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What's in your ears when you ride?

  • ear plugs

    Votes: 52 35.1%
  • music device (earphones etc)

    Votes: 39 26.4%
  • just wax

    Votes: 50 33.8%
  • other (explain)

    Votes: 7 4.7%

What's in your ears when you ride?

3K views 52 replies 34 participants last post by  k_vist 
#1 ·
ear plugs, music, or just plain old wax? As a general rule, i ride with plugs.
 
#3 · (Edited)
just the lovely sound of my engine and the wind rushing by. I personally don't use plugs on the bike, I know, I know, but i've never experience any discomfort even when riding on the highway for days at a time. and according to the yearly hearing test at work there's no damage... work is way louder than any bike anyways, that's where i use plugs.
 
#6 ·
Plugs all the time. I just started using them this season and now I won't ride without them.

I can still hear the engine etc fine and without most of the windnoise, I find riding a lot easier and I am a lot more relaxed.

Plus, as has been said on this site, windnoise is very bad for your hearing.
 
#11 ·
Plugs all the time. I just started using them this season and now I won't ride without them.

I can still hear the engine etc fine and without most of the windnoise, I find riding a lot easier and I am a lot more relaxed.
Ditto. I used to listen to music all the time but after switching to earplugs on a long trip I discovered that my fatigue level dropped off dramatically and I could ride all day without getting burned out.

Now I only wear earplugs. Long or short ride, it doesn't matter. Plugs all the way.
 
#7 ·
I got a set of rubber plugs from Can Tire for about 2.50 - they just reduce all frequencies and don't block anything out. Can still hear cars, sirens etc, but they take away a lot of the wind noise. Think they have a 25dB rating ... For the people who don't use anything, check these out. You've only got a couple of bucks to lose and lot to gain ...
 
#9 ·
80% of the time I just wear earplugs, on longer rides I'll bring my iPod.
 
#10 ·
Music. When I started riding with it, I'll admit my shifts where off because I'm accustomed to shifting via engine note and acceleration feel, glancing at the tach occasionally. Now I've included vibration into the shift equation (it's nice that you have all those senses to use, not just sight and hearing..), and it's as natural as before.

It took a bit of getting used to but it calms me when things get exciting, like while riding the bike at elevated speeds. Think of a surgeon playing music in the O.R.
 
#13 ·
I think this must be the third poll I've seen here on earplugs over the years. But since we seem to have a new crop of riders carry on... :D

THose of you that don't wear ear plugs on longer higher speed rides really should try them. It reduces the noise level and you actually end up with MORE attention available to the road and traffic. Yeah they take a ride or two to get used to but that's about it. Not to mention that they'll prolong your hearing as you get older. If you ever find yourself getting off the bike and there's a noticable ringing or whistle sound in your ears when there's nothing happening then you just did a little bit of PERMANENT damage to your ear. This damage adds up a bit at a time and never heals. Eventually you'll notice hearing loss at various frequencies and find yourself saying "WHAT?" a lot more and that it's harder to make out one sound from others. It's all from those times when you noticed that you had that ringing.

You may well be young, but you're NOT invincible. Protect yourselves. The world has too much great music and other sounds to let hte annoying ones ruin it for you.
 
#21 ·
Anyone know if there are such things as wireless ear buds? I know there are wireless head phones, I haven't been living under a rock, but any wireless ear buds to plug into an ipod?

I haven't yet ridden with anything in my ears, but I decided one day I was going to try it so I put ear plugs in my jacket.. That was probably close to 3 months ago. I always forget to put them in, and then realize that I wanted them after i am already riding.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Question. Although I do ride locally with music, long trips I will ride with plugs (as recent as a September trip to the the S.F. Bay Area..) But did you notice initially when riding with them, your cruising speed crept up a notch? I had to keep an eye on the speedo because the wind and engine noise was muted. Again, something you get used to, but the first few times I noticed I was traveling faster than my normal cruise speed.

Also take into account the quietness of helmets. I have an Arai Signet and an HJC Symax flip-up full face. The Arai is way quieter than the HJC, or the CL-14 I had before that.
 
#23 ·
Devon: Question. .... did you notice initially when riding with them, your cruising speed crept up a notch?

Yes. Same thing riding with the wind. Or riding a bike with a taller windscreen.

Here's another caution: a friend of mine was nearly run over by a car at a gas station because he never heard the car. Helmet and plugs, he just never heard it coming and didn't bother to look, walked right in front of it. When you're off the bike you've really got to pay more attention to your surroundings.
 
#30 ·
City streets: nada. Highway even for a short bit: Plugs

It didn't take long for me to experience headaches from my first few hwy rides. Having good hearing didn't help either. Now plugs are just like wearing full gear for me - the more I use the more uncomfortable I am without.
 
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