Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!hood@aieio.DEC (State o'Mind Inn-keeper) From: hood@aieio.DEC (State o'Mind Inn-keeper) Newsgroups: net.cycle Subject: bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (noise) Message-ID: <526@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 00:29:16 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.526 Posted: Mon Sep 23 00:29:16 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 11:41:16 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 47 After spending about fifteen hours on my bike this weekend touring fall in New England, I just remembered why I haven't done that in a while... bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. (That's the sound of my ears still ringing.) I've got a fairly quiet Nava helmet, but there's still a hell of a lot of low-frequency noise (LOUD low-frequency noise) from wind around the bottom of the helmet. I've tried several things: - Changing helmets (The Nava is lots quieter than the Shoei, but still entirely too noisy after a while.) - Putting weatherstripping around the bottom foam of the helmet to seal it against my head. (The weatherstripping doesn't really seal very well; it doesn't really stay on the helmet too well, either. It did seem to excel at sticking to my beard.) - Using cotton balls in my ears. (Reduces the noise slightly, but not enough to make up for the discomfort of having cotton balls in your ears). The helmet noise I'm hearing isn't too bad at city speeds (20-40 mph), but on highways and back roads it really builds up. I can completely eliminate this noise by putting a finger just at the base of the helmet. The noise is amost exactly that that in a car when the windows are open just a little. This is NOT a whistling nose around the shield. Two questions: * Anyone know of an overstuffed helmet (around the ears especially) to help reduce that noise? * What about ear plugs? (legal?, riding safe? medically safe? effective?) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- My recommendation for best biking back road in North America: Vermont Rte 12 from Woodstock to Montpelier. Beautiful scenery, 50 mph speed limit, nice curves, no traffic at all. (Rte 12 runs parallel to, and about a mile west of, Interstate 89.) Most interesting road built for speeds *vastly* above the posted limit: Interstate 89 from Concord, New Hampshire to Montpelier, Vermont. Wanna see how fast your bike'll go?... (Just watch out for picture-taking-while- -driving tourists.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Hood, DEC, Littleton, Mass. Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com