Topic: Do you wear ear protection on your rides?

[BobbyR]

If you read some of the links from the earplug manufacturers sites, the loudness of your exhaust is irrelevant at more than about 50mph as wind noise takes over.

My race can (VFR) is very loud and illegal but at over 50 I can't hear it at all - just the wind rushing past my Arai...

I'm in for ear plugs next season.  Someone, possibly Steve, pointed out in another thread how much wind noise carries through an Arai.  I hadn't really noticed it before then, but now it really bugs me.

I am going to try to cancel the wind noise also. I work with Rail workers, and most of them are deaf from air blasts in the shop. We will see if the plugs "cacoon" us from the noises we need to hear like cars passing us.

[Rushoid]

Why am I reminded of Garrett Morris? "OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT..." 

There wasn't a cigarrette butt option in the poll so I said "none." Seriously, my cheap helmet does a good job of muffling wind noise. Maybe too good as sometimes I'm surprised by cars passing me. I really need some better mirrors. 

[Bob Wessner]

Maybe too good as sometimes I'm surprised by cars passing me. I really need some better mirrors. 

Or ride faster. 

[Rushoid]

Maybe too good as sometimes I'm surprised by cars passing me. I really need some better mirrors. 

Or ride faster. 

BRILLIANT! 

[DiscoEd]

This is a great thread. It really got me thinking about hearing protection. I've thought for sometime that the wind noise with HJC Symax is louder than I should be subjecting myself too. I often ride for three to four hour stretches and by then end of that it takes a while for my hearing to recover.

Regards,
DiscoEd