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Just got back from a trip to the Dragon which was well - just as good as I remember. Pretty wild to see the damage from the hurricane though, parts of the Parkway are closed, repair and construction everywhere.
I used the classic foam plugs on the trip and I am now ready to find something better. My issues with them are comfort and going in if you get it wrong they don't block sound effectively. My ears rang for 24 hrs when I got home.
Please share - I am ready to spend a few quid to get the best going, the rest of my gear is really nice I am not sure why I still suffer shite earplugs.
Although I don't have first hand experience with their hearing protection lineup, Etymotic Research has a great rep. I have owned some of their wired earbuds and the quality was exceptional.
https://etymotic.com/
Hyper
All foam earplugs are not equal. Having worked at a few manufacturing companies, I’ve tried a bunch. These 3M E-A-Rsoft Superfit ones are my favorite. They are significantly softer than others I have tried so there’s less pressure in the ear canal - I sleep with them in every night. I bought a pack of 100 pairs (each pair individually wrapped) on eBay in 2017 for $16 and still have maybe 10-15 pairs left.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/v000094163/
+1 for Etymotic -- I use their normal plugs and a wired version to plug into my Sena. I also use their normal plugs at concerts and other loud events, too.
Any tips for the Dragon or area in general? I'm riding there next week.
I picked up some Nonoise ear plugs at the cycle gear counter. They're the rubberized kind. Having them go right in without having to roll and squish them is a huge plus.
Take me with you! We had only two days there which is not nearly enough - hope you got more. The Dragon is now loaded with cars groups of every car you could imagine. Granted I was there on a weekend but having cars rip by on the other lane is unsettling.
Not to say you shouldn't ride it though.
Cherahola skyway is right there and is just lovely. 5 stars even though it was sleeting at the top. Much less traffic up there too. The Parkway is a must ride too but lots of it is closed due to storm damage. Check the live map before you head up there. We ran about 50 miles of it south of Asheville uninterrupted.
The real crown jewel I found this trip are the feeder roads that bring you up to the Parkway. Holy hell! We rode 276 east bound to get down and around a closed section. Through Brevard then 215 w back up. 215 is my new favorite road down there, hands down.
Have fun, you can't really miss down there. Look for the roads that look like intestines on the map lol.
Thanks everyone for the tips - I look forward to sound comfort.
Cherry-cola speedway is >> dragon in my opinion. More broad sweepers vs tighter tech riding. I enjoyed the hell out of just rolling along vs the constant flip flop. Also the boy racers on clapped out shitboxes with a flashlight for a headlight are a lot to cope with.
For $15, try Radians DIY custom molded earplugs. Amazon if you want a specific color, or bass pro/cabelas for blue or skin tone.
What's the difference between a bolt and a screw?
First you screw, then you bolt.
Sounds like my normal weekend ride haha. Thanks for the tips, will (hopefully) be spending a lot of time out that way, going to leave this bike in Nashville indefinitely.
Also my normal weekend ride haha. The best part is passing them on a 600lb ADV with giant topcase.
Last edited by OreoGaborio; 05-12-25 at 03:53 PM.
-Pete
NEMRR #81 - ECK Racing
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