Doogle

My hearing is not very good.I am probably getting close to needing hearing aides.Past due according to my wife.When riding a motorcycle,I wear ear plugs,helmet,and windshield.When riding completely open,the wind flaps my ears and creates a lot of noise.I can actually hear better with the ear plugs and helmet on.

Well,to protect what I have left,I am looking for something to shield my ears from the wind.I haven't seen anything online.I am making something that looks like dog ears,but seems to help.I'd like something store bought,if it's out there.Does anyone else have this problem?

Bianchigirll 

What??

labrat

On the motorcycle at highway speeds I do wear earplugs and yes, it drops the overall din of wind noise etc to the point where it is much easier to hear where cars and other hazards are located. Without earplugs, most people will find that their ears will be ringing after a couple hours at highway speeds on a motorcycle. I started with the above two sentences since this is a BICYCLE forum and many may not know what kind of wind noise the typical motorcyclist experiences.

On the bicycle I've never had a problem with excess noise. I can ride next to another rider and have a conversation without raising my voice. Yes you can get some wind noise but there's never been enough to cause me any concern. While there may be some, I don't know of anyone using hearing protection on a bicycle.

jeepseahawk

Your ears flap in the wind? Need a photo of ears for a good answer to the question.

JanMM

"Does anyone else have this problem?"

JanMM

On a more serious note..............noise-attenuating plugs could be worth a try.

hueyhoolihan

i like it real quiet when i ride, so i've often thought of how i could keep the noise down too.

i might consider putting in my earplugs one of these days... when i simply reverse cup my hands in front of them, it's real quiet. maybe just a little adhesive tape and/or cotton. it wouldn't take much.

Digital_Cowboy

It depends on the road, but yes I do. But I would recommend checking with your state law(s) to see if it's allowed or not.

BarracksSi

I've tried it, and yes, it's very peaceful compared to riding without. I've also used isolating earbuds and been able to listen to podcasts even with the volume turned way down.

I don't rely on my ears for my safety. Not even without anything in them -- which is most of the time anyway. There are too many noises that can mask actual danger.

Wind noise is louder than people think, too. You can carry on a conversation with someone next to you, but notice that you have to speak up quite a bit just to hear each other. If you are standing around and some people ride past while they're talking to each other, I'll bet it sounds like they're almost yelling. It's enough noise that you have to talk like you're in a bar or a loud restaurant.

I was going to suggest some particular earplugs (Etymotic has some that I like), but since you mentioned something to cover your ears instead, here's what comes to mind:
https://www.slipstreamz.com/content.asp?subID=8

I met a rider who was wearing these, and he loved them. He said that he can hear everything better than if he didn't have them on.

BarracksSi

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that those Slipstreamz would not get you into legal trouble if you had an accident.

Northwestrider

Have you tried a headband, I'd think that would help quite a bit

jmccain

I sometimes use musician's earplugs when I feel my ears are fatigued. They work well.

Looigi

Which earbuds are you using? All the ones I've tried only make wind-noise worse...including those that seal the ear canal.

I've got the slipstreamz slips and spoliers and find they make very little difference in wind noise, to the point of not being worth using.

BarracksSi

The last time I used any, they were Shure earbuds. I think they're discontinued, but the rubber part looks the same as what's in their current lineup. I may have also used my Etymotics, and probably with the foam plugs, too.

Bianchigirll 

I am sorry I put that quick quip up and intended to come back but got busy. back in the late '80s or early '90s there was a company that tried to market something like this. It was a small plastic shell looking thing that attached to your helmet straps. I am not sure if it ever went anywhere though. It does sound like a good idea though.

I do think these days more people are doing damage to their ears from their Ipod than the wind woooshing past

Doogle

My ears are quite normal sized.At least nobody has ever said anything about them.

I agree,most people have no idea how much noise they are exposing themselves to.After hear loss and 20+ years of constant tinnitus,you take things more seriously.

This hearing protector looks interesting.I'll research a little for more info.Thanks.

I have tried a cap that covered my ears.It didn't seem to help much.And the "one size fits all" hurt my ears too much to wear long.

I didn't word my original thread very well.Looking back it does look like I was talking about motorcycling noise.I was just using that as a reference and comparison.I have the same issue on a bicycle.My only relief is turning my head sideways so the wind goes straight into my ear.Recently I was putting a couple fingers in front of my ear seeing how I might reduce the noise.The fabric flaps I made sure look odd.But at my age,I'm not too concerned about that.I'm planning to do a 120 mile camping ride this week end.And it will be into 10-20 mph winds-30 mph gusts.It should be a good test.But I'm going to check out the SlipStreamz too.

Doogle

My ears are quite normal sized.At least nobody has ever said anything about them.

I agree,most people have no idea how much noise they are exposing themselves to.After hear loss and 20+ years of constant tinnitus,you take things more seriously.

This hearing protector looks interesting.I'll research a little for more info.Thanks.

I have tried a cap that covered my ears.It didn't seem to help much.And the "one size fits all" hurt my ears too much to wear long.

I didn't word my original thread very well.Looking back it does look like I was talking about motorcycling noise.I was just using that as a reference and comparison.I have the same issue on a bicycle.My only relief is turning my head sideways so the wind goes straight into my ear.Recently I was putting a couple fingers in front of my ear seeing how I might reduce the noise.The fabric flaps I made sure look odd.But at my age,I'm not too concerned about that.I'm planning to do a 120 mile camping ride this week end.And it will be into 10-20 mph winds-30 mph gusts.It should be a good test.But I'm going to check out the SlipStreamz too.

Camilo

I have a set of slipstreamz - I don't know which one, the big "flap" type, not the smaller model that slips over the helmet strap. I really didn't think they did anything, plus, they were very "fussy" to use, imho. Maybe I had them adjusted wrong, but if so, that would make them even more fussy because I did put some effort into following the directions. Not worth it imho.

I think wind noise is a lot more of a problem than people think. I use ear plug type head phones and listen to music and/or podcasts, at a fairly low volume. They also block a lot of the tire/traffic noise on the busier highways. I find it makes my ride much more peaceful and the way I use them, I don't believe it reduces my ability to be aware of my surroundings. But I don't become clueless or less vigilant just because I'm using these.

Nightshade

Pardon me but what's wrong with using the same earplugs that you ride your motorcycle with?? Play around with how tight you pack them in to see what's best for bicycle hearing.

no motor?

I've used the same earplugs that I used to use while riding my motorcycle (I used a full face helmet with a windshield) on my bicycle, and they work fine.

Doogle

I like to listen to music while riding too.But the wind on my ears creates quite a distraction.


Here again,if I wear ear plugs,noise is reduced.But the wind over my ears still transfers noise through.

jputnam

I'd second that. I use a Pearl Izumi barrier headband that completely covers my ears, and it makes a huge difference in wind noise by smoothing flow around my head. I picked PI for sizing, they make one large enough for my thick skull.

ottawa_adam

Have you sought medical help to see to your hearing issues? Perhaps a doctor could refer you to hearing safety specialists?

Champlaincycler

I'm an older woodworker who is sensitive to noise. Maybe it's that I ride quiet roads, but I'm very rarely bothered by road noise when cycling. But, I've had a small puncture in my eardrum for 3 + years (getting fixed soon) and that ear can be sensitive to wind. I just put a cotton ball in it. Its my left ear so I want to hear cars coming from behind and I'm hesitant to use anything that would block sound more. The cotton ball stops wind from entering the ear canal but only minimally prevents noise from doing so. Its a simple solution for me but we're not all the same. Good luck.

Doogle

I ordered another cap that should cover my ears.I made some ears shields last week.I wore them this last weekend-about 100 miles.They helped,but not what I was hoping for.