I was on my way to see my daughter at college. I was passing though an intersection when someone who didn't really see me started to turn left across my path...actually, they started to turn left right into me.

I let loose on ol' Tweety. They stopped.

Cyclists really need a proper sound device, much more than motorists (who usually see each other and use it to aggravate each other.)

(Of course, Tweety is illegal, but a traffic ticket is just insurance.)

Do you ride with Tweety in your mouth?

Do you ride with Tweety in your mouth?
Thousands of miles. But I have to have a rubber or plastic mouthpiece...I've even wrapped rubber bands around my wife's metal whistle in a pinch. You just can't have metal against your teeth like that.

I never notice it's there. Doesn't even interfere with my breathing. (Feel naked without it.)

(Oooooh, like a scene from Dune, like one of those spice-users with tubes running out of their heads!)

:)

I don't want to deny you your Tweety, but I've found that a short, forceful HEY! works pretty well. I have gotten the attention of drivers with rolled up windows this way. Plus it's lightweight and easy to carry. And . . . legal, as far as I know.

That's strange law that doesn't allow you to have a whistle in Georgia.

Better to be ticketed by one than carried by six.

Rather than HEY! or a whistle, I tend to go with BIKE! or, sometimes, BAM! Everyone, no matter their native language, speaks BAM! when it's shouted close by.

I have a big chinese bell- that usually does the trick

You could use an air horn (http://preparedness.com/ecspresihowi.html)

I used to use an airhorn in Manchester in the Uk and that REALLY got people´s attention. They are illegal in most places though and I certainly wouldnt get away with it here in Munich. Even my chinese bell is almost illegal here and I had to buy it on ebay as the bike shops won´t stock them.

Thousands of miles. But I have to have a rubber or plastic mouthpiece...I've even wrapped rubber bands around my wife's metal whistle in a pinch. You just can't have metal against your teeth like that.

I never notice it's there. Doesn't even interfere with my breathing. (Feel naked without it.)

(Oooooh, like a scene from Dune, like one of those spice-users with tubes running out of their heads!)

:)

That was my concern about riding with my mouth open and breathing in all that exhaust. I might try this and see how it works. It looks uncomfortable but I could be wrong.

Rather than HEY! or a whistle, I tend to go with BIKE! or, sometimes, BAM! Everyone, no matter their native language, speaks BAM! when it's shouted close by.

Or do they think Emeril is about to cook something for them? :)

Yeah, but with that whistle in my mouth, I won't be able to talk s**t to all the chumps and suckas.

You could use an air horn (http://preparedness.com/ecspresihowi.html)

my thought exactly! im going to get one, my dad has one, it is so loud it dwarfs a cars horn. I dont see why they should be illegal thou, yes htye are very loud but thats the whole point of it, some people seem to think a normal bell will work in traffic but drivers would not hear it. A cars horn works diffrently to this one but be definition it is still an air horn, why not make car horns illgal then?

Wish I had a whistle the other night.
I am riding downtown at about 6:30 (after the Indians lost their home opener) and as I approach a large intersection I see some guy walking his kid across the street.
They are in the crosswalk but they have a red light and a "dont walk" signal ( I have the green).
I start shouting and ringing the pathetic bell on my bike but they just keep walking into my lane.
When I am about 10 feet away the dad finally turns his head, sees me and takes a step back....leaving his kid lined up for a knee to the nose.

Jaywalkers

Enjoy

my thought exactly! im going to get one, my dad has one, it is so loud it dwarfs a cars horn. I dont see why they should be illegal thou, yes htye are very loud but thats the whole point of it, some people seem to think a normal bell will work in traffic but drivers would not hear it. A cars horn works diffrently to this one but be definition it is still an air horn, why not make car horns illgal then?

My air horn has a volume control on it.

Enjoy

Ya, I tried the HEY!! but it sort of gets drowned out by other sounds, especially trucks and school buses. Yelling can hurt my throat, sometimes.

:D

I tawt I taw a puddy tat. I can't believe that a whistle is against the law, how stupid id that law, it's not like it is a handgun, or a rocket launcher, it is a whistle.

i haven't mastered this technique yet, but...

i know a few cyclists who can do the police semi-siren noise (the "whuh-oop," like when they're gonna pull you over) perfectly. the other day i was riding with a group (i was in front) and i heard the sound and i literally pulled over because i thought it was a cop. then i realized it was just jimmy. haha.

i'm trying to get the skill down because it's really effective and for some reason i don't feel weird belting it out loudly (i dunno why but i can't bring myself to scream "HEY!").

I don't just go around shouting "HEY!". But when I'm inches from being hit, it just kinda comes out. And I have kind of a loud voice anyway.

This is all you need. I have it hooked up to a push button switch near my thumb and a small 9 volt battery.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F002%5F003%5F000&product%5Fid=273%2D057

I got my 12v xenon strobe from Radio Shucks for about $8. Best "blinkie" I ever had. I use it in broad daylight.

If you have a homebuilt 12v lighting system, you can add a car horn. But it puts a big draw on your battery, so you can't go crazy with it. :D I had one, but took it off because of the weight. I might try one of those piezo buzzers, if it'll penetrate car windows.

Still, I've never found anything so cheap, simple and effective as my whistle. Always works, never wears out (unless I bite through the rubber part.)

I find yelling "Yo" real loud hurts my throat less than "Hey". Plus it sounds a lot more ghetto, which gets people's attentions (beneficial only in certain neighborhoods).
I push hard enough to be breathing through my mouth and nose all the time so having a whistle on isn't advisable.
I'd learn to do the police sound but the only problem is, while the end result is very impressive, the practice is often very embarassing. :p

" I might try one of those piezo buzzers, if it'll penetrate car windows."

Trust me, they hear it. LOL

When you yell at them the people in the cars can hear you, unless the stereo is very loud.. They just pretend not too. Try yelling "Free Beer".

When you yell at them the people in the cars can hear you, unless the stereo is very loud.. They just pretend not too. Try yelling "Free Beer".

"free beer" would get my attention

Hmm.. nightsun has a 115db horn that runs off a 9V battery.
http://www.night-sun.com/images/siren.gif

The sound seems similar to that of a smoke detector.

I'd like to get a big air horn like they use on prime movers. Make people think a truck's about to hit them.

https://www.egovehicles.com/store/images%5Csm534969725.GIF

I been using air horn for a year now. It did safe my life once when a pickup truck backing fast in to my path. With a blast from air horn he stopped.

https://www.egovehicles.com/store/images%5Csm534969725.GIF

I been using air horn for a year now. It did safe my life once when a pickup truck backing fast in to my path. With a blast from air horn he stopped.

I found with that horn that sometimes pedestrians don't think a bike is nearby, they think it's a nearby car or truck. This is not always a bad thing, :D but sometimes they still don't see the bike.

I found with that horn that sometimes pedestrians don't think a bike is nearby, they think it's a nearby car or truck. This is not always a bad thing, :D but sometimes they still don't see the bike.

As long as they crap themselves getting out of our way, it's all good.

As long as they crap themselves getting out of our way, it's all good.

Agreed, :D BTW I also used a small boat horn with a canister attached. The Air Zound is louder.

I wear a Fox40 Classic on a lanyard around the neck while on the bike, when on duty and off. It has worked well to get the attention of cagers when I pull them over. :)

Mount one of these bad boys on your bars... 152 Decibels-150 HZ boo yah! Is that a diesel locomotive? No its just a silly cyclist.

http://www.wolo-mfg.com/837.jpg

Where I grew up there's the HUI!!! No, not a group or association, it's a sort of vocal call, like the old time Australian "Coo-eee" but 3X contracted and 3X as loud. Dunno what people on the mainland will think of it, but it's sure to get attention, and sure to be what I'll emit if needed.

Mount one of these bad boys on your bars... 152 Decibels-150 HZ boo yah! Is that a diesel locomotive? No its just a silly cyclist.

http://www.wolo-mfg.com/837.jpg


You could kill someone with that thing! What is it?

It's obviously a small air horn and a pair of .50 calibre muskets.

I find yelling "Yo" real loud hurts my throat less than "Hey".
"Yo" is a pretty common exclamation in the metro NYC area in general, but not too common anywhere else that I can think of. I use "yo" involuntarily when I get in dicey situations on my bike, it's both louder and quicker to verbalize than "Hey" or anything else I can think of...

I believe whistles are illegal in Oregon, too. I carry one in my bag, but generally don't keep it in my mouth while riding. I believe they are illegal because you might be mistaken for a cop (although I really don't know any cops that still use whistles...). I also remember tire-driven bicycle sirens from when I was a kid in NY, they were plenty loud but are also illegal these days.

Best whistles - Acme Thunderer (metal) and Tornado (plastic) - these do the job right! The Tornado is so loud it comes with a warning to wear earplugs for prolonged exposure. Made in England. The best prices I have found on the web are at Tanners:

http://www.tannersstorefront.com/secure/books.asp?s_ItemDescription=&s_ItemPartNo=acm

Boaters World or West Marine sell a mini air powered boat horn..........sounds like the REAL BIG one, has a velcro strap I fasten to bars next to my hand, easily and readily accessible, makes drivers think a REALLY big boat or 40 ton truk is on their butt.LOUD too.
FTL is the rude and danger capital of the world me thinks, any protection is warranted IMO, H--l, I've seen cop cars cut peds off at crossings

Yeah, West Marine is our friend........ :-D

Boaters World or West Marine sell a mini air powered boat horn..........sounds like the REAL BIG one, has a velcro strap I fasten to bars next to my hand, easily and readily accessible, makes drivers think a REALLY big boat or 40 ton truk is on their butt.LOUD too.
FTL is the rude and danger capital of the world me thinks, any protection is warranted IMO, H--l, I've seen cop cars cut peds off at crossings

After a few years of experience with the mini and full size boat horns, I have some comments.

When it is cold they do not work well, there is not enough pressure in the can. If the horn is facing into the wind and you are going fast or it is windy, sometimes they do not work at all. The wind goes backwards into the trumpet and slows down the escaping gas. If it's cold and windy......... :(
They are unreliable and may not work when you really need one. Plus it takes a second to get the horn depressed correctly when not held on solidly.


In all conditions the bicycle air horn ( the one posted by ruchai ) that you fill with a pump or a compressor , the "Air Zound" is louder.

NJ law does not allow for "whistles" either. Probably because they used to be used by traffic cops to direct traffic (Traffic cops don't do that any more, so I guess the law has not been updated). Until they do, get a can of noise if you want to really make an impression. It's loud and legal.

It's obviously a small air horn and a pair of .50 calibre muskets.

So is that ......

1) Fire both barrels as a warning shot to the head.

2) beep the horn

?????? :D

or do you save one barrel as a reserve in case you need another shot?

I'm all for honking first, then firing a shot. It's only fair.

2ManyBIkes

I live in SoFla no worries about cold nor damp, mine works in the water as well.we sail in a VERY small boat for fun and usually get dumped once each outing, I keep the small one velcroed to my arm and sound it when I'm in the water, and it works without fail.
I keep a larger on along side of me when driving, use it when warranted

2ManyBIkes

I live in SoFla no worries about cold nor damp, mine works in the water as well.we sail in a VERY small boat for fun and usually get dumped once each outing, I keep the small one velcroed to my arm and sound it when I'm in the water, and it works without fail.
I keep a larger on along side of me when driving, use it when warranted

I need to move to Fla. :)

I was on my way to see my daughter at college. I was passing though an intersection when someone who didn't really see me started to turn left across my path...actually, they started to turn left right into me.

I let loose on ol' Tweety. They stopped.

Cyclists really need a proper sound device, much more than motorists (who usually see each other and use it to aggravate each other.)

(Of course, Tweety is illegal, but a traffic ticket is just insurance.)


Thank God you were not in Washington DC when you tooted that whistle. You could have been fined.

Thank God you were not in Washington DC when you tooted that whistle. You could have been fined.
I'd pay the fine and buy another $3 whistle.

My whistles have saved me more times than I can count. Some motorists just need to be alerted to my presence.

Police have never bothered me for that in the greater Atlanta area, and I travel through about 5 city and county police jurisdictions in my commute.

Thank God you were not in Washington DC when you tooted that whistle. You could have been fined.

Do cops in DC really enforce the rules that much more? I know a lot of places in NYC, the cops don't even care if you run the lights when they're around.

If the horn is facing into the wind and you are going fast or it is windy, sometimes they do not work at all. The wind goes backwards into the trumpet and slows down the escaping gas. If it's cold and windy......... :(

What if the horn's pointed DOWN. :p

What if the horn's pointed DOWN. :p

With the boat horn canister type horns you need to have the canister almost upright for the gas to be at the top of the tank and the liquid at the bottom. At least that's why I think they never work pointing down. Just like the tire inflators. Even pointed down at a about a 45 degree angle if pointing forward a good wind keeps it from working and I'm guessing the liquid may slosh around on a bump. I used one for a couple of years and tried everything I could think of. It's never really reliable. I had two or three. Plus velcroed to the stem you need to get one finger under the can to hold it still enough to press the button. There's a definite delay if you have the bars or hoods gripped and you have a panic situation.

The Air Zound will work better (not perfect) pointing down. You get a limited number of blasts. I left mine charged up over the winter, and it still had pressure the other day !! I don't use it much anymore it's on my tandem. It's better to yell.

I need to go wipe the HF acid off my fingers now. It was on that Litespeed I found in NYC. :D