Helmet noise

[Tom]

I presume we have all had the problem of wind noise rushing through the ventilation vents of our helmets,thus causing problems with hearing traffic etc at our rear.
I know ventilation is important especially In warm weather, but this week I was riding out against a moderate head wind and the helmet noise was bad,any info on any progress with desighn or improvements
Cheers
Tom

[mjr]

Was it really the noise of wind in the vents not across/around the straps in front of your ears? There are at least two products which fit around the straps which I think are called cat ears and helmet angle.

If it's really the vents, you could try a helmet cover that reduces the air through them, just in high wind situations. Ventilation may be important, but being able to hear is also important. Even so, you ought to look behind you every so often and not rely on hearing (or those fancy radar units).

I never found a solution for the noise caused by the straps and I blame it for part of my increased crash rate during my helmet-using years. Being able to hear other vehicles is useful, at least when you're used to having working hearing.

[Audax67]

Helmet covers are lovely in winter - you build a nice little micro-climate inside. Re strap noise there are solutions that involve breaking up or diveting the airflow, but I've never tried any.

E.g. https://youtu.be/Cq21VSPPVr4

[jimlews]

I wouldn't worry about wind noise.

I don't wear a helmet, but still get wind noise; it was the only disappointment when I took up cycling.
Short of having the lug 'oles pinned back, there is nothing much to be done about it.

[Nearholmer]

I’ve found that gradual hearing loss has helped greatly with the problem.

Things have progressed to the point where the audiologist looked aghast when she plotted my hearing response out. I’ve now surrendered, and next week will start wearing hearing aids, which I might need to be careful about when cycling, because I’m used to going about in a semi-deaf cocoon.

[Jdsk]

... and next week will start wearing hearing aids...

Enjoy the birdsong…

… and put some time aside for investigating the sounds from the bike!

: - )

Jonathan

[a.twiddler]

It's a curious thing about helmet induced wind noise. You don't need to be going very fast to start hearing it, especially if the wind direction cuts across your direction of travel. I used to find that it was more strap related than ventilation hole related. I used to wear a helmet more in years gone by, but since I took up recumbenting, seldom wear one. My helmet had a mesh in the forward facing vent holes, presumably to keep insects out. I wonder if that has a damping effect on noise from that source. I haven't had a meshless one to compare side by side with it. My hearing is still reasonably good, and I depend on it for awareness of what's going on behind as well as a mirror.

If you are troubled by wind noise without a helmet, perhaps cultivating luxuriant sideburns a la Sir Bradley Wiggins might provide a solution. Either that, or extravagant ear hair (though I find that seems to come naturally with age).

[Mick F]

When I wore one, it was the wind making the straps buzz and flap.
I have a thread on here about it somewhere. I used a lazzy band to dampen the flappy-buzz.

Since ditched the helmet idea ........... but that's another subject!

[geocycle]

Wind noise when going downhill can be a problem and make it difficult to work out if you have a car behind. I think the straps are the main cause. I wear an under helmet hat which covers the ears during winter months but cuts out all noises including cars. As a result of wind noise and hat baffling, I’m also now a convert to Garmin Varia radar, was sceptical but amazing product.

[Pebble]

I stitched a bit of old socks down each side of the leading strap, makes a huge difference. I find getting rid of that horrible reverbarating wind noise makes me more aware of vehicles coming from behind. Also nice and warm in the winter months. (and I don't bother with a lid during summer weather)

[AndyK]

I've used Airstreamz (formerly known as "Cat-Ears") for several years and they do make a difference. I find they suppress the low-frequency wind buffeting without obscuring higher-frequency sounds like speech. I ordered a small batch of them direct from the supplier in the US, as postage costs were high if you just ordered one pair. Some of the spare pairs ended up with friends who were also impressed. The slimline model is quite discreet but not quite as effective as the full sideburn-look model. Sadly the company no longer ships to the UK as a result of the Brexit-induced VAT regulation changes. They are available from various third-party sellers on Amazon UK, but to be honest the names of those sellers don't exactly fill me with confidence. ("MY STORE GIOR", "FAITH BILICI GLOBAL TARDING [sic] CO.", "Happy And Safe Store"...)