Originally Posted by
BarracksSi
Many people don't even notice anymore when their ears are ringing.
That's called hearing damage, and it's cumulative. Meaning the cells are dead, and they're never coming back. Stop riding, and whatever range was lost will still be lost. Forever.
Another BF'er posted about clipping a wind-shielded mic and decibel meter to his messenger bag. He got readings that were often in the 90dB range, sometimes going over 100. That's loud.. We're just so accustomed to it, although it's still not healthy.
This is exactly why one should wear hearing protection when riding. The damage is irreversible. Saying I'm sorry won't bring the range we lose back. Once it's gone, it's gone.
I listen to music. A lot. I also play the guitar (and ukulele, and banjo, and piano, etc). If I had to choose between not hearing my instruments when I'm forty or never riding again, I'd give up the bike, easy.
Hearing damage is not worth the pleasure of riding a bike any more than retinal damage is worth the pleasure of staring into the sun, or welding without a mask.
Unfortunately, lots of people don't realize this until they've already lost a significant part of their hearing. This isn't like vision, where contacts, glasses, and surgery can give you the eyes of a 20-year old again. Hearing aid technology isn't nearly as developed. People, protect your ears however you can.