Decibel levels and bike commuting

[tootall]

Originally Posted by PacNW2Ford

Is the GGB bike path contraflow or in the center of the bridge? If you are riding the same direction, wouldn’t it be your left ear exposed to direct sounds of traffic?

I wondered the same. Will be an interesting tidbit of knowledge whatever the answer is.

[benb]

At what dB level does the smartwatch alarm?

You can figure out your exposure based on how loud it alarms at and how often it goes off.

I think most of us are probably going to be at a level & time where it's not really an issue.

If you've ever rode a motorcycle there's a pretty clear line when you start being able to continuously ride 40+ mph. You hit pain levels pretty quick at highway speeds, and I basically never rode without earplugs.

[EB]

Originally Posted by tootall

I wondered the same. Will be an interesting tidbit of knowledge whatever the answer is.

Sure, so: Morning bike traffic uses the eastern (bay) side of the bridge, with the auto traffic to your right if you are south-bound. Afternoon bike traffic after 3pm uses the western (ocean) side of the bridge, with the auto traffic to your right if you are north-bound. So for a commuter coming from the North side, as I am, your right side is always the one exposed to traffic noise.

Hope that helps clear up any confusion.

Technically, commuting north before 3pm requires the use of the eastern path, but no sane bike commuter does that, because the eastern path is a hellscape of selfie-stick wielding tourists in the afternoons. Pedestrians are banned from the western path at all times.

[PacNW2Ford]

Originally Posted by EB

Sure, so: Morning bike traffic uses the eastern (bay) side of the bridge, with the auto traffic to your right if you are south-bound. Afternoon bike traffic after 3pm uses the western (ocean) side of the bridge, with the auto traffic to your right if you are north-bound. So for a commuter coming from the North side, as I am, your right side is always the one exposed to traffic noise.

Hope that helps clear up any confusion.

Technically, commuting north before 3pm requires the use of the eastern path, but no sane bike commuter does that, because the eastern path is a hellscape of selfie-stick wielding tourists in the afternoons. Pedestrians are banned from the western path at all times.

Thanks! Here in Portland-Vancouver we have a bridge over the Columbia River with the bike path in the median of an Interstate highway. The noise level is nuts and in stereo from both sides.

[tootall]

Cool explanation, and that there’s a well defined system that considers cyclists.

[RWL2222]

Just how noisy is it on the GG? I bet it’s loud af. Have you tried something like the Niosh slm noise meter (I have on the phone, free from the app store) to measure the level? I have (or had) good hearing, and am very very sensitive to noise (and distortion in music) and occasionally check the sound level around me for risk of hearing damage, like at a college basketball game. My ears start to be seriously uncomfortable at bursts of 115-117 Db. Hearing damage—I read somewhere—is cumulative. Then there’s the covid angle; and age; and stress; and…

[2LeftCleats]

To the OP:

If there’s a marked difference between the 2 ears, might be wise to see an ENT or otologist. Rarely this can be caused by an acoustic neuroma.

[EB]

Originally Posted by RWL2222

Just how noisy is it on the GG? I bet it’s loud af. Have you tried something like the Niosh slm noise meter (I have on the phone, free from the app store) to measure the level? I have (or had) good hearing, and am very very sensitive to noise (and distortion in music) and occasionally check the sound level around me for risk of hearing damage, like at a college basketball game. My ears start to be seriously uncomfortable at bursts of 115-117 Db. Hearing damage—I read somewhere—is cumulative. Then there’s the covid angle; and age; and stress; and…

It’s very loud. In particular you’re got cars going 65 - posted limit is 45 but you know how that goes. And semi-trucks. And commuter buses. The distance between a rider and the car in the nearest lane is as little as four feet - the only thing separating you from the cars is a four foot high slatted metal barrier.

In all those commuting years, I just didn’t think about it and that’s on me. Once you get into a groove with bike commuting it’s a real habit and a very positive one while you’re doing it.

Only doing it more recently did I put the pieces of the puzzle together.

[bshell]

It's the wind.

I looked into this a few years ago and it's a combination of decibels and duration.

That threshold starts at 13- 14mph on a completely calm day. You can measure it with your cellphone. That's your entire ride but for some steep climbs.

Even w/o the added decibels of traffic, strong wind, or descents you have a recipe for hearing loss.

I wear earplugs all the time now in hopes of arresting the damage. It's weird at first but riding w/o them is deafening now and I wish I'd know this decades ago.

I check over my shoulder a lot more now but the reality is that there is nothing you can hear that's going to protect you from an accident.