Sunday, August 12, 2007
On riding with earplugs
I wanted to write about my experiences riding with earplugs, but first, I wanted to share a look deeper into my private world. For reasons I can't explain, I was thinking of Disney movie tunes while at the same time thinking about my days spent frequenting Tampa's extensive bar scene. Well, it is probably more accurate to say that I was singing a Disney show tune at inappropriate volume, when thoughts of Tampa's bar scene popped into my head. What Disney song would possibly make one think of Tampa's bars and night life? Why, Hi Ho from Snow White, of course! Obviously, the joke is in the chorus, which I repeated at full volume several times, until I felt satisfied with the outburst and had a laugh.
How hilarious would it be to violently kick open the front doors of any South Tampa bar, taking that dramatic moment to strike a superhero-hands-on-hips-chin-up-chest-out pose while a spotlight silhouettes you from behind, then strut through a row of Tampa's finest young people with the Hi-Ho chorus erupting from your lips at maximum volume? This is the type of thing that is probably much funnier inside my skull than it is when expressed in the real world, particularly via text, since the internal images resemble something like a cross between old Van Halen videos and an ancient Hollywood musical. This sort of random inspiration overtakes me often. I need to find a way to share it in a more dynamic way. If you could see and hear the random shit that comes out of me when no one is around to witness it, you'd probably worry. :)
Anyway, on to riding with earplugs...
Riding with cheap, drugstore, 33dB earplugs is akin to playing a flight simulator with the volume turned down to a whisper. The absence of the wind's constant drone and the drastic reduction in other noises take what can be a sensory overloading experience and turn it into something very refreshing. It is difficult to explain the sensation, but there is a definite increase in the pleasure of riding. Strangely, the wind is muted substantially, as are other sounds, but the other sounds become more clear and distinct, so that I can hear the bike's exhaust at speed. At a stop, I can hear people's voices more clearly. The click of the gear selector and whine of first gear are clearer with the plugs in place than without. At a stop, the exhaust note is pleasing and rhythmic, as always, but not overwhelming, as it often is with bare ears.
While in motion, it feels more like flying than it ever did before, but my first impression was that of flying in a dream. I rarely remember my dreams, and have only dreamt of flying a few times in my entire life, but generally those dreams were near silent affairs, where I am rushing through space with only my inner voice narrating the journey. That is what it is like to ride with earplugs in. Concentrating becomes easier, I feel more relaxed, and it feels as if my mind is better able to manage input without having to block the wind's roar from my awareness. My internal dialog picks up speed and I feel more in tune with the flow of objects around me.
Believe it or not, it is the wind that generates most of the noise that damages a rider's hearing. At 50 mph, my 100dB exhaust is barely audible if I am wearing a half helmet. With exposed ears, the wind is creating 100dB or more of noise directly outside the ear canal. That ain't good. My full face picks up a lot of resonant noise from the bike's mechanicals (valvetrain, transmission, exhaust, etc) and can be a very loud place to be as well. Neither is as enjoyable without as they are with earplugs. Hearing traffic is not the problem I was afraid it might be, and actually hearing a guy say "nice bike" while sitting at a stop sign, without having to read his lips, was pretty surprising. If any of you ever decide to ride, I highly recommend you use some form of ear protection. Once you're comfortable on the streets, it really is an upgrade to the entire experience.
Of course, it's not always great times on the street. I'll have to write up a post detailing how my bike came to spend the night in Hudson this evening, while I am sitting at home, but it's late and I'm tired.
Labels: motorcycles
Read or Post a Comment
<< Home