That soothing white noise…

The sound of wind rushing past while riding has been revered longer than written history might recall.  It’s a kind reminder that I’m moving fast.  When it came to my video recordings, I’m not as fond of it.  The background sound is completely washed out by the wind noise.  It made me think about hearing loss and being distracted from danger.  I ride a lot, so it’s a valid concern.

The light bulb above the head…

The audio from my camera and the sound monitoring sensors had an issue with wind noise.  I already found ways to remove the interference by placing the microphones and sensors correctly.  This problem was solved and I didn’t think any more about it.  Then one afternoon ride to Elliot Bay, the wind was strong out of the south.  I noticed how blinding the noise was to all the background sounds.  Just out of curiosity, I cupped my hand over one ear to block the sound.  It may seem obvious to you, but I have to say what a difference that made.

Now to block it…

I went ahead and started jotting down ideas on how to block the wind.  Looking around the office, I found some scrap pieces of plastic that I cut to shape.  A little Velcro and some placement trials and I was ready to test it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The results weren’t what I had hoped for and I look like a sad puppy, so I put them in my bike bag.

The idea was only new to me…

While resting and recovering from the bike accident, I did a search for the idea of blocking wind while riding.  Turns out the problem had been worked through.  The one that really stood out at me was the Wind-Blox.  Mike Fajen’s idea was simple and effective.  For $15, they offered several different styles for riders to choose from.

The wind noise demo is a selling point for those not familiar or skeptical.  I have to agree with the results.  The amount of background sound lost to wind noise is significant.

Their KickStarter page spelled out the work they put into getting this to market.  My helmet’s off to these folks, good job.  If anyone is interested in purchasing, you can find them on their website at Amazon.