Player for cycling
Jan 23, 2010 at 5:12 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 18

Vertigo3

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Good day, I'm a bit new here but after reading loads of stuff, I'd like to ask a question (or maybe 3).

My current set contains:
iPod Classic 80Gb
The worst Nokia headphone ever made

I've had a problem with my CX-300 (first gen) so I had to get them repaired (for the 3rd time now). Since then I've ordered some cheap headphones just for backup, because my old backup broke down too (good times huh)

So I got to get:
Sennheiser CX 300 II (Not here yet)
SoundMAGIC PL30 (Not here yet)
Kanen MD-52 (Not here yet)

I only got a different question:

I'm almost finished with my education (that's like 1 week to go) and after that I'd like to go cycling (Road bicycle). I did this before (with my iPod and CX-300) and the iPod was bit too heavy for that. So I am in search of a smaller mp3 player and that little search brought me to mp4nation.net where they've got a 2Gb player. A Nationite NaNite N1. It looks solid and good quality and most of all it's cheap (that's just what I want, I ain't got too much cash for this
frown.gif
) For 14 euro's it looks fine, but are there any other cheap players (with at least 2Gb) on this market? Reading the reviews of the NaNite N1 tells me this is a good one.

Does anyone of you people do road cycling? What would you people advice me to do? I cycle mostly up hill or just on a straight road. If it minds, I listen to rock, indie and alternative music but when cycling I do listen to metal and dance music on mp3 mostly 192kbps bitrate.
I hope someone can help me with these strange questions!
My budget is around 25 euro's for this player.
 
Jan 24, 2010 at 3:19 AM Post #3 of 18
I'm sure any small Mp3 player would basically do the trick. Personally, I don't find myself to be too cognizant of sound quality when working out.

But please... save it for the stationary bike and not the open road. My ears have saved my life on a road bike.
 
Jan 25, 2010 at 8:48 PM Post #5 of 18
does the wind noise bother you at all? I ride to work and i've only tried listening to my headphones once with one ear and it scared my how much awareness you lose. But with regards to a player get the Sansa clip you can just clip it somewhere.
 
Jan 25, 2010 at 9:42 PM Post #6 of 18
I ride mostly on paths and side of highway for short distance. I use my eyes and do not rely on my ears to tell me what is going on. That said, I use a Nano with UM3xs.

Since you are on strict budget a popular one is the Sansa Clip (used to own one). Really small and decent sound. You should be able to find one around that price in 2GB.

cheers
and welcome
 
Jan 26, 2010 at 12:33 AM Post #7 of 18
I have used a variety of players for years now, but my favourite has been the iPod shuffle 1G: cheap and good sound. But it broke and I am considering the Sansa clip since it can be rockboxed and keeps a small footprint. I cannot stand players which don't support MP4 audio (aac), so need rockbox.
 
Jan 26, 2010 at 12:40 AM Post #8 of 18
I would also recommend a Sansa Clip+. Brilliant little player. Be aware of what you are doing when considering plugging in (or out as it could be argued) when cycling, it IS dangerous and NOT RECOMMENDED.
 
Jan 26, 2010 at 2:22 AM Post #9 of 18
Vertigo, make sure your have a decent mirror because you're eyes are going to become even more important.

Best combo IMHO is Clip +, Fii0 E5 and Yuin buds (PK1 or 2, it doesn't make much difference). I wear bibs and clip the Clip on one side, use a longish sort of interconnect cable to the Fii0 and then Yuin up the front of my shirt. The Fii0 give a bit of bass boost that can be nice when biking but isn't really essential.

FWIW, I've been cycling since the late 80's with various headphones, starting as soon as Sony put that rolling mechanism in their Walkmen. The above described rig is the best I've had.
 
Jan 26, 2010 at 2:26 AM Post #10 of 18
Quote:

Originally Posted by bixby /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I use my eyes and do not rely on my ears to tell me what is going on.


You can see objects approaching from behind? Amazing!!
 
Jan 26, 2010 at 2:53 AM Post #11 of 18
Hearing while bicycling is a compromised sense. Wind, quiet cars, passing traffic all make hearing unreliable.
 
Jan 26, 2010 at 3:29 AM Post #12 of 18
Yeah, at speeds of around 30kph, cars are masked by wind anyway. I hear more what is going on to the side of me, but even that rarely as cars are often moving at 60kph+. It is dangerous listening to music whilst bicycling, but so is bicycling in a place where people can get driver's licenses without any schooling.

Unfortunately, if you are going to be hit, it is likely not because of what you are listening to, it is likely that it is just your time. Drivers are the stupidest of brutes.
 
Jan 26, 2010 at 10:56 PM Post #13 of 18
Quote:

Originally Posted by RASeymour /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Best combo IMHO is Clip +, Fii0 E5...


I would recommend searching and looking more into combining a FiiO with the Clip+. From what I've seen the E5's amp is generally not of better quality then the one built into the Clip+, so if you just want the best possible sound quality, you should simply not use the E5. It depends what 'phones you plan to use and what sound you are trying to achieve.
 
Jan 27, 2010 at 12:25 AM Post #14 of 18
no need for an amp whilst riding - only gets in the way and is one more thing to break. Keep it simple: clip, fuze, ipod nano - something small which won't break. keep whatever it is in a ziplock bag to take care of rain or sweat and put it in your food pouch; then learn the button layout so you can operate blindly. good luck.
 

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