By joining you will help ensure that we can continue to provide this service
JOIN HERE!
Hearing protection
Hearing protection
Many years ago I didn't. Now I have hearing loss and tinnitus. So I now use hearing protection. Even when I drive my car on trips.
Over the last few years I've tried nearly everything:
- Earmuffs when mowing or in the machine shop
- Foam Earplugs
- Custom molded earplugs
- and more
Generally they all work. I have prolapsed ear canals, so the foam ones are very difficult for me to use. And they get dirty with my heavy ear wax. Earmuffs never work when riding. The custom made earplugs worked well, but after a few years they no longer fit well.
Which brings me to my current solution: Silly Putty
My doctor turned me on to Silly Putty years ago. I take a piece about the size of my thumbnail and seal the ear canal with it. If you have heavy ear wax like I do, then wipe the area clean before putting the SP in place. For me, SP works as well as any of the other solutions I've tried. It's cheap ($1.29 at Office Depot) and lasts a long time. Much easier to install properly than foam rollups, cheaper than custom earplugs and very functional.
Try it, you might like it.
Mike
69 R60/2 76 R90S 78 R100RS
70 Triumph w/Spirit Eagle Sidecar
-
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
Re: Hearing protection
Re: Hearing protection
The doctor that gave me the idea got it from patients that dive and need to keep water out of the ear canal. Even diving 15-20 feet the water pressure doesn't push the SP in.
Been using SP for some years with no issues. I still use the big earmuffs when mowing the lawn or using machine tools.
Seriously, if you don't like the idea, don't do it.
Mike
69 R60/2 76 R90S 78 R100RS
70 Triumph w/Spirit Eagle Sidecar
- srankin
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:45 pm
- Location: Spencerport, NY USA
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: Hearing protection
A question for you, I would assume you do not wear your hearing aids (if you have them) while riding. Do you leave them home or carry them in a case?
It is hard to tell younger folks about the dangers of loud noise. I wore hearing protection from day one on the bike as well as shooting sports and I am 80% deaf in the right ear and 20% in the left. So, when a younger person asks me what good my hearing protection did, I just tell them "It worked because I am an old man now and when I was your age, I had good hearing. If I hadn't used it, I would be deaf at your age."
I would love to find a hearing aid that would block excessive noise and still work as a hearing aid. St.
Re: Hearing protection
Mike
69 R60/2 76 R90S 78 R100RS
70 Triumph w/Spirit Eagle Sidecar
- srankin
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:45 pm
- Location: Spencerport, NY USA
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: Hearing protection
- TimStevens
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:10 pm
- Location: New York
- Contact:
Re: Hearing protection
Not cheap but they pop in easily, fit comfortably and work really well. I've tried a DIY kit as well but sadly didn't work nearly as well, as it can't be safely pushed down the ear canal.
- schrader7032
- Posts: 9053
- Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:00 am
- Location: San Antonio, TX
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 36 times
Re: Hearing protection
I also asked my audiologist which would be better - molded or foam type. He said they probably weren't that much difference.
I may just go to foam ear plugs in the future. I've had these Big Ear plugs for over 6 years now.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.
- srankin
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:45 pm
- Location: Spencerport, NY USA
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: Hearing protection
while they may not be perfect, they are better than nothing. Funny now if I try to ride without plugs in, I get annoyed by the noise. LOL. St.
Re: Hearing protection
Mike
69 R60/2 76 R90S 78 R100RS
70 Triumph w/Spirit Eagle Sidecar