Biker health

[Michael]

I'm curious about ailments related to riding.  How many of you think your riding is affecting your health?
I'm more concerned about chronic or recurring things than injuries.

[weaselnoze]

im thinking of buying a helmet based on the loudness. sometimes i notice my ears are ringing afterwards..

[cernunos]

My back definitely is bothered by the riding but that's a given considering the problems I have with it. A two mile ride is long for me. My ears ring all the time anyway so I don't worry about them. I long for a bike that sits up more so as to relieve the stress from my back...but I'll freakin' ride until I can't get on the thing. Ya gotta enjoy life. Love the little White Owl and Algeria and this wonderful forum.

C........

[weaselnoze]

dude, did u see kerry's handlebar risers?  i think its kerry... also, the ringing in the ears thing.. is that permanent?  what is that called? i know there is a name for it

[cernunos]

Tinnitus is the hearing loss. I have a lot of trouble hearing spoken words, it helps if I can see the person's face. There is no way I'm going to change the Baby G...she is staying stock and as mint as I can keep her. I want another Glide Bebe. And yeh, the hearing loss is permanent. Love the Baby G, New Zealand, and this forum.

C.......

[Michael]

im thinking of buying a helmet based on the loudness. sometimes i notice my ears are ringing afterwards..

The ringing in your ears from prolonged exposure to noise is a kind of feedback, I think.  Loud noise damages and eventually destroys the little hairs in your inner ears that transduce sound waves into neural signals.  Higher frequencies go first, so clarity is lost before actual volume loss.
Buying a quiet helmet is a good idea, although there is the argument that a really quiet helmet stops you from hearing the traffic, horns, etc.  I think the best idea is to get the helmet that generates the least wind noise, as in most cases this is the main offender in noise around your head.  Loud motors and pipes are more a problem for everyone else.

[cernunos]

The biggest problem I have with it is sleeping. I absolutely cannot sleep in a quiet room because then it's too loud! Have to have a fan, A/C or something running in the back-ground. Love the little White Owl, Japan (used to be known for their cheap crap), and this forum.

C.......

[roguegeek]

It kind of makes sense to me. When driving a car in traffic heavy Los Angeles, my left foot gets sore from pushing down on the clutch so damn much. Well, when riding my bike in traffic heavy Los Angeles, my left hand gets sore from pulling on the clutch so damn much. Yeah, makes sense to me.

[dgyver]

Sorry but I cannot answer this poll correctly......there is not a "all the above" option.

For those that complain about wind noise, ringing and fatigue....

WEAR EAR PLUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cernunos]

Ear plugs aren't going to help me...damage is already done. But for those who still have good hearing, yeh I recommend ear plugs when riding...and turn down the freakin' music to a believable level. Love the Baby 'Zuki500, Holland (very tolerant people with flooding problems), and this forum.

C........

[nisus1]

Left elbow definitely... when stopped and when stopping for some reason i tend to put all my weight on my left arm.  Trying to break myself of this bad habit.

[octane]

Any physical ailments my riding may cause is cancelled by the mental health improvements it provides!

[weaselnoze]

Sorry but I cannot answer this poll correctly......there is not a "all the above" option.

For those that complain about wind noise, ringing and fatigue....

WEAR EAR PLUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well yea but im going to try and avoid that first.  i dont wanna look like a tool.

[Daniely]

I put down knee hip only because occasionally I will get a cramp in my upper thigh/hip area and have to either stick my leg out while riding or stand up to get it to go away. Even then i cant sit right back down cause the cramp will just come back. But that is only a problem on really prolonged rides.

[Ed_in_Az]

 

[SuZuki10]

my problem is the hands.  I have really small hands so pulling in that clutch all day kills my hand...it usually takes a few weeks into riding season to start getting used to it.  I guess it's using muscles that I don't use in everyday things.

[weaselnoze]

...it usually takes a few weeks into riding season to start getting used to it. .

i guess thats not as much a problem for those of us who actually ride our bikes instead of talk about them... :mrgreen:

[davipu]

or use those muscles for everyday things....

['04gs500f]

my problem is the hands.  I have really small hands so pulling in that clutch all day kills my hand...it usually takes a few weeks into riding season to start getting used to it.  I guess it's using muscles that I don't use in everyday things.

i have big hands and the clutch wears on me, only at stop lights really

[Mk1inCali]

It used to mess with my back on longer rides, but then I stopped taking the freeways everywhere and actually use the good roads to get places, so I'm moving around, and I don't worry about how crappy the stock shock is for my 180lb frame.  Ear plugs looking like a dork?  HAHAHA, I get made fun of all the time when I pull up somewhere and have all sorts of gear to pull off, and last but not least some bright purple/yellow earplugs.  I can't ride anything longer than 5 mins without them now.

Slight case of tinnitus here, been in a rock band in various forms on/off for 6 years playing guitar, and didn't really think it would happen to me, but I think I started off with really really sensitive ears, and now I'm about to where most people start off with with a slight loss of clarity of spoken word.  Wear the damn plugs, they are cheap and make that turbulence oh so bearable.  While on my mom's YZF, it seriously is peaceful at ~80 mph.