What Comes in Second and Third after the i-RIDE Pro MP3 Speaker?

If the Active Tunes i-RIDE Pro is the best MP3 speaker I’ve found so far, who else makes it to the podium? Here is the r How To Get Ex Boyfriend Back eview of the Byco WRX1 and the older Active Tunes i-RIDE Classic

Second Place Byco WRX1 may not be available

Byco WRX1 stereo speakers

I don’t know if you can find my previous favorite anywhere. It didn’t show up on Amazon and all of the Google searches were dead ends.

The Byco WRX1 was a waterproof amplifier that was designed for the old style stereo players, but the cool thing was that it came with two small yellow speakers that were designed to fit in your bar ends. (Click on the picture to make it bigger.)

Byco WRX1 speaker mounted on CamelbakI never used the amplifier and I thought the barend mounting idea was a kluge, but I used the speakers (one at a time) in a small cellphone case strapped to my CamelBak, much like I’m using the i-RIDE Pro.

I liked the Byco speakers because they were small, waterproof and didn’t take batteries. They weren’t the loudest things in the world, but they were OK under your ear.

Active Tunes i-RIDE Classic

The i-RIDE Classic, the predecessor to the i-RIDE Pro, wasn’t bad for the $29.99 price.

On the plus side, it used replaceable AAA batteries, so you never had to worry about running out of juice on a long ride if you carried spares. I did a LONG, slow, headwind-plagued century one day and I was afraid I was going to die before the batteries did.

Active Tunes I-RIDE Classic with its Mickey Mouse earsThe only thing I didn’t like was the way it looked and the way it mounted. The funky handlebar mount DID work, but it looked like something I’d design (and that’s not a good thing).

The first version came in a blaring white and looked like a pair of Mickey Mouse Ears flopping around. Their second generation came in gray, which was a little less objectionable.

I gave a set to Kid Matt and he loved them for playing podcasts on his bike. He said they also made great shower speakers.

MP3 player video shoot-out

You can listen to all of the speakers here, including on the road.

More MP3 speakers reviewed tomorrow

Check back tomorrow for a look at two more speakers, the SanDisk Shaker and the Boostaroo.

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5 Replies to “What Comes in Second and Third after the i-RIDE Pro MP3 Speaker?”

  1. Mr. Spokesrider, sir,

    That’s my OLD bike. My Surly LHT has two stems to hold all my toys.

    The 747 may have a GPS and speed dofus like my bike, but do they have a brass bell and an AirZound?

    OK, they’ve got this nifty thing that pulls the wheels up, but can they bunny hop? (Now that I think back on some landings, I think they might TRY it from time to time.)

  2. Wish I could find a set of those BYCO speakers. I’ve been looking for a year or so, but have yet to see any come up on eBay. I’ve got a recumbent trike and the seat has opening that should work perfect as opposed to bar ends. Well, I’ll keep looking.

  3. Tim,

    One of the readers asked if I could do a sound comparison of the different speakers, so I had them all out again this afternoon.

    The BYCO did a good job if you can keep it fairly close to your ear. (I used it without the amp.)

    Son Matt came looking for his I-RIDE Classic back. He said he didn’t realize how much he used it: in the shower, when working in the kitchen, in addition to on the bike.

    Me? I’m still partial to the I-RIDE Pro.

  4. Yeah, the back of my seat is right up by my ear and is made of tubing, so it has holes about the same size as bar ends. So mounting there would place the speakers right below my ears. I’m really looking for something waterproof, as I have frequently been caught in the rain on my commute, and I don’t want to have to think about rushing to get anything covered. But good to know that if I can ever find a set available, they work fairly well.

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