My helmet is vented and didn't cost $800 bucks so you know the story. Excellent helmet though. (KBC Force RR) Anyways, I have very sensitive ears since I suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and want to protect them form wind noise so that further damage is not done. (my hearing is excellent though) Any recommendations? Thanks...
I've sampled a bunch and there's one generic brand of orange foam earplugs from the local walgreens that work best. I buy them 100 or so at a time. Just try a coupla brands of foamies and see ya like best.
Earplugs are a MUST. Not only do they protect your hearing, they allow you to focus better, and keep you from getting tired and making mistakes.
E.A.R. plugs are good - for foam tapered plugs, I find that by inserting them backwards (thin end out) they fit better, don't slip out and cut more noise. You need to make sure that they're in really far to work well, though.
It really makes a difference. As for brands, I have tried a few different offerings from my local pharmacy, and the only difference I have noticed between brands is the shape and how easily I get a good fit. You may need to just experiment until you find one that fits you best. For what it's worth, I have gotten better results from the bullet-shaped foam ones than the baffles or the core insert ones.
If you have money buring a hole through your pocket you can take your bike with you to an audiologist and have em take db readings and create a custom fitted plug.
I'll "+1" the foamies. Whether the orange or yellow ones. Whichever work better for you. Just remember, they're only good for a few times. The protection drops off drastically after they've been manipulated over and over again. Keep a few extra in your jacket as well. You will drop them, lose them, accidentally throw them away in the middle of a day's riding.
Thanks! I just joined te family and it seems like there is a lot I didn't grasp when I was a rider at 18? I guess I didn't have the internet or care. I saw a previous post about ear plugs and wasn't sure if that meant everyday riding? It seems like there is a lot to learn.
Everyones ears are different - try all the ones you can get hold of easily and buy a great big handful of the ones you like best everytime your supply gets low. My girlfriend doesn't like the ones I use, they're a little too big for her, so she gets a different brand. I try to keep at least a half a dozen pairs or so in the pockets of each of my jackets.
I wear silicon Mack's Pillow Soft, they are a malleable
silicon putty, you don't need to shove them all the way into your
eay like foamies, just cover the canal...I like them much better
available at Walgreens too....
I wear silicon Mack's Pillow Soft, they are a malleable
silicon putty, you don't need to shove them all the way into your
eay like foamies, just cover the canal...I like them much better
available at Walgreens too....
+1... I guess I have Princess and the Pea ears (very sensitive) as the foam type or the smooth push in type hurt my ears after a short while. The Macks are not even supposed to go in the ear canal, just cover the opening in the outer ear. They are "sticky" and seal by sticking to the skin of the outer ear. Don't try and use them right after a shower...they won't stick and thus won't seal and they then allow noise in. You can reuse them several times but they eventually get nasty dirty or loose their sticky quality. At Walmart, I think thay are about $5 for 6 pair.
I've been wearing the EAR classics every time I ride (the simple yellow foamy plugs that can be bought cheaply at a Home Depot), and they work well for only a few $$. [thumbsup]
i've used the walmart light green foam ones, and some wierd ones i bought online that were orange and filled with silicone or something...they worked kinda well but put a lot more pressure on the inside of my head after prolonged use. right now i've been trying out some good earbuds and my ipod (yea yea illegal, but so are earplugs!) and actually they block out most of the wind noise and i can hear what is going on around me better than earplugs (as long as you keep the volume at a reasonable level) and...you can pause music at a light if someone is trying to talk to you! been working out pretty well and my ears wont ring after a ride either
I normally dont use earplugs but on my recent first trackday I decided to go for some 3M Orange earplugs. I can tell you that they were very necessary as there were around 110 Ducatis on the track (not at once) and down the main straight at 260+ km/h it gets very noisy!
There are loads of types, brands etc. find some that are comfy for you.
My KTM 950 Adv / Aria XD helmet combination gave me tinnitus. I finally went to an audiologist and got fitted for custom ear plugs, one set for riding and one for shooting. $235 - Should have done it 25 years ago.
I never used to wear them but a friend insisted I try them and now I always wear them on the highway, and usually around town. On the highway I find that the wind noise makes me tense, which tires me out. With the plugs in I'm more relaxed. 100 miles on the highway without ear plugs is exhausting (and my ears ring when I get there), but 100 miles with plugs is no problem.
I use some custom plugs I had made by an audiologist. Cost about 40 bux, fit great and work well. No learning curve to put them in, just slip them in and no more noise. It was really useful with my exhaust at 130dB.
Chris
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