Slipstreamz – Cycling Earwear for Ipod

Those who enjoy riding with an iPod know how unnerving it can be to lose all touch with the outside world. Slipstreamz quickly attach to the outside of your helmet and provide an ingenious method for keeping the earbuds away from your ear canal while simultaneously cutting back on wind noise. The result is the ability to hear the world and your tunes with fine acoustic quality all at the same time.

The product itself is an ear-shaped patch of porous fabric attached to a little wedge of foam with a groove that holds the earbud in place. The entire assembly attaches to your helmet strap. Once properly set up, Slipstreamz work as advertised.

Because the earbud is outside of your ear, the product erases concerns of reinserting or readjusting the earbud after a section of really bumpy terrain or after getting whacked upside the head with branches along the trail. They also eliminate the need to crank the volume to the threshold of pain in order to block out wind noise.

Set up is relatively easy, but laborious enough that I decided to dedicate one helmet entirely as my music helmet. This is not to say that a dedicated helmet is necessary to enjoy the product; I just happen to be a little lazy and in possession of an extra helmet at all times (should one disintegrate after a bad wreck and I want to go riding the next day). And since I only listen to music when I ride alone, I didn’t want to be constantly installing and uninstalling the product on a daily basis before each ride.

Slipstreamz also are advertised as helping keep the ears warm during cold weather. I can see how this is possible, but I didn’t find them hot or annoying to wear during the hottest part of the summer in the desert Southwest. In fact, Slipstreamz did provide my ears with good protection from ultraviolet rays, an unintended benefit I’m sure.

Slipstreamz are the creation of South African cyclist Lonnie Tiegs, who first developed the product in 2004. The company has announced distributor agreements with Cycles Lambert and J&B Importers, although the product does not seem readily available in U.S. cycling shops around these parts.

Price: $13—totally worth it if you’ve never before enjoyed Johnny Young’s South Side Blues Band performing “Tighten Up On It” while negotiating some really tricky singletrack or any other music during an epic ride for that matter.

Purchase at MacFriends.com.

More Info at Slipstreamz.com.

Price: $13—totally worth it if you’ve never before enjoyed Johnny Young’s South Side Blues Band performing “Tighten Up On It” while negotiating some really tricky singletrack or any other music during an epic ride for that matter.