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Do you wear ear plugs when you ride?

13K views 68 replies 38 participants last post by  Cobra193  
#1 ·
This week I decided to try wearing ear plugs while riding. I was amazed at how much more enjoyable the ride was without the wind roaring in my ears!

I have seen other bikers with them but they were usually on very loud bikes so I figured they just couldn't stand their own noise. Maybe I was wrong about that!

If you haven't given it a try I suggest you do.
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
casper,, no ear plugs, any more. I cant hear. now I wear these very 'spensive (cost more n some bikes) 'earing aids. The best part is that I can turn them off. and go back to "all'swell in Quietsville". its almost as good as having the remote control, pointing it at someone and pushing the Mute button. same effect. Nirvana! ponchout..

fyi. from what am told and read, hearing loss is becoming pandemic as more people are living exposed to loud noises, machines, music and those ear pluggy ipods thingies.
 
#3 ·
Any time I'm out on a longer ride, something other than a commute around town, I'll throw them in. You can still hear all the important noises but it cuts down on the constant drone. A few minutes into a ride when your hearing would normally be reduced from the hum, you can actually hear things better with them in than if you hadn't worn them. I once heard the alarm on my watch go off while rolling down the interstate at 70mph. It makes for a more comfortable, safer ride and you significantly reduce the risk of tinnitus from accumulated exposure.
 
#5 ·
Around town ... no, touring or distance riding ... all the time, whether Im wearing a full face or open face helmet.
 
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#8 ·
I also wear them nightly in my tractor trailer, everything rattles and then at home cause the ole lady snores.:eek:
 
#10 ·
I have tinnitus and significant high frequency hearing loss (not quite deaf yet ;). Like Ponch, I have some bionic ears to better understand female voices. The 'aids are always out when riding. If more that a few minutes, or more than 30 mph, the plugs go in. Even with some hearing loss and stock V2K pipes, the wind noise fatigue is much improved. ...And maybe I will still be able to hear something in a few more years.

The biggest drawback is I can't hear the helmet phones over 25-30 mph even with a booster amp. Between the wind noise and ear plug attenuation the phones don't cut it. Gave up on ear buds for sound - I drag them out while putting on the helmet. I even tried some of the silicone putty (2 part curing) molded to the ears with the earbuds - still dragged them out. Guess I have a fat head!

The plugs that work best for me are the silicone putty (non curing) type. I got the drug store house brand a lot cheaper than brand name - works fine. I also use only 1/2 the "dose" in each ear - It protrudes less and also cost half as much ;) So far have not had to resort to a dental pick and hemostats to extract 'em...

Woody
 
#15 ·
hearing loss is the silent thief

I have tinnitus and significant high frequency hearing loss (not quite deaf yet ;). I have some bionic ears to better understand female voices. Woody
human speech is from 300 to 4500 hz. hearing loss usually begins to occur above 3000 hz. Female and children have most all thier speech above this frequency. explains the not hearing... or understanding thing we are constantly being accused of.

Consonances P, F, T, S and a few others all fall in these higher frequencies. When you loose ability to hear those sounds they get clipped. Yor brain tries to fill in the blank sound spaces and you come up with words, sentences and whole different meanings to what you were told. So more accusations fly that you just aren't listening, paying attention or just dont care... eventually that too comes to pass.

Loss of hearing, processing sounds into meaningful understanding, your brain begins to loose ability to connect the dots. Even when hearing is restored to some level, you are unable to associate sounds with proper meaning and still cannot connect the dots as to what is being communicated.. at best you are lucky if you can re-learn sounds and re-build relationships. good f... luck.
 
#11 ·
I tried the Pura Fit 6800 ear plugs and did not like them at all. Could not hear anything and I felt like I was in a drum with bad vibrations up my spine. Have to wear something when I have a Windshield on because of buffeting. But without the Windshield it is actually a lot quieter and a more pleasant ride without the earplugs and I can hear cars coming up on me etc.
 
#13 ·
You can get them from home depot ... safety section ... 80 pairs for under 15 dollars. 30db drop.
 
#17 ·
I'm glad I read this because I'm going to put about 1000 miles on this weekend and forgot to throw some in the luggage. My bike is obnoxiously loud. I've been meaning to get some baffles for it but haven't yet. The PO put on Cobra longs w/o baffles and that 2000 really puts out some noise and 400 miles a day gets to be bothersome.
 
#18 ·
From all I've read...it's not so much the bike....it's the wind rushing through the ear canal that causes most hearing loss.....I could be wrong.
 
#21 ·
I wear them whenever the full face goes on (Scorpion EXO) to attenuate the wind buffeting and my own pipes. I use the Wally World specials (tapered foam). Around town is the open face with no plugs, but then again, around town, I ride my XL185S; I live in a very small town.
 
#23 ·
I too have lost some of my hearing due to working on flight decks of aircraft carriers and 30 years in the construction trades. I started out using foam ear plugs and then moved to in-ear headphones connected to my iPod. The in-ear phones block out enough of the wind to make the ride more enjoyable. The music kept at low volume also makes for an enjoyable ride and I can still hear enough to be alert to what's going on around me. Several of my friends criticized me for using the iPod until we were all on a ride together when I heard the ambulance's siren and those with foam and even one guy with no ear plugs didn't hear the siren.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Though I should add this - and I'd eventually like to speak to an expert about it (if I can still hear him to converse with him at that point):

I ride with ear-plugs for my 360 miles of commuting each week. I also ride with a full-face helmet for such commuting.

Now I know that the ear plugs are working very well - wind noise is greatly reduced, fatigue is kept down, etc. - yet after rides, and on my days off, I have ringing in my ears that was not there before. It is stronger after the rides, and there is no doubt I am harder of hearing... yet I wear some of the best ear-plugs I can buy (Hearos ear plugs).

My contention is that the air pulses getting trapped up under my full face helmet are causing enough vibration up through my sinuses that I am still going deaf despite wearing the ear plugs; yet I've never read anything about this condition.

Also, it didn't happen when I used to ride sport bikes, and my theory here is that the angle of the opening of the full-face helmets isn't as exposed to the oncoming air due to the torso's angle-of-attack. With this cruiser and a slightly backward position (not upright, and certainly not a forward-leaning position), air pulses in the helmet have to be present and continual (and that the average speed is 80 MPH, and I do about 85 some days to stay away from people, doesn't help).

So, well, there's that to think of.
 
#27 ·
My contention is that the air pulses getting trapped up under my full face helmet are causing enough vibration up through my sinuses that I am still going deaf despite wearing the ear plugs; yet I've never read anything about this condition.So, well, there's that to think of.
md.. hmmm,,, 'spect you be needin some NOSE PLUGS next.?
 
#30 ·
Also, I don't know about you guys but I ride pretty much all year long. Here in Michigan it can get pretty cold. I've noticed that when I'm ride with plugs I don't get nearly as much vertigo when I have to stop. Kevin
 
#31 ·
Also, I don't know about you guys but I ride pretty much all year long. Here in Michigan it can get pretty cold. I've noticed that when I'm ride with plugs I don't get nearly as much vertigo when I have to stop. Kevin
k'rat,, vertigo when you go.. verti-stop is when you stop. going.
 
#33 ·
That was some funny sh%t, Ponch. :D

And as for the vertigo, I've never heard of vertigo on a bike, but I could see the correlation of the cold on the inner working of the inner-ear and the onset of vertigo in some people who were prone to it - so that's pretty cool info to have.

I've only ever got vertigo when scuba diving... as long as I just remember to keep the regulator in my mouth it eventually goes away (which sounds strange, but vertigo under water I imagine is like some strange 60's acid trip :eek:), then I can figure out which way is up again.
 
#35 ·
That exchange reminded me of a fella I used to work with.....he was never really at work and missed every second day. One week he was off with the "gout". The next week he was off with "vertigo".....the next week after that he was out again. When he came back an exasperated supervisor came up to him and asked him what the hell was wrong now? His answer? "Vertigout".......
 
#36 ·
#37 ·
It has to do with the cold affecting the inner ear.

Mambo Dave, I use Bonine when diving. It works pretty good to prevent motion sickness. Tried Dramamine before, but it doesn't work as well.

Now I've got to verti go do some work. Kevin
 
#38 ·
Thanks KRhat, but I never get motion sickness (on the boat nor in the water). The vertigo I occasionally experience - usually on the gradual ascent I think - just makes the world go haywire for a while, no big deal.
 
#40 ·
Chop, surge and no vis? That's the best time to imagine you're a Navy SEAL in training :D

Well, at least that's what I do...

No dive is wasted; either they are productive or they turn into training & skill-practicing dives. Of course it helps that I dive with guys - gotta imagine that wouldn't go over well with one of the fairer sex.
 
#42 ·
I always wear ear plugs except for short trips to the store when I'm not likely to be going over 30 mph. I would NEVER ride without them at highway speeds. Not only for ear protection -- I can concentrate on my riding better without that high frequency noise, and I can hear my bike better too. I've found plugs from hardware stores to be better than ones from bike shops, generally.
 
#43 ·
I usually ride with my earbuds plugged into my Ipod if I go on an extended ride. Thinking that it is illegal in Michigan but can't say for sure and I can't say that I really care if it is or not. I should have thought about saving my hearing years ago. After years of failed ear protection from shooting clays to working construction and all that loud music I should have been smarter. But then again I wish I would have bought shares of MicroSoft 25 years ago too. Hearing Aids suck and yep they did cost more than my bike. But they sure look nice sitting in their case up on top of the fridge. Plus one to wearing ear plugs. Gonna start to save what hearing I have remaining and use ear plugs when I'm not using my ear buds.
 
#44 ·
I had never tried it before, but just finished a 900mile ride (2 days) yesterday and wore plugs the whole time. I found it a little disorienting for the first few minutes but then got used to it. I'd recommend it. I had no ringing afterwards which was nice. Could pop them out and hear people normally right away. If you're not getting custom made ones just be sure to use a soft kind. I had picked up some orange ones that were a little larger and firmer than other ones I've used and found they stuck out too far and my helmet/speakers were pushing them into my ear - not comfortablle. Got some smaller softer yellow foam ones and they were fine.

Went for a short ride last night and didn't bother putting them in - my wife called on the phone and I hadn't turned down the headset volume from when I had the plugs in :eek:-very loud.
 
#45 ·
Went for a short ride last night and didn't bother putting them in - my wife called on the phone and I hadn't turned down the headset volume from when I had the plugs in :eek:-very loud.
Mind if I ask which cell phone headset are you using that works well on a cruiser at speed, or which you suggest?