View Poll Results: Do you wear ear plugs?
Voters: 17. You may not vote on this poll
ear plugs? why or why not?
#21
#22
#23
I was watching "How its Made" the other day, it was an episode on helmets (don't remember the brand, just that it was a German company) Anyways they said that the wind noise at 60mph was over 100dbs. Thats really dam loud. After seeing that I will NOT ride without them. I need to preserve what hearing I have left (childhood surgery has rendered my left ear useless)
#26
thats not the reason why people should wear earplugs. its got NOTHING to do with how loud your exhaust/engine is.. its the wind noise!!!!!
above 50mph it takes just 15minutes to do irreversable damage to your hearing. fact!
the damage is cumulative.
tinnitus is not a nice thing to live with.
quite frankly i dont want to spend the rest of my life with a constant whine in my ear (other than the mrs ) so i choose to wear earplugs.
that said i got a whisper strip for xmas and that completely cut out the wind noise for any speed below 100 ish so on the one time i managed to get out on the bike after xmas before all teh snow we're having in the uk i didnt wear my plugs but still had em on me just in case.
in short you WILL damage your ears if you're not wearing earplugs whether you think you are or not. if you can hear wind noise with no plugs in.. its doing damage.
i personally choose the 'not damage' option
above 50mph it takes just 15minutes to do irreversable damage to your hearing. fact!
the damage is cumulative.
tinnitus is not a nice thing to live with.
quite frankly i dont want to spend the rest of my life with a constant whine in my ear (other than the mrs ) so i choose to wear earplugs.
that said i got a whisper strip for xmas and that completely cut out the wind noise for any speed below 100 ish so on the one time i managed to get out on the bike after xmas before all teh snow we're having in the uk i didnt wear my plugs but still had em on me just in case.
in short you WILL damage your ears if you're not wearing earplugs whether you think you are or not. if you can hear wind noise with no plugs in.. its doing damage.
i personally choose the 'not damage' option
#27
It doesn't have to be painful to be doing damage. Just like listening to loud music at a teenager or the like, prolonged exposure to loud noises will hurt your hearing down the road. Just ask all the baby boomers how their hearing is after all those classic rock concerts they went to as teenagers!
#28
+1 on the wind noise fatigue. I never though it bothered me until I tried riding with earplugs. Makes a BIG difference IMO.
#29
I'm gonna try it next time I ride. Thanks for the idea Bubba. I work in the metalworking trade too, and they have the free disposable ones all over the shop. If it spares me a couple years of hearing it'll be worth it- already have to have the T.V. 25% louder than the Mrs. and 50% louder than the kid.
#30
+1 on the need for plugs & the accumulative effect of hearing damage. The thing to remember is that ear plugs are meant to be used once & then thrown away. The inside of your ear is warm & moist & a great place for bacteria to breed. I use the cheap foam class 4 plugs & am about to try class 5. The foam ones breathe a little so ear infections & the feel of sweaty ears just doesn't happen. I use them at work & even sleep with them when on night shift so you do get used to any discomfort fairly quickly. Even though I use an mp3 from time to time with plug type ear phones, you're only replacing one noise for another.