Not a typical helmet thread
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Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Rely too much on my hearing when riding to wear ear plugs, survival habits learned very early in life. On a bike you use ALL your senses for situational awareness, ears are a part of it. Heard potential problems before they actually became one more than once. Tried a full face helmet a few times, was being put in a sensory deprivation box, lizard brain couldn't handle not having all the usual inputs.
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Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 483
Likes: 485
From: The Late Great Golden State
The earplug thing is interesting. With my previous helmet, a Shoei RF1200, I found that earplugs really helped with riding at freeway speeds. For my daily commute I would always wear the 3M foam plugs. Twist them up tight, pull up on your ear to open the canal, and slip them into the ear canal. They expand and fill the ear canal and create a sonic filter. Brilliant! For me they did a good job of filtering a lot of wind and ambient white noise while still being able hear my engine and the sounds of traffic. They work great when inserted properly, rather than just jamming them into your ear. Getting used to them and using them regularly made commuting more pleasant when on the bike and after the ride without ear fatigue. I recently replaced my old helmet with a Shoei RF1400 and it is a much quieter helmet. With the RF1400 I have not felt the need to use the ear plugs, but filtering out the wind noise with ear plugs or a quiet helmet is a good thing, and for me I feel like I can actually hear things around me better.
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Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Sandpoint, Idaho
Rely too much on my hearing when riding to wear ear plugs, survival habits learned very early in life. On a bike you use ALL your senses for situational awareness, ears are a part of it. Heard potential problems before they actually became one more than once. Tried a full face helmet a few times, was being put in a sensory deprivation box, lizard brain couldn't handle not having all the usual inputs.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,238
Likes: 5,784
From: On the Big Blue marble
Problem solved... same helmet, 1 size larger. Rode 2.5 hrs and no issue. What I learned was when cool, no issue. When you get warm, it's a whole different story. Never thought about that.
Glad you figured the issue out and found one that works for you.
I'd love to be able to wear a helmet again. Medical issues prevent me from even wearing a ballcap for more than 10 minutes. I should start wearing ear plugs I suppose, but hearing is already 65% gone from years of steel work. The main reasons I liked a helmet were being able to talk to others in the group and less general fatigue on longer rides. Riding in hard rain / hail was easier too. Saw a news report that a guy died this weekend from faceplanting without a helmet in the next city when a car pulled out in front of him, a friend posted on FB that she was traumatized by seeing it firsthand.
I'd love to be able to wear a helmet again. Medical issues prevent me from even wearing a ballcap for more than 10 minutes. I should start wearing ear plugs I suppose, but hearing is already 65% gone from years of steel work. The main reasons I liked a helmet were being able to talk to others in the group and less general fatigue on longer rides. Riding in hard rain / hail was easier too. Saw a news report that a guy died this weekend from faceplanting without a helmet in the next city when a car pulled out in front of him, a friend posted on FB that she was traumatized by seeing it firsthand.
Last edited by Ultra103; Jun 16, 2024 at 09:00 AM.
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