mp3 - 'in your ear'

[Alan M]

I am starting this thread recognising the risk of being labelled as a less than hardcore and serious cyclist. The aim is to share some of the ?in your ear? experiences that blend with the commute, turbo or solo ride. I am not really a CD person. I enjoy a blend of different tracks with minimal explanation.

Recently I have been listening to Ritmo Latino, to be found at http://ritmolatino.org/. This is a public radio station based on the Island of Saipan serving the communities of the Micronesia Islands. It provides some excellent world Latin beats and I can really recommend it. Each show offers an hour of eclectic Latin music that will leave you shaking your arse and dancing on your clipless pedals.

If you like something more cycling specific try pedal radio at http://pedalradio.libsyn.com. This provides music that feels like you?re on the highway just tapping out the rhythm. It is American through and through and provides and interesting contrast to much of what we hear in the UK.

Anyway, what do you listen to and where do you access it?

I suppose that I should add a word of caution, not to play your music so loud that you can?t hear traffic approaching from the rear, and to be careful to look behind before manoeuvring. I usually feel that the music in my ear adds to a solo ride, increases the tempo and I haven?t noticed any significant additional risk but I would certainly be interested in your views. It is certainly safer than Monty's camera antics!!

Alan

[Rob]

first of all, where do you access it, http://www.limewire.com

this is a site which allows you to download limewire for free, then you can download anything, any song, any porn movie, and document, any picture, as long as someone else whos connected to the network has it on their computer. theres millions connected, so the chances of not finding abi titmus is very rare!( or in your case Ritmo Latino)

what do i listen to, absolutely anything, ive got too many songs. but i can reccommend a real heavy hardcore song when your climbing a hill, guaranteed to make you go faster!

as for volume, some say only have it in one ear, then that doesnt matter, in british case, keep it in the left ear.....i have it in both ears, becasue i find sound in one ear screws my ears up, as for volume, when your in the middle of the desert, no ones around, so sound doesnt matter.

[sylv]

Good thread - I've been commuting for a year now with my mp3 player (in both ears, not too loud) and find it's not any less safe than without. On the contrary the music prevents my thoughts from wandering away from the traffic and helps focusing more.

I've 6,000 songs in it from my own Cd collection and generally set the player on "shuffle" which makes impromptu compilations and is great as you never know what is coming next.

I know next to nothing on file sharing and such and only very recently have started downloading free mp3 files from the web. I have found some "music blogs" on which people post interesting tracks, some that I knew of since a long time, some I just discover (as the bloggers always insist on the tracks are for evaluation and they recommend buying the records, which I would if I find something I really like).


For instance, try Mugison's "Salt" here
http://www.markwrafter.com/rock/mp3s/index.html
A little instrumental with a tale whispered by a girl with the sweetest Islandic accent


Or The Go! Team's "Ice Storm" here:
http://thetorturegarden.blogspot.com/
A live track from one of the best bands I have seen in concert (from Bristol)


Or Laura Veir's "Ether Sings" here:
http://letskissandmakeup.blogspot.com/
Acoustic dreamy little number


Or the classic "Nothing Ever Happens" from Del Amitri there:
http://marsneedsguitars.blogspot.com/


Problem is now I have to delete tracks from my Ipod to enter new ones at it is full to the brim