Cycling — Wind Noise

[geg1992]

Hi all,

Just out of interest, can wind noise cause damage to hearing? I just biked 12 miles / 1 hour and the wind noise was quite bad at times, just wondering if I should protect in the future. My T is louder but it's so inconsistent recently so I'm not putting it down to that. Just for the future as I would like to do more rides in the future.

Thanks!

 

[linearb]

I've seen limited anecdotes of long term cyclists who think this resulted in some hearing loss over a period of years, yes -- I think it depends a lot on how fast you like to go. I generally cover my ears with cloth under my helmet, mainly for warmth, but that also deflects a lot of noise.

Check this out: http://www.cat-ears.com/

 

[geg1992]

I've seen limited anecdotes of long term cyclists who think this resulted in some hearing loss over a period of years, yes -- I think it depends a lot on how fast you like to go. I generally cover my ears with cloth under my helmet, mainly for warmth, but that also deflects a lot of noise.

Check this out: http://www.cat-ears.com/

Thanks Linearb! It's not really hardcore cycling, just a mountain bike with friends, averaging about 12-13mph so not fast. Don't currently have a helmet but should probably get one! I assume a lot of these cyclists are going much further distances too.

 

[linearb]

Thanks Linearb! It's not really hardcore cycling, just a mountain bike with friends, averaging about 12-13mph so not fast. Don't currently have a helmet but should probably get one! I assume a lot of these cyclists are going much further distances too.

I'd worry a lot more about riding without a helmet than I would about riding without ear protection But, I am biased because I say that as someone who would probably have been critically injured or worse in two separate events, had I not been wearing a helmet.

I have a scar behind my left ear from where the helmet strap dug in when I went headfirst into a metal utility pole box. Thinking about how much force is involved there, alarms me...

 

[geg1992]

I'd worry a lot more about riding without a helmet than I would about riding without ear protection But, I am biased because I say that as someone who would probably have been critically injured or worse in two separate events, had I not been wearing a helmet.

I have a scar behind my left ear from where the helmet strap dug in when I went headfirst into a metal utility pole box. Thinking about how much force is involved there, alarms me...

Yeah for sure, I'll definitely buy one, I've only started properly cycling really and have only been to work so didn't think too much of it. You're right though - for the price of a helmet, it's certainly worth protecting!

 

[BobDigi]

Nah your fine cycling mate. I remember worrying about the same thing when I first got T. It's called paranoia!
Motorcycle wind noise might be a different matter! But in my opinion cycling wind noise is fine.

 

[Chelles]

@geg1992 I think you're always worrying too much, I understand tinnitus can be very stressful but if the diarrhea medication didn't cause you a spike I doubt wind will harm your ears. Enjoy your time outdoors!

 

[geg1992]

@geg1992 I think you're always worrying too much, I understand tinnitus can be very stressful but if the diarrhea medication didn't cause you a spike I doubt wind will harm your ears. Enjoy your time outdoors!

Hey chelles!

Yep that pretty much sums me up haha always worrying too much about everything! Thank you! Hope you're well!

 

[linearb]

Nah your fine cycling mate. I remember worrying about the same thing when I first got T. It's called paranoia!

I do not believe this is paranoia in this case. That is, I would not be worried about having done this once, but over a long period of time, bicycle wind noise will probably cause hearing loss:

At 20 miles per hour, the wind noise on a bicycle is nearly as loud as the engine noise from my motorcycle at 2-lane speeds.

 

[Sailboardman]

I cycled from 1990-2005. Over 32,0000 logged miles. Mostly road, 6,000 MB. At my high point in the mid ninties, 275-350 miles per week. put more miles on my road bike than my car. Always wore a helmet. Didn't get T until 2014. Did all that mileage and years of cycling cause hearing loss? I doubt it, since I have unilateral T.

 

[Richard zurowski]

We are all aware of are ears now. So let's protect them from anything to everything.. What ever that might be?

 

[BobDigi]

I do not believe this is paranoia in this case. That is, I would not be worried about having done this once, but over a long period of time, bicycle wind noise will probably cause hearing loss:
View attachment 7519

At 20 miles per hour, the wind noise on a bicycle is nearly as loud as the engine noise from my motorcycle at 2-lane speeds.

Well you can live in a soundproof room for your entire life and worry about every single noise, or you can live your life normally, but sensibly! If wind noise from a bike is enough to damage your ears, then you'really done for anyway. So just enjoy life, and wear earplugs if you have to be in a loud environment. In my opinion wind noise from a bike isn't a problem.

 

[Eltel]

I have cycled for 34 yrs ,over 700 races .Raced recently and the T stayed the same after the event ,speeds up to 35 mph but averaging 25 .
T mainly in right ear so doubt wind noise the cause

 

[erik]

I bike very frequently averaging 20-30mph on road and mountain biking 10-25mph. My T is from noise trauma and I don't think biking has not made it any worse the past few years. On motorcycle, I have a full modular helmet which blocks wind noise pretty well but I rarely hit highway speeds.

 

[billie48]

I am not a cyclist but here are sites with chart of noises and their dB and how long you can expose to it without damage:

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

 

[linearb]

Well you can live in a soundproof room for your entire life and worry about every single noise, or you can live your life normally, but sensibly! If wind noise from a bike is enough to damage your ears, then you'really done for anyway. So just enjoy life, and wear earplugs if you have to be in a loud environment. In my opinion wind noise from a bike isn't a problem.

I don't think that "avoiding 85-90 decibel noise" is at all the same as "living in a soundproof room", nor do I agree that "if wind noise from a bike is enough to damage your ears then you're done for anyway". Bike wind noise can be upwards of 90 db; nothing that I am exposed to in the usual day to day world is nearly that loud.

I'm not an extremist; I still ride a motorcycle, still go to the odd rock show, etc. Very short exposures of 90 db are no problem, but riding a bike for hours, is going to cause hearing damage. If you're comfortable damaging your hearing then that's your prerogative... just don't be in denial about it, or imply that it's inevitable or healthy.

I bike very frequently averaging 20-30mph on road and mountain biking 10-25mph. My T is from noise trauma and I don't think biking has not made it any worse the past few years. On motorcycle, I have a full modular helmet which blocks wind noise pretty well but I rarely hit highway speeds.

Wow, so even with T you don't wear earplugs on a motorcycle? That's probably not a great idea; whether or not it does anything to your T, it's going to lead to hearing loss as you age. If you poke around motorbike forums, the old dudes who made a career of riding without plugs pretty much unanimously report hearing loss.

My tiny little motorcycle is ~100 db at ~50mph, and 110db all open.

 

[erik]

I don't think that "avoiding 85-90 decibel noise" is at all the same as "living in a soundproof room", nor do I agree that "if wind noise from a bike is enough to damage your ears then you're done for anyway". Bike wind noise can be upwards of 90 db; nothing that I am exposed to in the usual day to day world is nearly that loud.

I'm not an extremist; I still ride a motorcycle, still go to the odd rock show, etc. Very short exposures of 90 db are no problem, but riding a bike for hours, is going to cause hearing damage. If you're comfortable damaging your hearing then that's your prerogative... just don't be in denial about it, or imply that it's inevitable or healthy.



Wow, so even with T you don't wear earplugs on a motorcycle? That's probably not a great idea; whether or not it does anything to your T, it's going to lead to hearing loss as you age. If you poke around motorbike forums, the old dudes who made a career of riding without plugs pretty much unanimously report hearing loss.

My tiny little motorcycle is ~100 db at ~50mph, and 110db all open.

Riding around town I don't since I rarely go over 30mph and I don't want to obstruct too much of my hearing. My full helmet (dampens much sound) + plugs would not allow me to hear what is going on well enough. If I go for a longer ride or higher speeds then I will pop in some foam plugs. My motorcycle is pretty quiet- 100% electric.

 

[linearb]

Riding around town I don't since I rarely go over 30mph and I don't want to obstruct too much of my hearing. My full helmet (dampens much sound) + plugs would not allow me to hear what is going on well enough. If I go for a longer ride or higher speeds then I will pop in some foam plugs. My motorcycle is pretty quiet- 100% electric.

Ah, that explains it! I want to get an electric bike, it seems like on one of those, all you really have to worry about wind noise which is not much of a thing until you're over 50mph or so?

What kind of bike do you have? The Zero S is the one which has been on my mind.

 

[Eltel]

Well I just cycled 30 miles and buzzing away .
On my 650 motorbike I usually use earplugs unless I plan on taking it easy and ride no more than 60 mph .Any quicker the plugs are a must but they make the T seem much worse at low speeds

 

[dboy]

Here is another thread on this topic:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/cycling-wind-noise-and-tinnitus.9699

For the record I used to cycle a lot with mild tinnitus. For pleasure/fitness as well as getting to/from work. Now with worse t I am not risking it. I know the wind noise is louder than I am comfortable with. Remember it is not just about the speed you go - if there is a strong breeze as well then the combined effect could be significant. But of course everyone has to maker their own choice.

Also wanted to say it doesn't quite work to say "I've cycled x many miles and I didn't get t from that". Firstly hearing damage can be cumulative and not manifest straight away. Second, it's like saying "My granny smoked 90 cigarettes a day and she lived to be a hundred when she was killed by a bus." You can guarantee that somebody else's poor granny smoked 30 a day and died of lung cancer.

 

[uae96]

I don't think wind noise is as damaging as being in a rock festival concert although they both have the same decibels if you're going with the motorcycle at a specific speed , other wise I'd have hearing damage long long time ago I use to go jet skiing with speeds over 70 mph for hours so did my other friends friends nothing to our hearing and I do not have hearing loss

Going over 50 mph is already damaging after 15 mins so why did I not get hearing damage ??? For hours with jet ski , no helmet no protection nothing . Wind noise is just a white noise that doesn't have enough energy to damage the hair cells of the ear it might sound loud but that's just because the wind is near you're ear hitting , it's like when you just rub you're hand over you're ears you hear a close louder sound but if you do that for hours it won't damage you're hearing
@linearb the motorcyclist that report hearing loss might not specifically be because of wind ,you said they're old maybe it's just a natural aging process or they expose to other louder sounds like guns , music etc...
Just my two cents

 

[linearb]

@linearb the motorcyclist that report hearing loss might not specifically be because of wind ,you said they're old maybe it's just a natural aging process or they expose to other louder sounds like guns , music etc...
Just my two cents

I think "age related hearing loss" has a lot to do with how much noise people are exposed to over their lifetime, along with genetic factors. 1115-120db motorcycles, even with earplugs, will definitely slowly chew up your ears.

 

[uae96]

I think "age related hearing loss" has a lot to do with how much noise people are exposed to over their lifetime, along with genetic factors. 1115-120db motorcycles, even with earplugs, will definitely slowly chew up your ears.

Yeah ofc almost everyone above 50-60 has a degree of hl cause of noises they been through out they're lives , but my point is whether wind will actually do damage to our hearing

 

[linearb]

Yeah ofc almost everyone above 50-60 has a degree of hl cause of noises they been through out they're lives , but my point is whether wind will actually do damage to our hearing

On a motorcycle, it absolutely will and I don't think that's very controversial; there seems to be less data available for bikes. However, if the chart above is accurate, and riding 20-30mph results in 90-100db exposure, then that will very clearly cause hearing damage. The best way to figure out what the chart means for your particular habits is probably to strap a dB meter on your helmet with the sensor right by your ear, and then go for a ride and see what you find out.

 

[uae96]

On a motorcycle, it absolutely will and I don't think that's very controversial; there seems to be less data available for bikes. However, if the chart above is accurate, and riding 20-30mph results in 90-100db exposure, then that will very clearly cause hearing damage. The best way to figure out what the chart means for your particular habits is probably to strap a dB meter on your helmet with the sensor right by your ear, and then go for a ride and see what you find out.

That's impossible to tell the actual db, irs going to be 100% accurate , try and tap the db few times near the microphone and see how much it's gonna read probably 110db just by you're finger tap , I've definitely been o speeds over 50 mph on a jet ski for hours so did my friends and family none of us has hearing loss and doing that for probably 3 years every week like 3 times or 2 times my whole point is I think wind noise won't cause any damage OR if so just. A little because wind doesn't have enough energy to damage you're hair cells I've as well asked several audiologist all said the same except one who said "no one knows " but I'm talking from my experience with these high speeds and winds on the sea u can see my video on the "positivity thread" of last week and if you see the last part of the video how fast the other jet ski was goi they're incredibly fast If you've been in one you'd know

 

[Telis]

That's impossible to tell the actual db, irs going to be 100% accurate , try and tap the db few times near the microphone and see how much it's gonna read probably 110db just by you're finger tap , I've definitely been o speeds over 50 mph on a jet ski for hours so did my friends and family none of us has hearing loss and doing that for probably 3 years every week like 3 times or 2 times my whole point is I think wind noise won't cause any damage OR if so just. A little because wind doesn't have enough energy to damage you're hair cells I've as well asked several audiologist all said the same except one who said "no one knows " but I'm talking from my experience with these high speeds and winds on the sea u can see my video on the "positivity thread" of last week and if you see the last part of the video how fast the other jet ski was goi they're incredibly fast If you've been in one you'd know

What makes you think that wind noise doesn't have the energy to create enough noise to cause hearing damage? I'm sure it's loud enough out there at high speeds where you have to yell to be heard?

Just curious what makes you think this?I have quit cycling becasue of wind noise, maybe in missing something.

I would really like to go sky diving as well, again wind noise holding me back.

 

[linearb]

That's impossible to tell the actual db, irs going to be 100% accurate , try and tap the db few times near the microphone and see how much it's gonna read probably 110db just by you're finger tap , I've definitely been o speeds over 50 mph on a jet ski for hours so did my friends and family none of us has hearing loss and doing that for probably 3 years every week like 3 times or 2 times my whole point is I think wind noise won't cause any damage OR if so just. A little

"No hearing loss on a typical ENT/dr's exam" doesn't actually mean "no hearing loss"; those tests only measure up to 8000hz. People with no hearing loss at all can hear up to ~20,000hz at very low dB levels, and you almost never find that in people over ~20 years old in industrial societies.

Starkey has a chart here indicating that using a jetski without plugs for more than about 15 minutes is dangerous, and this is consistent with everything else I've ever read: http://www.soundgearhearing.com/pages/hearing-protection-facts

This doesn't mean that anyone who uses a jetski for a half hour is going to go instantly deaf; it means that people with more exposure like that over their lives are substantially more likely to end up with disabling hearing problems at some point. Genetics is a big factor here, too -- some people can get away with more than others before they pay a price.

So, obviously you're free to believe that extended exposure to wind and gasoline engines doesn't hurt your ears. I'm just trying to understand why you believe that, when there's so much evidence that points the other direction.

 

[linearb]

What makes you think that wind noise doesn't have the energy to create enough noise to cause hearing damage? I'm sure it's loud enough out there at high speeds where you have to yell to be heard?

Just curious what makes you think this?I have quit cycling becasue of wind noise, maybe in missing something.

Did you see those cat-ears things posted earlier, Telis? Those might deflect enough of it to not worry about it at all, and wind noise is also right in the frequency range that's very effectively blocked by earplugs, so that's another option if the cat ears don't cut it down enough on their own.

 

[uae96]

"No hearing loss on a typical ENT/dr's exam" doesn't actually mean "no hearing loss"; those tests only measure up to 8000hz. People with no hearing loss at all can hear up to ~20,000hz at very low dB levels, and you almost never find that in people over ~20 years old in industrial societies.

Starkey has a chart here indicating that using a jetski without plugs for more than about 15 minutes is dangerous, and this is consistent with everything else I've ever read: http://www.soundgearhearing.com/pages/hearing-protection-facts

This doesn't mean that anyone who uses a jetski for a half hour is going to go instantly deaf; it means that people with more exposure like that over their lives are substantially more likely to end up with disabling hearing problems at some point. Genetics is a big factor here, too -- some people can get away with more than others before they pay a price.

So, obviously you're free to believe that extended exposure to wind and gasoline engines doesn't hurt your ears. I'm just trying to understand why you believe that, when there's so much evidence that points the other direction.

15 mins!! ?? Lol then I'm probably ear tortured for so long , but really , I still don't believe wind can cause damage because I've attended some jet ski races and friends of some and I recently asked two and they said they have no problem what so ever with hearing and they spend 10 x the times I spend on the jet ski cause it's they're passion / profession but it's my opinion on my experiences , no charts no bullshit , but they could still might be right but I don't agree on the charts

 

[uae96]

What makes you think that wind noise doesn't have the energy to create enough noise to cause hearing damage? I'm sure it's loud enough out there at high speeds where you have to yell to be heard?

Just curious what makes you think this?I have quit cycling becasue of wind noise, maybe in missing something.

I would really like to go sky diving as well, again wind noise holding me back.

The wind doesn't come from any source of "giving energy " like a subwoofer or a hammer hitting you know what I mean ? I'm not that good in English to explain it in the right words , but wind is just in the atmosphere and with you're speed you're hearing the wind because ofc its particles to and those particles will hit near you're ear and create a sound that seems loud , just try to rub you're hand over / on you're ear and see how loud it might seem

I've always Wanted to skydive man !! But last month one guy lost consiousness while going down and died and after that I got scared to do it lol
Watch this video and tell me what you think it still motivates me to do it