Does anyone ever worry about hearing damage while riding?
Moderators: robbosmans, Moderator Team
- synchronicity
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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:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5477564/fulltext.html
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6029282.html
But over the long term, is this giving us hearing damage:?:
There's even a few strange looking patents:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5477564/fulltext.html
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6029282.html
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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.....
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...
I almost miss Mr Search...
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.
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.
- kinky_cowboy
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
I have ridden without and I have to say my ears felt raw. I always have plugs whether the player is on or off.
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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.
Be careful with mp3 players.
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Motorcycles have to deal with really loud engines, so that doesn't really apply in our case, though.
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
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
17 and stupid, bear with me
- kinky_cowboy
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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
- synchronicity
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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
- Tubes6al4v
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- Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:45 pm
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.
Anyone know of some nice noise dampening headphones that will work with a phone? Nokia if that matters.
- kinky_cowboy
- Posts: 251
- Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:22 am
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?
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