Small wonders
Handy devices to get for the biker this gift-giving season
VENTZ
A cool idea for our hot climate. A solution to stop arriving at your destination with your shirt stuck to your back and damp armpits.
How it works
Plastic vents worn in the sleeves channel cool air into your jacket as you ride.
Slightly bigger than a credit card, the UK-made Ventz is easily clipped into the cuff of your riding jacket.
Made of rubber and plastic, it is touted to reduce riding temperatures by 25 per cent as the rush of cool air expels warm air trapped inside your jacket.
We tested the Ventz, distributed by Armourite, on a hot afternoon.
Test
My jacket sleeves "ballooned" and the flow of air was largely felt near my elbows and armpits.
I have no scientific data to prove a drop in riding temperatures, but it did feel more comfortable and I was perspiring less.
At traffic stops, I could feel the heat build up again inside my jacket.
These do not work for every type of bike.
On a sportsbike, because you ride with your arms bent, it felt like less air was entering my jacket. On my dirtbike, ridden with straight arms, more air found its way into my jacket. Naturally, the faster I went, the cooler I got.
Ventz
$32.90 a pair (in several colours)
- TNP PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
- TNP PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
NOISE PROTECTOR
Those of us who use earplugs will be familiar with the problems that come with that.
Ear canals can get painful from breaking in a new pair. Earplugs can also lose their elasticity. Then there is the hassle of having to remove your helmet and earplugs every time somebody talks to you in a noisy paddock.
The Noise Protector from myear could be a solution.
How it works
The soft, custom-made ear protection system incorporates tiny filters housed inside a medical-grade silicon ear mould.
This mould is created from an impression of your ear made after a visual inspection of your ear canal.
The medical-grade silicon is poured into the impression. After drying, it is then laquered and a string is attached to create the finished product.
Sound enters the filter via a small hole and enters the ear through an even smaller, pinhead-sized hole.
Harsh sounds from loud noises are funnelled and filtered out but normal conversation can be heard, myear claims.
Test
We tried the Noise Protector while riding a motorcycle, standing beside a motorcycle engine being revved-up and listening to loud heavy metal music.
While the sound of my motorcycle engine and other ambient noise on the road became muffled, I was still aware of approaching vehicles.
In the remaining scenarios, it felt as if somebody had lowered the irritating noise considerably.
I could hear my friend who spoke to me during the experiment clearly, if a little softer. It can also be worn for long periods without any discomfort.
Noise Protector
$200
E-mail hello@myear.sg for enquiries or visit www.myear.sg
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