iBikeConsole makes listening to your iPod while bicycling even easier (equally stupid)
Soaring through the air as one does, a quick succession of equally piquant sensations form a cautionary tale of iPod-enabled bicycling: the velocipedal whoosh of coasting down hill, the dulcet hobo notes of Mr. Tom Waits; a flash of green and chrome, the sudden feeling of weightlessness accompanied by the gravitational pull of free-falling spermatoza; a headphone cable garroting; the broad asphalt bosom of mother earth; the crunchy, coppery chiclets filling your mouth as you kiss it... an incensed motorist with a dented fender pummeling your prone, wrecked frame into sweet oblivion, serenaded into sleep by his dimming, lullabye-like commentary about the sexual fidelity of your mother.
There must be a better way to listen to music while bicycling. Enter the iBikeConsole, a rather near iPod mount for the city bike steed. You simply mount your iPod between the handlebars in a shock and weather proof case and adjust the volume and tracks with little thumb controllers near the gears. Even better, it will even function as a bike computer, tracking time, speed, distance, pedestrians splashed by puddles of stagnant rain water, and so on. And for $76, it's not really all that expensive as far as bike accessories go. I like.
iBikeConsole [Official Site via UberGizmo]
the latest
latest episodes
There's a range of special GPS units available from Garmin that are bike-specific. They come with maps, heart and cadence sensors, and a bunch of stat-mining tools to tell you how your riding is.
Funny this is being reviewed mere hours away from the rumored launch of the redesigned Nano. I wouldn't buy this gadget just yet!
Equally stupid? This previous post from BB would be a safer way, but I like how the IbikeConsole adds functionality and appropriately placed hand controls. I think riding the streets with headphones is indeed dangerous, but off-road or on bike and pedestrian only paths its not really an issue. Except for horses. Gotta watch out for them thar horses. When will I learn.
Screwed the code on the previous post I guess...
Ipod Speakers for your bike.
I've been using the iHome2go for my bike commute- wireless handlebar mount, single speaker that is plenty loud, easy on/off (can even be put in most water bottle cages), and really fun to ride with.
http://www.ihomeaudio.com/products.asp?product_id=10186
Great, just what the rest of the world needs, the bike-mounted ghetto blaster of the future. Gadgets like this just reinforce my belief that byciclists are the most self-center people on the road.
"this just reinforce my belief that byciclists are the most self-center people on the road"
Yes, we are so self-centered because we want one sixth of the road without getting killed by people driving in cars with the music pumping so loud that they can barely stay on the road, let alone watch out for those damn egotistical, non-carbon footprint, responsible bicyclists.
>> #6
I don't even understand the logic here. Cars have speakers. How do speakers on a bike make cyclists more or less self-centered?
Your dislike of cyclists goes beyond speakers, friend. Look into that.
Ok, around my area bicyclists don't follow the rules of the road. They run stop signs and stop lights, get on the sidewalk when it suits them, cut people off, and are generally a danger to themselves and others. So yeah, my dislike of cyclists goes much farther than speakers. I have no problems with a bicyclist that follows traffic laws and signal properly, unfortunatly these people make up a minority of cyclists out there and are usually enthusiasts that would rather cut off a toe than add the weight of speakers to their bicycle. The only advantage to these speakers that I can find is that I might actually hear these irresponsible fools coming so I might avoid their road shenanigans.
And secondly, while cars have speakers, they're encased in the car which dampens the sound. You can't generally hear "standard" car speakers unless you pull up right next to the car at a light. Bike speakers on the other hand, the sound will travel. It's like in the 80s when people would mount their ghetto blasters on their handlebars. It's noise pollution that the rest of the world doesn't need to hear.
Boomin' car system = idiot no matter how you slice it. I have no further comment on the subject than that.
If you want to talk noise pollution let's talk about CAR alarms. This is the one source for 90% of all noise complaints in my city of 8.25 million.
It's a useless menace and is louder than any bike with any miniature speaker on it and it makes me want to go out a slash some tires.
AND.. As far as breaking laws of the street, I can only assume that you never jay-walk or walk against the Do Not Walk light.
You want road shenanigans, look at pedestrians, they're just as bad as drivers, just a lot safer to get hit by.
I follow the law on my bike, but drivers and pedestrains alike do as they please, it f-ing frustrating.
It should be noted that many laws regarding cyclists are ambiguous at best in the United States. And the few laws that do exist are frequently ignored by motorists and law enforcement alike. Bike lanes which serve as parking spots and passing lanes, for example. Therefore, many cyclists must choose between following the "law" or pursuing a course of action that ensures their safety (remember: a motorist who chats on their phone and accidentally strikes a cyclist will suffer no injury whatsoever. The cyclist may pay with his or her life).
It should also be noted that many intersections do not have mechanisms to trip a light if you are not in a vehicle or on foot. Therefore, "running" red lights is the only option short of waiting for a car to pull up. Imagine if you were a pedestrian and could not legally cross the street unless a car pulled up.
America takes little notice of cyclists in terms of allocating resources, law enforcement, and protecting them from injury. Little surprise then that they often act like outlaws in a nation that treats them like outcasts.
Enochrewt at #9, it must be frustrating to see cyclists running red lights or stop signs. I'm sure glad the cars in my neighborhood never do that!
Anyhow, I love listening to my iPod w/headphones while riding my bike. But that's only on bike trails, and only if it's not crowded. There's a trail between Ventura and Ojai; it's 15 miles and uphill the whole way. It's great fun with an iPod. Without one, not so much.
Why is it every time there is a boing boing post about bikes someone chimes in that bikes are a menace to their calm way of life. Seriously, "a danger to themselves and others"? How many motor vehicle accidents are there every year, if you get struck by a bicycle and are not a Margaret Atwood minor character you are really unlikely to die.
On the subject of listening to music while you bike, it's not as if those tiny ear buds shut out ambient sound completely, I can hear the sound of cars, the crossing signals for the blind, the birds in the part, even a conversational level voice just fine. It's just that there is also some background music to it all, and it makes my daily cycle commute a bit more fun.
At first view, I had thought the (somewhat blurry) button between the volume controls read "MOOF." I like that better than "MODE."
The funny part about this is I live in a very friendly bike city. There are bike lanes and paths EVERYWHERE, but even when a cyclist is in the bike lane they are required to stop for the light.
I guess my main experience with cyclists (since I live Downtown) is couriers. That could be my bias. Going the wrong way on a one way street? Really? Do you value your life mr. Courier?
People can pretend that they don't have to be responsible on the road when riding a bike, but it'll just get them hit.
All hail Moof.
@16 Indeed. :)