Originally Posted by
DrIsotope
I think it's more likely that the faster I go, the less able I am to hear anything. Wind noise is generally measured as 85DbA @ 15mph, but wind noise doubles with a 50% increase in speed, so I'm dealing with ~88DbA @ 22mph.
Cars and trucks are in the 75-85DbA range, so they're simply quieter than the wind. I can't hear the cars because I can only hear the wind. Which is exactly what I've been saying the entire time.
Frequency differences matter, so this isn't as neat a relationship as that.
I can very distinctly hear car tire noise while riding at 23 mph. I tested that again just last evening. It's at a very different frequency than the wind noise.
What's hilarious about this topic is we all have different strategies based on our riding habits, environment and perceptual strengths/weaknesses, and this always degenerates into people trying to prove that their's is the only rational way.
BTW, because of reaction times, an additional second of warning is actually quite valuable.