AlmostTrick

I ride the roads to work early in the morning when it is still dark out. I often see deer and sometimes worry about crashing into one…that would make for a bad day for both of us!

Being a concerned, safety conscious cyclist, I decided to get some “deer warning whistles” to help avoid a catastrophe.


https://www.deerbusters.com/memorial...FQSAaQodRtAO0A


The manufacture says they need about 30 mph speed to work, but that’s ok. I have a few hills where I hit that speed and then some, and I’d rather not have to slow down. (Or worse, hit a deer!) Besides, even at slightly slower speeds I'd imagine they’d still have to work somewhat… maybe just on smaller animals or ones nearby?


My question is where to place them. First I thought helmet. The drawback here is sometimes I don’t bother with one, and I’d still want the deer repellent protection. Maybe the top of my front fender would work well? Or the top of my handlebars next to my headlight? I thought one on each end of the front axle would look cool, but being so low to the ground might detract from the distance the protective sound could travel?

I know the road forum has the fastest riders, where I figure a safety whistle like this would be most applicable. That’s why I’m asking here. Thanks!

RPK79

Just get a bell.

Ding! Ding!

Dan333SP

Just ride at 30+ mph for your entire ride. I don't see the issue here? Maybe invest in some aerobars.

cydewaze

Place them anywhere. They most likely won't work anyway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_horn

rmfnla

Best way to not see any deer is to buy a hunting license...

FBinNY 

These types of whistles need enough air speed to create the necessary harmonics. Below those speeds they don' make any sound at all. It's kind of like blowing into a bottle, or just whistling.

As for where to mount, anyplace convenient where they get the full frontal exposure. Height won't affect sound dispersal in any meaningful way.

As yo whether you'll gain any benefit by using them, who knows, but they can't hurt.

KLiNCK

^+1 with above. You'd get better results with a good bell. But then again deer, like squirrels are very unpredictable.

JohnDThompson 

That doesn't make sense. You're worried about getting hurt by colliding with a deer, yet you don't always wear a helmet? Medical science can fix many things, but not when that grey matter gets smeared on the pavement.

shafter

DUDE!!

I just had a thought-Put them on your SPOKES! Closeto the rim. That way they are always facing wind and going really fast.

FBinNY 

That could be interesting. The wheel ground/air speed at the tire varies from near zero at the bottom to nearly double the bike speed at the top. So the effect would be a pulsing whistle, which may be more effective, and even if not, should assure at least some effect at speeds above 15mph.

rmfnla

Dan333SP

BF just did science. I'm impressed.

JohnJ80

Deer/car collisions are epidemic up here in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Those stupid whistles used to be a thing 20 years ago until everyone figured out they don't work. No one uses them up here.

Get a bell and pay attention.

J.

02Giant 

They do not work.

bobwysiwyg

+1!

Seattle Forrest

I was going to say I've never heard of anyone using one of those whistles in the Methow.

AlmostTrick

Hmmm, I'm not sure about the bell idea. That would mean having to actively ring it... and hear it. The benefit of the magic deer whistle is that it's passive... works all the time! Well, at speed anyway, which is when it is most needed. At low speeds I figure it's easy enough to avoid a crash with a deer, or at least survive it with little injury. But I like to ride fast, even at night.

And I believe only the target animals can hear the whistle, so no annoying ding ding ding for the rider.

I believe shafter may really be on to something here! The wheel idea is quite intriguing, and several sets could be used to increase the protection level. Does anyone know if aero wheels would be needed for this to work best? I hope not, they look pretty expensive.

FBinNY 

You shouldn't need special wheels for the whistle to work if mounted out near the rim. If you mount 2 opposite each other the pulsing effect will be twice as fast.

Of course, there's no assurance the deer will know or care what the whistle is supposed to mean.

OTOH - this may be a cheap and effective solution

JohnJ80

Yeah, even the bell is questionable. I see deer on *every* ride I take. Yet in the decades I've been riding, I only got close to hitting one for the first time last year. It was running unseen next to me in the woods and veered out in front of me. However, a deer running at close to 20mph is not silent and it was easy to hear it. I slowed down, it ran out in front of me, and there was no problem.

I think part of the problem with deer and cars is that they get flustered when they are blinded by headlights and just run - often right into the path of the car. I also think that happens during the day when they come up on a road side and when a car suddenly is there, they get flustered. Deer are "flight" animals the are not "fight" predators so their first instinct is to go to high speed running often without consideration of what's in front of them. That's when the get tangled up in fences, hit by cars etc... Here in Minnesota, they are our most deadly animal to humans. The roads are littered with dead deer carcasses especially in the fall (like now) and spring.

So the whole whistle thing is a waste of time and money. So probably is the bell. The best method is situational awareness as a driver and as a cyclist and you should have no problem.

J.

JohnDThompson 

Yeah. This is rut season and the bucks have little else on their tiny minds other than finding a doe to hump.

Velo Dog

Never used them, but I've read two or three tests that indicate they don't have any effect at all on deer. We're overrun with deer here, and they pretty much ignore even car horns.

AlmostTrick

A bit of research seems to show that like many here have said, the whistles don't work. At least not on deer... They worked well enough for BF thread fodder!

The best study review and write up that I found was on a motorcycle forum:

Deer Whistles: Do They Really Work? An In Depth Report By Fred Rau | Victory Motorcycles: Motorcycle Forums

ThermionicScott 

Mount it next to your elephant whistle.

SlowSpinner

Just don't put it on backwards and call the deer.

PhotoJoe 

Dino hub and one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Hornet-Electr.../dp/B00HFCJRVE

That way the whistle that doesn't work will not work at any speed.