Ear protection from wind

kingrollo
kingrollo Posts: 3,198
edited December 2017 in Training, fitness and health
A few weeks ago I did a 60 mile run when it was very windy.
I came home with a ringing in my ears and my ability to hear reduced. Been to doctors and had one ear syringed and will get other done next week. My hearing does slowly seem to be recovering.

Obviously though I want to protect my ears when cycling - I like to be able hear tragic so would bit a bit wary of ear plugs. I ordered a windrush headband which was good but far to bulky....

Any suggestions for ear protection ?

Comments

  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    yes .. they look rediculous but you can get "sideburns" for your helmet that fix to the straps ... they look stupid and work !
  • robertpb
    robertpb Posts: 1,866
    Neck tube, has a multitude of uses.
    Now where's that "Get Out of Crash Free Card"
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    kingrollo wrote:
    A few weeks ago I did a 60 mile run when it was very windy.
    I came home with a ringing in my ears and my ability to hear reduced. Been to doctors and had one ear syringed and will get other done next week. My hearing does slowly seem to be recovering.

    Obviously though I want to protect my ears when cycling - I like to be able hear tragic so would bit a bit wary of ear plugs. I ordered a windrush headband which was good but far to bulky....

    Any suggestions for ear protection ?

    Interesting thread. I'll follow this one. Last December my hearing in the right ear went altogether. Blocked eustatchian tubes. Now most of my hearing is a bit compromised and I wonder how much cycling day in day out does affect it. I might start to look at something to go over the ears.

    On a related point, I did a ride without sunglasses the other day. Only a few hundred metres and the increased volume of wind noise was quite marked.
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  • Orkneylad
    Orkneylad Posts: 104
    Fluffy sideburn things called 'catwhiskers' I believe, they velcro over your straps. I did buy a pair & they do work very well indeed, but they just look so mental I had to take them off.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Just wear a skullcap
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Skullcap or buff over the ears when it's cold. You can pick them up for a couple of quid from planet X.
  • PhilipPirrip
    PhilipPirrip Posts: 616
    To hear the traffic you could try Helmetangels:

    http://www.helmetangel.com/

    How they'd work over a headband, buff or hat I couldn't say.
  • zefs
    zefs Posts: 484
    I use the cat-ears airstreamz (have the pro and HE) and would recommend the HE version. It's probably the best cycling purchase I've done, as it makes riding far more enjoyable without the hiss from wind. You can here noise reduction sound samples here: https://www.cat-ears.com/how-they-work
    I have a 10% discount coupon if you are interested, send me a pm.
  • burnthesheep
    burnthesheep Posts: 675
    They do look dumb. But, I feel given I'm seeing real people here claiming it works........I may try it. Maybe not in a race, but group rides or alone.

    I ride with some wind often and it's noisy. Any help hearing cars better is great. That extra few seconds to hear one, and make sure you're in a good spot and aware of its path........that can be huge.

    This sounds silly, but I thought that there were claims of less perceived exertion when wind noise was lower. So, could these in theory make you FASTER by lessening your perceived exertion? I'm kind of kidding........but I'm kind of not.
  • grenw
    grenw Posts: 804
    Skullcap or Belgian cap if it's really cold. The latter are really cosy on the ears - the ribbed knitted ones
  • zefs
    zefs Posts: 484
    burnthesheep wrote:
    They do look dumb. But, I feel given I'm seeing real people here claiming it works........I may try it. Maybe not in a race, but group rides or alone.

    I ride with some wind often and it's noisy. Any help hearing cars better is great. That extra few seconds to hear one, and make sure you're in a good spot and aware of its path........that can be huge.

    This sounds silly, but I thought that there were claims of less perceived exertion when wind noise was lower. So, could these in theory make you FASTER by lessening your perceived exertion? I'm kind of kidding........but I'm kind of not.

    Well maybe they help in a way like narrow tyres pumped to max psi which feel fast but are not (as the tests claim).
    What I noticed is that after having the cat-ears for a few months I did a ride without them and I didn't enjoy the ride as much, that's how big of a difference they make plus you hear the traffic a lot better. The pro version isn't that bad look wise but I am now using the HE which blocks even more noise. Just make sure your straps are tight enough and don't flap around to get the maximum effect, you should really try them.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    there has been plenty of research showing hearing loss for motorcyclist wearing helmets on speeds over 40mph. I wouldn't worry about ear plugs, you hear perfectly well with them.
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  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    diy wrote:
    there has been plenty of research showing hearing loss for motorcyclist wearing helmets on speeds over 40mph.
    No sh1t. I get hearing loss from the tw4ts howling up the Glenshee road on sunny weekends, and it's a mile away from us and over a hill.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    ... back on topic - wear a buff, full stop. Mine does duty from a scarf round the neck to a full balaclava effect when it's below zero.
  • bikes`n`guns
    bikes`n`guns Posts: 959
    Hmm interested.

    I have Tinnitus and it seriously upped it`d game around 10 months ago with no warning.
    I have started to wonder whether wind noise is an issue.

    Not the same question I suppose cause cold ears don`t bother me, but as I live in Scotland where it`s a howling gale for the entire year, does anyone think it could be a factor in my hearing problem ?
    Trek,,,, too cool for school ,, apparently
  • Alex99
    Alex99 Posts: 1,407
    oxoman wrote:
    Buff or necktube every time or hat down over the ears.

    Dis
  • molteni_man
    molteni_man Posts: 468
    I used earplugs when was riding motorbikes and they were essential to protect ears/ hearing. Took a few rides to get used to them but then would never ride without them in. I think we'd all be surprised at how much buffeting our ears take on our rides.
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    Interesting indeed, sounds like someone needs to do a study with road cyclists.

    I suspect the effects vary from individual to individual depending on the shape of your ears and the particular turbulence patterns created.

    I worry about using glass recycling bins, it seems that the noise you get from those when you are right beside them is considerable and quite piercing.
  • zefs
    zefs Posts: 484
    Read this article if you are interested: https://cyclingtips.com/2017/08/listen- ... ring-loss/

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