Cycling and Tinnitus?

Hello everyone,

I am looking to get into a new hobby that will get me outside and physically active. I am thinking about cycling since I love being in nature and listening to nature sounds.

Is there any potential concern with cycling and tinnitus that I may be unaware of? From what I can gather cycling is a relatively quiet hobby when done on bike trials and major roads are avoided. The only real concern is wind speed causing "loud noise", which shouldn't be a problem because I will stay at slower speeds. If it is windy on the day I cycle I can always wear ear plugs or muffs. This should work right? Or does wind hitting ear plugs and muffs cause sound?

Any other advice for me? Anything I am missing here?

I hope everyone is doing well!

Regards,

Jack

 

@Jack Straw I am an avid cyclist (amature road and criterium racer). I wore cat ears (or windblox) for a while. But I recently just bought an aero helmet that covers much of the ears and wow...did this make a difference. I own the giro vanguish. It is about 200 USD, but verrryyy worth it IMHO.

 

I have been cycling for quite some time, and I can state that cycling (as any other vigorous exercise) can significantly help with managing anxiety and keeping depression away. When I ride my bike, my tinnitus will temporary spike up (because of the higher blood circulation). However, the feeling of natural dopamine after the ride is just amazing. The wind actually masks my tinnitus and makes me feel free!

Riding my bike improves my mood overall and help me to sleep much, much better.

 

Agree with the above poster. More distraction and more life and exercise is the best recipe for tinnitus and not being withdrawn and fearful which promotes the exorable repetitive do loop of focusing on it and obsession.

As you may be able to tell by my avatar cycling is a big part of my life. There is something you should be made aware of. Quite possible over my life of cycling, that it has been a contributor to my tinnitus. Unprovable of course but cycling with saddle to handlebar drop common on road bikes and racing bikes causes a head forward position with prolonged neck extension. This places a lot of stress on the nerves adjacent to the audority nerve.

So my advice is...if you purchase a drop bar bike, choose what is called a French fit whereby the handlebar is about the same height as the saddle or above. This will reduce magnitude of neck extension and stress on the base of the neck.

To me wind noise isn't a big deal. In fact, it somewhat naturally masks my tinnitus. I 'generally' don't hear my tinnitus on the bike. When out in the environment, my tinnitus is more evaporative.

But, bike fit is critical in particular if choosing say a road bike versus a mountain bike whereby the riding position is generally more upright for the latter and the spine is more in compression versus a cantilever inducing tension in the neck area. The weight of the head is about the same as a bowling ball and holding this up with torso more horizontal places a lot of stress at the base of the neck where nerves can interact with the hearing apparatus.

 

Awesome! Thanks for the advice! Before I drop too much money into this hobby I want to do it for a little. I think I will start with Cat Ears and if they are good ill stick with them for a little or until I feel the wind sound is too loud.

do you wear any other hearing protection besides that?

 

Thank you very much for the response! It helps reinforce why I should give this hobby a go.

 

Very interesting. I thought you were going to mention wind noise contributing to your tinnitus, but i didn't realize that neck strain can also do that.

Thank you for sharing!

 

Usually no. But on rides where there is an extended downhill and I may be going near 50 MPH or into extreme wind I do... but not with my aero helmet.

 

If you are going downhill, a lot what additional protection do you use? Bam mentioned that earplugs can sometimes make the wind louder as it hits the ear plugs.

 

I ride a lot. Like others, my tinnitus spikes dramatically when I ride, but riding overall makes it much more bearable, mostly because I am more relaxed, sleep better, and just happier overall. It takes a long time to build your cycling specific musclies and endurance to sustain it, but the harder you go the better. Doing ultra high intensity intervals is amazing. I sometimes use a single ear Bluetooth earpiece and listen to audiobooks while riding. The spoken word really masks the ringing for me, but I advise this can be dangerous in traffic.

If you have the funds try Zwift. It’s an online racing/social riding app that you hook up to a connected bike trainer. I use it all winter and in foul weather. You don’t have the wind noise you can play music. I would not not do it as a replacement for outdoor cycling, but its great if you live an region where weather limits you.

 

Spikes because of noise level or increase blood flow to ear?

 

I’m not sure. In my case I’m pretty sure it’s due to the hyperextension of my neck and the stress it puts on my neck muscles and the increased blood flow. I also think keeping off excess fat makes a difference. I just don’t find that external (real) noise affects my tinnitus, other than psychologically...

 

50 mph on a bicycle?? That's pretty lit.

 

Long descents on large hills with little turns. It's going fast in corners that separates the wheat from the chaff!

 

I find my tinnitus is quieter after cycling - no idea why.

 

I agree that bike fit is critical. I like Italian fit

 

Just looked at this helmet online and it doesn’t appear to cover the ears at all. Am I looking at the right one??

 

The visor creates an air gap around the ears. It's technically open (an open ear is a requirement for road racing in UCI classifications) but it is muccchhh quieter than adding cat ears or windblox to a standard non-aero helmet. You could go full aero like the Giro Aeorohead! Check that one out. But I can't race road or crits in that helmet, only tris and time trials.

@Bam you can check out this helmet to: https://www.lazersport.com/adult-helmets/wasp-air-tri A few of my racing buddies swear by this one. You can also check out the Kask Bambino. It's what Team Sky uses. It's pretty much the best you can get.

 

I used to be a competitive rider and ride about 5-6K miles per year now. I still ride with the fastest riders in town in spite of my advancing years.
My tinnitus stays about the same...when I start versus when I finish. But, my tinnitus varies a fair amount daily if not hourly from mild to rather loud and annoying. I of course think about the dynamic of neck extension and what it does to the nerves at the base of the neck. I like to ride aero to ride fast and keep up with other strong riders. I don't believe this change in blood flow and/or compressions to the nerves at the base of the neck is positive for my tinnitus and may have even been a contributor over the decades I have been a rider.

But as touched upon and I believe this to be overarching, I believe people that dramatically alter their lifestyle to 'pander to tinnitus'...to be forever engaged in monitoring it and constantly obsessing over root cause when there are so many unanswerable contributing factors to tinnitus, I believe this promotes more anxiety and worsens tinnitus.

That said, I listened to Michael's advice for example and stopped wearing earphones, on and off the bike because I believe they promote excessive sound level over ambient sound levels. I try to avoid very loud music and noise levels to protect what ear health I have left and not further temp fate.

But cycling overall for me is who I am and a blessing. I love to hammer on the flats and get an endorphin buzz and let the environment drown out this scourge we all share. I have considered stopping but never very seriously.
Live life fully.

 

Hey, it sounds a great idea to keep trying to do the things you love and enjoying life. Just tinnitus a bit of a bugger if the leisure activity you loved the most was to be curled up in a silent room with a good book. I've cycled for 30 years but to me it's just a way of getting around and keeping fit.

Ignore the bastard is the best way though.

 

I am a long- time cyclist and participated in the sport before I got tinnitus as well as while I had tt and after it went away about a year ago, so I would go for it if I were you.

 

Great that it went away. @Bam it can sometimes happen.

 

For anyone still interested I am looking at bikes and the salesmen mentioned the Trek Marlin 5 2018. I am looking to ride paved trails and do some beginner mountain bike trails, which is why I am thinking about it. He said it was a good beginner bike and in my price range ($500).

Trek a good brand? Everywhere I look online says it is.

 

Hi All,

Are there any cyclists on this forum? I'm talking bicycles.

I love cycling and since not being able to drive anymore it's beceme quite a passion of mine.

I have mild tinnitus and hyperacusis and I'm wondering if anyone has had any issues with cycling?

I'm thinking wind noise is the main issue?

Thanks,

COYS

 

https://www.helmetangel.com/product/jet/

 

Awesome find @Allan1967! Thanks!

 

@Jack Straw how have you found cycling with your tinnitus? Do you have hyperacusis as well?

 

I don’t find it to be an issue. If it gets too loud for whatever reason, I wear ear plugs but ultimately I don’t have an issue.

 

@Jack Straw Thanks!

Will definitely give it a go. I want to get back into road cycling. I'm a bit nervous about the hyperacusis but I can only try right!

 

I sometimes cycle to work. I find the wind comforting. It takes my mind off the tinnitus. It also takes the edge off my tinnitus. And being healthy always helps.