Ganeshan

Wind noise! What about it? It's not exactly something we tend to worry about. We have a great time riding our bikes and wind noise is just part of it.

Yet, we easily forget that wind noise travelling on a motorcycle is generally too loud for our hearing, and can lead to permanent hearing damage, much as repeatedly listening to any loud noises will do, such as loud music or machinery.

Regular exposure to noise that exceeds 85 decibels (dB) “is considered to be dangerous” and can cause permanent damage to our hearing. The amount of time you listen to a sound affects how much damage it will cause.

Now, even with the best full-face motorcycle helmets, the wind noise is about 85 dB, and depending on your speed and helmet, can go up to 120 dB...

My hearing got damaged because of this, something I realised about 15 years ago because my hearing sounded muffled after a ride, with often ringing in the ears. The faster the ride, the worst it was. And long motorway rides were the worst in that respect. Realising that some damage was being done, I started wearing earplugs whenever riding my bikes. Although not a “cool” thing to do at the time, wearing earplugs made a huge difference to the ringing in my ears, and riding comfort altogether. In fact, I got so used to that comfort that I would no longer contemplate a ride without them.

Still, about 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with a condition called Tinnitus, which is a constant ringing in the ears (Maybe I started wearing earplugs too late...). At times it is louder than others, but it never stops. What I constantly hear could be best described as a high-pitched electrical noise. The following link (French Tinnitus site) gives a few excellent examples of ringing noises. Click on any graph to hear different types of ringing - France Acouphènes - Entendre des acouphènes

Because the noise comes from within the ear, it's there all the time, whether I ride my bike with earplugs on, watch TV, etc, etc... Needless to say this is a real pain and can cause great discomfort to my everyday life.

I certainly don't want to scare anyone with this post, but this is something to keep in mind. All I'm trying to do is raise awareness about this problem, and underline the importance of wearing good earplugs under the helmet if you can, especially on long trips. They help prevent Tinnitus because they simply cut down the noise levels. Prevention is better than cure..., but tough luck in this case there's no real cure! It is, so the doctors keep saying, an irreversible condition. Once you have it you have to learn to live with it.

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Aryan

General Biking Discussion Approved.

Wind noise, especially at high speeds does infact affect our hearing on the long run. If I am not wrong, there are special ear-plugs which fit in the ear perfectly and are not comfortable to wear either, which can help tremendously with this regard.

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RanjithMN

Never knew it could be a serious issue!
How about using Motorcycle Balaclavas?do they help your ears?

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Ganeshan

Thanks Aryan.

@ Ranjith: I don't think balaclavas will help reduce the noise significantly, if at all. At least I never thought so when I used balaclavas riding in the UK.

Arguably some people get put off wearing earplugs as they may take a little getting used to. But it's very likely you want to get used to them when you realise their benefits, especially on long or fast rides. I once did an experiment and wore only one earplug on a ride. Afterwards, when I stopped, took my helmet and earplug off, it felt like I was going deaf in the “unplugged” ear. It's so much more noticeable when the other ear is ok, and a bit disorientating actually...

There are many types of earplugs to choose from. Personally I find the ones that work best are those that builders here use (Earplugs, Ear Plugs hearing protection Peltor Optime Kids Childrens Ear Defenders Foam Ear Muffs). They are cheap and you can buy them in larger quantities. They are the simple foam types. Years ago I had silicone earplugs specifically made to fit into my ears. They were washable, reusable, more money and supposedly better, but as far as I'm concerned they weren't comfortable and were no better, so why bother.

A pair of earplugs can last a long time if you keep them in a little box so they don't get dirty. Foam earplugs don't like water. Washing them with water has always been the worst thing to do. They are never the same after. Best is to use a new pair when they get too dirty or wet.

Something very important is to fit the earplug correctly into your ear, or you won't get the full benefit and noise reduction.

YouTube - ‪How to properly fit Earplugs‬‎

Only thing I would add to this video is that I can certainly use the same earplugs a few times before disposing of them...

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drvmtm

wind noise is one of the very less know facts specially in biking.a good initiative must say.
balaclavas defiantly help.a good quality helmet is also helps upto a extent but there is nothing like a covering.at the beginning,it may be uncomfortable but in long run it def helps.also a good quality earphone which goes inside ear canal are quite useful as well,even if not used with music.
care must be taken while use of these and if someone has ear problems like otitis externa or csom or asom or other problems like pressure induced vertigo or mineres disease then get checked up from a specialist before using them.

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abhijeetbuzz

I had always been thinking of getting slightly deaf, after a long ride.... and used to think will the wind noise affect it...
U have given us a perfect answer...
Thanks a lot!!!

Is there a way I can share this on social netwrking sites like facebook...?

chamu_666

I have to purchase a bike in Future, but being a Member of xBHP i have learnt alot about Safety better than riding i should say. I will share this with all my friends and family. But sometimes it good to be deaf while GF is shouting @ us you know..

yellowspunk

i think i already succumbed to this problem. dint go to a physician yet(what is the point?) but since i did a 500km ride @ high speeds for a continuous long duration.. i have been having ringing in my ears ! since then i have also started wearing ear plugs (industrial grade ones which my friends got me from his workplace). no more can i live in silence.. a noisy world is more silent than silence itself cause the ringing is so annoying. sometimes its so loud it overpowers the other outside noise. it sucks.. after i started having this ringing i googled and faced reality.. wish i had known before.. my parents keep scolding me why my tv/dvd /pc volume is so high.. it just sucks !!

apparently it has more to do with a person's tolerance for higher noise levels and perceptibility to this condition than just the wind noise by itself..

i use a studds bravo helmet.. it cant protect me from wind noise @ 40kmph forget 100kmph..

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niks_devil666

Last time it was discussed on xbhp , the conclusion was ideally you should opt for silicone moulded ear plugs which u can get made from some one who makes hearing aids. Cheaper option is industrial ear plugs .. found at sports shops.
I started using "in ear" ear phones , they offer pretty decent wind noise protection.

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Ganeshan

This is so true! I so much miss silence too, just silence, which is a thing of the past now. Worst of all, this constant ringing is not getting any quieter. Sure, I could do without this which, as you rightly said, can overpower the other outside noises. It's very tiring, annoying and difficult to ignore!

That's very interesting, and probably true, but I still think it's better to be on the safe side and always wear earplugs.

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