Can anyone recommend a small radio/music player for bikes?
I have speakers in my helmet so all I want to do is plug into something to listen to the radio or my MP3 music whilst touring. I currently use a small portable radio tucked into my jacket pocket, but the battery life is short and reception often awful.
With all the advances in electronics surely someone has designed a small, weather-proof radio unit that plugs into the bike’s electric supply?
I’ve looked on the old internet but there only seem to be some cheap Chinese imports that look like they’ll last 5 minutes in British weather. And I’m not after an intercom system either.
Any ideas?
As a courier near a decade back I used one of these.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scala-Rider-Solo-FM-Motorcycles/dp/B000RL7RK8
I use an iPod Nano 16gb on the daily commute on the train. So plays about 3 hrs each day, gets recharged every 5-7 days.
Wouldn’t want it on the bike though.
I agree, when I am riding my bike I don’t want any distractions from the ride.
Agreed, I don’t use them anymore. However as a courier, you need travel updates and to be contactable by the controller whilst on the hoof. I recall a few times navigating central London whilst on the phone to another courier guiding them to an address in Manchester.
That is different and obviously OK.
I don’t think people should be banned from listening to music whilst riding (I am not a Socialist) just not something I would want.
I don’t think people should be banned from listening to music whilst riding (I am not a Socialist) just not something I would want.[/quote]
As far as I’m aware, there’s no Socialist policy to ban listening to music on motorbikes. In any case I’m sure that Che Guevara would have listened to some banging tunes on his famous motorcycle travels had the technology been available 
I’ve used my iPhone with a set of bike specific Bluetooth earplugs from Mercury. They are rather ‘clever’ in that you can hear the music, radio etc and still hear traffic noise. This happens whilst removing the harmful noise pollution associated with riding. The beauty of a smartphone is that you can have GPS and music running at the same time. I plug my phone into a weatherproof charger socket inside the screen.
Be interested to hear what other options are suggested and what you choose to do.
Good luck
Steve
I know you don’t want a intercom but I have a scalarider Q1 which has a built in radio with i think 6 presets ,It has 8 hours talk time and 7 days on standby the boom mike plugs into the unit so that could be unpluged so you could just use the radio function i think one head set is about £100
Thanks all for the feedback.
I can see the point about possibly being distracted by music on a bike, but how many of us listen to the radio in the car without a second thought? OK, you need to have your wits about you a bit more on two wheels, especially with so many morons on our roads now, but in the end it’s all subjective. God forbid if we all thought the same about everything all the time!
Anyway, I think I will try the Scala Rider bit of kit, as it’s not horrendously expensive and it does allow the option to use as an intercom should the need arise.
Again not telling you how to live your life but I thought car drivers listened to music to distract from the boredom of driving a car.
I will admit to doing a 350 mile overnight trip in Germany in the '80’s ans as the Sun came up behind me I could hear Beethoven,s Fifth in my mind.
My friends said that showed I was insane. My answer was that if I was hearing Wagner Valkyreries that would show insanity.
I don’t feel the need for a radio on the bike but I have been known to sing! My singing is only good for when I’m on my own but to me I sound quite good inside my flip front helmet. I’m sure I haven’t swallowed more than a couple of flies.