FM radio for biking?


OK, this is really miscellaneous! I bike to work, and recently bought Radio Shack's "best" portable radio (about the size of a deck of cards), and their best earbuds. The radio was about $60, and the earbuds about $30.

The radio doesn't do very well. It is very prone to static depending on where it is positioned. The sound isn't bad (except for a quite noticeable background hiss)when the reception is good. It would be OK if I found a good spot and didn't move!

The radio has digital tuning and a "mono" switch, but still seems to be poor at "pulling in" stations.

Does anyone have suggestions for a better device for listening to the radio while biking? I'd be willing to spend as much as a couple hundred dollars.

Also, what do people use (if anything) for earphones? These earbuds sound decent, but generate quite a "whistle" in the breeze when I get moving.

Thanks for the bandwidth!

- Eric
ehart
As someone who used to seriously race bicycles and do long workouts on city streets, I can assure you that if you can't hear the bus, it isn't there. Of course, my racing career was put to an end by MetroTransit #3445. I can't forget it because the number is permanently etched on my butt.
Get a pair of Sony sport headphones(yellow) they allow most ambient sounds in as long as you don't have your source cranked way up. I use them with a Sony Sport walkman radio or a Rio mp3 unit and have no problems hearing traffic. I have tried the "ear bud" types and they do plug your ears and are uncomfortable. I do a lot of running and biking in them and the band will fit under most helmets.
Good luck and happy trails
I am with the cyclists above. Road cycling warrants your full attention. Even when you do everything right, accidents can happen. No need to skew the odds against yourself.