Decibel Level while riding - Earplugs?

[Mintbread]

I have only just started wearing plugs after 13 years of riding.
I dare say it is just a combination of a naked bike with a loud pipe doing stupid speeds for long periods of time.
After a ride I would have a ringing in my ears for hours similar to that after going to a concert. It is just more comfortable with plugs in as you can still hear everything but it is just not as loud.

[Kal]

Even with the CX's pipes being effectively straight through I've not had tinitus off after a ride.

I'm inclined not to wear earplugs because I'm not convinced that with earplugs in I could hear whats behind me.

[vulcanguy]

WHAT !!!!!!!!!WHAT !!!

[Dichotomous]

30min or more at a time = earplugs, less = none.

[spd_demon]

Thanks for the replies. I got the 300db (however I could be wrong on the number) from the MSF course. This number would include the bike, wind, traffic noise especially on highways etc.

I think I will be using plugs from now on.

Cheers.

[snwbrdr]

I am only 19 and i am already starting to notice a considerable amount of hearing loss in my left ear. I beleive it is because i deliver for a living and i never roll the window up (no it doesnt bother me when im cruising down the highway my work shirt and shorts and its snowing in my window) the continous wiond noise is really starting to cause a problem. lately i have begun to where earplugs while driving, but while riding. i wear a full face and i like the reduce noise, but any quieter and i would feel out of touch with the world.

[Dichotomous]

yeah 300dB would be pretty loud, in fact I belive it could shatter buildings. every dB increase is a 10fold increase in sound wave amplitude.

[dieziege]

I know the out of touch feeling. I can't really stand to wear headphones in a public place (e.g. a restaurant) because I can't stand not hearing what is going on around me... makes me paranoid about people walking up behind me and such... I usually wear an ear-bud in one ear, which really sucks for music but makes me a lot less twitchy.

The "out of touch with the world" thing really doesn't happen on a bike.

Everything is loud. Cars are loud, bikes are loud... while lane splitting I heard a motorcycle who was splitting faster come up behind me before I saw them in the mirror... and the faster bike was a BMW doing maybe 55MPH... he did not have a loud exhaust, and I was wearing "29NNR" plugs, but I could still hear him and get out of his way well before he had to hit his brakes.

In fact, I'd almost say on a motorcycle I can hear the outside world better while wearing plugs. That's because a lot of what they block is noise that only exists *in* the ears. Or in the helmet. Air blowing over the ears creates noise that can block other sounds. By shielding the ear from that sort of noise, you are better able to hear car engines, audible indicators on crosswalks, people talking to each other on the sidewalk, etc. You may not be able to understand what people are saying, but you can hear that they are talking.

The actual amount of noise reduction almost doesn't matter as much as the fact that there is something slowing air that would blow into your ear... I have some foam plugs that I would never use while operating a circular saw or shooting, but they are fine on the motorcycle. Perhaps not quite as fine as some others, but fine.

[TorontoBoy]

For me riding more than a couple of minutes at over 40kph/60mph gives me a headache for hours after. Ear plugs are necessary and also make my ride enjoyable. I also agree that foam ear plugs only reduce noise by 32dB and does not completely block our your auditory senses.

Hearing loss is comulative and irreversible. There are also no outward signs of damage because you'll not experience much pain. In a sense hearing loss can sneak up on you and you'll find out too late. It's best to protect your hearing from the beginning. Don't take your hearing for granted. NIHL is preventable.

I don't see the difference in noise level between working in a noisy industrial factory and riding. Both have damaging levels of noise and both require you to be aware of your surroundings. Industrial sites are mandated to have hearing protection, and riding is not.

"...normal conversation is approximately 60 decibels, the humming of a refrigerator is 40 decibels, and heavy city traffic noise can be 85 decibels. [b]Examples of sources of loud noises that cause NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing Loss) are motorcycles, firecrackers, and firearms, all emitting sounds from 120 to 150 decibels[/b]. Sounds of less than 80 decibels, even after long exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss."

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/noise.asp
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hearing-loss/DS00172

"Sounds above 90 decibels ..., particularly if the sound is prolonged, may cause such intense vibration that the inner ear is damaged...90 dB is about the loudness of a large truck about 5 yards away. Motorcycles, snowmobiles, and similar engines range around 85 to 90 dB."

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 001048.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/

NIOSH: How To Wear Soft Foam Earplugs
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/topics/ ... arplug.htm

Sorry for the flatulence, but hearing loss is important to me.

[Sledneck27]

Thanks for the replies. I got the 300db (however I could be wrong on the number) from the MSF course. This number would include the bike, wind, traffic noise especially on highways etc.

I think I will be using plugs from now on.

Cheers.

300db would kill you, I dont even think the frequency would matter at that sound level.