I love listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks when I’m riding my e-bikes. Depending on the type of ride I’m doing, I’ve got an affinity for all of them. But I also love not getting hit by a car. And those two goals don’t always work well together.
Traditional earbuds and headphones can be great for audio quality, but they also have a nasty habit of disconnecting you from the world around you. On an e-bike, situational awareness is a key part of staying safe. Hearing a car approaching, a cyclist calling out a pass, or a pedestrian running into your path can make a real difference.
That’s why I’ve become such a fan of bone conduction headphones, and after spending time with the TRI 2 Pro Multi-Sport with Playlist+ headphones from H2O Audio, I think I’ve found my favorite pair yet.
The concept behind bone conduction headphones is pretty fascinating. Instead of sending sound into your ears through speakers, they transmit vibrations through the bones in your skull, allowing your inner ear to interpret the sound. The result is that your ears remain completely open to the outside world while you’re still enjoying your music.
For bike riding, that’s a huge advantage.
