Ear Plugs

[Mike V]

Guys and Gals,

I've been using inexpensive individual foam earplugs for some time now with decent results.  Not real convenient having to squeeze-roll-insert.  And, if my hands are at all dirty on the road - that soil transfers to the foam. Unfortunately after I've developed tinnitus.  I'm looking for your recommendations for a good set of tethered molded earplugs.

Can you give me some recommendations?  Huh?

-Mike V.

[montmil]

Mike, I use a tethered pair of ear plugs made from a closed-cell foam. They are tapered and do not require "rolling your own" prior to insertion. Also washable.

If I forget 'em, I just turn off my hearings aids and the custom molded ear canal inserts work quite well.

Huh?

[Red_Hen]

Hi Mike

I've been using the EAR brand for a long time - I liked them better when they came in the individual plastic canister - now I buy them bulk on Ebay and they're cello wrapped.  I carry a bunch with me and toss them after a few uses - they're only meant for a one time use.

I attended a seminar at a BMW MOA rally on "Wind, the silent killer."  It was conducted by a company selling custom molded ear plugs - the comments from the audience were mixed as to the efficacy of the custom expensive jobs.

I've tried several and the key to using the ears is rolling them up and getting them way up your ear canal - sometimes hard to remove them.

Also, I carry hand sanitizer in case my hands are dirty.  That's what works for me - EAR is best.

[Mike V]

If I forget 'em, I just turn off my hearings aids and the custom molded ear canal inserts work quite well.

Huh?  

You'll have to speak up Monte, all I can hear is a constant ringing...

eh?

[steve hawkins]

I have been using the EAR brand for years, even on a fast jet flight line, in conjunction with proper Ear defenders.

I use them all the time on my bike and also used to use them in my open topped kit car.

In the RAF we used to have our hearing tested yearly as part of our medical.. It was in our interests to look after our hearing, as you did not want to be medically downgraded.

I also used to wash the older ones once or twice and re-use them.  But the modern ones do not seem cope with this.

I never ride with music on have only briefly dabbled with an on bike intercom.  I do not mind the sound of my own thoughts.

Cheers

Rev Light

[montmil]

If I forget 'em, I just turn off my hearings aids and the custom molded ear canal inserts work quite well.

Huh?  

You'll have to speak up Monte, all I can hear is a constant ringing...

eh?

I hear you, Mike.

Sometimes I get my tongue tangled with my eye teeth and can't see a word I'm hearing.

[Matt Chapter]

http://www.lowes.com/pd_74540-98-90586-80025_0__?productId=3102561&Ntt=earplugs&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dearplugs&facetInfo=

These are the type I've been using for, oh.. about 10 years or so.  I'm on my second pair.  Wash as necessary.  Make sure your ears are dry before you put them in... Can't tell you how many times the helmet has pulled them out after showering in the morning.

Eventually the string will pull out.. I actually prefer that, because then you can't get tangled in it. I keep the earplugs either in my ear, or in my jacket pocket.

Don't allow your pets (cats, especially) to play with them, or you will *never* find them.

[montmil]

I, too, have some like Matt's. They do double-duty for ear wax removal.

[Burt]

I have a set of custom made ones nowadays.  A bit of a tight fit at first but a bit of that greasy ear wax makes 'em slide right in.  Nice and flush, so no interference when sliding on helmet.  They live in an empty film cannister when not in use.  

I eventually got sick of the spit on 'em, roll 'em and squeeze 'em routine even though I had a never ending supply.  Just took up too much damn time when I wanted to go for a ride.  And one of them always had to be refitted.   [smiley=furious3.gif]

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

E A R Soft Grippers for me.  I would like to get a pair of custom made ones, but have not, yet.

They used to make my Soft Grippers uncorded, which I prefered.  But they quit, so now I have to pull the cords out before I use them.  I bought two boxes thinking I was getting some of the last stock of un-corded, but no such luck.  I should be good for the rest of my riding career.
I also use them when mowing the lawn.
Why can't anyone except LawnBoy make a quiet lawn mower?  Haven't heard anything from the electric-powerd mowers for a while.  What I really want is a robotic like that automated vaccum cleaner.  You could bury a wire around the circumfrence of the lawn like "invisible fences" they make for dogs.  It would get to the wire and turn around and go another direction!  I could sit and watch that thing all day!  Never mind, I found them.  BIG money!

Oh, what were we talking about!  

[Air4Life]

http://www.ehow.com/how_7655217_homemade-earphones-earplugs.html

I have the impression that my friends at ehow are bigger cheapskates than the r65 crowd.

After observing a Deaf person in a public place, a hearing man decided to approach him and find out if Deaf people are literate. He wrote "Can you read?" and handed the note to the deaf person. Disgusted with this kind of ignorance, the Deaf person wrote back, "No. Can you write?"






PS Such a shame, I  may never hear your voices.

[Johnster]

A long time ago, back in my Iron butt days, I went to an audiologist, and $54 + 1 week later I had a silicone custom-formed set of ear plugs.

He said to come back if they didnt work.  I should have.

One fit snugly, and blocked out as much noise as the foam rolluppy ones,  the other was close but not as tight.

They were very comfortable, water or spit was required to help them in easily, but not always necessary.

Note that I'm comparing them to the foamy rollluppy ones - those are the 'quietest' earplugs I've ever used, in Ironbutt land or in occupational OSHA-controlled land.

I like how the foamies 'remove' ear wax also.

I got an ear infection about 6mo after staring work at the power plant - I will never re-use earplugs again without some kinda wash every time, and even then...

If the foamies got a bit dirty from my fingers, I mititagated that by throwing them out and always rolling a new pair (they are pretty cheap in bulk).  The fact that the are the quietest (my observation only, no science to back me up...) makes me want to stick with them.

-John

[RSMike]

Mike, sorry to hear you have got tinnitus, I developed it also about 12 years ago, I found it distressing at the beginning, but eventually your brain filters it out, (most of the time).

I'm with John regarding ear plugs, that is I always stick with the foam disposables and I try to only wear them once and then bin them. I learnt the hard way that re-use increases dramatically your risk of an ear infection and if you suffer with tinnitus ( at least the type I have), the very last thing you want is an ear infection. It may aggravate and change your tinnitus which can be like starting all over again.

Having said that I am probably not careful enough about wearing ear plugs and on shorter rides, I usually don't bother.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I ride with them EVERY ride (unless I am diagnosing, or coming home from my nephews which is 30 seconds away, but even then I miss them.

But I have reused them regularly.  I think I will rethink that policy.  I certainly have plenty of them.

[montmil]

And another caution regarding the use -and removal- of ear plugs:

Some ear plugs fit very snug and deep into the ear canal; especially some corded models I have used, Yanking the plugs out, in a quick, sharp motion, can damage the ear drum with the sudden and rather strong suction created.

Rock the plugs side-to-side as you slowly withdraw them. Less painful and obviates damage to the mechanics of hearing.