Many people like to listen to music while biking. AirPods are usually the device of choice, as they are some of the most widely used wireless earbuds on the market. They might not be the best performers outdoors, but during most cycling trips they are completely fine.
In the majority of circumstances, Apple AirPods are perfectly suitable for cycling. The optimal choice for cyclists is the improved AirPods Pro model. The new Transparency Mode on this device allows users to safely listen to music on a bike, without canceling out traffic noises.
Be mindful of the fact that wind noise can somewhat distort the audio of your AirPods while cycling. Rain poses less of a problem: AirPods are not fully waterproof, but graded IPX4 water-resistant. This means humidity and some droplets are acceptable.
Cycling With AirPods Is Safe
One of the major problems with earbuds in traffic is safety. What if you don’t hear that car coming because you’ve been blasting Taylor Swift on max volume? Apple thought of this problem too. They introduced a feature in their new AirPods Pro models to solve it: Transparency Mode.
Enabling Transparency Mode on an AirPods Pro allows users to listen to music while being aware of their environment.
Blending the environmental noise with music dynamically allows for an optimal experience while cycling. It’s absolutely required if you’re out on the road with your bike. You can easily enable it on your connected device, such as an iPhone. One tap in the settings, and you’re safe on the road.
Wind Noise Can Distort AirPods Audio
Outdoor movement always creates some amount of air movement, which increases with speed. This is even the case when there’s no wind at all. While wind is audible to some degree, it won’t impact your musical experience on a bicycle.
The vents in the AirPods Pro help reduce wind noise, even when you’re using the microphone feature. The protection against wind noise has been built into the design, and has been improved upon with every new model.
While wind will always remain a problem with any type of audio device, the balance between noise-cancellation and environmental noise is ‘acceptable’, especially for the newer AirPods Pro models. You will experience some wind noise when you’re zooming down a hill on your racebike. But in normal circumstances, it won’t be much of a nuisance to users.
Do AirPods Fall Out When Cycling?
In general, Apple AirPods don’t tend to fall out of your ear while cycling. To ensure wireless earbuds never fall out while cycling, change to silicone ear tips for a tighter fit. If the AirPods are properly fitted in the ears, even a sudden movement will rarely cause it to fall out.
When using a bike for commuting, it’s best to exclusively use AirPods Pro with Transparency Mode enabled. Traffic in urban areas can unexpectedly be unsafe, and in the unlikely event your devices fall on the road, it can be dangerous.
Sports cyclists which have a hard time stopping on the road might benefit from taping a single earbud to their ear. After all, stopping to pick up earbuds that fell on the road isn’t always the safest option. Especially If you’re on a busy lane with car traffic around you.
5 Safety Tips For Cycling With Wireless Earbuds
With the right precautions, it can be perfectly safe to use wireless earbuds on a bicycle. With the following practical tips, you can ensure the optimal safety and reduce the risk of unnecessary cycling accidents on the road:
- Only use a single AirPod: Keep one ear free while biking at all times, especially when you’re using an older model. This improves spatial awareness in traffic a lot more. It’s easy to get absorbed into your own world while listening to music on the road.
- Enable Transparency Mode: We’ve said it many times already, but if you’re using AirPods Pro, please enable Transparency mode at all times. If you’re unsure how to enable this mode, use the practical steps outlined in this official Apple article.
- Silicone tips provide a tighter fit: One of the best ways to give your wireless earbuds a better fit is using these types of silicone ear tips. Fit them over the speaker portion of your earbuds. Remember that noise-cancellation is increased with these tips, so if you wear these only use a single AirPod at a time.
- Charge AirPods beforehand: If you make sure to fully charge your devices before leaving the house, you won’t have to fiddle with the earbuds mid-cycle. This reduces the chance of anything bad happening, and simultaneously gives you the maximum amount of listening pleasure.
- Don’t panic if they do fall out: In the rare situation that your earbuds do fall out of your ears during a biking trip, find a safe place to stop before you do anything else. Even if that means sacrificing your AirPods to the tires of a car. Your personal safety is worth more than anything.
Before using AirPods or other wireless earbuds on the road, make sure to incorporate these safety tips into your regular cycling routine. Happy cycling and enjoy the music!
