Best Riding Songs
Thursday April 17, 2008
So I ditched work and went on a really long ride yesterday. Out in the country, low/no traffic roads - there were times when I went for an hour and saw no cars. (In that situation, I'm cool with headphones, where I generally don't recommend it going through busier traffic.) And I was thinking, as I was flying along listening to my tunes, that it would be interesting to hear what's on people's lists of best music to ride to.
Here are six that would definitely be on my list:
- Runaround - Blues Traveler
- Right Now - Van Halen
- Keep Pushin' - REO Speedwagon
- Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil
- Fighter - Christina Aguilera
- Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty
I could ride for a really long time with those tracks going in the background. What would be on your list of best riding music? Comment below.
Comments
Best Music to Cycle by:
Wheels - Emilylou Harris
Thunder on the Mountain - Bob Dylan
Take me home country road - John Denver
Jumpin Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
Move it on over - George Thorogood
The Levee’s gona break - Bob Dylan
Let the four winds blow - Taj Mahal
Call Me the Breeze -lynyrd Skynyrd
I find the Smurf’s song of “fa la la la…..” very motivating especially on a excruciating climb.
Even though it’s a child’s song…Ride My Bike by Tom Paxton. It makes you want to jump on your bike and go and keep going.
Some current songs on my MP3 player for riding…..
-City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie
-Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
-Shambala - Three Dog Night
-It’s a Beautiful Morning - Young Rascals
-In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
-And It Stoned Me - Van Morrison
A Daisy Chain for Satan - My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. Am I Sexy? - Lords of Acid. Born to Raise Hell - Motorhead.
The one song that really goes over and over in my head while riding (headphones OR imagination) is Police on my Back by the Clash. Especially the “I been running Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Runnin Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Saturday Sunday” Part.
And the last few times I’ve gone for a ride my my ipod, it seems like AC/DC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top always comes on while I’m grinding up a big hill. Very appropriate, AND inspirational!
Classical music!
First movement of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony (”Pastorale”)
“In the Hall of the Mountain King” from the “Peer Gynt Suite” of Grieg (especially for going up hills)
First Movement of Mendelssohn’s 4th Symphony (”Italian”)
Overture to “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini
“Rondo alla Turca” from Mozart’s “Sonata in C,” K. 330 (for sprinting)
We can ride hundreds of miles on ‘closed’ trails (rails and closed roads) around our area so riding with tunes is relatively safe. I also coach Spinning and have a huge collection of ‘ridable’ songs for all types of terrain.
Some of my favorites are:
U2- Beautiful Day
Deep Purple- Burn
Blues Travelers- Runaround
Lenny Kravitz- Fly Away
Techno- Sandstorm
Spin a Wheel!
Mad Max
Spokane Washington
I use Pain by Nickleback for climbs
Firestarter by Prodigy for sprints
and Pressure by Genuine and belly when catching someone.
These 3 are on every setup I use and in a place I can find them.
I prefer listening to the birds and the sounds of nature. Listening with headphones is not wise. You don’t hear me when I pass “ON your left” and may not hear horns or other warnings.
Leave the headphones at home.
Bruce
I am thinking more along the lines of:
Static-x, Cannibal, I am not the one;
Tool, Jail house love
Anything that is heavy works for me, especially riding alone; in response to the person above, I don’t wear my music on group rides as a rule, only on solo excursions.
Best noise while I ride:Left over crack-athiest anthem; NOFX–the idiots have taken over or stickin in my eye.
Riding with headphones on a quiet road is just as dangerous as on a busy road. With little traffic, a riders’s “traffic guard” goes down and so he/she is even more likely to get an unpleasant surprise if they’re listening to music. I agree with the previous Bruce who posted in this topic…enjoy the sounds of nature as you ride. They’re fast disappearing from our world as we overdevelop our land.
Bruce
Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Ride!
Pain - Nickleback (for hills)
Next Contestant - Nickleback (catching the group)
I think if you are listening at a reasonable level things are fine. I do 4+ hour rides and it gets a bit lonely out there. I never mt. bike with them on but on long road rides its not an issue. I can hear cars fine. I have connected with cars and never while having headphones on. Next you will say I can’t run with them either.
PS Bruce, I have been passed seldom and when I do I see it coming. In the country if someone reels me in you have a couple k’s to prepare.
Foo Fighters - My Hero works for me!!
Hiss of the Tires, by Michelin Carbon
Alarm Call, by Red-Tailed Hawk
Random Chatter, by Training Partner
Whistles, by Helmet Holes
Grunts & Groans, by Yours Truly
I forgot
Hey, by Passing Friends, and
Free Jazz, by Band of Starlings
I like running w/the devil by van halen. Magic by Triumph. my bicycle from queen
Thanks so much for the suggestions. I teach reaction cycling and will check out the music for my classes. A great one by Charlie Daniels — The Devil…
Valerie
WHEELS BY RESTLESS HEART
SLOW RIDE BY FOGHAT
SEPARATE WAYS BY JOURNEY
GONNA HITCH A RIDE BY BOSTON
DUST IN THE WIND BY KANSAS
ENJOY
A few of my favs for riding are
Goin to California-Led Zeppelin
Snow (Hey oh)-Red Hot Chili Peppers
I Am the highway- Audio Slave
Read My Mind-The Killers
Running on Empty-Jackson Browne
Bittersweet Symphony-The Verve
Bravo Diana B. I second your choices but might add Morning Song to Mountain King, oh, and Wagner’s Forging of the Rainbow Bridge from his Ring Cycle. In fact just about anything from The Ring. No electronics needed.
Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine
Miss Murder by AFI
Chop Suey by System of a Down
Nothing squeezes the old adrenal for me like “Cut to the Chase” by RUSH
Call Me the Breeze-Skynyrd
All Down the Line-Stones
Keep On Chooglin’-Creedence
Fool For the City-Foghat
I Can’t Drive 55-Sammy Hagar
Whammer Jammer-J. Geils Band
You shook me all night long - AC/DC
Mama Kin - Aerosmith
Walking on Sunshine (speed)- Katrina & the Waves
Cinderella (big hill) - Walflowers
Running down a dream (speed)- Tom Petty
Rising (big hill) “The Boss”
I always ride with my ipod….turned down VERY LOW of course!! My faves are Stones, Santana Allman bros.
I am a huge music nut, but for some reason I prefer riding without. Just a little to spooky for me.
Bicycle Race - Queen - Hands down.
I am new to riding but I love a few songs to ride to
Survivor……Destiny Child
Magic Carpet Ride…Jefferson Airplane
American Woman …Lenny Kravitz
Ain’no mountain high enouth
Another day in paradise
get over it
These songs I found through hip-hop class when we would do our strength training, but I absolutely love them when I’m riding:
-Calabria - Enur ft Natasja
-Dark Beat - Louie Devito
-Sweet Caroline (Techno Remix) - Louie Devito and Angelo Venuto
As for this ear bud drama - I always ride with something in my right ear, whether it be my ipod or my cell headset. I leave my left ear clear this way I can hear when things are comming - no different than some motorists. So next time, please don’t judge.
Making it up a long climb … Survivor by Destiny Child!
Interesting question, and quite a variety of nominees.
Though I’m not one to ride in such a manner I’d like to nominate 3 songs, hee, hee. ;-D
The Bicyclist’s Song
Bad Cyclist
I Love to Get on A Bike and Go, Go, Go!
All 3 can be found here. ;-D
I agree with Trisch. I also ride with the music turned down low, and only an earbud in my right ear. I always can hear cars approaching, and can easily carry on conversation with cyclists around me (although I usually ride without music on group rides).
My essential songs? Well, there are many, but here are my current favorites:
Tickle It by Mocean Worker
Laughing by Winter Pills
Been Caught Stealing by Jane’s Addiction
Rehab by Amy Winehouse
Missing by Beck
Get Up by James Brown (especially for getting up those hills!)
I have to agree with the other Bruces as well as with Kiril and some of the others…I do NOT ride with anything in my ears except the wind. It’s too dangerous, and I might also miss things, such as bird songs. When I was street jogging, it was the same… nothing in the ears.
anyone ever hear of clip on over the ear phones. you can hear both at a reasonable level. songs I like (pushing) Jesus built my hotrod by Ministry The Race by Yellow While riding in gamelands I like music by Dead can Dance Enigma and Native American Music. Also what about using a mirror?? One more thing are you also saying that DEAF people are not allowed to enjoy riding???
I cannot believe that some of you fellow roadies have not listed Joe Satriani. I can promise you that if you will listen to:
1)Ceremony
2)Crystal Planet
3)Raspberry Jam Delta V, and
4)The Eight Steps
to name just a few, you will be buying or downloading Joe Satriani onto your MP3s. It is high energy, instrumental, awesome music that will push you harder on the road or faster on the trainers. These particular songs are on the “The Electric Joe Satriani” CD.
For some reason, what works best for me is Zeppelin IV on repeat. Even the slower songs like Stairway keep my pace going.
Fuel…. by Metallica get’s the heart pumpin !!!