Author Topic: Wind noise in ears  (Read 42213 times)

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Offline spudslug

Wind noise in ears
« on: June 10, 2009, 01:52:11 pm »
HELP! This may seem trivial but it is a big deal to me, especially now that I am planning a tour...

Anyone found a way to reduce wind noise while riding? I wear a lightweight Pearl Izumi headband over my ears which blocks the wind but doesn't reduce wind noise. I've tried two kinds of headbands: a regular one and the kind with small cutouts to slip the arms of my sunglasses through. The second kind is warmer in cold weather but not quieter. The noise becomes very tiring after many hours in the saddle. Ear plugs would probably help but that doesn't seem like a safe solution, even on roads with light traffic. I know they become irritating when used day after day, even when using a new clean pair each day because I have done that for many years on my motorcycle.

Is there some kind of ear muff that would help? Or something to attach to helmet straps? Has anyone tried the ski-type muffs with elastic (no headband) that go around each ear?

I would love to just hear the birds singing and the hum of my tires while riding.

Offline staehpj1

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2009, 02:33:36 pm »
Don't know how well they work, but maybe something like shown in this picture?

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/pic/?o=3Tzut&pic_id=194457&v=HI&size=large

She wore them on the TA and while I never asked her about them, I assume she liked them.  You could probably get her to weigh in if you click the "Contact" link on her page.

Offline whittierider

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2009, 02:51:33 pm »
She appears to have this: http://www.slipstreamz.com/content.asp?subID=8
There's also this: http://www.slipstreamz.com/content.asp?subID=9
I have not tried either one.  If you try one, let us know.  I'm interested.

Offline spudslug

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2009, 04:23:49 pm »
Fantastic! Thanks for the replies. I'm going to order both since the prices are reasonable.

Offline bogiesan

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2009, 11:39:45 pm »
Interesting doodads but just another weird piece of furniture I can lose.
I always carry several pairs of earplugs on tour for wind and highway noise and snoring campmates. With my dual mirrors, I have no safety concerns wearing the plugs. Heck, I know a cyclist who is profoundly deaf. She rides long distances without any worries about hearing much of anything. she wears fake iPod earbuds just to upset club organizers who have "No Earphone!" policies.

david boise ID
I play go. I use Macintosh. Of course I ride a recumbent

Offline spudslug

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2009, 01:17:18 am »
I decided to order only "The Slip" because of the earphone capability and sun protection. It hasn't arrived yet, but "The Slipstream" wind deflector concept got me thinking.

Today I created low-tech, no-budget wind deflectors by wrapping a piece of fleece around each front helmet strap and safety pinning them in place. They reduced the wind noise substantially and since they are soft, they didn't bother me and I didn't need a headband. I wish I would have thought of that years ago. Probably looks ridiculous but that's a small price to pay for the big increase in hearing comfort and riding enjoyment.

Offline spudslug

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2009, 12:57:06 am »
"The Slip" arrived. First impression is that it is not very sturdy. It has tiny plastic snaps, thin fabric, thin straps and tiny cords. Earbuds do not just slip in. You have to take it partly apart to put them in. Not difficult but not super quick. I'll have to be more gentle with my helmet to not tear the fabric or tangle the cords.

I gave it a full day test run. It cut the annoying level of wind noise down to a tolerable level, especially on fast descents. It is comfortable enough and didn't bother me. Better than nothing and certainly better than a headband especially on a hot day. So I give it a thumbs up although the design could use some improvement.

Offline Dagge

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2011, 10:10:41 am »
wind noise in the ears / bicycle
Hi Hope!
There will be a product on the European market bonded card reduserar wind noise by 20dB. Read more at their website where you will be able to order it im a few weeks.
www.windfree.se
Lyssna

Hello!
Now I bought a pair Windfree.och they work really well.
I sound hypersensitive, so for me so it was very good to avoid the constant wind. I'm not as tired in the head after a bike ride.
And I hear the traffic better.
www.windfree.com

She wore them on the TA and while I never asked her about them, I assume she liked them.  You could probably get her to weigh in if you click the "Contact" link on her page.
[/quote]
Hi Hope!
There will be a product on the European market bonded card reduserar wind noise by 20dB. Read more at their website where you will be able to order it im a few weeks.
www.windfree.se
« Last Edit: June 11, 2012, 05:20:22 pm by Dagge »

Offline DaveB

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2011, 12:01:21 pm »
Heck, I know a cyclist who is profoundly deaf. She rides long distances without any worries about hearing much of anything. she wears fake iPod earbuds just to upset club organizers who have "No Earphone!" policies.

david boise ID
That's not a fair comparison.  Since she is profoundly deaf she has learned to compensate for her lack of hearing by using her other senses at all times, not just when riding.  Those of us who hear normally haven't developed those skills. 

Offline Tandem4Rider

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2011, 07:45:07 am »
Actually DaveB, you have developed those skills.  If you are riding along and desire to make a left turn, but but you hear an approaching car - you wait.  It would be foolhardy to make that left, though, only relying on your ears to let you know it is clear.  You would look - thus your eyes would compensate for info your ears are receiving.  Those of us who are hard of hearing or deaf just rely on vision to provide all that data.  I can promise you, the senses of taste, smell and feeling don't enter that equation, well, I hope not!  ;D

Offline DaveB

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2011, 09:49:04 am »
Actually DaveB, you have developed those skills.  If you are riding along and desire to make a left turn, but but you hear an approaching car - you wait.  It would be foolhardy to make that left, though, only relying on your ears to let you know it is clear.  You would look - thus your eyes would compensate for info your ears are receiving.  Those of us who are hard of hearing or deaf just rely on vision to provide all that data.  I can promise you, the senses of taste, smell and feeling don't enter that equation, well, I hope not!  ;D
Sure, you should confirm visually what you hear first but hearing has provided an "early warning" that the deaf/hard-of-hearing lack.  They have learned (and are required) to rely strictly on vision must always look before doing anything. 

Those in the hearing world can take advantage of two senses.   If I hear something I'm certain it's there.  If I hear nothing, I'm not certain that nothing is there and I'm sure to look first.

I certainly didn't expect you to taste the oncomming traffic but I think at times you can smell it!

 

Offline spudslug

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2011, 11:37:36 am »
Here's an update after 2 years use of The Slip:

They have held up fine during lots of use including mountain biking and multiple road tours. I have a neoprene/velcro armband that holds my Ipod. It fits perfectly through the vents on the back of my helmet. I wrapped the armband through the helmet so the Ipod is held against the outside back of the helmet. I tied the Ipod and earphone cords into the helmet harness with twist ties. So, the Ipod, earphones and cords stay on the helmet. There are no cords dangling and I don't have to disconnect anything until I need to recharge the Ipod.

The Slip holds the earphones away from my ear but still blocks the wind so I am able to listen to music at low levels and still hear traffic. The only problem is I wear an extra small helmet so there isn't a lot of helmet strap length to work with. I can't get The Slip and earphones positioned perfectly. I had to trim off some of foam in The Slip. It also makes wearing sunglasses uncomfortable after time. But that's the price until something better comes along. I looked at the Swedish ear covers. There is no way to attach earphones to them.

One drawback of The Slip and earphones: since it is time consuming and takes a lot of adjusting to get them positioned right, it is a hassle to remove them to clean my helmet straps.

Offline bogiesan

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2011, 09:01:06 pm »
Spud, thanks for returning with the update, hardly anyone ever does that.

Keep the rubber side down!

David boise id
I play go. I use Macintosh. Of course I ride a recumbent

Offline Dagge

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2012, 05:24:26 pm »
http://www.windfree.se/en/media/reviews/cykling-plus
Avoid wind noise with Windfree
The human ear is not constructed to deal with speeds higher than 15-20 km/h. This is about the top speed that the human body can move without using a vehicle of some sort. But these days we can move much more quickly, especially on a bicycle. The ear is constructed to be able to gather as much sound as possible, but unfortunately this also means that the ear is also exposed to wind noise when we move faster than about 10 km/h. This is something that the company Windfree has latched onto, and they have developed simple wind protection that you put over your ears almost like earphones.

The wind protection has a plastic frame that goes around the neck without being uncomfortable under your bicycle helmet. The actual ear-covers are made of foam very much like thin foam rubber. The editors first impression of the product was that it was unnecessary and that one looked a little silly with a pair of earmuffs over the ears. But I realised almost immediately during the first bicycle tour what a great product this was. Suddenly, I could hear the exhilarating sound of the tires spinning against the asphalt, and the faint whir of the chain. I could hear when a car approached from behind and best of all - what my companions who were bicycling with me were saying. What is ingenious about this product as compared to earplugs is that it only removes wind noise. You hear all other sounds just as you normally would but without the wind noise. This makes my bicycle riding safer, more fun and more comfortable.

Since Windfree protects the ears from the wind, it also minimises its chilling effects. Windfree can be purchased directly from the manufacture on their website, and also in well-stocked sports shops for about 395 kr.

published in Svenska Cykling Plus, Winter 2012Hello!
Now I bought a pair Windfree.och they work really well.
I sound hypersensitive, so for me so it was very good to avoid the constant wind. I'm not as tired in the head after a bike ride.
And I hear the traffic better.

Here's an update after 2 years use of The Slip:

They have held up fine during lots of use including mountain biking and multiple road tours. I have a neoprene/velcro armband that holds my Ipod. It fits perfectly through the vents on the back of my helmet. I wrapped the armband through the helmet so the Ipod is held against the outside back of the helmet. I tied the Ipod and earphone cords into the helmet harness with twist ties. So, the Ipod, earphones and cords stay on the helmet. There are no cords dangling and I don't have to disconnect anything until I need to recharge the Ipod.

The Slip holds the earphones away from my ear but still blocks the wind so I am able to listen to music at low levels and still hear traffic. The only problem is I wear an extra small helmet so there isn't a lot of helmet strap length to work with. I can't get The Slip and earphones positioned perfectly. I had to trim off some of foam in The Slip. It also makes wearing sunglasses uncomfortable after time. But that's the price until something better comes along. I looked at the Swedish ear covers. There is no way to attach earphones to them.

One drawback of The Slip and earphones: since it is time consuming and takes a lot of adjusting to get them positioned right, it is a hassle to remove them to clean my helmet straps.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2013, 06:04:25 pm by Dagge »

Offline Dagge

Re: Wind noise in ears
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2013, 08:05:29 am »
Hi, I know that this answer coming very late, but I saw this while looking at old converations regardning wind noise. I have now tried the Windfree for ower one year and Im so happy that i decided to buy one. No headache, no tiredness, can speak with my friends while cykling and above all, I no longer need to have max volume in my headphones while listening to my favorite music.  :)     Have actually order one more at www.windfree.com to give as a christmasgift to my cykling buddy.
   
« Last Edit: August 19, 2014, 05:51:17 pm by Dagge »