grantelmwood

Went for a ride with the wife.
She said the wind caused discomfort in her ears.
It's NOT about noise, but wind in ears hurts and aches
Is this a thing?

dedhed

https://www.cat-ears.com/

rsbob 

It indeed is a thing. Some people have sensitivity to wind and noise. Cat ears are good but may not be enough. You want noise attenuating earplugs. https://www.amazon.com/noise-reducti...tion+ear+plugs

indyfabz

Get some original material, would ya’?

SoCaled 

Not sure if this is the same, I have sometimes this problem when wind is cool, I won't say cold, I am in SoCal. I have some underlying sinus/ear issues that contribute, but there are times when I am riding with a longsleeve and windbreaker and no hat and my ears hurt, put on a hat and it goes away, sensitive ears I guess. The temps I am talking about did not bother anyone else on the ride. I am also doing coastal rides so it may be cool & damp air?

those noise reducers above are super interesting, I like that seem to have some science to back it up?

phughes

Yes, and wind noise can cause hearing loss. There are some ear plugs, and I have a pair, that are designed to cut the wind noise, but allow you to still hear other sounds. I use them on the motorcycle. They are custom molded and I got them from my ear doctor.

grantelmwood

What exactly is this?
A strap that blocks air flow?
Does it extend beyond the surface of the cheeks?
Is that how it works?

bikelif3

Side note:

To get the most sound blockage from your foam ear plugs, read the instructions, straighten your ear canal before inserting and allow foam ear plugs to expand. A properly installed foam ear plug should not extend far beyond your antihelix.

veganbikes

You didn't visit the link did you?

You probably won't visit this page but it explains how they work:
https://www.cat-ears.com/how-they-work

VegasJen

I wear ear buds for this reason. I know, I know, blah, blah, blah. I keep my volume down to a reasonable level, but I also have ear discomfort from the wind, especially at speeds greater than ~20mph.

rsbob 

My wife and I both have Cat Ears and they work well at low velocities ( less than 20 MPH). The wind noise is not completely extinguished but significantly muffled.

wolfchild

Wearing ear plugs or ear buds is a safety hazard.

grantelmwood

Didn't see that link on the website
Very helpful, I will order a pair

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0...7eb4e3~mv2.gif

veganbikes

dedhed 's entire post was a link to their website and it says how they work right at the top. I would think you would have to ignore their link to avoid it

Broctoon

My wife is the same way. She always rides with her AirPods in. She may or may not have some music playing, but she always wants them, to keep wind out.

big john

I use a thin stretchy skull cap in cooler weather. Sometimes when it's freezing I add a hooded nylon windbreaker for descents.
A lady I ride with uses cotton balls in her ears.

Camilo

When riding alone, I use ear bud type noise cancelling headphones to listen to music at low volume. They reduce wind noise quite a bit and actually help me hear traffic. (note I said low volume). I tried Cat ears and they didn't do anything for me. I gave them to a friend who uses hearing aids, and he loves them and uses them all the time.

Lambkin55

Try Ear Mitts
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...AC_UL1500_.jpg

MattTheHat 

Yes earplugs are a thing. Mine play music...reduced boredom.

Calsun

For nearly all my adult life my ears have been sensitive to the cold as a result of ear infections as a child and later as a homeless student attending university. My solution has been to use cotton balls to plug my ears. The cotton provides complete relief and does not affect my ability to hear anything.

I take the cotton from pill containers and save it at the house and keep a stash in my bicycling eyeglass case and in my truck.

Camilo

Interesting, thanks. What are they called? The linked image doesn't name them.

They look quite a bit like something similar I tried a few years ago which, IIRC, were somehow attached to the helmet straps. While they worked, were too warm and bothered me for other reasons, like fussiness in putting on the helmet. The ear buds are good for me, I also have XC skiing ear muffs - minimal muffs attached to each other by a minimal band going over the head. They're made to cover the ears if one is wearing a "racing" XC hat that doesn't really cover the ears well. Don't like it for skiing, don't like it for riding either.

wolfchild

Reduced boredom ???..you mean cycling is boring ?

urbanknight

I can see why you would say that, but if you get attenuated ones as rsbob suggested, you can still hear everything, just a little bit softer. If it really does cut it down too much (unlikely since most of these plugs are only rated at about 15db), you just have to make yourself more aware of your surroundings just like deaf people do.

I don't wear them while riding, but wouldn't hesitate to do so if I was experiencing discomfort. If I can pick out an out-of-tune sax from within a 50 piece band, I can probably pick out a siren or horn or any other pertinent sound.

ThermionicScott 

I'm a big fan of the Loop Engage model.

MattTheHat 

Such has been suggested in another thread.