i have a airzound, loud as $hit, great buy, easy to fill.

Okay, now that I actually have done the commute more than 3 times...

Here's the bad intersection. As you can see, the oncoming traffic is literally coming from 3 different directions. I try to time it and push off a split second before the light changes to green (my side), so I'm well on my way across before the cars turning left get to me. I then stop at the corner where the red star is, because trying to turn left onto the frontage road from there is nearly impossible. I wait for the traffic to clear and hustle once the light changes again, because there's more traffic behind me from the westbound left turn lane.



Here's the route I've been using to get to the W&OD from my office. Another tough part is trying to get across Old Courthouse. Woodford Rd. is narrow right where it intersects with Wolftrap, but the distance is short and traffic is light enough that people are generally respectful.

https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...n/938998376015

The whistle is what I use. I attach it with a strap around my neck. If I arrive at an intersection, I place the whistle in my mounth and its ready for action. That way I can still keep both hands on the bars and still blow the whistle while its still held in place by my teeth.

There are different kinds of whistles. The coach's whistle is exactly that. But I prefer the English Bobby's whistle.

By the way, the Bobby's whistle works well on Multi Use Paths too. To me, this is the simplest thing to carry around and priced just right.

That's an interesting one - don't have any good suggestions for a better route..

I assume that your commute takes you in the direction of Falls Church once you get on the WO&D...

Yup - I live in Arlington, work in Tysons. It's a mostly uphill ride to work, but my legs thank me at the end of the day.

Although today's ride was a bit of a disappointment... I wanted to use the air compressor off the W&OD in Falls Church to fill my rear tire (I can't seem to max it out with my pump), but someone must have pulled the valve off the end of the hose... so it's worthless. With the heavier load on the rack, I could really use some extra air in that tire.

Here's how I mount the Air Zound to be at my finger tips at all time - https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/...65a3b672_b.jpg Yes it works. This thing can clear the Brooklyn bridge when needed

I've tried an air horn. That Airzound in fact. It's really fun. It really upsets car drivers to the point of them wanting to physically assault you with their cars. There again, they get upset by a little bell too, but most of the time, can't hear them.

If you're going to use one of them horns, don't think of it as grabbing the drivers attention, but as a way of giving them the finger, and treat their reaction in much the same manner.

That's apretty hiddeous intersection! LittleBigMan is onto something, I think: try running with headlights to increase your visibility.

I'm on the fence about horns, bells and such for road riding. I worry that it's just another thing cluttering my bars and distracting ME from being vigilant/taking my hands of the bars. Same thing with a whistle (which I use when kayaking)......do you know how long it takes to reach down and pull the thing up to your mouth while keeping a hand on the bars?!?

That"s why the whistle works very well.