Like many people I commute to work on a bicycle. One of my biggest problems, besides dodging inattentive drivers, is being able to listen to music while still being able to hear traffic around you. I'm pretty much stuck with one option and only one option. A Bluetooth speaker.

Bone conduction technology has been around for a while, even before Beethoven pressed his ear against a piano and clasped a rod in his teeth to hear his compositions. But AfterShokz is bringing it mainstream to the active community with the new Trekz Titanium (MSRP $130) wireless headset.

Bone conduction technology has been around for a while, even before Beethoven pressed his ear against a piano and clasped a rod in his teeth to hear his compositions. But AfterShokz is bringing it mainstream to the active community with the new Trekz Titanium (MSRP $130) wireless headset.

If you need your ears free or if you suffer from Tinnitus, these are a great choice for listening to audio.

Keep ears free while listening to audio; Good microphone; Sweat-proof

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Cycling while wearing headphones isn't advised. Yet everyday, in the city especially, chances are you'll encounter at least a few cyclists wearing either in-ears or over-ear cans in place of a helmet. Road safety be damned.

Bone conduction works well; Great level of situational awareness; Reasonable battery life

Slightly uncomfortable after prolonged used; Sound leakage; Lacklustre sound quality

The Aftershokz Trekz Titanium open ear wireless bone conduction headphones are my first foray into open-ear headphones, so I'll put it out there that I may be missing some portion of the note points to research, but this has been my experience with them.

Weathering both salty sweat and the daily gym-bag battering, Trekz Titaniums are perfect for fitness.

Fast recharge time; Quick; easy equalizer; Great volume range; Sweat-proof fit; Tough construction

Tight on larger heads; Difficult to wear with gear; No previous track command

Truth be told, I haven't reviewed a bone-conduction headphone for several years. The reason for that was the early models I tested from AfterShokz sounded so bad it was hard to recommend them to anyone.

The AfterShokz Trekz Air is a slimmed down bone-conduction headphone that offers improved sound and is very comfortable to wear, leaving your ears open to hear the outside world; It works well as a headset for making cell-phone call and comes with a nice carrying pouch

While the sound quality is improved; it's still not as good as what you'd get from a comparably priced "traditional" headphone

Do you exercise or commute in magnificent isolation? Blocking-out ambient noise is the best way to immerse yourself in your music. If you're working out in a gym then that's all fine, but if you're out on a run in an urban environment, or commuting through busy streets and stations, you do actually...

Exacting design; Comfortable & stable fit; Flexible & lightweight; Helps situational awareness

Low volume; Ear 'tickle; Sound quality is lacking; Short battery life

Retailing for $130 (as low as $110 HERE ), the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium are more expensive than your basic wireless headphones, but they justify the price with performance and safety. I found them to be superior during a workout because they stay in place comfortably no matter what I'm doing.