LittleBigMan
After reading Vicious Cycle's comments about bells in another thread, stating he carries a whistle, I decided to post this.
I use a whistle and keep it in my mouth constantly. It has saved me from many dangerous crashes with cars over the years. It's one of the only sound devices a cyclist can use which will alert motorists, even with their car windows rolled up. Its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
But drawbacks, it has. The most minor one is, it's illegal for cyclists in most places in America. The major one is, when I finally did get injured on my bike (or rather, "mugged" by a pedestrian), I fell on my face. The scar marks now show that my metal whistle made cuts of its own.
I will continue to use a (plastic) whistle until I can find something better. I am now thinking of getting an air horn. It can be refilled with a tire pump and costs about $20 U.S.
I use a whistle and keep it in my mouth constantly. It has saved me from many dangerous crashes with cars over the years. It's one of the only sound devices a cyclist can use which will alert motorists, even with their car windows rolled up. Its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
But drawbacks, it has. The most minor one is, it's illegal for cyclists in most places in America. The major one is, when I finally did get injured on my bike (or rather, "mugged" by a pedestrian), I fell on my face. The scar marks now show that my metal whistle made cuts of its own.
I will continue to use a (plastic) whistle until I can find something better. I am now thinking of getting an air horn. It can be refilled with a tire pump and costs about $20 U.S.