The Cat-Ears family of wind blocking devices for your bike helmet.

Cat-Ears

Removing the noise of the wind, allowing you to hear what's around you. 

There is a product developed for every type of rider including other family members. Cat-Ears provide wind noise blocking without blocking sound waves. From the casual rider to the elite athlete.  Safety is the key. Here's a look at the line of Cat-Ears designed by Rick and Heidi Weissner. 

Hears (Here is) the Cats meow broken down.  (Puns intended)

To start off with Ear Covers are the only product that attach to both the down strap as well as the strap that runs to the back of the helmet.  They help keep your ears warm during cool or cold rides while blocking the wind noise but allow sound to travel through them. These are a must have in the winter months and very early morning rides before the sun rises. 

Cat-Ears Ear Covers

Next up the Classic I are made of a faux fur material that is 1/2 inch thick, dampening and deflecting wind noise. They are designed to fit 1/2 inch helmet straps. They are 1 3/8 inch wide and 2 1/2 inches long. 

Cat-Ears Classic I

 Next are the Classic II, also made of a faux fur material that is 1/2 inch thick, dampening and deflecting wind noise. They are designed to fit 1/2 inch helmet straps. They are 1 1/4 inch wide and 2 1/4 inches long. A major difference with these is the back side (the side facing the riders face) is fleece and not the faux fur material.  Some riders don't like the feel of the faux fur on their face, so for some this could be added comfort. 

Cat-Ears Classic II 

The Strap Wraps are for your casual rider that travels at a lower speed. They attach to your helmet strap with Velcro just like any of the other Cat-Ears products.  These have a scalloped edge on the outside facing the ear, diverting the wind away from your ear.  Very comfortable and they wick sweat. 

Cat-Ears Strap Wraps

The Classic Pro is once again made with the faux fur that is 1/2 inch thick, dampening and deflecting wind noise. They are designed to fit 1/2 inch helmet straps. They are 1 1/8 inch wide and 2 inches long. They are right and left specific, and are packaged in such a way to let you know before attaching them to your helmet straps. When attached the front edge seems to point upward. 

Cat-Ears Classics Pro

Once again "The Classics"  I, II, Pro are designed to fit 1/2 inch helmet straps.  The difference with all of them is their size. They all provide the maximum wind noise reduction by reducing wind noise approximately 40 to 60 percent. 

All Cat Ears are available in numerous colors.  So check them out on their site.  Pick a set to match your bike or maybe your helmet, or maybe your cycling kit.  It's up to you. 

Here you can see how the product is used. Very easy and comfortable. 

Race Report : 12 Hours at Night

Race Report 

12 Hours at Night in Prescott, Arizona

Saturday, June 7, morning my family and I headed two hours north to Prescott where the race would take place.  I spent the week before gathering what I knew I needed and what I thought I would need.  From extra tubes to water to food I would eat throughout the night.  The race started at 8PM and would end the next morning at 8AM with the winner completing the most laps of the 9 mile course. Both my son and my daughter raced in the kids event earlier that evening on a much shorter course but still had some climbing.  They both had a great time and came back later to see my off on my journey.  The Two-Wheel Jones Bicycle Shop in Gilbert owned by my friend Larry DeMik was also racing and set up a tent.  Numerous others from the shop were also entered in the race.  

The race started off with a 400 yard running dash down a hill to our bikes and then off onto the course we went.  Not really knowing the course I hung back until I completed one lap of the 9 mile course.  I had a plan in my head to start off with two consecutive laps and then stop and refuel for both food and water.  The first lap took me a little over an hour to complete. Knowing the cold would set in, I started off and wore the whole time my Cat-Ears ear covers to help keep my ears warm as well as block the wind noise allowing me to hear things I would not be able to see in the dark.  The course consists of fire roads and single track with a few good climbs.  There were a few areas where the sand was pretty deep and difficult to navigate with the headlights.  The whole time I was using both a handle bar mounted as well as a helmet mounted lights, dimming them to save their batteries when I could.  It was halfway through the third lap the cooler weather started to settle in. It was also after this lap my body was feeling pretty good but my mind was wandering leading me to lay the bike down a few times.  I was use to everything terrain wise this course was throwing at me, but it was hitting me mentally.  Finished my third lap and hung it up for awhile, sleeping and trying to get my mind back into it and keeping warm.  I knew I had to get back out on the course, even though I was a little sore and still cold.  The sun was rising by now at 6AM and I knew it wouldn't take long for the desert to heat up.  I grabbed a few hydration bottles and off I went.  The course looked a lot different in the sunlight then it did being lit by headlamps. I took my time but knew in my head for my lap to count I would have to finish it by 8AM. I was just a little over halfway through the lap and my tire slipped around a corner sending me to the ground hard, driving my elbow up into my ribs and me looking up into the air.  I jumped up and got back on the bike knowing the cut off time.  It hurt to breathe and I could see my side bruise pretty fast.  I was glad to see the finish line beating the cut off by 30 minutes to spare. 

The Orange Mud Hydra Quiver worked great for holding my hydration bottle along with my tube and fuel.  I ended up putting two other water bottle cages on my bike a few days before.  

I wore my Suunto Ambit 2S GPS watch with HR monitor to capture a lot of data.  I used one of the over 1000 apps, this one being for Mountain Biking.  I am still learning the watch and the very cool things it is capable of doing and capturing. (More on this device in a blog)  

I took fourth place in the single male division completing my four laps. 

So what did I learn from the race?  I need to train a little more riding at night with the headlamp and increase my training before attempting this again next year.  It did not help that my training two weeks out from the race was very difficult after getting an upper respiratory infection. 

This race would have not happened with out the support of

  Two Wheel Jones Gilbert location, Suunto, Uddery Smooth, Orange Mud, CarbBOOM!, ProGold Lubrication, Cat-Ears, Dude Wipes and HoneyMaxx.