Back in August when
LB was with Adrenalin X at the World Superbike round, I got chatting to Dave Marshall, a man from one of the promotional stands inside the shop. He worked for Ultimate Ear Protection, a company that make, made-to-fit earplugs. I had seen the stand at various bike shows that we' had been to, but had never actually stopped to have a closer look. I told Dave about
LB and said that we were looking to review useful, everyday products that bikers are interested in. Dave then offered me a fitting and free set of ear plugs to review. How lucky was I?
Ear-plugs are a wonderful thing, if you've never used them before whilst riding your bike, you should give it a go, you won't believe how much more alert you are able to be, as the roar from the road is actually enough to not only damage your hearing over time, but also to tire you unecessarily during your journey/ride. Most people who have tried them but don't use them, most likely couldn't ffind a pair that fitted them properly, well custom-made ear-plus are the cure for this, and will ensure you stay alert and fatigue-free.
The noise from the city is bad enough, but riding on the motorway without ear-plugs is enough to either give you a headache, or damage your hearing. As personal rules, none of the
LB staff go on long rides without them, and certainly never go on track without them. Your ability to focus on the matter at hand is significantly iincreased. So, on to the review!
Ultimate Ear Protection has a combined 50 years experience in the hearing protection and hearing industry. They supply and manufacture custom made hearing protection for people who find themselves in noisy surroundings. In the beginning, Ultimate started out with a strong interest in the motor sport industry where, to them, hearing protection is of paramount importance. Whether you’re looking for earplugs to use while you’re on your bike, using loud machinery, or you just need a quiet nights sleep, Ultimate Ear Protection will have something to suit your needs. They offer a broad range of high quality hearing protection products.
The fitting itself was a strange experience, but not in a bad way. First, you have an ear inspection; this is just to make sure that your ears are healthy and to see if they are able to get a perfect impression. Then a small bit of foam with thread attached is inserted into your ears, this was to make sure that the impressions go to the right depth. Then the best bit, a cold, thick, blue liquid is then squeezed from a tube into your ears. That was the moment, when I went completely deaf. It did feel a little peculiar, but you only had to be like that for five minutes, until the impression material has set. Then out came the moulds and I could hear again. The whole process is totally painless.
After the fitting I was asked to fill out a couple of forms with my details, so that they could send the earplugs out to me by post. I was also asked to pick which colour I would like my earplugs to be. There are various colours to choose from and I was told that they could mix the colours if I wanted. So I chose red and clear. I was also able to choose which type of earplug I wanted; I decided to have the ‘Blockers Squidgy’, They are ones usually used for motorbike riders. They also make earplugs that you can get an intercom fitted into or earphone that will fit an MP3 or bluetooth set.
I was delighted that I only had to wait two weeks for the delivery of my new multi-coloured, custom made earplugs. They sent the the moulds too, then, if I lose one or both I can just send the moulds back with an order for a new set. I also got a little leather pouch to keep them in, which I thought was a nice touch.
Right, onto the performance of the earplugs; so far, I have been very impressed with not only with the comfort of the earplugs, but also the level of sound that they block out. They block out just enough, but not too much that I couldn’t hear things like sirens in the city or the sound of the wind in my helmet on longer journeys. I have yet to test them on the track, but I am positive that they will also help me focus on the track and not the sound of my exhaust and engine. But perhaps the most important thing of all, they will protect my ears from any damage.
If you would like to find out more about Ultimate Ear Protection products you can get in touch with them via their website, visit their offices in Sidcup or they can come and visit you (in a group).
Related Linkswww.ultimateear.com
