Wind noise

[hubner]

Does anyone else find wind noise really tiring and annoying?

I think I've only recently noticed this. On my last commute with a moderate headwind (under 10mph), the constant loud roar in my ears was almost as tiring as trying to ride against the wind. I even tried wearing in-ear head phones for a few minutes but that made it worse.

[Canardly]

Is a real pain when you are trying to have a conversation with a fellow rider.

[Phil W]

Do you wear a helmet? The straps can be the cause of the wind noise you are hearing.

[hubner]

I've never worn a helmet, ever.

I'm going to try using those orange foam earplugs tomorrow.

[T42]

If you can get furry ones they might help: furry covers are used to reduce wind noise in microphones.

[Chris S]

It's become a major issue on our tandem since I started wearing a h*lmet. The straps, and paraphernalia provide ample opportunity for wind noise generation right next to my ears. I can hear fboab is talking, but a lot of the time, I have no idea what she's saying thanks to the continuous ROAR of the wind.

It's really very annoying.

[FifeingEejit]

If you can get furry ones they might help: furry covers are used to reduce wind noise in microphones.

Bought them for my lid straps, what a difference.
But no use if you don't wear a lid, I thought it was a lid problem.

[rogerzilla]

Some h*lm*ts are better than others.  I had a Giro Mira a few years ago and, on the rare occasions I wore it, the wind noise meant I had no idea what was coming up behind.  I haven't worn another one as bad as that.

[andrew_s]

There are a number of wind deflector things that clip round the front helmet strap, and claim to reduce the noise
(e.g. Slipstreamz, Cat-Ears, Wind-Blox).

[Basil]

Mrs B was concerned about wind noise when cycling with me.
She suggested I consider my diet.

Sorry. Someone had to post that.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Wind noise via 2 hearing aids never fails to get tiresome quickly. Some hats (of the woolly variety) help, and in warmer weather an ultralight skull cap offers some benefit. It’s partly the noise, of course, but the main thing about it that I dislike is the extra effort required to discern things I need to be hearing, particularly voices. Side by side chats can be a bit of an ordeal for all concerned. It makes me a less sociable cyclist.

[pdm]

2 p worth.
I find a buff over the ears helps a lot
re Hearing aids: I have a streamer linked to mine that allows me to switch them off -> blissful silence. The streamer still communicates with them and they ring when the phone kicks off.

[MikeFromLFE]

I've bought a tiny neoprene sock that fits over my hearing aid. It works a treat to reduce wind roar. I'll look for the link later.

Sent from my Moto E (4) Plus using Tapatalk

[gibbo]

Does anyone else find wind noise really tiring and annoying?

Yes!

I've found that it varies considerably depending upon which helmet I'm wearing. My Specialised is fine but the very expensive (comparatively) Rudy Project is so loud that I don't wear it any more. Coincidentally just this week I sent a message to them telling them how crap it is. They responded saying I'm the only person ever to have bought it their attention. I guess it must be me

[Sergeant Pluck]

2 p worth.
I find a buff over the ears helps a lot
re Hearing aids: I have a streamer linked to mine that allows me to switch them off -> blissful silence. The streamer still communicates with them and they ring when the phone kicks off.

That’s an option, but hearing aids switched off are like earplugs and I am rarely comfortable not being able to hear traffic etc. Taking the streaming idea a step further, I’m sure some current streaming solutions* would permit using a phone or streaming device as a remote microphone, located somewhere out of the wind.

I've bought a tiny neoprene sock that fits over my hearing aid. It works a treat to reduce wind roar. I'll look for the link later.
Sent from my Moto E (4) Plus using Tapatalk

Worth considering.

*But not my own streaming solution, for mine are iPhone-only, much to my regret.

[T42]

Yesterday I pulled the helmet strap out from the side of my head to see what difference it would make. Zilch.

[TenderBehind]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Windfree-reduction-protection-Hearing-noise/dp/B00L4IFB3I

These were very popular when we rode the Vattreundan, so the second time there we bought some. IMHO they are excellent cutting wind nose, lightweight & easy enough to carry. But I did get hot with them on, ideal for the cold winter rides, but less useful in warmer times.

They do not cut all noise (magic?) so it is easy enough to chat on the tandem

Our other tactic is to just go slowly.

[T42]

Of course, if the peelers here were feeling dyspeptic they'd stop you for wearing earphones.

[bludger]

Presumably some kind of scooter/moped fairing might lead to a big improvement....?

[Kim]

As a general rule adding fairings to bicycles tends to do the opposite of making them quieter.  But it might keep the wind off your ears...

[orienteer]

Problem of fairings on bikes is susceptibility to side winds.

The ones offered on the original Moulton spaceframes circa 1984 were also noisy, from resonance.

[Arellcat]

As a general rule adding fairings to bicycles tends to do the opposite of making them quieter.  But it might keep the wind off your ears...

My Quest has a windscreen, which does deflect a lot of the draught, but neither is it a full canopy.  I have ridden with such, and the difference is surprising: what you lose in wind noise you gain in local resonance and heat.

Curiously enough, it's only when I ride my Quest that I wear earplugs; I use Doc's Pro Plugs.  The need arises partly because velomobiles are both low to the ground and fast, and partly because I was fed up with the noise from the traffic that passes me at 50mph on the country roads that form half of my commute.  I've come to realise that bus engines are also incredibly loud.

I first used Pro Plugs when riding my motorbike, but for that activity I soon graduated to Alpine, and then custom moulded ear plugs from Ultimate Ear, to get the attenuation I wanted.  The Pro Plugs don't really bear comparison: they're thin and off-the-shelf, but they take the edge off enough.

[DuncanM]

Pointy hat helmets tend to cover the ears, and (presumably because aero is quiet) don't generate much wind noise. They do look very silly though.