Earplugs - do you wear them whilst riding?

[yorkie_chris]

The valve type plugs are ace, use them occasionally shooting and you can converse normally with people, but can easily stand 3 feet away from the shooter and even 3" cartridges sound like a small pop.

Anyone use them on the bike?

Never used to, now I'm deaf. It's permanent, too late and I may need a hearing aid before I'm 40.

Can't hear folk who don't speak directly at me, from a distance, or over background noise. Can't hear my cat if it miaows directly outside my bedroom door and wouldn't hear my baby crying in the nursery without the baby monitor.

Can't attribute it all to bikes, student years of working in loud pubs and nightclubs and then dancing in them on my nights off, spending days on end working in large datacentres with lots of cooling fan and A/C noise are also to blame.

Wear your earplugs on motorway runs at least!! Prolonged helmet noise above 70 mph will damage your hearing.

When I first started riding bikes 20 years ago I did not. Luckily these were slow bikes and I rarely got above 60 mph. I think that's probably save my hearing. I always use them, my father has Tinitus and not something I ever want.

I do all the time. As soon as I get over 30 the wind noise in my helmet gets WAY too loud. I forgot them once and my ears were ringing for the rest of the day - that tought me

For you guys with tinitus it may be worth looking at this
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7175306.stm

Originally Posted by sparkymarky

I think you are either using the wrong earplugs or using them incorrectly.

I think some people just don't like wearing them and bring up the desensitizing argument as justification for not wearing them. I've yet to wear earplugs where I've been unable to hear sirens (besides which, you should be checking your mirrors for blue lights!) or horns. The way the human ear works also nonsenses this argument- when the level of sound is quiet, they "open up" and you can hear smaller sounds (so even though they're quieter, you can hear them very well) just like when they are exposed constantly to very loud music they get temporarily less sensitive (in an attempt to protect themselves)*. This is why as the night goes on, house parties get louder as people turn the music up higher and higher (mistakenly believeing someone must have turned it down as it's quieter than it was 2 hours ago). In terms of what you can hear, there isn't much difference. The main difference is that with them, you'll still have some semblance of hearing and not have tinnitus in 30 years time whereas without them, your hearing willnoticeablysuffer.

There's a reason the police riders wear them: In the long run, it's safer.

* Note to audio-pedants, yes, I know the ear operates on a similar principle to compression/limiting, I just used the opening/closing analogy for the layman.

[Richie]

I haven't read all this thread but wanted to put on a quick post.
My Quack said that the reason I lost Low and Mid tone hearing in my left ear might be due to not wearing ear plugs whilst riding a bike.
something to do with the wind noise...

Now I ride with them in all of the time on rideouts and mostly on short slow town riding.

[Richie]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

the only time I dont is if I use the bike to get to work, any other journey then yes. I'm convinced that the year or so I rode without using them has damaged my hearing. I've now got a slight ringing in my right ear constantly, I also struggle with background noise and I dont always hear whats been said to me and I never used to be like this.

I find that on longer journeys it really helps and I'm less tired at the end of the ride than I would be if I didnt use them.

you put them in your ears, no bloody wonder your deaf...

[Paul the 6th]

they had an article in bike magazine 2 months ago. Apparently the first things you'll struggle to hear are 'F' 'Th' and 'S' sounds... I never wore them during my training but the first time I got on a motorway, I thought "jesus I can't do with this wind noise" so went and bought some. Took me a few days to get my head around how to get them in without popping out but now they're perfec. And yes, you can still hear your engine, traffic, sirens, I can even have a conversation as long as the person is looking at me

I once tried some and didn't get on with them, but hearing of the consequences makes me think again.

Off to order some.