it merely a pleasant background noise, or are they really listening to the music? And if they are really listening to music, should they be riding a bike at the same time when there is a very real chance that their attention could be distracted, which could put themselves and others in danger?

Anyone who has had a reasonable amount of musical training, be it singing or playing a musical instrument, may well find it hard to really listen to any music without getting ‘involved’ in it, especially if it is a piece of music you have performed or know very well. Anyone who has had little or no musical training may well be able to listen to music as some form of background noise, perhaps, in the same way that countless numbers of gymnasium users or indoor trainer users do. Whether that is appropriate for riding on the road is debateable.

I would venture to suggest that the person who wears headphones is probably not in the best position to judge on how well they can or cannot ride while listening to music. All I do know is that I have seen some people wearing headphones, just walking down the street, totally absorbed in what they are listening to and do some surprising and spectacularly stupid things, when they are normally alert and coherent people.

I really think that people who wear headphones, even in or on just one ear, are potentially putting themselves at risk, through being distracted from the job in hand, ie riding the bike. And, of course, my argument takes no account of the fact that the music you are listening to could either make you too relaxed, or too tense, both of which could be detrimental to your riding safety and the safety of other road users. Music can be like a mind-altering substance in that respect.

And think about what happens when you’re on a long ride - when you’ve been riding all day and have more than a hundred miles on the clock and you may be very close to home on familiar roads; that’s when your concentration is likely to be at its lowest. You can be at risk just from that, without any other kind of distraction.

Personally, I cannot really listen to music and do something else at the same time, and I think there are many oth