A little rant about headphones, and when not to wear them

 I can relate to listening to music gets you motivated and the time go by faster I guess. 

I just don’t get it.  Why would you risk your safety by wearing earphones while riding a bike in traffic or with other cyclists?  This may seem like a rant and I guess it is.  It could be compared to riding with with one eye shut.  It’s just dumb.  If you have an important phone call your waiting for and that is why you are wearing a headset, then I suggest you don’t ride and wait for the call to come in. 

I often wears earphones while swimming and indoor cycling on a trainer.  I even wear them running, while keeping the sound down in order to hear my surroundings. 

TREKZ Titanium Bluetooth headphones by AfterShokz

I’ve been using the TREKZ Titanium Bluetooth headphones by AfterShokz while running and using my indoor cycling rollers. These headphones sit right outside in the front of your ear sitting on your jawbone. The sound travels through bone-conduction. The sound is great. Pair it with your smartphone, which is very easy to do. The headset is very comfortable and can even be worn while still wearing glasses. The main purpose of these headphones is to allow you to hear better what is around you and not totally cutting out ambient sound. It’s an open ear design. Obviously, I would never wear these while riding bike in traffic or out on the street, but I do wear them running and they still allow me to hear the world around me. After charging up the unit, with the provided micro-USB cord, it will return about six hours of play time. Although they are not water proof, can’t be submerged, they are sweat resistant. The headphones come with two fit bands, for those with smaller heads, a micro-USB charging cord, two ear plugs, that help block out noise into the ear canal as well as a storage case.

The headphones can be used to take phone calls as well as listen to music. According to the person on the other end of the phone, the quality of the voice in the call is excellent. By the way, I’ve even used them while out mowing the yard and having them synched to my smartphone playing music. 

X-1 by H2O Audio to fuel your workouts

The smallest amount of sweat or water can turn your headphones into a quick piece of junk. You have invested enough in your audio, so why let sweat ruin it.  I enjoy using numerous audio set ups from X-1 by H2O Audio.  Not only are the headphones sweat proof but underwater proof too.  The devices I own have fueled many a sweaty and or pool workout.  I am either seen at the pool with my X-1 case for my 3rd generation iPod Nano that I wear in a Velcro belt or the Interval 4G waterproof headphone system attached to my goggle strap.  I guess you could say the one I use the most, is the one that is charged ready to go.  Both securely hold my iPod and keep it dry yet allow me to use my playlist to push my workouts to the edge.  I have a few different choices when it comes to headphones I use.  The Surge Sportwrap and Surge mini waterproof headphones are both high quality made and transfer music to your ears without having to worry about being ruined by any amount of moisture. Each set of headphones comes with different tip sizes that can be easily swapped out to fit comfortably. 

 The Surge Contact waterproof headset is great for those that want to stay connected with an in-line waterproof microphone.  The clip stays positioned where you put it and has a convenient one-touch answer/end button.  All the sets of headphones I have came with five sets of elastomer earplugs to comfortably fit any ear opening.   

As an ambassador and member of  Team X-1, contact me through my e-mail or DM on Twitter to find out about getting a discount. 

I advise only using your headphones while running, swimming, at the gym or other activity other than cycling on the road.  Using a headset while cycling is dangerous, as the rider must be listening for traffic and others around them. 

X-1 Audio Waterproof Cases

I have been using X-1 by H2O Audio waterproof headphone systems for years now. A great way to enjoy music without having to worry about sweat or water damaging your electronics.  I was using Surge headphones attached to a swim belt in which my iPod 3rd generation Nano was safely inside a case providing me numerous hour of enjoyable quality workouts in the pool. With wanting to do flip turns, the cord which ran along my back, I was afraid would get in the way.  So I decided to get another waterproof case from X-1. 

The case I got was the Interval 4G system which holds the 4th generation iPod shuffle and attaches to the goggles strap.  Out of the way from swinging arms while swimming.  I now use the other case I have for running on the treadmill or riding my bike on the indoor rollers.

I had the custom ear molds made at Gold Canyon Hearing, helping to make sure the ear phones stay in place.  The smallest bit of water still gets in my ears, but the custom molds totally help with ear issues with water in the ear. The set up is awesome. I fire up a good playlist and away I go.  Swim workouts are very enjoyable and the music helps me stay focused.  Really the only drawback is losing track of time and laps.  Summer has unofficially come to an end with Labor Day and so has my season pass to the local pool.