There’s nothing quite like the feeling of wind on your face while you pedal around the Willard Munger State Trail. For avid cyclers, the summer and fall offer the perfect weather for daily rides. While you’re enjoying your exercise, it’s also important to protect your hearing.
Wind noise while cycling can reach surprisingly high levels. At 10 mph, the wind can hit 84.9 dB. As you increase speed, the volume goes up, hitting a maximum of 120.3 dB at 60 mph[1]—that’s loud enough to cause almost immediate hearing damage.[2]
In addition to wind, cyclists who listen to music on their rides have an extra source of loud noise. The presence of wind noise may even cause you to raise the music volume to unsafe levels. As those two noise sources compound, your hearing loss risk rises.
The good news is that cycling and hearing loss don’t need to go hand-in-hand. Let’s look at two ways you can reduce your noise exposure during your rides.
1. Block Wind Noise
The cycling community is aware of the impact of wind noise and has created some simple tools to protect your ears:
- Headbands. Specialty headbands with extra noise barriers around the ears or a simple sweatband can limit noise exposure.
- Wind panels. Wind panels deflect wind before it reaches your ears, reducing its impact. You can buy clip-on helmet panels or buy helmets with built-in panels.
- Foam. Foam can absorb much of the wind noise. You can attach it to your helmet or buy a helmet with it built in.
- Cycling earplugs. Cycling earplugs reduce wind noise while alerting you to traffic sounds to keep you safe.
2. Lower or Turn off Music
While music can be fun on a bike ride, you should only listen to it at a very low level. If you find yourself raising the volume to unsafe levels, it’s better to turn it off. Not only will lowering or turning off your music protect your ears, but it will also keep you more aware of your surroundings, safeguarding your physical safety.
If you cycle often, you should schedule a hearing test at least once a year, and more often if you spend a lot of time around other noise sources (listening to music through headphones, working in a factory, etc.). Call Hearing Wellness Center to schedule your appointment with one of our specialists.
[1] Seidman, M. D., Wertz, A. G., Smith, M. M., Jacob, S., & Ahsan, S. F. (2017). Evaluation of Noise Exposure Secondary to Wind Noise in Cyclists. Otolaryngology–head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 157(5), 848–852. https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599817715250
[2] National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2025). Noise-induced hearing loss. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss