I recently tried out some -27 decibel earplugs (washable) on my 50-minute
commute to work.
Most of the ride is along the Hudson River, not known for its high noise
production, but there are parts where I go past loud construction projects
and there is even a heliport not 30 yards away at one point. When I ride
thru the streets (just 8-10 mins total) at the start and end of my ride,
there are traffic sounds, sirens, and other loud noises.
I can’t describe the pleasure of riding without these sounds except to say
that when I removed the plugs just before the end of the ride, it was like
going to sleep inside of an airplane and waking up underneath it. I could
really appreciate the difference!
There are more effective noise reducers than the -27 plugs that I bought,
but I didn’t find any better ones that were washable (I saw foam plugs
that were about 7 times better, at -34, but they can only be worn a few
times and would eventually get expensive and wasteful). I also wanted to
make sure that I could hear some sounds of traffic and passersby for
safety reasons.
I was somewhat chagrinned to discover that they were not effective in
keeping out the “Where’s the other wheel?” comment that I received early
on in the ride, but then I felt better later when someone in a car
apparently said something of that nature that I could not hear. So these
earplugs were effective in reducing half of all clichés and tired
comments, a good proportion.
I heartily recommend earplugs for your long commutes as long as they don’t
adversely affect your safety.
David Stone