From my experience a thin layer of tech fabric over your ears for warmth is not the same as covering your ear canal with a pod and blasting Tool.
I hardly think this is more irresponsible than the “Johnny Invisible Bicylist” Halloween Costume from Irving Mainway.
There are lots of products out now that have built-in mp3 features - like special pockets and holes to run the headphone cord through. I don’t this PI is being irresponsible; I think they are only following the trends in the market right now… even if those trends are stupid.
Is that R10C modeling?
At that price, custom sublimated emergency contact info should be included.
You’d think they could do a better engineering job than have the cord dangling down the back for that money. Should route it something like in-frame cable routing. Much neater and far more discreet.
I can hear traffic and other riders much better with an earphone in one ear (my bad ear) at moderate volume than I can with a light skullcap covering both ears. It doesn’t matter though, I’ll still be branded an irresponsible asshole by the ST masses for doing former.
I think the shorts are an interesting idea, but I won’t be buying them. More and more cycling gear is coming out that is “IPod” friendly. Jerseys, jackets, backpacks…
I’m with you. The last accident I was in I hit a trash can AND I was listening to headphones. I swear if I wasn’t wearing the headphones I still would not have heard the trashcan coming… 
But really folks, I think it depends on the road. If there are intersections with frequent cars, then yes, headphones may be bad. But if you are on an out and back road with no intersections, by the time you hear the car coming it is too late. This is just like the Ashlyn Dryer debate last year, blame the victim, and assume that they could have prevented it if they heard a car. As if cars sound different when they are coming for you.
You’s must gots some weird workin’ ears dere man.
Apparently you’ve blown your eardrums out listening to your ipod and its also affected your cognitive abilities.
I’m with you. The last accident I was in I hit a trash can AND I was listening to headphones. I swear if I wasn’t wearing the headphones I still would not have heard the trashcan coming…
But really folks, I think it depends on the road. If there are intersections with frequent cars, then yes, headphones may be bad. But if you are on an out and back road with no intersections, by the time you hear the car coming it is too late. This is just like the Ashlyn Dryer debate last year, blame the victim, and assume that they could have prevented it if they heard a car. As if cars sound different when they are coming for you.
I don’t think it is as much about “hearing” cars as it is about be attentive and constantly aware of your surroundings. The idea of hitting a stationary object (trash can) supports the idea that headphones can be a distraction and it’s not just about “hearing” cars.
this is just a general response and not to anyone specific. I don’t want to get into this whole ear phone thing too much but to each their own i say. I wear them in the city (toronto) and haven’t had a problem. Yes I have crashed twice but that is from cars not paying attention trying to beat a light or car and turning left into me. Not listening to music wouldn’t have helped in those cases. I’m sure there are deaf people that drive, I can’t remember that last hearing test I had to have a license, as well there are probably riding bikes too. If you pay attention to your surrounding and have a look behind you on a regular basis as you should when biking or driving, I doubt there will be many problems. If a car is going to hit, chances are it’s going to hit you. One other point about this ( i guess I’m getting into it more than I thought). I’m a paramedic, I see some pretty stupid drivers everyday, Drivers not hearing me coming with sirens and lights going while on their cell phones is far more stupid than riding while listening to music. I can hear hornes, sirens and all kinds of things while I’m listening and riding.
I guess that’s my rant…for now.
I have always ridden with music for the last 10 years when I do my solo rides as well as my commute to work. Lucky for me most of my commute is on rural roads. I do not see a problem with it nor do I feel that I am invincible. I have the volume set to a level that I am comfortable with that also allows me to hear traffic. I have been hit once in my life and it was with a car passing me then turning right, right in front of me. Did not matter if I was wearing headphones or not, I was going to hit the car. Just for the record I was not wearing them on that ride. After riding for the last 21 years, I have only been in one accident.
I think the argument about being hit with or without headphones on is a mute (moot) point. If you are going to get hit from behind or hit in most cases, you are not going to have time to react no matter what. Do you really think the car that is about to hit you in most cases is going to be honking its horn for 30 seconds before you get hit. NO. Every single bike accident that I have heard of from friends or heard about is the car hit them with no notice.
The key for me not getting hit is that I pick roads less traveled, I always move to the inside to go around objects in the road, I always stay as close to the right as possible, I always follow the rules of the road, never run a stop sign, I always try to be a part of traffic and I wear very visible clothing.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have indeed crashed recently, and it was technically IPod related. I was sitting up, dicking with my IPod and not paying attention to where I was going and ended up taking a pretty bad digger. I crashed because I wasn’t paying attention, not because there was noise in one of my ears. There are many things we do on our bikes that take our attention off the road and this could have happened during any one of them, removing arm warmers, eating, getting salt tabs, etc. I screwed up, I know I screwed up, and I’ve learned my lesson. No more dicking with my IPod while riding, just let the sucker play.
One thing I will say about these shorts is that they look good. Why can’t PI make regular shorts that look this good. (now I’m off to check their catalog…)
That is a spectacularly irresponsible product. It’s illegal to ride with headphones in most states anyway.
Shame on P.I.
Boo!!!
Next you’ll be complaining about my behind-the-seat martini cages.
Everyone’s free to believe what they want to believe. If you think the only possible danger is a car approaching from behind and it won’t matter if you hear it or not … hey, all the best to ya.
Since this thread and this dialog started, I went out and did a brisk little 30 mile ride on mostly rural roads and also into a nearby state park. This thread was on my mind and I paid extra attention to my surroundings. It was remarkable how much there was going on in the environment through which I was riding that I heard long before I saw (the most interesting of which was a crop-dusting plane that came blasting over the treetops directly overhead. They spray the pine forests around here with some super-fertilizer. Makes the trees grow faster. Wonder what it does to me? ). There were several deer that could easily have darted into the road. There were hunters in the woods on 4-wheelers. There was a damned pit bull … leashed, thank goodness. As I passed through the nearby town, from behind me came the thud, thud, thud of the local gangstas who passed me too close for no apparent reason except to be evil.
I also heard the birds chirping and the leaves falling and the breeze blowing and my chain whirring and the water lapping at the lake shore and the squirrels hopping through the underbrush and on and on and on.
I’m glad I’ve never felt the need to block out the sounds of the environment.
But to each their own … even if they’re wrong! 
on the other end of the spectrum, a friend of mine got into a bike accident while thinking about a book he was reading; a book about focusing on the “now”.
ahahahaha
Pearl Izumi have some great stuff as always, but these new shorts (which they’re actually making) take the cake for 'technical shorts…'They come with a Pearl Izumi mp3 player - which also Bluetooth’s to your phone…
Among the many other issues that these shorts bring up…
Doesn’t this mean that to take full advantage of the product, you’d have to plug your shorts into your computer?
“insipidly stupid” ? what does that mean?
So I bet you heard those deer that could have darted ahead of you… suuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrre. And it sounds like you were enjoying the sounds & looking everywhere EXCEPT the road in front of you. it sounds like you could have just as easily been learning how to speak Japanese on your ipod, while actually paying attention to the road ahead.