Sound matters: Jaybird's Tarah Pro is the optimal earbud for training rides. Life in general, too.
When group rides were a rich feature of daily life, music played no part in cycling. Audio came courtesy of bikes and conversation IRL, not podcasts. Now riding has taken on new forms, and earbuds, with so many solo miles, as essential as my Karoo. I rarely leave without a pair at arm’s reach.
These are the best sounding, purpose-built headphones I’ve come across, ever. Better than B&O’s and better than Air Pods. Since getting a pair last summer from Jaybird, I’ve seen them on more cyclist feeds. What makes them so unique? And why have they become the de facto choice for training since their release in 2018?
The ideal ride companion, the Tarah Pro hardware is waterproof and easily accommodates calls, volume and power adjustments in-ride.
It’s January and I’m back from a cold winter ride. The kind where the need to shower immediately supersedes all others. In my haste, I throw kit in the wash and jump into the hot running water. Ten minutes later I emerge sane again, ready to eat and thumb through Strava. Where are my earbuds? Of course they are still in my jersey. I pace for 20 minutes. The wash beeps. They are still intact and functional, only cleaner. My anxiety is unnecessary. They are completely waterproof. Packaging and real life sometimes aren’t synched. In this case, they are aligned.
There has rarely been a ride in the last 6 months where I haven’t put the Tarah Pros on just before my helmet. Nearby roads are mostly quiet; I have the luxury of riding with music and podcasts with little concern for passing motorists. The enhanced audio seems worth it. I could put together an extensive feature set why the Tarah Pros are the standard-setter for cycling; instead, lets hit the highlights:
Battery life: 14 hours. Awesome. Also, if you ever forget to charge but still want a ride soundtrack, a five minute quick-charge gives you two hours of battery life. (A better quality battery and better use of bluetooth extends use time.)
Auto-on and off with magnets: Yup magnets. If you need to pause music for any reason, the outside of the earbud is a magnet. Stick both together and the device auto-pauses; fail to reactivate in 15 minutes and the earbuds go to sleep and save battery.
Sometimes cords are better: while cordless bluetooth buds are great for working, sweat makes them rather useless for riding. Cords in this instance are key. The Tarah Pro’s are like a 5mm thick cordelette leash. You can dangle around helmet straps and around the neck on coffee stops with little concern they will fall out and go missing. The cord is also woven with reflective thread. Nice touch.
They are great for the trainer. Get them as wet as you want. Sweat and water can’t combat their awesomeness.
Like all Jaybird products, sound is easily customized on the Jaybird app. When synched, tweaking against presets or creating your own range is simple and straightforward. On fit, you can dial yours with three sizes of silicon molds that fit over the earbud, as well as with the SwitchFit feature, which enables you to wear the earbuds over or under the ear, depending on which you prefer (under is better for riding IMO).
Conclusion after six months of regular use? This is the “Q” of in-ride audio. The fit, hardware and audio reflects that. So does the price. And it is entirely worth it. Their durability is tailored to hard efforts and long days riding. And in a world of ten-thousand dollar bikes, the investment in your ears seems worth it. More on the Jaybird Tarah Pro can be found here. From CHFs 179.