Does anyone ever worry about hearing damage while riding?

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

Moderators: robbosmans, Moderator Team

User avatar
synchronicity
Posts: 2027
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:41 pm
Location: Moruya, Australia
Contact:

by synchronicity

You know the story... you're cycling along a nice flat road anywhere between 35 and 45km/hr... and your feel the wind in your ears. When you get up to 50-60kph, this becomes quite noisy.

But over the long term, is this giving us hearing damage:?:


There's even a few strange looking patents: :shock:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5477564/fulltext.html
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6029282.html
vertebrae | Precision braking and shifting.
vayakora | Eco mouse mats: silk, linen, cotton, ramie, bamboo, etc.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Skillgannon
Posts: 3635
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:17 am
Location: A bigger rock in the Pacific (AUS)

by Skillgannon

I didn't really think about it until I went riding for the first time with an mp3 player. Just one ear, and I couldn't hear anything, so I yanked the remote, wound up the volume to a level I could just hear and went from there. Turned it off post ride, turned it on the next day and was nearly deafened, I'd had the volume up 5 times higher than usual, right on the top threashold of what the player could do.

Though I wonder if hteres any actual hearing damage because of air deflection causing a threshold audio intensity level to penetrate that air layer before a person can hear it...but that could just be bullshit.

Admittedly, my hearing is fairly dodgy, and it certainly got worse wihle I was riding, so.....
This board would be a nicer place if everyone would take themselves less seriously.

I almost miss Mr Search...

irwan
Posts: 179
Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 1:22 am

by irwan

I do feel my hearing worsening, but can't confirm if it's because of riding or something else.

Wasn't there some kind of device which can be attached to the helmet strap to deflect noise?? I thought I read it in this forum a while ago...

Rodrego Hernandez
Posts: 1227
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:11 pm
Location: Out there

by Rodrego Hernandez

pardon?

User avatar
CharlesM
Posts: 5759
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:37 am
Location: Phoenix Arizona

by CharlesM

slipstreamz...


And yeah I think your hearing can suffer... I know a motor patrole officer who had one ear covered and the other open all the time for hearing and for the microphone mouthpiece to mount on that side.

In the last 10 years he now hears 30% better in the ear that was covered...


Needs more study but I think you're correct.

User avatar
kinky_cowboy
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:22 am

by kinky_cowboy

Sensible motorcyclists wear ear plugs, as the combination of high speeds and the amplifying effect of a full enclosure helmet can generate noise levels of 90dBA+ (well over 100dBA with very high speeds and poor helmet designs), enough to cause hearing damage. I don't see anything like that being generated on a bicycle, even going downhill at 40mph.

User avatar
DocRay
Banned
Posts: 3463
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:33 am
Location: Hamilton, Canada

by DocRay

Slipstreamz make it worse, the turbulence is noisier.

I would suggest taking a typical expanded foam plug and cut it in half. This will reduce high volume damaging noise, but still allow you to hear traffic.
Google: Results 1 - 20 of about 88,500 English pages for _doping_, _cycling_ and _denies_. (0.33 seconds)

ahumblecycler
Posts: 559
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:47 pm
Location: NKC, MO

by ahumblecycler

I wear head phones connected to a MP3 player. I adjust the volume pre-ride to where I can hear and talk. During the ride, the buds act more as deflectors to bugs and wind with music just barely audible.

I have ridden without and I have to say my ears felt raw. I always have plugs whether the player is on or off.

seriousconsult
Posts: 339
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 11:48 pm

by seriousconsult

Also as you up intensity the blood flow to ears decreases making the rider want to turn up the volume.

Be careful with mp3 players.

iliveonnitro
Posts: 222
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:18 am
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Contact:

by iliveonnitro

Motorcycles have to deal with really loud engines, so that doesn't really apply in our case, though.

User avatar
Scottybee
Posts: 406
Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 5:31 am
Location: Santa Barbara

by Scottybee

i used to ride with the in-ear phones (kinda like earplugs) they worked well in the sense that the volume could be at the same level as normal.

I stopped when one day i almost got run into by some guy who could not hear me coming (he made a sharp right turn from the middle of the road) i then realized that people who ride with music are a pain in the ass.

and all of them are indeed

so stoppit :evil:
17 and stupid, bear with me

User avatar
kinky_cowboy
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:22 am

by kinky_cowboy

iliveonnitro wrote:Motorcycles have to deal with really loud engines, so that doesn't really apply in our case, though.


You've obviously never actually ridden a fast or modern motorcycle. Wind noise completely obscures engine noise for any moderately well silenced engine at even quite modest speeds.
http://www.isvr.co.uk/at_work/m_cycle.htm

User avatar
synchronicity
Posts: 2027
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:41 pm
Location: Moruya, Australia
Contact:

by synchronicity

Below 30mph, machine, exhaust and environmental noises are heard. Once speeds exceed approximately 30mph, wind noise dominates completely.

Source:
http://www.hearingtestlabs.com/motorcycle.htm
vertebrae | Precision braking and shifting.
vayakora | Eco mouse mats: silk, linen, cotton, ramie, bamboo, etc.

User avatar
Tubes6al4v
Posts: 225
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:45 pm

by Tubes6al4v

I wonder how sound dampening headphones (like Bose ear buds and similar) would do. I find myself running my headphones at rediculous levels. Not only does this make my ears hurt post ride, but I blow the speakers left and right.

Anyone know of some nice noise dampening headphones that will work with a phone? Nokia if that matters.

User avatar
kinky_cowboy
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:22 am

by kinky_cowboy

Tubes6al4v wrote:I wonder how sound dampening headphones (like Bose ear buds and similar) would do. I find myself running my headphones at rediculous levels. Not only does this make my ears hurt post ride, but I blow the speakers left and right.


Have you considered turning off all the electronics and just enjoying the sounds of nature while you ride?

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Post Reply