Do you know those guys who ride with a Bluetooth speaker in their bottle cage? The one’s typically playing some garbage at max volume; that needs to cease immediately. Stop the boombox guy. I’d even go one step further and say you shouldn’t even ride in headphones.
The boombox guy presumes everyone wants to listen to their music, and the headphone wearer is so oblivious to the world around them that they can't share the trail with other users effectively.
The other day I was riding at my local spot, and I came upon another user with headphones on. I greeted the user with an unheard “Howdy” and gradually increased my volume to no avail. When I finally did pass, the user was startled. Yikes, my sympathy runs thin in the face of willful obliviousness.
Boomboxes have no place on the trails either; leave it at home. I don’t care if you’re listening to Mozart, Broken Bells, or The Rural Alberta Advantage (all excellent choices IMO for in the car or in the workshop). There is NO considerate trail music.
In a noisy world, we all need silence; don't be the guy to ruin it for others by being an asshole with a Bluetooth speaker.
I’m probably writing this into the void; that’s ok; maybe it’s therapeutic for just you and me. I probably won’t verbally call out another trail user for wearing headphones, but I absolutely will call out the boombox guy, and I think you should too. We as a culture need to police ourselves to thrive.
To prevent this post from being just a bitter lament here’s some music I love to listen to on the way to and from the trails. We’ll call it Uncle Pete’s Music Club.
The Rural Alberta Advantage has become one of my favorite bands for their thoughtful lyrics, pace-setting drums, and gritty manic folk sound.
LCD Soundsystem made fizzy synth dance rock through the 2000’s, and their sound takes me back to those years. I love the slow build to Dance Yrself Clean and the understated lyrics throughout.
Close Talker makes music that feels like flowing through a ribbon of technical singletrack. It floats and stops and turns in interesting ways that make my brain excited to ride.
Daniel Norgren plays the blues in a folk/rock style on mostly homemade instruments. His creativity comes through in a content and sometimes mournful sound. It’s the perfect music while I drive home sweaty and bleeding, happy and tired.
Peter Haile
Whether pushing his limits on technical trails, seeing what’s around the next corner, or tinkering in his shop; Peter enjoys life to the full. In addition to bikes, he enjoys frame building, graphic design, and math. He lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and son.
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