Tinnitus here, too. I put in earplugs before I put on my helmet for a ride. It's too late to put them in after the big truck blows by me or the train with the screeching wheels goes by. The earplugs don't really effect the number of sounds I can hear, from my bike and the surrounding enviorment, they just take the edge off the loud ones. Sometimes they save me from being startled by them. I think my riding is more stable and safer for that.