General Cycling Discussion - Ear Piercing and Cycling...

Hello all.

Since the season is over I have decided to put off the inevatable no longer... I am getting my ears pierced.

Why inevatable... the school I attend has rules agains guys getting ear piercing and I am no longer a full time student there... and I have wanted to have it done for years... I am sure the pain will be minimum... expecially after enduring a whole racing season... :rolleyes:


Now the question is... for those of you who have done this... other than cleaning the piercing after riding are their any other percautions needed on the bike or after? Obiously they will have to stay in for about 10 weeks so I can not take them out when riding... :rolleyes:

Thanks as always!

Snicker... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Some people just can't have enough holes in their heads...... :D :D :D

get your belly pierced instead.
You already wear bibs.
No worries!

Getting road crap in it might be a problem, but if you have yours done at a place that uses rings so you can rotate and get the junk out it shouldn't be a problem. It took mine over a year to heal because of nickel allergies. I'm curious how much quicker it would be with titanium, but at the same time I'm not sure if I'm THAT curious.

Titanium? Nah, carbon fiber earrings are the way to go. :D

pierced is less aero than non-pierced, and we know that aero resistance is the major speed limiter :D :p

:lol: ^^^

I got Ti... have to have something in common with cycling.

BTW compared to the pain of racing is was NOTHING... now keeping it clean and rotated is another story.

Just clean them before you go to bed every night for a few weeks. Simple as that. Then in a few weeks you can get red ones to match your bikes! :D

Just clean them before you go to bed every night for a few weeks. Simple as that. Then in a few weeks you can get red ones to match your bikes! :D

:lol: I like... I would rather have CF ones though!

(Oh no I just added 20 grams to my body... now I need to shave 20 grams off the bike! :lol:

I also have a nickel allergy ... and the earrings of choice, for income-challenged people like me, when I got my ears pierced was nickel. My ears were constantly infected and in PAIN. After several years, a new hypoallergenic material came out ... nylon. Too bad I'm also allergic to nylon!

Besides the trouble I had with earring material, I got into the huge earrings of the 1980s and nearly ripped my lobes off with the weight, and with the earrings catching on everything.

By the mid-1990s, I had enough and quit wearing them. I wear them now maybe a couple times a year, just enough to keep the holes open ... and sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it.

I know I would not want to pierce anything else ... those little holes in my ears were bad enough.

Are you still going to that Bible College?

I don't normally wear earrings either, but if I had some captive bead rings I could leave in it wouldn't be as bad. I'm thinking about making some of my own from sterling wire.

Are you still going to that Bible College?

La Sierra University, SDA school... no jewlery

...the school I attend has rules agains guys getting ear piercing...
That's really depressing. Yay homophobia!

I've never heard of nickle piercings being offered - Stainless steel is the norm & can't cost that much more.

Stainless contains nickel. It's best to go with something hypoallergenic at least while it is healing. I'm allergic to some "nickel free" products as well, (probably chromium, based on what I've read) so I have to stick with silver, titanium, niobium, platinum, etc.

Why have the holes in the first place???

I've never understood why people injure themselves voluntarily.

Stainless contains nickel. It's best to go with something hypoallergenic at least while it is healing. I'm allergic to some "nickel free" products as well, (probably chromium, based on what I've read) so I have to stick with silver, titanium, niobium, platinum, etc.

This is news to me. The nickel content of 316 CRES (corrosion resistant - most say "stainless") is only 10%-14%. Is this enough to aggravate nickel allergies?

I ask because 316 is used for body implants - it generally does very well.

10% is definitely enough! I've had redness and hives under my watch before when it had a stainless back, and the skin in the ear is even more sensitive. I've even heard of trace amount in sterling silver causing allergies, but I only buy wire from professional grade jewelry supply stores to avoid this problem.

If I ever needed any sort of plate or screw implanted it would have to be Ti. Surgical staples would even be a bad idea.

Now the question is... for those of you who have done this... other than cleaning the piercing after riding are their any other percautions needed on the bike or after? Obiously they will have to stay in for about 10 weeks so I can not take them out when riding... :rolleyes:

Thanks as always!

Remove your helmet carefully (if you use one). You'll think the piercing is healed enough not to hurt, and then you'll snag it on the helmet strap and :eek: .

Why have the holes in the first place???

I've never understood why people injure themselves voluntarily.

Bodies are meant to be used, that's why we have them. Minor injury is irrelevant compared to the satisfaction of self-expression and the sense of ownership over your physical self.

When you get right down to it we do voluntary self-injury on an almost daily basis. From sports like boxing, to eating fast-food, to body modifications. The only differences are the degree of self-awareness behind the decision.

be a man and get your nipples done. Ear peircing went out in the 90's.

belly button peircing is allowed only if your name is George and you need Boy in front of it, to determine what gender you are.

Nipple Piercing.... Ahhh! :cry: - I.e. No thanks.

Like it is said above, be careful taking the helmet off at first.

My ears aren't just pierced, they are stretched. Currently wearing 4 gauge. Was stretched to 2 gauge for the longest time. I wear plugs when riding. Nothing hollow, else I hear a whistle. I wear nothing but organic or pyrex just out of preference.

I don't think you'll have much luck finding a true barbell in the smallest of gauges. But you could always wear a eyebrow retainer.

I also have a nickel allergy ... and the earrings of choice, for income-challenged people like me, when I got my ears pierced was nickel. My ears were constantly infected and in PAIN. After several years, a new hypoallergenic material came out ... nylon. Too bad I'm also allergic to nylon!

Besides the trouble I had with earring material, I got into the huge earrings of the 1980s and nearly ripped my lobes off with the weight, and with the earrings catching on everything.

By the mid-1990s, I had enough and quit wearing them. I wear them now maybe a couple times a year, just enough to keep the holes open ... and sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it.

I know I would not want to pierce anything else ... those little holes in my ears were bad enough.

I am very allergic to nickel, sterling silver is the answer. It never bothers my skin, just make sure that it has the stamp on the jewelry.

Maybe it all depends on how a person heals. When I got my ear pierced the pain was about 20 seconds. And then it was sore for 2 days. I've had scratches that hurt worse.
It healed fine with no infections and I haven't had a problem since. It has only came out for x-rays and for surgeries.

my58vw, it looks as if you've already gone through with this. What my suggestion would have been would be to do it at a tattoo parlor, or something similar. They generally cost a little more, but the quality of the jewelery is often much higher, and they don't use the gun. I personally believe that the gun is the main reason that people have problems with piercings as they aren't as hygenic as a single use needle. This is of course highly dependent upon the place that you go however. Also, you have greater options as far as guage. If you're just getting one of those little 22ga (or is it 20?) piercings in your lobe, it's probably not a big deal. It's also been my experience that tattoo parlors pay more attention to placement, and you can be a lot more accurate with a straight needle than the gun.

Hope you like it.

My ears aren't just pierced, they are stretched. Currently wearing 4 gauge. Was stretched to 2 gauge for the longest time. I wear plugs when riding. Nothing hollow, else I hear a whistle.

I'm not criticizing your taste in fashion, but this is very humorous to me. It makes perfect sense.

My company designs hydraulic and pneumatic equipment that is specifically designed to be quiet when operating...

I'm going to suggest to my boss that we get into the business of designing "quiet grommets" for cyclists and motorcyclists that wear them. No whistle.

Or for the more musically inclined, miniature tuned pan pies to play a soothing chord while you ride...

(I'm going to make a million bucks... :D )

What do you think?

I'm not criticizing your taste in fashion, but this is very humorous to me. It makes perfect sense.

Oh I forgot to mention that when I was 6 gauge, I had to get my front wheel rebuilt. I cut the spokes off at home. I cleaned two of the spoke nipples, and they fit. I wore them to the LBS to drop of the hub. First person that notice was the last person to say hello, no surprise it was the Head wrench. Wish i had pictures.

As for tuned musical plugs, NO THANKS. I have ears of a blind person, and my wife has started collecting wind chimes. Got enough non music going on at home.

The gun was not too bad at all, the place we use is known for being "particually clean" compared to most places. I was a little sore for about 2 hours but no more, no problem this morning.

The gun was not too bad at all, the place we use is known for being "particually clean" compared to most places. I was a little sore for about 2 hours but no more, no problem this morning.

"particularly clean" doesn't sound very comforting to me, but to each his own :D Glad it worked out for you though. Two things then: 1, where are the pics? 2, when are you getting your first tat :) ?

2, when are you getting your first tat :) ?


LOL My tat was about a year after the piercing.

Didn't you have a thread about leg shaving a couple months ago? Shaved legs, pierced ears, are you joining a cross dressing cycling club? ;)

Motto:
"We draft in drag."

When I had mine done other than the initial sting it never hurt. As for keeping it clean put a piece of medical tape over it while cycling to to keep the road dirt out. This was manditory in high school for anyone playing sports who couldn't take them out.

I have to wear sterling silver too. I can wear gold but it has to be 24 k and I can't afford it! And I don't so much like the looks of it either. For my anniversary last year my husband bought me a new wedding band...titanium!! Cool...

I'm so sensitive that I have to cover the back of the buttons on my jeans or my belly will itch for days!

Just in case anyone is wondering, "normal" earrings are 20 and rarely 22 gauge. If you want to be able to insert earrings without a fight have an 18 put in the first time. I just put some 18s in my current holes to stretch them out. It was about the same as getting new holes going in, but afterward the soreness in much less (I added a second set of holes while I was at it, so I have a good basis for comparison).

I buy 20g half hard sterling and make my own earrings just to make sure I won't have any problems.

Why have the holes in the first place???

I've never understood why people injure themselves voluntarily.
I've never understood why guys want to get their ears pierced. To be like girls? Isn't shaving our legs enough? :p I would laugh at my teammates on the football field because the ref would come over and ask everyone to remove their jewelry before the game starts.

I've had mine done for a little over 2 years. I have both ears done and used to have my upper cartlage done too. I have tried both captive ear rings and the hinge style rings. I liked the captive a little better because they wouldnt catch on anything. The hinged type seem to get caught on everything, and had them catch on my helmet straps a few times as well. Just make sure you clean them, i used to clean them while in the shower, just put some dial soap on them and roate them gently.

I find it interesting that a girl can have several sets of holes and never be questioned about it, but a guy gets a single earring and all of a sudden he's somehow less of a man?

I find it interesting that a girl can have several sets of holes and never be questioned about it, but a guy gets a single earring and all of a sudden he's somehow less of a man?

Hahaha. Well, my first male friend to get a earring had it done about 1970. That took a lot of courage back then. No, he wasn't gay.

My brother got an ear pierced in the mid 80's. Back then, depending on how and what ear was pierced, it was supposed to mean someting.

They would walk up to my brother, point to his earring and ask what it meant.

"It means I like to wear an earring!"

Earrings on guys and tats on women are now are so common I don't think anyone here in So Cal gives it a second thought. Are guys with earrings and gals with ink still getting flak today???

Just for the record, no piercings or ink on me.

Earrings on guys and tats on women are now are so common I don't think anyone here in So Cal gives it a second thought. Are guys with earrings and gals with ink still getting flak today???
My sister likes to point out the "tramp stamp" on the girls we pass by.

Reminds me of the SNL sketch for Turlington's Lower Back Tattoo Remover (http://snltranscripts.jt.org/03/03rtattoo.phtml). :D

Earrings on guys and tats on women are now are so common I don't think anyone here in So Cal gives it a second thought. Are guys with earrings and gals with ink still getting flak today???
My comment was in reference to some earlier comments. Guess I should have quoted them, but I'm too lazy. I do hear students worrying about it for job interviews though. Even if a guy takes out the earring for an interview, he still has a hole in his ear. Medicine and it's related disciplines are full of old farts so it's something to consider. The first medical professional I have seen a tattoo on was my vet! He was a great vet too, who sadly moved away :(.

Just like Jan Ullrich..go for it

My cousin is a doctor and he has a ring through the center cartiledge part of his nose, right between the nostrils. I think that it looks pretty cool. And if he takes the ring out you can't see the hole unless you are looking straight up a nostril.

My sister likes to point out the "tramp stamp" on the girls we pass by.

Reminds me of the SNL sketch for Turlington's Lower Back Tattoo Remover (http://snltranscripts.jt.org/03/03rtattoo.phtml). :D
:roflmao: That's hilarious.

One day, I might regret my tats, but I doubt it . . . It's not like I got one that says "juicy" or "studly" or anything like that. Besides, when I'm older, I fully expect tattoo removal technology to be quick and near painless.

I remember getting my one ear pierced back in 93 I think it was.. I'm thinking about getting my other done and stretching them out to 6-4 gauge. And I do have 3 tattoos and love them especialy the ones on my legs, I like the look when cycling :) Already got the nipples done so might as well get my other ear done..

As for allergic reaction that has only happend to me once when I bought a silver earings at Mervyns, my ear swelled up badly got full of puss etc.. I thought it was infected at first this was a good 5-6 years after I got it piereced. My mom has the same type reaction to normaly cheap earings..

Didn't you have a thread about leg shaving a couple months ago? Shaved legs, pierced ears, are you joining a cross dressing cycling club? ;)

Motto:
"We draft in drag."

:lol: ... an idea :D

(j/k)

You have to be secure in being a guy to have shaved legs and earings...

(and the shaved leg thread was about say 8 months+ ago.

You have to be secure in being a guy to have shaved legs and earings...
... and then ride around in lycra :D.

I don't think biking will affect anything you have pierced in your ears unless you're too embarrassed to admit you're getting a genital piercing. ;)

:lol: ... an idea :D

(j/k)

You have to be secure in being a guy to have shaved legs and earings...

(and the shaved leg thread was about say 8 months+ ago.

hmm do you have alink to that thread? Im gonna jump to the dark side come next spring :D Racing....