Earplugs for town riding

[LiM]

Earplugs are great for town riding.

[Alex_Gold]

Get some Howard Leight Quiet plugs, they kill enough noise in town but you can still hear everything

[LiM]

I agree they’re great aren’t they…

[Alex_Gold]

The Quiets are, the Max range are too much I think for town

[Panagiotis]

what?

:hehe:

[LiM]

okay that is the start of an argument…

I reckon any earplugs are a bonus for riding in London…it doesn’t make much difference which ones but I like the ones that cut out the most sound. :)…

[zeepony]

I got some from ultimate ear protection and they are amazing.

I could not fit the foam ones in, well, they kept falling out and vibrating. Expensive, but they take an exact mould of your ear!

Every day, town or country. Tinnitus freaks me out!

[LiM]

Since no-one is arguing with me let me put out my case for using earplugs for town riding.1 Zeepony +1 …there is no point in getting tinittus for no good reason.

2 They help keep your ears warm

3 They block out some of the mechanical noise of your engine but enhance the sound of it IMO so you can better appreciate revs, hence grip, speed etc.

4 Sudden noises (like ermm exhausts backfiring) won’t startle you

5 You can still hear pretty much everything going on around, even with the highest dB reducing plugs- something to do with frequencies. As an example I could clearly hear Eezyrider shout ‘oi Dave you don’t need earplugs’ and …‘are you okay?’ :ermm: as I rumbled past him this morning in the Brixton rush hour.

6 Personally I find the quiteness is condusive to concentration. This I think also has something to do with the plugs touching pressure points inside your ears which helps to keep you alert.

7 They come in some funky colours (okay I’m scraping the barrel now)

[EddieH]

I got this kit a while back and moulded them to fit. Been happy with them so far:)http://www.zenplugs.co.uk/motorcycle-earplugs/

[eezyrida]

:hehe: each to their own. I was just making the point that your “zorsts” aren’t that loud, I’ve heard farts louder than that :PIn seriousness though if you feel more comfortable wearing your plugs, then go for it.

Not for me though. Motorcycling is hazardous enough as it is and you need all your wits about you and your senses on full alert, so can’t see any sense in removing or limiting one of those senses for no real reason other than keeping your ears warm.

If you get a draft going through your ears when not wearing plugs, maybe you should be wearing them :w00t:

[Conrad_B]

prolonged exposure to noise leads to fatigue

you’ll get no argument from me!

wear earplugs no excuses

[duncmac]

What about music, whats the percived wisdom re: listening to music on your commute?

[eezyrida]

duncmac (12/02/2011)

What about music, whats the percived wisdom re: listening to music on your commute?

Can’t help on the wisdom bit I’m afraid :hehe: but my own approach is music’s fine on long journeys. I listened to earphones for the first time on a bike last year when I rode for a holiday down to Cornwall from Croydon and it was fine, they did help me stay alert during the hours of riding whereas otherwise I would have got fatigued, as someone stated above. The only concern I had then was whether I would hear emergency services vehicles behind me, so I compensated by using my mirrors a lot.

For me town riding is a totally different ballgame. If it works for you then go for it. For me, as mentioned above I prefer to remain as aware as possible of what is going on around me, the situation can change in an instant in town and I like to have every little bit of information I can about what might be about to happen. Having things in my ears would reduce that capability, for what gain? I don’t think fatigue or tinnitus is a danger during a 45-minute commute through London twice a day. Despatch riding is a different matter, when you’re using the bike all day, then of course other issues come into play, but not commuting.

I also like to be able to communicate easily. If a total stranger pulls up next to me at lights and we have a laugh about something we’ve just seen, for instance, then I enjoy that interaction which I would otherwise miss out on. Also car or van drivers sometimes like to chat at lights which is great as you immediately get a link with them, and they are your friend (and are far less likely to send you random insurance claims for chipped wing mirrors…)

But it is a personal thing. Just do what you feel is best, my advice is just that, and easily ignored :hehe:

[blackbirdxx]

eezyrida (12/02/2011)

:hehe: each to their own. I was just making the point that your “zorsts” aren’t that loud, I’ve heard farts louder than that :PIn seriousness though if you feel more comfortable wearing your plugs, then go for it.

Not for me though. Motorcycling is hazardous enough as it is and you need all your wits about you and your senses on full alert, so can’t see any sense in removing or limiting one of those senses for no real reason other than keeping your ears warm.

If you get a draft going through your ears when not wearing plugs, maybe you should be wearing them :w00t:

+1 dont use em,

[LiM]

eezyrida (12/02/2011)

:hehe: each to their own. I was just making the point that your “zorsts” aren’t that loud, I’ve heard farts louder than that :PIn seriousness though if you feel more comfortable wearing your plugs, then go for it.

Not for me though. Motorcycling is hazardous enough as it is and you need all your wits about you and your senses on full alert, so can’t see any sense in removing or limiting one of those senses for no real reason other than keeping your ears warm.

If you get a draft going through your ears when not wearing plugs, maybe you should be wearing them :w00t:

LOL

[LiM]

eezyrida (12/02/2011)

duncmac (12/02/2011)

What about music, whats the percived wisdom re: listening to music on your commute?

Can’t help on the wisdom bit I’m afraid :hehe: but my own approach is music’s fine on long journeys. I listened to earphones for the first time on a bike last year when I rode for a holiday down to Cornwall from Croydon and it was fine, they did help me stay alert during the hours of riding whereas otherwise I would have got fatigued, as someone stated above. The only concern I had then was whether I would hear emergency services vehicles behind me, so I compensated by using my mirrors a lot.

For me town riding is a totally different ballgame. If it works for you then go for it. For me, as mentioned above I prefer to remain as aware as possible of what is going on around me, the situation can change in an instant in town and I like to have every little bit of information I can about what might be about to happen. Having things in my ears would reduce that capability, for what gain? I don’t think fatigue or tinnitus is a danger during a 45-minute commute through London twice a day. Despatch riding is a different matter, when you’re using the bike all day, then of course other issues come into play, but not commuting.

I also like to be able to communicate easily. If a total stranger pulls up next to me at lights and we have a laugh about something we’ve just seen, for instance, then I enjoy that interaction which I would otherwise miss out on. Also car or van drivers sometimes like to chat at lights which is great as you immediately get a link with them, and they are your friend (and are far less likely to send you random insurance claims for chipped wing mirrors…)

But it is a personal thing. Just do what you feel is best, my advice is just that, and easily ignored :hehe:

Double LOL :hehe:

[Afro]

I don’t think there’s much point wearing ear plugs riding at speeds under 40 miles an hour, unless you’ve got an uber loud exhaust.

But then you’ve got bigger problems. You’re a nob.