hood@aieio.DEC (State o'Mind Inn-keeper) (09/23/85)
After spending about fifteen hours on my bike this weekend touring fall in New England, I just remembered why I haven't done that in a while... bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. (That's the sound of my ears still ringing.) I've got a fairly quiet Nava helmet, but there's still a hell of a lot of low-frequency noise (LOUD low-frequency noise) from wind around the bottom of the helmet. I've tried several things: - Changing helmets (The Nava is lots quieter than the Shoei, but still entirely too noisy after a while.) - Putting weatherstripping around the bottom foam of the helmet to seal it against my head. (The weatherstripping doesn't really seal very well; it doesn't really stay on the helmet too well, either. It did seem to excel at sticking to my beard.) - Using cotton balls in my ears. (Reduces the noise slightly, but not enough to make up for the discomfort of having cotton balls in your ears). The helmet noise I'm hearing isn't too bad at city speeds (20-40 mph), but on highways and back roads it really builds up. I can completely eliminate this noise by putting a finger just at the base of the helmet. The noise is amost exactly that that in a car when the windows are open just a little. This is NOT a whistling nose around the shield. Two questions: * Anyone know of an overstuffed helmet (around the ears especially) to help reduce that noise? * What about ear plugs? (legal?, riding safe? medically safe? effective?) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- My recommendation for best biking back road in North America: Vermont Rte 12 from Woodstock to Montpelier. Beautiful scenery, 50 mph speed limit, nice curves, no traffic at all. (Rte 12 runs parallel to, and about a mile west of, Interstate 89.) Most interesting road built for speeds *vastly* above the posted limit: Interstate 89 from Concord, New Hampshire to Montpelier, Vermont. Wanna see how fast your bike'll go?... (Just watch out for picture-taking-while- -driving tourists.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Hood, DEC, Littleton, Mass.
donch@teklabs.UUCP (Don Chitwood) (09/24/85)
Several years ago I ran into a person at Portland State University who was writing his masters thesis on audiology. When he found out I was a motorcyclist, he began raving about permanent ear damage from "those loud things." He claimed that he could take a random sample of people and tell who was a motorcycle rider by the PERMANENT hearing suppression frequency signature. In other words he would check hearing sensitivity throughout the audible spectrum and had noted a characteristic range of frequencies that were suppressed in bikers. The point he missed, to my thinking, is that the noise is from the wind, not at all from the machine. The engine/exhaust noise on a bike becomes completely dominated by wind noise as speed increases. For years I've used the cylindrical foam ear plugs available at any drug store or safety equipment shop. To use them, you first roll them into a compressed cylinder, then insert this small cylinder into your ear canal. In a few minutes, the foam has tried to expand to its full size and in the process drops the noise level considerably. On my bike, this technique helps spare me from the buzzy ear syndrome and almost certainly from permanent hearing damage. I can still hear cars, people talking, valve clatter, etc. They are also very benign and are highly recommended by safety people and doctors. The box I bought this weekend said it was good for a 29dB noise reduction (there was more qualifying information but I don't recall it.) They are also washable and cheap, so keeping them clean for throwing them away to avoid ear infections is no problem.
jerem@tekgvs.UUCP (Jere Marrs) (09/25/85)
In article <3206@teklabs.UUCP> donch@teklabs.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes: >[...] When he found out I was a motorcyclist, he began raving about permanent ear damage from "those loud things." > >For years I've used the cylindrical foam ear plugs available at any >drug store or safety equipment shop. > >On my bike, this technique helps spare me from the buzzy ear syndrome >and almost certainly from permanent hearing damage. I can still hear >cars, people talking, valve clatter, etc. > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Don, I've always been amazed at how much more smoothly my motorcycle runs with those earplugs! As far as I can tell, it's the cheapest tune-up you can get! |-) Jere M. Marrs Tektronix, Inc. tektronix!tekcrl!tekgvs!jerem
lef@nlm-vax.ARPA (Larry Fitzpatrick) (09/26/85)
In article <526@decwrl.UUCP> hood@aieio.DEC (State o'Mind Inn-keeper) writes: > * What about ear plugs? (legal?, riding safe? medically safe? > effective?) > The problem you refer to is a serious one. Due to my riding with no ear protection has resulted in my ears developing tinnitus -- permanent ringing. This will never go away. Fortunately I seem to have stopped its getting worse by wearing earplugs. The earplugs I use are made by a company called Aural Technologies** from casts taken of your ear canals. They have a little filter in them so that you are able to hear normal conversation, yet they begin to attenuate noise at 80dB and up. I can attest to the fact -- while riding with the plugs I can hear what a passenger is saying to me whereas I generally cannot without them. Note that these are not perfect, but after a while using them you won't want to ride without them. Fitz lef@nlm-vax.arpa ** The company is located in Northern California. I have the address at home and will post it next time I drop in, if there is interest. Also, the castings can be made at any EENT and mailed to AT.
kehoe@reed.UUCP (Dave Kehoe) (09/29/85)
Foam earplugs! How can anyone live without them? Buy them 6 for a dollar at any safety store (such as Sanderson Safety Supply here in Portland). They're comfortable and real quiet (rated at 29 dB). I wore them everyday when I was working on a marketing contract with the local bus company and was riding buses 10, 12, 14 hours a day. Buses are much louder than my motorcycle. I tried "headphone" ear protectors (like they wear on jet runways); they're quiet, but not as comfortable. Anyway, I bought my Bell Star LTD helmet in part because it is much quieter than any other helmet I've worn. After 200 miles, I've had a *slight* roar in my ears, but only slight. That's without wearing earplugs -- I once tried wearing earplugs with the Star LTD and found I couldn't hear anything -- total silence. I felt very strange driving in traffic. It was like watching a movie with the sound off. It may not be so strange for long- distance freeway driving. Now for the important question: what kind of ear protection should I get for my sleeping housemates when I start my CB450 in the driveway at 7:00 in the morning? Please, don't suggest a new motorcycle. -- "Why my thoughts are my own, when they are in, but when they are out they are another's." -- Susanna Martin, executed for witchcraft. Dave Kehoe tektronix!reed!kehoe (503) 230-9454
jerem@tekgvs.UUCP (Jere Marrs) (09/29/85)
In article <1938@reed.UUCP> kehoe@reed.UUCP (Dave Kehoe) writes: > >Foam earplugs! How can anyone live without them? >Buy them 6 for a dollar at any safety store (such as >Sanderson Safety Supply here in Portland). >-- Also Rice Safety Supplies in Portland & Seattle as well as your friendly local Fred Meyer store (Pharmacy Section) on the west coast. They're probably available in most drug stores. I can hear such things as sirens, auto horns, and such with the foam earplugs, but the background level is quite low. A main source of sound is through the eustachain tube (connects the inner ear to the throat or whatever) and I have noticed that the sound is modulated in intensity by my pulse! That really concerned me until I understood its mechanism! I could not do without the foam earplugs. They're useful also at airshows, in small airplanes (If you don't wear your David Clarks), and at loud concerts. I went to a Bob James concert in Portland last year, and they were SELLING the foam earplugs in the lobby! I bought a pair just in case, and I was glad. Jere M. Marrs tektronix!tekcrl!tekgvs!jerem ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~