Best wind noise solutions?

[AvalancheRun]

Usual suspects are Wind Blox and Cat Ears. The only downside is the look.

Is there anything else worth checking out? Different helmets, visor, etc. ?

I would consider wearing my airpods without anything playing, but that presents two other problems. They could fall out, and on windy days they seem to amplify the noise (not transparency mode).

Thanks!

 

[AvalancheRun]

Just had a thought about Wind Blox/Cat Ears. If those products expanded and hid away at the push of a button that would fix 99% of the problems with them. In case those product designers ever lurk on forums..

 

[6zfshdb]

Considering how well they work, I don't mind the look of the Cat Ears. My wife, on the other hand, dyed hers blonde to match her hair color.

 

[indianajo]

I am much more bothered by gasoline leaf blowers used close to the road, pavement breakers and ambulance/police/fire truck sirens. Those go over 120 db and can damage hearing. I use these EAR brand earplugs with a lanyard so when they fall out they don't hit the pavement: https://www.mcmaster.com/54315T27
The allegedly more deadening (35 db) bullet and flared bullet models are slick and pop out of my oily ears more often. Europeans Africans & Orientals don't usually have skin that oily.
If the wind is gusty and over 30 mph I don't ride anyway. That can blow me over. I average 9 mph and only peak at 25 mph on occasional steep downhill runs.

 

[dodgeman]

Not great advice but I forgot my helmet one day. I ALWAYS wear my helmet so turned around and got it but I rode a couple of miles without it. It was much quieter without it so I assume the wind noise is coming from the helmet and straps. The cat whiskers would seem like they’d help but I’ve never tried them.

 

[AvalancheRun]

Yeah, at wind noise speeds I always wear a helmet. That said, I came across this interesting video the other day "Why Don't the Dutch Wear Helmets?"

Might just make my own product which would be a "deadcat" style faux fur piece with velcro. I'll call it Dog Ears.

 

[sc00ter]

AvalancheRun, I think I have a set of cat ears for noise reduction on helmets. I'll try and post a picture. If I still have them you can have 'em. I didn't notice any change in wind noise. But let me see if I still have them and I'll post a picture tonight.

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

id be interested in a wind noise solution too that doesn't go on the helmet-maybe attaches to sunglasses somehow? thats one thing that surprised me at the ebike since im going much faster a little more wind whipping noise in my ears, sometimes ill slow down a bit and it goes away, and some days it seems to bother me and some days it doesn't bother me at all

 

[Sparky731]

Have you tried regular safety earplugs? Flesh colored are available. They don’t cancel all noise, just deaden high frequencies and amplitudes.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Usual suspects are Wind Blox and Cat Ears. The only downside is the look.

Is there anything else worth checking out? Different helmets, visor, etc. ?

I would consider wearing my airpods without anything playing, but that presents two other problems. They could fall out, and on windy days they seem to amplify the noise (not transparency mode).

Thanks!

Curious, why is wind noise such an issue for you? Not challenging you on it, just don't understand.

If there are products like these, you're clearly not the only one it bothers. And it must bother people willing to be seen in Cat Ears a lot.

Personally, I've never paid much attention to wind noise other than as a very crude headwind/tailwind indicator. Just part of being out on a bike for me — definitely not intrusive enough to spend money suppressing it.

But maybe I'm too slow (usually under 20 mph), or it's not windy enough to be a problem here. Would supression make it easier to carry on conversations on rides?

 

[AHicks]

I don't use them either Jeremy, and like you, my thinking is I'm generally not going fast enough to even consider the noise an issue. FWIW, -Al

 

[None]

I wear foam earplugs on my motorcycle, in the subway, on buses, in movies or most noisy environment.. but rarely when I'm cycling.

Maybe I don't ride fast enough for the wind noise to bother me; but I am a musician and I make an effort to protect my hearing.

Disposable foam earplugs are effective and cheap.. have a box of 500 pair in my garage most of the time and just have them available just about everywhere I go.

 

[AvalancheRun]

Curious, why is wind noise such an issue for you? Not challenging you on it, just don't understand.

If there are products like these, you're clearly not the only one it bothers. And it must bother people willing to be seen in Cat Ears a lot.

Personally, I've never paid much attention to wind noise other than as a very crude headwind/tailwind indicator. Just part of being out on a bike for me — definitely not intrusive enough to spend money suppressing it.

But maybe I'm too slow (usually under 20 mph), or it's not windy enough to be a problem here. Would supression make it easier to carry on conversations on rides?

I work in sound, my ears are everything to me.

I do feel a bit of wind rush above 15 mph.

 

[Sparky731]

Try searching Google for bicycle wind noise — much discussion, many products.
Some audiologists claim wind noise to be a contributing factor to hearing loss.

 

[AHicks]

I work in sound, my ears are everything to me.

I do feel a bit of wind rush above 15 mph.

That makes perfect sense to me.
I think a lot of us though, don't see 15mph often.

Bottom line, my thought is if you feel the need, go for it. Don't just assume though, that you can't be cool without them....

 

[m@Robertson]

I tried Cat Ears out of curiosity more than anything else. I didn't think they did much. As @Jeremy McCreary and @AHicks opined, I don't consider wind noise to be much of an issue. Part of the riding experience and things like earplugs are dangerous regardless of whether they still let some sound in. You need unobstructed hearing to know when you are about to get run over, or for the time you forget to look behind you when you merge into traffic. I can hear the low whoosh of air being pushed aside en masse as a bus approaches me.

If warmth is the issue, I wear a very thin beanie under my helmet when its cooler and my ears go under the thin fabric.

Amazon.com

 

[EMGX]

FWIW and YMMV. I used the Cat Ears and agree that they don't help that much, I wouldn't bother with them for riding at speeds less than 20mph unless riding into wind. They are of more benefit at higher speeds. I bought them due to wind noise at 30-40mph - I don't ride at those speeds very willingly but every ride from where I live entails sections of long steep downhill. Even then the benefit is positional, I often have to turn my head a bit for noise attenuation. Personally, I wouldn't ride a bicycle with ear plugs in any case but especially since buying a Varia radar - being able to hear the warning beep is important to me when cars approaching.

Cat Ears are just a short section of cheap looking faux fur and velcro that wrap around helmet straps, they look like something you would buy at a dollar store. I probably could have scrounged around the house for materials and made a pair myself in a few minutes.

 

[Sparky731]

I tried Cat Ears out of curiosity more than anything else. I didn't think they did much. As @Jeremy McCreary and @AHicks opined, I don't consider wind noise to be much of an issue. Part of the riding experience and things like earplugs are dangerous regardless of whether they still let some sound in. You need unobstructed hearing to know when you are about to get run over, or for the time you forget to look behind you when you merge into traffic. I can hear the low whoosh of air being pushed aside en masse as a bus approaches me.

If warmth is the issue, I wear a very thin beanie under my helmet when its cooler and my ears go under the thin fabric.

Amazon.com

I am no fan of Cat Ears. Tried and discarded.

Agree! I am a big fan of a skull cap pulled down over the ears and/or bacalava — totally negates wind noise, but find that type of ear covering a bit too warm in the summer.

 

[sc00ter]

Ok Avalanche, if you want them PM me a shipping address:

 

[chunk]

I hate noise, especially wind noise, I haven't noticed it to be much of a problem on the bicycle, but on my motorcycles it is at hearing damaging levels, even with a full face helmet on. I have been using 3M yellow foam ear plugs for 40+ years. They're cheap and can be reused until they quit expanding and then toss them and grab a new pair. A box of 30 lasts a long time. They just attenuate the shrill noises and you can still hear cars, horns, emergency vehicles, even conversations are still able to be heard. I don't like the distraction of music in my ears and this works for me.