Ear Plugs

[felix42o]

I use the cheap foam ones as well, cylinder type-you roll 'em up and they expand to fit. BUT-I've been wearing these things day in and day out on the helicopters for nearly ten years, so I'm used to them. I remember they used to bug the hell out me, but they are second nature now. The whole "can't hear ambient noise" thing I don't really agree with myself, but that's just my opinion. If anything, they keep it quiet enough to think, and cut down on wind noise so much that I know for a fact it adds a full tank at least to my day on long trips. In addition, I feel like I stay more focused on what's going on around me, and I can hear what the bike is doing mechanically a lot better. In short, I'm a big fan. I'm thinking about trying some of those custom fit ones with the headphone speakers inside (Aerostich sells them). Anyone tried these?

I don't wear them in town day to day, but that's due more to the short commute and low speeds than anything else.

[tomsp]

I use Etymotic Research ER-20 - cost $12 -- you can hear everything and it totally protects your hearing

[Admin Jaap]

 

I use these... very comfy and with 2 dampening options

[Guzzirider]

I will never use ear plugs on my bike- I like to hear everything around me and paid good money for my Mistrals and the last thing I want to do is blur them out.

 

I always take ear plugs when I am camping though- handy if there are loud snorers or early starters camped near you.

 

I use Motrax- 50 pairs for £10.

 

Guy

[dlaing]

I use Etymotic Research ER-20 - cost $12 -- you can hear everything and it totally protects your hearing

Thanks Tom, those look great!

I'll have to buy a pair

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20-ihp.aspx

They link to an Excel spread sheet that show riding a motorcycle with a full face helmet to be anywhere from 63 to 113db. Obviously the db increases with speed and so does the risk of damage.

Risk of damage is also effected by the duration of exposure.

http://www.e-a-r.com/hearingconservation/faq_main.cfm look for the excel document.

Here is the direct link to the excel spreadsheet with db ratings

http://www.e-a-r.com/pdf/hearingcons/NoiseNav.xls

and a link to a pdf indicating how hazardous each db level is:

http://www.e-a-r.com/pdf/hearingcons/howloud.pdf

[luhbo]

It's definitely the case that with earplugs you hear more of what is happening around you! This includes other cars as well as your own exhaust or valve tickering. It depends of course also a bit on the quality of the chosen product.

 

Perhaps you've seen people talking to each other attending a life concert: experienced visitors hold fingers on their ears while listening to each other.

 

Classical musicians in theaters very often prefer to play with plugs, too. Exactly by the same reason.

 

Hubert

[jimbemotumbo]

I've tried everything from simple soft foam plugs to etymoyic, shure, etc, headphones. Lately I have been enjoying mp3s on the road. I am currently using Sennheiser CX-300 headphones. They block outside noise as well as any foam plug, and allow me to listen to music, or plug into my GPS at very low volume levels. They also are much more comfortable than most other solutions. 12 hours of riding without any ear canal pain.

 

I think these can be found for less than $60.

[jrt]

Mainly, you want to filter out the high frequency wind noise- that's the most damaging. If you can find an ear plug that filters out the HF but passes the low frequency, you will be able to hear just fine and it will protect your hearing. Good luck with that.

[Guest Gary Cheek]

Mainly, you want to filter out the high frequency wind noise- that's the most damaging. If you can find an ear plug that filters out the HF but passes the low frequency, you will be able to hear just fine and it will protect your hearing. Good luck with that.

 

At work I wear the Phillips active noise cancelling headset. They do a great job on steady-state ambient noise. The active component actually uses a sense microphone and generates an equal sound 180 Deg out of phase from ambient. Very effective noise blocker. They also allow me to plug in an MP3 or FM receiver. At work I use a 1 Watt FM transmitter to rebroadcast AM radio programs for traffic reports ,Red Wing games or MP3 Old time radio programs etc. The transmiter covers most of the GM Tech Center, abt 1 square mile.

 

I often wear earplugs under those headphones as well. To knock down the high noise from metal forming power hammers and pneumatic panel cutters.

 

On our bikes it is indeed the wind noise that does most of the damage to unprotected ears. It would be nice if helmets were made that were as effective at active noise blocking!

[Guest Rocker]

I just replied on a different thread regarding ear plugs and I thought the topic deserved its own thread. I just started wearing them when I ride. I have tried a couple different ones and I am currently using a pair from Howard Leight. They are corded and reusable and they really cut down on wind noise. The only problem is that sometimes it is a little tricky getting my helmet on without pulling the plugs out of my ears since they have these posts to aid insertion. I guess I can just cut the posts down. Anyway they work pretty well and I like the fact that they are corded since I can just hang them around my neck when not riding.

 

http://www.hearingportal.com/products/products2.asp?id=8#

 

I am curious as to how popular earplugs are amongst the members here.

 

Ride Safe

Never used them - no need to with a well fitting lid.

 

Rockerob.

[Guest Gary Cheek]

Never used them - no need to with a well fitting lid.

 

Rockerob.

 

 

A well fitting lid? Oh! Right.....

[dlaing]

As my hearing has been suffering absurdly loud rocknroll for years (saw The Cramps a couple of weeks ago; totally irrelevant but fun), I am starting to feel the consequences and feel the need to protect my ears. In crowded environments like bars/parties, I can no longer make out what people say to me, it all blends together to a high pitched din. So, time to plug'em up to save the little hearing thats left.

 

I always use plugs on trips lasting more than 30 mins. One thing is the possible damage to hearing done by wind buffeting and howling engines (I sometimes drive behing my wife, and her Laverda is just howling...) another thing is that the noise drains your energy after a couple of hours and kills your concentration with possible dangerous situations as a result.

 

I use those yellow sponge plugs (E.A.R) , but find them to be too big to be comfortable so I cut them in half. With half a plug in my head the engine and other important sounds (like ambulances) seeps through, just loud enough. This also works at concerts.

 

Sceptical about the plugs with small "handles" on them. Dont they touch the helmet paddings? They also look uncomfortably similar to rubber toilet pumps.... what happens if ya yank'em out of yer ear really fast??

 

EDIT: wow, why did this end up in hicomp piston land???

I like the cleanable reusable plugs with the small handles, because they are available in lower db ratings. Knocking off 24db rather than 30+db is good enough for me, and it allows me to hear ambulances, etc.

I do have to trim the handle just enough to clear the helmet padding.

If you find the yellow EAR too big, there are softer and or smaller sponge plugs available.

The swimmers plugs are also available in smaller childrens sizes....I tried these, but they fell out.

One pair of swimmer plugs was too tight, so I simply trimmed the largest rib....so I probably ended up with 15 db of protection, but more comfort.

Now I am using some orange Howard Leight swimmers plugs.

Very comfortable except slightly uncomfortable when I pull them out.

Funny, the last pair of the same model (that I lost) was perfectly comfortable.

Something a little softer would be better, but they are not bad.

[Bill Hagan]

I started off my grown-up life (assuming I'm there yet, of course. ) sending big bullets downrange from very heavy tracked vehicles. That can be ... uhm ... loud. VFL.

 

That taught me early-on that hearing is a fragile and valuable sense.

 

Cannot imagine riding without earplugs. If anything, I think it enhances, not reduces, the "symphony."

 

Only drawback from my perspective is when, with helmet still on and plugs in, I forget that my wife or the gate guards here can hear me just fine without shouting.

 

Bill

[Gio]

I just replied on a different thread regarding ear plugs and I thought the topic deserved its own thread. I just started wearing them when I ride. I have tried a couple different ones and I am currently using a pair from Howard Leight. They are corded and reusable and they really cut down on wind noise. The only problem is that sometimes it is a little tricky getting my helmet on without pulling the plugs out of my ears since they have these posts to aid insertion. I guess I can just cut the posts down. Anyway they work pretty well and I like the fact that they are corded since I can just hang them around my neck when not riding.

 

http://www.hearingportal.com/products/products2.asp?id=8#

 

I am curious as to how popular earplugs are amongst the members here.

 

Ride Safe

 

Leight Plugs from Howard Leight (NRR 30dB)

Soft, effective and last well.

Can't find them in Canada so a friend sends them from the US ($2.99 for 5 pr from Big5)

 

Gio

[Duncan]

I use my earplugs anytime I will be doing more than a few minutes of riding at highway speeds or above. The wind noise for any lengthy period is far more damaging than my open lid airbox, or my Guzzi Ti pipes. I ride in a Shoei RF 1000 which has proven to be a relatively quiet helmet, but even a Schuberth S1 rates at around 90 decibels at 65mph. I dont like normal earplugs on the bike because they block out too much ambient noise which I think makes them dangerous to wear in traffic. I have tried several disposables, and non-disposables with rating from 24-30 NRR ratings, and I had the same feeling with all of them. Because of this I wear a Bilsom 656 NST. I like these because they are only rated at 21db NRR, and they have channel which passes throung the center of the earplug so that some mid and high frequencies pass through. I get more than adequate protection with these, and I can still hear most of the ambient traffic noise that I need to hear like ambulances, horns. These are really nice compared to a conventional earplug.