Ear / Hearing protection

Split from the "protective gear don't leave home without it" Thread.

How coerrect you are ... I never ride more than a few mins without my ear plugs. EAR Plugs are a must. The low frequency ossilation of the ear drums is just as damaging as loud sound.

I wear a nice pair of silicone ear plugs with a protection rating of 26. I find that protection ratings of 30 and above make it dificult for me to hear the traffic and sirens around me.

As a matter of fact this shoudl be a separate thread.

 

Thanks for the Link.

 

I would say that 10-15 mins is my limit. The rest of the time I wear ear plugs.
That said, from time to time I catch myself running out of work and forgetting to put them in. I notice it once I hit the HWY.

 

Most of my rides are about 200 to 300 miles per day. What I like to do is leave out the earplugs for about the first fifteen to twenty minutes so I can make sure there are no funny (or new) noises coming from the bike (I ignore any funny/new noises coming from me). Then I stop and put in the earplugs, usually coincidental with a gas stop. Gas for the bike, that is.

 

My medical insurance covers such things, I have an appointment, on the 30th of April, to be custom fitted, at no cost to me. If you have decent medical coverage you can get custom plugs at little, or no, cost to you. I am going with a product from these folks - http://www.westone.com/

 

Thanks Ron. I'm looking for a new pair.

 

longer than 3h i use em...so mainly for road trips.

 

In town I can get by with out them but on the freeway I use them.

 

What's up with this? I tried some foam earplugs and I felt like I couldn't hear ANYTHING - the engine revs, the traffic, ZERO. I hated them. I might as well have been driving in a Lexus. I couldn't even keep my speed even because I couldn't hear the &^%$#) engine!!! What sort of plugs make sense for riding? I want to experience the ride, even its noise. But I don't wwant to further damage my hearing - which sucks anyhow because I suffer from Tinitus.

 

LG,

At your age funny noises and gas have a lot in common.

 

It would be nice to find a "half solution" EAR foam plugs are too quiet!

What? I can't hear you ;-)

CalG

 

I use some that are a type of foam but far smoother than those you buy at the local lumber yard. They are far more comfortable and pliable. They fit better in your ear. And they don't seem to block out too much. I suppose it depends how deep you put them into your ear. I too like to hear the roar of the engine. But I have had two occasions where I went totally deaf in an ear for a few days. Neither time were we able to figure out what happened. One time they thought that it may have been due to past prolonged exposure to a router and it's noise. But for that short period of time, simple things such as TV, music and many other pleasures, could not be enjoyed. So give this serious consideration.

 

You can't go wrong with EAR Classic. They are dirt cheap & work.

E-A-R Classic Soft Ear Plugs (NRR 31) - AEARO, E-A-R, AOSafety, Peltor

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

Well, Randy. coming from you, I see little reason to argue...:smile::biggrin:

And CalG, check this out;

Foam Ear Plug Trial Packs<br><font size="2">Choose from three different packs! Find the best foam ear plugs for your application.</font> - Foam Ear Plugs

This is a pretty good deal. You get a bunch of different ones to try, so you can pick what works.

 

Hey....If you weren't so friggin far away I would hit you with my cane.:crutch::sleep::kev:

 

I am interested in the ones KC was talking about. Not sure where to find them.

 

I have found that the 3M 1100 to be very comfortable. Noise reduction of 29dB. I get mine at the Pharmacists counter so they are readily available. The ones KC referrs to (or so I think anyways) are readily available at most lumber shops and tool stores. Ear protection is really easy to find.

As a foot note to this. How many of you drive your cage with the window part way down? Big NO NO. Put it all the way down or all the way up. The little permanent hearing loss I have is due to years of driving with the driver's window partly down.