Originally Posted by
Trogon
Any idea how many decibels we're talking about on a 20MPH bike ride?
I've heard that early onset deafness is a genuine problem among professional riders, doing like 20,000 miles a year at 25MPH.
And I'm sure what's coming out of an earbud, straight into one's ear is far, far better than a howling wind.
It is a real problem with motorcycle riders; I imagine it's a similar problem with high mileage cyclists, but less discussed, since people think hearing loss is a natural part of aging. But it isn't! At least, not to the degree we're talking about here.
At 20mph, I don't know offhead. But I do remember a thread in the commuting forum where someone taped a lapel mic to his chest while riding at around 21mph or so, and measured 105 decibels. That's definitely enough to produce hearing damage over time. The damage threshold is 85 decibels.