Advocacy & Safety - Air Horn

BFC members have mentioned the refillable air horn before, but I have not seen one...until now.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=115&subcategory=1130&brand=&sku=4897&storetype=&estoreid=

I don't know how practical it would be, but it would get you noticed.

If you have access to a boat chandlers, they are quite common there.

I saw a refillable bicycle air horn a few months ago. It is LOUD, and a definite improvement over the little pressurized throwaway gizmos of the 1970s.

Most state laws state that no bicycle shall be operated on the road without an adequate sound warning device.

There is NO PRODUCT I am aware of that fits that description
except this air horn, unless you count a whistle, which is very effective in alerting motorists, but is illegal for cyclists.

:confused: (Run that by me again?)

I am glad someone is offering an adequate, legal sound warning device. I may replace my whistle. (Today, I whistled at a truck whose driver wasn't looking at me...he not only looked at me, he did it very fast.

;)

o man that airhorn is the coolest, i might ask for that for christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by Pete Clark
Most state laws state that no bicycle shall be operated on the road without an adequate sound warning device.


California law requires a saddle, one skid-producing brake, and, at night, reflectors and a front light, but does not mention sound/warning devices. (I've always taken the vocal approach ...)

Originally posted by Steele-Bike
BFC members have mentioned the refillable air horn before, but I have not seen one...until now.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=115&subcategory=1130&brand=&sku=4897&storetype=&estoreid=

I don't know how practical it would be, but it would get you noticed.

Thanks for the hint. It looks neat! I asked for one for Christmas. If I get one, I will give you guys a full report.

I don't know how I missed this thread...

I have one of these horns and I would have to say it's not bad for the $$. Actually, the one I have has a smaller plastic air reservoir (bottle) designed to fit a standard cage. I have seen people retrofit a 2 litre plastic soda bottle to increase the capacity of pressured air but I never saw the need.

The mount on the early ones was a joke (the horn would come off on bumps - very dangerous so near the front wheel :eek: ) but they seem to have fixed this problem a year or so ago. It is plastic so the whole thing weighs very little and it releases from the clamp easily so you can take the whole thing (excluding the mount) off of the bike in literally 2 seconds. Of course it is not super durable under impact and can snap easily as plastic things of this nature will. Oh, and judging by my few years of experience, it won't go off in your bag in your office or school ;)

During moderately warm temperatures, it has plenty of capacity for a day or two of commuting. You will have to pump it up (standard schraeder valve) more often if the temperature decreases or fluctuates a great deal (or the cagers are especially careless in your locale) but I know all of you carry a pump ;) so that shouldn't be a problem.

Oh, and the most important point - it's LOUD. It will get attention and I find that because it is a higher pitch than a car horn, motoring primates pay greater attention because it is distinctive. Hope this 'little' review helps.

EDIT: Here is a link to some other reviews:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Extras/product_20880.shtml

Thanks, bikerider. Super review!

I second Mike's accolade for the helpful review, Bikerider. Would it be easy (possible?) to convert it to Presta, so that I don't have to keep flipping the guts of my pump around?

Thanks for the accolades!


Originally posted by John E
I second Mike's accolade for the helpful review, Bikerider. Would it be easy (possible?) to convert it to Presta, so that I don't have to keep flipping the guts of my pump around?

I am looking at mine as I type this and I would have to say no way. Basically the trade-off for the low price is the 'one-piece' construction philosophy. The parts are not replaceable. Besides, to pump it up effectively you need a floor pump or gas station pump anyway because of the fairly high pressure involved. A hand pump is more of a temporary backup.

I've found that a tuba is just as effective...and it even helps set off the traffic lights.

I met a bicycle commuter one time who took an air horn from a truck. He had a rubber hose rigged from the horn, along the top tube, and clipped just under his seat.

When he needed to use it, he would reach between his legs, pull the rubber tube off the clip, and then suck hard to charge the horn.

It did make a big noise, but it was so impractical and so ridiculous that it is hard to imagine he would have the time to go through that process before getting hit by the offending car.

Originally posted by John E
California law requires a saddle, one skid-producing brake, and, at night, reflectors and a front light, but does not mention sound/warning devices. (I've always taken the vocal approach ...)
You're right. I assumed the vehicle code was almost identical from state to state, regarding bicycles. :eek:

But the provision against cyclists using sirens or whistles is there, as usual.

(Don't you get tired of screaming at BDC's ("brain-dead cagers?")

;)

In the last couple of days, we've had some pretty stiff sea breezes around here. They seem to have made my brakes squeak real loud. I've also noticed this phenomenon when I've cleaned my bike (due to degreaser dropping onto the rims).

Now just imagine if, by some coincidence, you had ultra squeaky brakes (maybe a sea breeze nobody else could feel) when a primate went to cut you off. Food for thought.

I bought the air horn a few days ago and my parents just gave it to me for christmas. I took it off of the cardboard display thing, and it already had pressure in it, So i blared it.......its loud and I really like it. But I am having a problem now......I pump the bottle up and push the button, but the air shoots out of the back of the circle thats on the back of the horn. I pulled the shrader valve and tubing out and i cant see how this thing could work.....the hose is connected to the bottle and goes to the shrader valve........where does the air go through the horn?????? IT dosent work!!!! AHHH please help....thanks!

ok.....I guess it takes alot of pumps from a shock pump, unknot the hose, and push the button so it seals against the rubber thing. I have a headache......when it says it can be pushed 50 times it means really short beeps, not 5 second blasts. I am so scared of the bottle blowing up, so I put it inside of a cardboard box.:(

I'm so glad someone else can't figure out how they work. When mine stopped working after a year, my son (a mechanical engineer) & I started taking it apart, putting it in water baths & things like that for the better part of an evening. We amused ourselves, but didn't get it reliably fixed. They do seem to have a short life-span, but I owe my hide to them at least twice, so I will forgive them.

A good invention idea that probably just needs a little "tweaking."

;)

If someone would just come up with a really loud electronic horn...

I just got one and had the EXACT same experience. I couldn't fill it with a frame mounted hand pump. I'm hoping I have better luck with a floor pump.

I also noticed that it is not repairable. That is unfortunate.

Still, I am looking forward to having some audible alarm for safety among motor cars. Until now, I have been whistling. That works so-so, but in winter when my lips are cold, I can't always whistle.

After a couple of months the cheap-@$$ seals wear out, then it won't hold enuf air to make a f@rt noise. Another $30 toy for bikes. Get a bell.

WELL.......i see that the tube is glued pretty damn tightly through the bottle cap, and then mine has another rubbber thing that goes over the cap. Theres no way that this thing shouldent work, all that happens is the button presses down on the schrader valve, then the button seals over the rubber piece and then the air goes through the horn!! It just takes awhile to pump up with a shock pump!!

Originally posted by D*Alex
Get a bell.
Yes. Just make sure it's 120 decibels.

:crash:

120 deci-bells .......:p