Great Music For My Tour? Suggestions?

[indyfabz]

Maybe he wants music before rolling out or while in camp or during rest stops. Yes, au naturel is best, but whenever the topic of music comes up, people always feel the need to wade in with the smug "I don't listen to music while riding."

Smugness has nothing to do with my response.  He is, quite simply, riding without a helmet while listening to music.  From his journal:

"Today was a great day. I spent much of the day listening to music as I rode along. I listened to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for a long while." (Emphasis added)

A caption to one of the photos from Day 86 describes the loss of the helmet. Day 87 relates how he decided to not wait for the opportunity to purchase another one before continuing on.

Taking the risk is up to him, but that doesn't minimize the risk.

[geegee]

Some of my favourite touring songs:

Times Like These (acoustic version) and Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters

Ride Like the Wind - Christopher Cross

Road to Nowhere and This Must be the Place - Talking Heads

Don't Fence Me In - Gene Autry

Upside Down - Jack Johnson

Higher Ground - UB40

Elevation - U2

[Westinghouse]

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by Liam Clancy.    Willie McBride by John McDermott.   The Times They Are A Changing by Bob Dylan.
The Rising of The Moon and other songs by the Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem.

[Lowly Swale]

To get me up Storm Peak from Steamboat on GT Divide on a quiet trail I found The Jam's - Snap album got me driving hard. Just about the right length too, wouldn't dare use it on the way down though.

[haakon]

Steve Earle. Best road music ever.

+1 on the Steve Earle!  And while I agree that you shouldn't listen to anything but your surroundings while riding, the whole Born to Run album is an "invitation" for the road (Bruce's description!).  So a little Springsteen music as you're loading up, I think, sounds really good. 

[Stevenp]

Indy,

I'll tell you the same thing I've told others. It seems my journal bugs you. You don't need to follow it. Do I take risks? Absolutely! Do you know every circumstance? No. So, either enjoy MY ride, or quit following it. Or...feel free to write to ME with your concern or suggestions. I actually appreciate that.

I have met 4 others doing cross country, 3 of them who listened to music on the road and just suggested being careful and always being aware. I have taken their advice.

                                                                                              * * *

I am always extremely aware of everything around me. If I listen to it during the day, it is at a low volume where I can hear a car as soon as it tops either the hill ahead of me or the one behind me. Also, if there is traffic around me I don't have music playing, but if I am alone in the middle of nowhere, I love the sound of music to compliment the scenery I am in. I think that saying music takes away from the scenery isn't always true, it can compliment it! Notice how movies always have background music playing. I'm not saying...just saying. Thanks for the concern though, and thanks for the music suggestions. Some great music!

Steve

[FredHiltz]

OK everybody, let's keep our eyes on forum etiquette here. Discussion of risks, which ones your feel worth taking, and why: these are all fine. Comments about an individual's motives for writing, personal character, and the like are not fine. I have removed some of the latter in this thread.

Fred

[indyfabz]

Indy,

I'll tell you the same thing I've told others. It seems my journal bugs you.

Are you kidding?  I find it quite entertaining.

[indyfabz]

OK everybody, let's keep our eyes on forum etiquette here. Discussion of risks, which ones your feel worth taking, and why: these are all fine. Comments about an individual's motives for writing, personal character, and the like are not fine. I have removed some of the latter in this thread.

Fred

Thanks, I guess.  Don't understand the anger.

[ronnie421]

Hey Steve,

     Call me a bit corny, but when I hit some tough times and I just feel like stopping or quiting, (and trust me, there have been times I just wanna stop and give my bike to the next stranger I see and WALK home, ha ha) but when I hit tough times and just dont wanna go anymore, I turn on some good old ROCKY music! Eye of the Tiger, There's No Easy Way Out, The Final Bell, Rocky's Training Montage, Hearts on Fire, etc.  Sometimes it gives me the extra two or three miles that I need to finish my workout.  I know, Im a dork, but it works for me! LOL.

[Stevenp]

Ronnie,

Haha, I was actually thinking about that the other day. That music is made for that!

Hope you're doing awesome!

Steve

[Westinghouse]

Be careful riding with headphones. I wouldn't ride in heavy city traffic listening to music through headphones. It is safe to do so on an interstate safety lane where traffic is not too heavy. A quiet country road or lane might be a safe place to do it. I would think twice about it in a city where traffic is coming and going all the time. In some places in China motorized traffic is really very chaotic compared to the well ordered comings and goings in the USA. In China you need four ears and eyes in the back of your head. I wouldn't be distracted by my favorite tunes in that part of the world. People in the USA roll up their windows and let the stereo blast in their cars all the time. Not that it's the best way to drive, because it isn't. Actually, the safest thing is to limit your musical reception to time you are off your bike. I have cycled long distances listening to music on earphones. It's not that big of a deal in sparsely trafficked areas.

[MrBent]

Blasting south through the San Louis Valley I found a couple of albums of new-wave flamenco to be very fun and motivating.  The pounding rhythms and guitars were just great.  Check out Oscar Lopez--scorchin'!   

On a long, lonely descent in the California desert, I had to crank up "Hotel California."  I had the whole road to myself, the late autumn sun slanting down, oh, it was great.

Scott

[captcoconut]

i would definately plug into some sammy hagar live 1980.............cant go wrong

[Pat Lamb]

I don't ride with headphones, but sometimes there's some music stuck in my head.  And then there's other times...

When I rode across the country with my daughter, I figured out she doesn't really wake up for a half hour after she starts riding.  I could usually judge her speed, and lead her, but not by so much that I'd lose her.  Until one day up in Montana: it was chilly, and I was ahead of her as usual, until a light blue blur went flying by me.  Well!  I had more in reserve that I was purposefully NOT using, but I was going to find out what was up with that young whippersnapper!

So I caught up with her, and asked, "What's going on?  Why are you so fast this morning?"  She answered, "I was cold, so I started pedaling to 'The Flight of the Bumblebee'."  I tried it, humming and using a little body English to mark the downbeats in the music.  It's a great way to speed up and warm up.

She thought I was funny.