Wind Noise, and How to Reduce It?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lou S on August 9, 2013 at 9:59am

Get a handlebar mounted speaker. It is far safer and completely street legal, as opposed to wearing noise cancelling headphones. I use a Soundshell, but I think the company may have since gone out of business.

Permalink Reply by Rich Evans on August 9, 2013 at 10:23am

There's a product out there, called Cat Ears, that I've used.  Basically, a couple of strips of shag carpet that velcro on to your helmet straps.  Same principle as the fuzzy stuff you see on big boom microphones sometimes.  I find they don't eliminate noise, but do take it down a bit, and they aren't very expensive.  You can see 'em at: http://www.cat-ears.com/ 

Permalink Reply by Lou S on August 9, 2013 at 12:03pm

http://www.cityofchicago.org/cityinfo/cdot/bikemap/communicating.html

"Never use earphones because you won't be able to hear what is going on around you. Using earphones is not only dangerous, it's illegal."

Permalink Reply by dan brown on August 9, 2013 at 1:06pm

+999

Duppie 13.5185km said:

ride slower!

Permalink Reply by Zidaane on August 9, 2013 at 4:23pm

"I guess it depends on the earphones, perhaps?

I use Philips; they were cheap (bought at CVS)"

Well, there's that. Might not be your original topic but it's there. You don't get to moderate your own posts.

Permalink Reply by El Dorado on August 9, 2013 at 8:31pm

I brought this up once before. I hate wind noise and the chatter of the Green Line when I ride down Lake St. My solution was to buy some Seinheiser noise cancellation headphones from Amazon.  

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on August 11, 2013 at 12:31am

Most of the wind noise is generated by the helmet straps flapping back and forth.

Option 1: ditch the helmet.
Option 2: rotate the strap before the ear a half turn so it stands out against the skin instead of laying flat against the skin and flapping back and forth.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 12, 2013 at 10:48am

Excerpted from BSNYC 8/12/13:

Speaking of revolutionary new inventions to put on your head, a reader has informed me of a new product called "Cat Ears," which purports to reduce wind noise:

Our products Dampen, Buffer, and Deflect oncoming wind... so you can hear everything else better

"Rest your index finger in front of your ears during your next ride if you need a reminder of
 just how much of the surrounding world you are missing." - Technical Editor at Bikeradar.com

About our products:

  > Easily attach to the helmet straps

  > Soft materials dampen/deflect wind

  > Reduce loud annoying ear wind noise 

  > Acoustic transparence is maintained

  > Important sounds can be heard better

  > Performance/Satisfaction Guaranteed

Here are the Cat Ears once they've been installed on a Fred:

(Always wear your glasses over your Cat Ears.  You know, because otherwise you'll look ridiculous.)

Of course, if you're a sufficiently hairy man could always save the $8-$16 and grow a pair of sideburns for free instead:

(These Integrated Wind Deflectors are rated at "Fred Woo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo Speed" squared.)

Or if you're a woman or otherwise facially hair-challenged and find wind noise a problem you could always just coif yourself accordingly:

Just don't style your hair like this, because the channels will only serve to amplify the wind noise at high speeds, like an un-faired roof rack:

(Alexandre Vinokourov reportedly bought a pair of "Cat Ears" and uses them as eyebrows.)

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on August 12, 2013 at 11:08am

Would bone-conduction/induction headphones be helpful in this situation? I am thinking of getting some for my daily commutes.

Used them in the military but don't remember if the wind noise bothered me.

(Maybe it was because I had more important things to worry about at the time? Like getting shot out of the sky before landing on an Afghani or Iraqi AO....- Not trying to make light of this, Serge)

 

Respectfully,

 

Manny

Permalink Reply by We all have an inner Beast... on August 12, 2013 at 11:32am

Will do, Serge.

Serge Lubomudrov said:

Thank you, Manny.

As I said, wind noise does not usually bother me, no do I use earphones to listen to music, etc.

As for those bone-conduction headphones and would they help?—No idea. Please let me know what you find after you try them in non-military situation . . .

Manny FU...Really!? said:

Would bone-conduction/induction headphones be helpful in this situation? I am thinking of getting some for my daily commutes.

Used them in the military but don't remember if the wind noise bothered me.

(Maybe it was because I had more important things to worry about at the time? Like getting shot out of the sky before landing on an Afghani or Iraqi AO....- Not trying to make light of this, Serge)

 

Respectfully,

 

Manny

Permalink Reply by Duppie on August 12, 2013 at 11:33am

Serge, someone must have read about your issue and came up with a solution.

Via BSNYC, the purr-fect solution to your problem:

http://www.cat-ears.com/

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 12, 2013 at 12:03pm

Oh, I'm sending you a bill.

Serge Lubomudrov said:

I hope, Kevin, you think that this was worth of your time.

Kevin C said:

Excerpted from BSNYC 8/12/13:

[...]

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