Is wearing earplugs safe?

[2wheeln00bie]

i wear ear buds with the ipod. i guess i dont listen to music that loud coz i hear more with my ipod than with my cheapo yellow ear plugs crammed in my ear.

[smakawhat]

wear mine all the time, custom made, best investment I've ever made so far (considering how the markets going it's true-er than ever).

[g34343greg]

i wear ear plugs almost all the time. the only time i don't is if its only a short trip in the city.

Riding without ear plugs WILL DAMAGE YOUR HEARING!!!

[UberGoober]

I've never had them and doubt I ever will. I don't have any reason to hate them, just never thought about using them.

I'm pretty sure they would creep me out at first but I guess I would get used to them eventually; a little like driving in the car with the stereo cranked up.

[TokenAdult]

I wear them all the time but discovered that they are illegal in PA. Cop pulled me over for my tag mounted too far under the fender. When i removed my helmet and pulled the ear plugs, he took them and ticketed me for wearing hearing impairment devices.

[acalliste]

That's real smart. Make it more likely to cause actual, permanent hearing impairment by not allowing people to protect their hearing.

Wearing earplugs doesn't prevent me from hearing things I need to hear. It just blocks out all the wind noise so I can hear the important things better.

I don't tire as quickly when I'm wearing them on long rides, road trips and track days.

It was a little surreal the first time I rode while wearing earplugs, but once I got used it it just seemed normal. Now if I'm not wearing them (or earphones), things don't seem quite right.

[jk750]

Ear buds, like headphones, may be illegal in some states, but ear plugs are not.

For those of you that haven't tried them, you need to! All they do is block the noise, not the sounds of traffic, horns, etc... They will save your hearing.

[phail]

Originally Posted by 2wheeln00bie

i wear ear buds with the ipod. i guess i dont listen to music that loud coz i hear more with my ipod than with my cheapo yellow ear plugs crammed in my ear.

Good point. I have the volume limiter set on my ipod too. I dont like the volume to be at max, it makes my ears ring.

[jetblack]

Originally Posted by jk750

Ear buds are not ear plugs.

I apply the 60/60 rule to ear plugs. If riding over 60mph or more than 60 minutes, I wear ear plugs.

Depending on if you have an A-M exhaust, damage to your ears may start within 10 minutes or so. I remember reading a report on it, but not the particular numbers.

In the city I never go over 45-50. If I'm going on the highway or riding longer than 10 minutes, I wear earplugs. Both of by grandfathers and my father to a lesser degree lost much of their hearing from working heavy machinery and wind noise. I don't intend to wear hearing aids, so earplugs it is.

[Pure Adrenaline]

I used to listen to music while riding. Then I noticed I was experiencing difficulties with my hearing.

Now I don't ride without ear plugs. It makes riding much more enjoyable and pleasurable. It blocks all the unwanted noises, and I can still hear other sounds that matter.

[Sawblade02]

I've got some nice Shure earbuds that I use if I'm riding longer than an hour. This is of course along with an MP3 player.

[UNIQUE_ANGLE]

I've recently got into riding along with my ipod. I never really hear anything over the sound of my exhaust anyway and that along with riding alone, just basically concentrate more.

[rbrsddn]

I have an Ipod and nice ER6's, but the volume that you have to keep them at to overcome the wind noise made my ears hurt. I just ride with the blue Hearo 33 db's.

[bugeater]

I ride with the Ipod. Low volume blocks out the wind and allows me to focus on the ride. I can use my other senses to feel the bike. Used it for the dirt bike as well that is were it started.

[smoothie]

At the beginning of the summer I was using my ipod for longer rides. Anything over 15-20 miles I throw in either earplugs or my ipod. It definately helps with longer rides. It keeps me focused.