A very loud car horn for bikes

brucky

CramCycle wrote: »

I am not a fan of the Knog lights as they tend to be powerful but unfocused. Originally you described the light as strobing, which the light you pictured (the cobber right?), I wouldn't call it a strobing light, more a pulsating one (if I have the light right). It is actually pretty effective as loads of people think it is an emergency vehicle even though the light is not blue. My only issue with it is that it is unfocused, so I don't think you would get as good a view of the road as I would with a proper front light. This may be a case of the rider though as I would tip along at a handy pace.
Basically, if you don't have pointed up in the air, and angled slightly wrong, your likely to dazzle yourself as anyone else, a decent see me light but not a great see the road light considering the price of it.

Yes its the cobber light. Now you mention it its not focused at all. I cycle in the city on well lit roads so that helps. It is expensive for what it is.

rubadub

homer911 wrote: »

What do you shout? I've settled on yelling "BIKE!" as its quick to shout and easy to shout loud

RobertFoster wrote: »

I usually shout "****!", "****!", "****!", or if there's time, "Jesus ****ing Christ!"

De language outta dem cycalists, Joe...

I usually shout "HELLO!!" I used to scream abuse but would be worried one of these idiots would take it personally and attack me.

brucky wrote: »

I purchased one after getting knocked down on my bike. I have had it 6 months, it has saved me innumerable times.

this sounds really odd, 6 months and has saved you "innumerable times". If you had not got it would you have been hit "innumerable times" or what are you getting at? if the horn had failed just one of these many times would you not have been "saved"? I'm genuinely interested to hear what you are getting up to. Have you had many incidents in the past?

Wishbone Ash

rubadub wrote: »

....this sounds really odd, 6 months and has saved you "innumerable times". If you had not got it would you have been hit "innumerable times" or what are you getting at? if the horn had failed just one of these many times would you not have been "saved"? I'm genuinely interested to hear what you are getting up to. Have you had many incidents in the past?

Careful now - you might be accused of taking the high moral ground.:D

brucky wrote: »

.... the moral high-ground types... .....the moral high-ground type...... ..... current infestation of moral high-ground types....

ReReg Numpty

More like an infestation of special needs cyclists who cant/ wont ride properly.
A higher moral ground and a higher roadcraft standard are not the same thing, but one will follow the other.

Snowflakes on two wheels. I guess it was only a matter of time before these woke lefties usurped the humble bicycle as their cause du jour.

DaveyDave

How have we gone from a horn as a safety device to snow flakes? This isn't a bike thread on the motors forum...

Not everyone is the same, anyone doing any sort of regular mileage in 6 months could easily need a horn. Nothing to do with them being the issue. Could be a bad junction or a slight bend where people drift in their lane or a place where cars will want to cut into the bus lane while sitting in traffic. Used by horn in the Nangor Road a few times with success, surprisingly.

There's absolutely no doubting a horn is useful, but it won't stop people being dickheads so it won't entirely cut out the hazards.

Tell me how

DaveyDave wrote: »

How have we gone from a horn as a safety device to snow flakes? This isn't a bike thread on the motors forum...

Not everyone is the same, anyone doing any sort of regular mileage in 6 months could easily need a horn. Nothing to do with them being the issue. Could be a bad junction or a slight bend where people drift in their lane or a place where cars will want to cut into the bus lane while sitting in traffic. Used by horn in the Nangor Road a few times with success, surprisingly.

There's absolutely no doubting a horn is useful, but it won't stop people being dickheads so it won't entirely cut out the hazards.

Check out the username.
Will be gone quicker than one of the aforementioned snowflakes.

Lumen

Since many people don't feel the need for a horn, there must be a difference in cycling technique that renders one useless, or useful.

I have never felt the need for a horn. If I had one I'd probably find a reason to use it, although my motorbike has a horn, I don't use it, ever.

I don't think the world needs more people honking at each other.

It's the same kind of debate as with people who claim they need strobe lighting. I think they're idiots, but it's only my opinion.

buffalo

ReReg Numpty wrote: »

Snowflakes on two wheels. I guess it was only a matter of time before these woke lefties usurped the humble bicycle as their cause du jour.

Utter Consternation

ReReg Numpty wrote: »

More like an infestation of special needs cyclists who cant/ wont ride properly.
A higher moral ground and a higher roadcraft standard are not the same thing, but one will follow the other.

Snowflakes on two wheels. I guess it was only a matter of time before these woke lefties usurped the humble bicycle as their cause du jour.

Did you know your name is an anagram for Greeny Trump? Was this intentional?

I bet it was. You irascible scamp.

brucky

Lumen wrote: »

Since many people don't feel the need for a horn, there must be a difference in cycling technique that renders one useless, or useful.

I have never felt the need for a horn. If I had one I'd probably find a reason to use it, although my motorbike has a horn, I don't use it, ever.

I don't think the world needs more people honking at each other.

It's the same kind of debate as with people who claim they need strobe lighting. I think they're idiots, but it's only my opinion.[/

Thanks for your opinion I think I’ve changed my mind and have come to the conclusion that the world would be a better place without people honking at each other, sounds like a Michael Jackson song, beautiful.

ReReg Numpty

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Did you know your name is an anagram for Greeny Trump? Was this intentional?

I bet it was. You irascible scamp.

PS: You can't hug a tree while riding a bike. Something we could all take a few moments to reflect on.

magicbastarder

ReReg Numpty

What's this? Looks like a cyclist transporting an Xmas tree from A to B. 

There's a lot to like here. This fellow has applied some problem solving ability to his circumstances, and come up with a practical, efficient solution. His bike handling skills are also pretty decent. He wouldn't have acquired these through wishful thinking. At a closer look he appears to have a grin of self satisfaction. If so, its well earned. 

You could say this photograph represents a triumph of practicality and self reliance , over wishy washy idealism. There is no evidence of victimhood here. He is not, for example, parked on the path phone in hand tweeting his outrage over the vendor not delivering his tree. 

Except it's not really a tree anymore, is it. No, its now an inert piece of biomass repurposed as a festive decorative object, that few people will want to hug ( except maybe magicbastarder, who would hug anything for a few thanks )

Good post!

Eamonnator

ReReg Numpty wrote: »

What's this? Looks like a cyclist transporting an Xmas tree from A to B. 

There's a lot to like here. This fellow has applied some problem solving ability to his circumstances, and come up with a practical, efficient solution. His bike handling skills are also pretty decent. He wouldn't have acquired these through wishful thinking. At a closer look he appears to have a grin of self satisfaction. If so, its well earned. 

You could say this photograph represents a triumph of practicality and self reliance , over wishy washy idealism. There is no evidence of victimhood here. He is not, for example, parked on the path phone in hand tweeting his outage over the vendor not delivering his tree. 

Except it's not really a tree anymore, is it. No, its now an inert piece of biomass repurposed as a festive decorative object, that few people will want to hug ( except maybe magicbastarder, who would hug anything for a few thanks )

Good post!

more commonly known as a Christmas Tree.

Kaisr Sose

Nice to see a fully restored Notre Dame... Oh, its an old pic, and none other than DC Rainmaker (aka Ray Maker) pre his move to Amsterdam?

I wonder what bike related things he is getting for Christmas?

Type 17

When necessary, I shout OI! - it's quick and easy to shout very loudly without hurting your throat/vocal chords and it's instantly recognised as a warning.

I had been know to use foul language in the heat of the moment (adrenaline rush), but it doesn't help one's cause, no matter how 'wrong' the other party is (and can induce road rage in others), so I've trained myself to shout WAKE UP!, which is neutral, non-threatening and sadly, is most often what the other party needs to do...

PS: In my early teens, I had a Morris Oxford horn and two 6v motorbike batteries on my bike - a bit heavy, but brilliant for waking up dozy 1980's Dublin drivers

zell12

Maybe try this?

ReReg Numpty

A sharp whistle will do the job with pedestrians.

Shouting is best for cyclists on the wrong side of the lane.

No point in shouting at cars. Best to use brakes instead.

YFlyer

Tell me how wrote: »

If there is time to see a hazard, blow the horn, the driver of the car hear it, them to take evasive action or stop, I feel there is likely time for you to stop or take evasive action yourself.

Also, I'd fear that this could make the driver expect the source of the noise is a car and their panicked reaction could be to fixate on cars and possible ignore you completely or worse, drive in to you as they seek to avoid who they thought was the source of the noise.

Blowing the horn during deceleration. Seconds are vital.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121450442#Comment_121450442

AI?

Cetyl Palmitate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121450461#Comment_121450461

No, that's Anne Stevenson. Her great grandfather on her mother's side first patented the air powered klaxon in 1908.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121450461#Comment_121450461

Aye.

Cabaal

To bring things back on topic,

I had been using the AirZound and it was great, but two have leaked and I'm not going for a third.

From experience it needs to found like a car horn or people don't stop in their tracks when driving, so the hornit is out. Bells are fine for pedestrians but they don't work very well with cars.

The airzound def saved me a few times, but the https://loudbicycle.com/ is fairly expensive.

I'm using a cargobike so storage for a battery etc isn't a concern, anyone have any suggestions for using a car horn I could buy. Seems to work out much cheaper to do that.

Paddigol

Not sure of the need for them? Is it a case of a solution to a problem that didn't exist? Can someone explain? I'm struggling to think of a situation in my years of cycling that a horn would have helped. If their use in cars is anything to go by, they'll just reinforce the perceived motorist -v- cyclist war.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453875#Comment_121453875

I agree and it's also illegal to use a horn or similar device while cycling on public places.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453965#Comment_121453965

Funny, few months back I reported a driver who did a dangerous overtake and I sounded my Airzound in the video.

Gardai heard the airzound, saw the airzound on the bike when he arrived to my house and made zero mention about it. I actually commented that it was usually louder but it was running out of air. 😂

His concern was the driver.

As I've said its saved me in several situations where it stopped a motorist dead in their tracks. A bell wouldn't have in a million years.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121458347#Comment_121458347

Most Gardai seem to lack a grasp of the detail of traffic laws as it applies to cyclists, including this issue, the new dangerous overtaking of a cyclist FPN offence that came in around 2018, even basics like helmets and hiviz.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121458347#Comment_121458347

That's fine, if its saved you from something then great. But I'd hate to see them become common place or endorsed as a safety measure. Good road sense, appropriate speed, braking, indicating, awareness of traffic around you etc. is what should be pushed. The level of ignorance of these elements I see on my daily commute is staggering. Whether its the lad with the builders vest thrown over a backpack but no rear light, or the fellas who breeze through red lights at junctions, blast through pedestrian crossings, hug the kerb, hop on footpaths to skip traffic/ lights, squeeze between buses/ trucks and the kerb. The last thing I need is for cyclists like that to have airhorns on their bikes.

Cabaal

The argument against horns seems fairly weak (outside of the legal side), by the same logic cars shouldn't have horns.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453965#Comment_121453965

Do you know what piece of legislation this is under?

I'm curious to see how they define it.