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View Poll Results: Do you wear earplugs when you ride?
On every ride 89 32.84%
On most rides 57 21.03%
Only on long trips 43 15.87%
Never 65 23.99%
What? 17 6.27%
Voters: 271. You may not vote on this poll

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Old June 1st, 2010, 09:30 PM   #161
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kkim View Post
Riding without some sort of ear protection can ruin your hearing. It's not the exhaust which kills it, it's the high frequency of wind noise passing the helmet that usually does the most damage.

I used to work part time in a radar shop with high pitched exhaust fans on the cabinets. Every one of the full time techs there had hearing loss. Back in those days, it wasn't a common thing to wear earplugs. Today, most of those techs have a hard time hearing.

You can test your hearing using this as a rough guide to see how bad your high frequency ear response curve has been damaged to date. Lol... I won't tell you what I can' t hear.

If you are younger and value your hearing, consider using earplugs... it gonna be nice to be able to enjoy music when you get older.

http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/
I can hear up to 15khz
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Old June 3rd, 2010, 03:40 PM   #162
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i work in the Air Force, on Harriers, and at full whack them things are pretty loud, i always wear ear defenders and earplugs, decided to half-inch a box of plugs and after trying them first time i use them all the time, i wouldnt ever buy any but because i got these free i think they are great, no noticeable wind noise, just engine sound which is great in twisties, on long rides i listen to my iPod and my ears always ring a bit when i get off, but it makes them easier to live with :/
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Old June 5th, 2010, 08:14 PM   #163
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So what I'm wondering, is if anyone has seen any earplug-phones. Like earphones, that also work as ear plugs. Not noise cancelling becouse that just injects MORE noise in to cancell out the other noise. I'm pretty sure that does just as much damage.

Like maybe earphones with big poofy earplug type things with a tube in the middle or something.
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Old June 6th, 2010, 04:54 PM   #164
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You can get custom fit ear plugs that have a speaker in them for music/phones. I've seen them at the Cycle World Trade Show in Seattle.
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Old June 6th, 2010, 07:42 PM   #165
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Anyone ever try YurBuds? I started searching after Beowuff said they were made, and they cost insane amounts. But Yurbuds seems reasonable. Just not sure about their noise isolation.
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Old January 19th, 2011, 09:33 PM   #166
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Old January 19th, 2011, 09:51 PM   #167
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seattle_Chris View Post
So what I'm wondering, is if anyone has seen any earplug-phones. Like earphones, that also work as ear plugs. Not noise cancelling becouse that just injects MORE noise in to cancell out the other noise. I'm pretty sure that does just as much damage.

Like maybe earphones with big poofy earplug type things with a tube in the middle or something.
Are you describing something like Etymotics ER-6's?

I've used them before and they isolate similar to my foam earplugs so i'd say close to 20-30db. Not backed by anything scientific. Just my own opinion. I should mention that if my ipod had 30notches of volume, I put it at 5-8ish and I wont be able to hear anything but music.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 05:03 PM   #168
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I harldy ever wear ear plugs, I just hate not hearing everything around me as well.
I used to use the gel/clay ones, but they're not as quiet as the ones I normally use and they fall out too easily...

I use these ones when I chose to wear plugs because they don't fall out easily and we have leftovers from when we sold the machine shop:
http://www.howardleight.com/earplugs/quiet
They also have these, which will be my next order: http://www.howardleight.com/earplugs/pilot

The "quiet" ear plugs reduce noise by 26 or 27 decibels, and that's a lot.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 05:10 PM   #169
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kkim View Post
You can test your hearing using this as a rough guide to see how bad your high frequency ear response curve has been damaged to date. Lol... I won't tell you what I can' t hear.

If you are younger and value your hearing, consider using earplugs... it gonna be nice to be able to enjoy music when you get older.

http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/
I'm about to turn 17, and I can BARELY hear 21 khz and I work in a machine shop (for 8-9 years now. ) I'm sure my dad can hear the 60 year old one, but no lower. He's been working in a shop since he was... 15 I think. That's nearly 32 years of "BARuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!!! SQUEEEEAKKK!!!!!! BARUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMM!!! SQUEAKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!"

I'm sure my hearing used to be a LOT BETTER. But when I can hear something, I have really sensitive hearing.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 06:55 PM   #170
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I'm wearing earplugs for the first time on my ninjette after riding for a number of years on other bikes without. The difference in my riding is marked. Noise is stressful, and I ride more relaxed. I was really surprised at how much more enjoyable riding is with the earplugs. Here is a study on it if you are interested: Noise Induced Stress. My previous fears of not hearing the road, other traffic, emergency vehicles were without basis - you hear them fine - better with earplugs than you do inside a car without earplugs. The plugs just take the edge off the wind/traffic/exhaust noise.

More importantly, and scientific fact, your hearing is at risk of damage above 85dbs. That is where most of our riding is. Check out this great resource talking about noise-induced hearing loss: House Ear Institute. The Institute recommends plugs for activities above 85dbs with prolonged, repeated or cumulative exposure. Good enough for me.

I use the Moldex PuraFit 6800 disposable. Dead cheap at $20 for a box of 200, and they get good reviews. And they are way cheaper than hearing aids.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 07:03 PM   #171
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Floyd,

I love it when someone actually tries something before making a judgment call on preconceived perceptions.

Kudos to you for taking the steps to save your hearing. Again, it's the high frequency wind noise that will kill the ear's ability to hear high freq tones that wearing earplugs guard against.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 08:26 PM   #172
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I've been trying to get my rider buddies to use earplugs and they're being stubborn. The other night, my right earplug came loose and all of the sudden I wasnt sure what was going on because all that noise was distracting.

I'm currently using the disposable foam ones. How often should I be replacing them? I toss them out every week or so but sometimes when the foam is warm, it's so hard to get them squished enough to go into my ears all the way. Foam gets too soft. I wonder if I'd have more consistent luck with custom silicone ones from RiteAid.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 08:39 PM   #173
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I use new ones for each ride. They are 10 cents a pair, I'm doing many times that in fuel and tire wear, the cost of them rounds down to zero.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 09:09 PM   #174
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I'm ganna have to start wearing ear plugs...always kinda seemed like it wouldn't be the best idea when I first heard about wearing ear plugs while riding....but I definitely see the point to it now.

I do however wear them when I weedwack cause that thing can be insanely loud sometimes.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 10:39 PM   #175
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I use new ones for each ride. They are 10 cents a pair, I'm doing many times that in fuel and tire wear, the cost of them rounds down to zero.
Except I commute to school pretty much every day so that'd be like 30 pairs month. How big of a box did you get and where?
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Old March 9th, 2011, 11:10 PM   #176
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kkim View Post
Floyd,

I love it when someone actually tries something before making a judgment call on preconceived perceptions.

Kudos to you for taking the steps to save your hearing. Again, it's the high frequency wind noise that will kill the ear's ability to hear high freq tones that wearing earplugs guard against.
Agreed. I tried it but don't really like it. If the wind gets annoying enough, I have at-least 20 pairs stuffed in a pocket of my tank bag.
I'm not judging anyone FOR wearing them or NOT wearing them. Different strokes for different folks. I happen to be a folk who doesn't really care for ear plugs all that much. And I have my reasons.

Another reason why I won't wear ear plugs in a machine shop - communication and listening. I know, people are going to rag on me for saying this, but although the BOX says that you can still hear people with them in your ears... You really can't. And you can't hear an endmill or a drill or a tap going dull. I tried wearing them, an endmill got dull on the final set up for some fork braces, broke the $100 end mill and ruined the $120 part just because I did not hear all the sounds the endmill was making.
I was riding with ear plugs in, couldn't hear a sound my engine was making while I was riding. Took them out at a gas station, heard it, pulled over, there was a piece of a plastic bag in my chain. That could have turned out really bad.

Simply put, I have had bad experiences with ear plugs, and my helmet is quiet enough that I don't need them as bad as others. I've tried some other helmets out and they were much louder than mine.

That's my .
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Old March 9th, 2011, 11:13 PM   #177
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Originally Posted by MiniCog View Post
I'm about to turn 17, and I can BARELY hear 21 khz and I work in a machine shop (for 8-9 years now. )

I'm sure my hearing used to be a LOT BETTER. But when I can hear something, I have really sensitive hearing.
I figured it out... I can hear all of them. I got on a different computer and heard them all.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 11:20 PM   #178
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Have you tried ER-20's? They're balanced so that everything is just quieter but not muffled. They also dont have a very high db rating. 12db approximately I believe.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 11:24 PM   #179
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Originally Posted by MiniCog View Post
Agreed. I tried it but don't really like it. If the wind gets annoying enough, I have at-least 20 pairs stuffed in a pocket of my tank bag.
I'm not judging anyone FOR wearing them or NOT wearing them. Different strokes for different folks. I happen to be a folk who doesn't really care for ear plugs all that much. And I have my reasons.

Another reason why I won't wear ear plugs in a machine shop - communication and listening. I know, people are going to rag on me for saying this, but although the BOX says that you can still hear people with them in your ears... You really can't. And you can't hear an endmill or a drill or a tap going dull. I tried wearing them, an endmill got dull on the final set up for some fork braces, broke the $100 end mill and ruined the $120 part just because I did not hear all the sounds the endmill was making.
I was riding with ear plugs in, couldn't hear a sound my engine was making while I was riding. Took them out at a gas station, heard it, pulled over, there was a piece of a plastic bag in my chain. That could have turned out really bad.

Simply put, I have had bad experiences with ear plugs, and my helmet is quiet enough that I don't need them as bad as others. I've tried some other helmets out and they were much louder than mine.

That's my .
do what you want... it's your ears. just be aware that people who didn't use earplugs years ago in industrial environments are the ones, today, with hearing problems.

Hearing loss is something that gradually happens. By the time you realize your affected, it's too late. Riding without earplugs during sustained riding WILL affect your hearing.

What you do with that information is entirely up to you. My post was to warn riders who really weren't aware of hearing loss due to riding w/o earplugs that their hearing is being affected.
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Old March 9th, 2011, 11:42 PM   #180
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do what you want... it's your ears. just be aware that people who didn't use earplugs years ago in industrial environments are the ones, today, with hearing problems.

Hearing loss is something that gradually happens. By the time you realize your affected, it's too late. Riding without earplugs during sustained riding WILL affect your hearing.

What you do with that information is entirely up to you. My post was to warn riders who really weren't aware of hearing loss due to riding w/o earplugs that their hearing is being affected.
Oh no, I'm not arguing that fact, I know it will eventually happen if I don't quit my habit. I like that you said facts about hearing loss and all of that kind of stuff. I like it when people do these things. I just won't be working in a machine shop my whole life. I should be done machining by the time I'm 24 or so. And I've heard the old: "industrial workers...hearing...bad...wear earplugs............." a thousand times by everyone and their moms. I actually do the stuff and run the machines, I know what will eventually happen and so does everyone else in the shop, but I simply will not wear them at work. Should I wear ear plugs at work? Probably. Do I? No, and it's my decision and I hope that other's will make the right choice and wear ear plugs riding motorcycles, working in machine shops, wherever.
Hearing WILL go away if people don't take care of their ears, and everyone should protect their ears. I have ear plugs or muffs when I shoot guns. I just don't while riding because my helmet is pretty quiet as is, but for long trips I'll slap some on if the wind is too annoying. But if I had some that weren't so baffling, I'd wear them more often.

I didn't/don't mean to cause a disagreement or anything (If one occurred), I was explaining some reasons I don't normally wear ear plugs. I didn't explain myself well enough. I saw "ear plugs... why or why not?" (or something along those lines) in the initial post. So, I should have said: "I don't wear ear plugs. This is why I don't wear ear plugs when I ride." before anything else.



Quote:
Originally Posted by setasai View Post
Have you tried ER-20's? They're balanced so that everything is just quieter but not muffled. They also dont have a very high db rating. 12db approximately I believe.
Where do you get those?

I hate the ones I occasionally use because they're 27db rated, and that's way too quiet for me.
(I'm open to trying these out since 12 db ain't too much.)
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Old March 10th, 2011, 12:58 AM   #181
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MC,

I'm not saying you "have" to listen to the message... like I said, do what you want. As long as you're making an informed decision, it's not my ears that will suffer.

lol... you're me, 30-40 yrs ago.

I wish some crusty, old fart had tried to tell me that my hearing would suffer due to constant exhaust fan noise from the equipment in the radar tower I was assigned to, but back then, no one in the shop wore ear plugs, let alone had studies that showed we would lose our hearing from the constant, high pitched whistling fans. Even if someone did, I wouldn't have listened, cause my hearing was perfect back then. Today, I suffer from high frequency hearing loss. I now know what caused it and even if I don't have much to protect anymore, I wear earplugs when I ride to protect what it is I have left. If only I had listened to people earlier.... but I didn't, so here I am, trying to prevent others from hearing loss due to wind noise from helmets.

I understand that we can disagree and still be civil... that's what makes this site so special. You have read what others have said in this thread and the choice is yours on how to use that information... earplugs or no earplugs. My hope is that others who read this thread will gain something from my plight and learn from mistakes I've made.
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Old March 10th, 2011, 03:15 AM   #182
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Quote:
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Hearing loss is something that gradually happens. By the time you realize your affected, it's too late. Riding without earplugs during sustained riding WILL affect your hearing.
Your affected? Refer to: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showpost.php?p=185019&postcount=1. (Oh, crap, now KKim is going to go through my posts for typos and grammar.)


Completely agree with post though, and encourage MiniCog to try those 12db plugs.
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Old March 10th, 2011, 05:21 AM   #183
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How big of a box did you get and where?
Box of 200 at a time, from places like this. About $20 - $25 per box, depending on the particular type. A friend of mine swears that he can get more use out of foam earplugs by putting them through the dishwasher after they feel like they are getting a little old, haven't tried it myself.
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Old March 10th, 2011, 10:33 AM   #184
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MC,

I'm not saying you "have" to listen to the message... like I said, do what you want. As long as you're making an informed decision, it's not my ears that will suffer.

lol... you're me, 30-40 yrs ago.

I wish some crusty, old fart had tried to tell me that my hearing would suffer due to constant exhaust fan noise from the equipment in the radar tower I was assigned to, but back then, no one in the shop wore ear plugs, let alone had studies that showed we would lose our hearing from the constant, high pitched whistling fans. Even if someone did, I wouldn't have listened, cause my hearing was perfect back then. Today, I suffer from high frequency hearing loss. I now know what caused it and even if I don't have much to protect anymore, I wear earplugs when I ride to protect what it is I have left. If only I had listened to people earlier.... but I didn't, so here I am, trying to prevent others from hearing loss due to wind noise from helmets.

I understand that we can disagree and still be civil... that's what makes this site so special. You have read what others have said in this thread and the choice is yours on how to use that information... earplugs or no earplugs. My hope is that others who read this thread will gain something from my plight and learn from mistakes I've made.
Yeah, I'm sure I'll have to pay for my sucky decisions later on, but at least I'm edumacated.
No one in this shop wears ear plugs, ether. I'm the youngest there and there's a couple of guys in their 20's, a few in their 30's, and everyone else is around 45-65. No one wears ear plugs, and all of the old guys are hard of hearing in the shop. It's weird though, if it's not in the shop, they can hear just fine, about as well as anyone else their age.
I have a theory to why they can hear: we have 2 breaks in the 10 hour work day (4 day week. ), we have to go to the back for material a lot and/or saw it up, when material comes in, someone has to get on a fork lift and put it where it goes and sign a bazillion papers, and we are all guys that mess around (maybe a little too much) so we're not always 2' from the machine we're working at. And the walls absorb the vibrations and we keep the garage/walk through doors open (except in the winter). It's actually quieter than the shop I used to work in, substantially.
I know what you mean by "civil," there's a lot of people who would have been like: "Hey you @$$#3@&!!! @#%@#$in listen to me you little %$&^!!!" but no one seems to do that here.
I actually hope that I'm the only one that doesn't wear ear plugs on here, I know it's bad for anyone. My ears aren't invincible, they ring if I work a good 12 hour day or ride for 5 days with no ear plugs. And it sucks. So I wear them on the way to a place to ride.
I think I'm going to need some when I change my exhaust though. I mean, it will be substantially louder.
WEAR EAR PLUGS!!!
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Old March 10th, 2011, 10:39 AM   #185
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Box of 200 at a time, from places like this. About $20 - $25 per box, depending on the particular type. A friend of mine swears that he can get more use out of foam earplugs by putting them through the dishwasher after they feel like they are getting a little old, haven't tried it myself.

These kinds of places are good too... http://www.uline.com/grp_227_ear_plu...ords=ear+plugs
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Old March 10th, 2011, 09:54 PM   #186
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Where do you get those?

I hate the ones I occasionally use because they're 27db rated, and that's way too quiet for me.
(I'm open to trying these out since 12 db ain't too much.)
I usually buy them off amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Resea.../dp/B0015WNZ9K

If you have particularly small ears they have the baby blue ones. I love them at concerts, on the train, in airplanes because they're just enough that i feel like i'm in a quiet room but loud enough that if someone talks to me i dont need their mouth up against my ear. Give them a try.

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.html
More information.
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Old March 10th, 2011, 09:58 PM   #187
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Box of 200 at a time, from places like this. About $20 - $25 per box, depending on the particular type. A friend of mine swears that he can get more use out of foam earplugs by putting them through the dishwasher after they feel like they are getting a little old, haven't tried it myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniCog View Post
These kinds of places are good too... http://www.uline.com/grp_227_ear_plu...ords=ear+plugs
Hmm i'll have to check them out after i finish off the CVS branded ones. I'm also considering some custom silicone molded earplugs from RiteAid. They're only $8 and at 27db rated, could be neat.
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Old March 12th, 2011, 11:09 PM   #188
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If I'm just buzzing around the city or heading out for an hour, I don't put any earplugs in. If I'm going out for longer than an hour, yes, definitely. I find around 1 1/2 hours the constant drone of the engine gets to me and really starts making my ride not pleasant.
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Old March 13th, 2011, 09:00 AM   #189
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Every time I ride. Part of AGATT to me.

Every once in a while, I forget to pop in my earplugs and end up stopping 1/2 block down the road and remove gloves, glasses, and helmet, to put them in -it is worth it to me.

In the future, I want to be able to hear and understand my grandchildren. My father worked in a machine shop and lost his hearing. He couldn't hear crap and had difficulty understanding us when we spoke to him. I could tell he hated not being able to hear. Hearing aids helped but he hated those too. I do not want to repeat his mistake.

Another example of how profound hearing loss can affect your life: I knew of an old-school cop that didn't use hearing protection. One day at the practice range he pretty much lost his hearing for good. All it took was a few more rounds to put the final nail in his auditory coffin. It cost him his career.

Quote:
I just won't be working in a machine shop my whole life. I should be done machining by the time I'm 24 or so.
So, MiniCog, I'm going to throw a little tough love at you : At 24, will having hearing loss affect your ability to interview for a new career or hold one down?

Make your own choices. rant over.

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Old March 16th, 2011, 09:49 PM   #190
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Ha, no... The guys that have be en in machine shops for over 30 years are still hearing just fine under normal circumstances.

After 8 years (YES, I worked when I was 8, my dad is cool like that ) of working in a shop, I can still hear things most people can't. It didn't affect my interview at Sonic last year (quit that job after 8 months, 1 job is enough for me).
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Old March 17th, 2011, 04:10 AM   #191
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lol, you are one stubborn guy. Should serve you well in life to have that much conviction. Its a dumb move not to wear earplugs when you ride, but its your call and I respect your ability to fend off the hordes of old people telling you what to do, even when they are right. I just want to be sure that others reading this post check out the studies on hearing loss when making a decision based upon fact and science, and concern for their future. In addition to the House Ear Institute warning I'd posted earlier, here are some additional links I hope people will review before deciding not to wear earplugs:

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine study on effects of motorcycle riding on hearing loss.
Dr. Mike Coley, Otologist and Motorcyclist, recommending wearing ear plugs while riding.
University of Minnesota Medical Center says riding without plugs can easily cause hearing loss.
Facts about Motorcycle Hearing Loss.
British Journal on Sports Medicine study on hearing loss for grand prix riders, recommending ear plugs

The Royal Society study is particularly good and a must read. Here is a summary of the results:

* There is excessive wind noise around the helmet—about 90 dB(A) at 60 km/h and increasing linearly when plotted against the log of speed, to reach 110 dB(A) at 160 km/h.
* This level is well documented to cause damage.
* Modern helmets offered very poor low-frequency sound attenuation.
* Motorcyclists experienced hearing loss as a result of their noise exposure.
* There is an effect after only 1 hour of high-speed riding and a corresponding subjective complaint of tinnitus. After long periods at high speed, riders commonly report other non-specific complaints such as fatigue, headache and even disequilibrium.
* Earplugs proved effective in preventing damage.
* Earplugs were relatively safe in terms of signal detection while riding.
* Earplugs improved general wellbeing after riding.

If you've got access to a research library and are interested in this type of thing, there are a series of scholarly articles cited by the Royal Society study. Of most interest is a guy named McCombe out of the Department of Otolaryngology at Plymouth General Hospital who has done a half dozen studies on this. What does he recommend? "There is a need to raise awareness to this problem and increase the use of earplugs."
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Old March 17th, 2011, 05:52 AM   #192
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gfloyd2002 View Post
lol, you are one stubborn guy. Should serve you well in life to have that much conviction. Its a dumb move not to wear earplugs when you ride, but its your call and I respect your ability to fend off the hordes of old people telling you what to do, even when they are right. I just want to be sure that others reading this post check out the studies on hearing loss when making a decision based upon fact and science, and concern for their future. In addition to the House Ear Institute warning I'd posted earlier, here are some additional links I hope people will review before deciding not to wear earplugs:

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine study on effects of motorcycle riding on hearing loss.
Dr. Mike Coley, Otologist and Motorcyclist, recommending wearing ear plugs while riding.
University of Minnesota Medical Center says riding without plugs can easily cause hearing loss.
Facts about Motorcycle Hearing Loss.
British Journal on Sports Medicine study on hearing loss for grand prix riders, recommending ear plugs

The Royal Society study is particularly good and a must read. Here is a summary of the results:

* There is excessive wind noise around the helmet—about 90 dB(A) at 60 km/h and increasing linearly when plotted against the log of speed, to reach 110 dB(A) at 160 km/h.
* This level is well documented to cause damage.
* Modern helmets offered very poor low-frequency sound attenuation.
* Motorcyclists experienced hearing loss as a result of their noise exposure.
* There is an effect after only 1 hour of high-speed riding and a corresponding subjective complaint of tinnitus. After long periods at high speed, riders commonly report other non-specific complaints such as fatigue, headache and even disequilibrium.
* Earplugs proved effective in preventing damage.
* Earplugs were relatively safe in terms of signal detection while riding.
* Earplugs improved general wellbeing after riding.

If you've got access to a research library and are interested in this type of thing, there are a series of scholarly articles cited by the Royal Society study. Of most interest is a guy named McCombe out of the Department of Otolaryngology at Plymouth General Hospital who has done a half dozen studies on this. What does he recommend? "There is a need to raise awareness to this problem and increase the use of earplugs."

+1

I have to say I agree with floyd 100%. I am 21 years old and already have mild tinnitus in both ears thanks to playing/watching concerts without earplugs. I can still hear things most people can't, but it's enough to bother me. I am a musician/amateur studio engineer and my hearing is everything to me.

I have ridden with and without earplugs on several different bikes. Even though the bikes themselves were relatively quiet, the wind noise can be your downfall. The yardstick for me is that if I have trouble hearing myself talk, then it's too loud.

Of course some people are more sensitive to things than others. Some people care about hearing loss and others don't. Depending on the airflow around your particular helmet the noise might not be as bad. There are certainly variables that we all must take into account in our own unique situation. Honestly though I prefer to take the extra 30 seconds to help insure that I will still be able to enjoy beautiful music when I'm old and gray.
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Old March 17th, 2011, 09:19 PM   #193
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Yeah, apparently I'm pretty hard headed. That explains why I'm in a collegiate high school. Nothing is getting in my way of being a Radiologist M.D. Or anything else.

BUT this is an earplugs thread, so no hijaking for me!

I'm not saying earplugs are bad or anything, they're good for you if anything. I just don't wear them when I ride for some reason. It's probably a stupid reason, but I'm a different person than everyone else.

If anyone rides without earplugs, please wear them. Even I (yes, me) am giving them a 10th chance this weekend...


I have a quick question... When I go home (Not on a trip, I'll actually wear earplugs for that), I generally ride for an hour and stop for a quick break at a lake or gas station or restaurant for a few minutes... Could this be why I'm not feeling many effects of not wearing earplugs?
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Old March 18th, 2011, 12:35 AM   #194
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Nope. If anything its more so because you are used to it and your hearing is just gradually becoming less sensitive. This is why it is so hard to advocate earplugs. It's a gradual thing and you cant all of the sudden be like "oh crap I wished I used them". If you were in an explosion or behind a jet, you'll feel the effects so fast you'll be covering your ears with anything you can get your hand on but since it is so mild and gradual that the effects arent felt till it's too late.

It's nothing that other posters havent said yet and even if you were to wear them now, and preserve your hearing, you wont be thinking "oh hey i should thank those people for forcing me to wear earplugs" because you still have your hearing. It's an "after the fact" type of advice.

Similar to wearing riding pants or boots... before you put them on, you might feel like it is unnecessary but once you hit the ground, boy do you wish you listened. Goodluck and stay safe.
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Old March 18th, 2011, 06:17 AM   #195
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i cant stand silent rides
so i listen to my ipod

but i think that earplugs would be great for spirited riding where concentration is a key factor

i just commute so not much concentration is required going in a straight line
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Old March 18th, 2011, 05:22 PM   #196
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Well that sucks. The issue of motorcycle-related hearing loss has been bugging me because of this thread, and I'd pretty much known I'd had a problem. So I broke down and went to the ENT doc today. No surprise, I've got some hearing damage in my right ear. 55 dbs at the "moderate" to "moderately severe" level.

Wear ear plugs people. Cost of 200 Moldex PuraFit plugs? $20. Cost of hearing aid that will help now = $2,400.
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Old March 18th, 2011, 11:22 PM   #197
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gfloyd2002 View Post
Well that sucks. The issue of motorcycle-related hearing loss has been bugging me because of this thread, and I'd pretty much known I'd had a problem. So I broke down and went to the ENT doc today. No surprise, I've got some hearing damage in my right ear. 55 dbs at the "moderate" to "moderately severe" level.

Wear ear plugs people. Cost of 200 Moldex PuraFit plugs? $20. Cost of hearing aid that will help now = $2,400.
Aww that sucks. Thanks to you guys here on the forum, I started wearing earplugs on day 2 of riding so hopefully i've learned something for future generations.

Dont be too down though. If i've learned anything being a premed student is that the human body is incredibly resilient and while you might not gain back your hearing in full, the brain will compensate and stabilize/lessen the effects over time. Lesson learned and prevent future damage is all you can do. Plus, at least this type of damage still allows you to keep riding.
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Old March 20th, 2011, 07:17 AM   #198
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I wear them now! Every ride that's more than 20ish minutes. I didn't at all last summer because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hear traffic. But one of my buddies on a cbr600 kept telling me about how much nicer it is to ride with earplugs, so I went to Lowe's and for $2.50 (great number) I bought myself a pair of 25dB reuseable earplugs with the cord between them and a carrying case to store them. I gotta say, it's incredible. I don't get tired or have headaches as easily, and with the 2bros exhaust, those were getting pretty extreme. I highly recommend earlplugs for everyone just because of wind noise. I even bough a pack of foamy onetimeuse earplugs for my girlfriend to use.
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Old March 20th, 2011, 07:37 AM   #199
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I'm wearing them when I ride to work since it's an 45 minute ride at 55-60mph. For my ride to school (< 5 minutes) I don't since I only hit about 45 mph for 30 seconds before slowing to make a turn.

I have green disposable MAX Lite foamies (-30dB NRR) and some reusable corded silicone earplugs (-26dB NRR) my wife picked up for me.
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Old March 20th, 2011, 03:58 PM   #200
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I tried them and I couldn't ride right! I thought I was going slower than I really was... No joke. I got a ticket, too.

Should started wearing earplugs a long time ago...
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