1nterceptor

"Drivers react to car horns before they even know where the sound is coming from. A driver that gets beeped at while backing out of a driveway for example, will immediately brake. These kinds of reflexive reactions are perfect to keep cyclists safe. Some motorists don't realize that their driving habits can be dangerous for cyclists. Drivers will learn to be more aware of cyclists after a Loud Bicycle horn is honked at them."

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...s-for-cyclists

genec

Not a bad idea.... but what's wrong with an AirZound? No batteries, lightweight, filled with bike pump, and loud.

Leisesturm

You know... just saying... cars have horns that sound like car horns and that doesn't always keep them safe from being hit by other cars. The statistics on car/car collisions is pretty jaw dropping. They are asking for some pretty steep coin for a device that at best offers novelty and at worst will reinforce bad defensive riding habits and lead to ... ... I think I'll pass.

Leisesturm

I imagine its because an AirZound doesn't sound exactly like a Honda Civic Wagon. The thinking is that drivers are only motivated to stop their (backward) progress when threatened by another vehicle as big as they are. Personally, I think that if the driver hears a sound, any sound, that is urgent sounding enough, they will react. I also think that that reaction will be, must be, too late. You blow your horn to say "hey you stupid ****, look what you alsmost did!!!". Even if upon hearing your excited peal of the horn the driver stops dead in his tracks, you already took care of it. But somebody has invented a bike horn and they are going to try and sell them. I've got no ability to justify spending as much as I spent on my commute bike on a horn that I'll use once in the next year and not even in anger at that, probably because I spotted someone I know in the Winco parking lot.

H

BassNotBass

I know of too many commuters who have problems with the horn's fragility and problems of it working in cold weather. But I definitely think it's a step in the right direction. The whole idea of not having to rely on a battery is what has kept me from picking up a car horn from the junkyard and buying a small lithium or SLA battery and rigging them up myself.

genec

No it doesn't sound like a Honda Civic wagon... but AirZounds are loud and they do get the attention of motorists... I have stopped a few drivers with the honk from my AirZounds no problem. (kinda funny watching a driver look around for "what honked" and just seeing a bike).

Air Zounds are not all that expensive and are quite light.

But bottom line... what ever trips your trigger.

fietsbob 

I'd want one that sounds like Godzilla in Heat ... !

Doohickie 

This is actually the one bike-related kickstarter that's a good idea.

newkie

Yeah, they aren't that durable. I'm on my second one. The hose on my first one became brittle and broke right at where it attached to the bottle cap. Was pretty disappointed as I only got a year out of it.

newkie

Just looked at the kickstarter page and video. Tempting if I lived in a big city and had daily (or even weekly) cause to sound my horn. My town is just too small to justify over $100. Would be great to see this miniturized and mass produced such that the price was closer to $50 which regular cyclists might stretch for.

While using actual horns sure is authentic couldn't the sounds just be put on a chip and blared thru a loud speaker? This could allow the sound to be customized as well (record your own, or an mp3). Maybe the energy drain for an amplifier to drive a speaker is much higher than driving a horn. It is impressive that they could get over a month out of one charge on the batteries.

starkmojo

My air zounds is around five years old still honking...

muu

Might as well use an airzound if you're going to use as much space as this rhino. I did throw $40 at this though:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...art-horn-smorn

A backup light/horn that can fit on my roadbike would be a huge plus.

genec

I noticed that weak area and basically supported that bit of hose until it gets to the frame. AirZounds would do right by reinforcing that area.

Stix Zadinia

I use loud motorcycle horns with batteries, work perfectly. Car horns I think would be rather confusing for cars (like they don't realize it is the bicycle honking at them), and overly scary for peds.

xtrajack

I used to have an Airzound. The deal breaker for me is/was cold weather performance, or rather, lack of it.
I would want it to work at all temps.

CliftonGK1

My Airzound works fine for me even after a couple years. I modded the trigger and mounted it off my front rack, and remote control it with a crosstop lever from the bars.

If it ever stops grabbing people's attention, I'm going to get a small SLA 12V to throw into my Carradice bag and wire up one of those Wolo triple-tone train horns.

BassNotBass

Who cares what they think is honking just as long as they wake up? I'd fit one of these if it was practical:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=when3v7NVFk&t=5

lungimsam

I think the horn sounds good. But I would want to know if someone sat in a car with the windows up and radio on and tried to see if they could hear it.
I had a Dimension electronic horn. Windows up - hearable.
Radio on - couldn't hear a thing. And they said it was measured at 120dB.

Here We Go

I want to pay $100 so I can road rage just like a car!

CliftonGK1

Who said anything about road raging?
The appropriate use of a signaling device isn't rage. A polite "on yer left" when passing a fellow rider on the street or MUP, maybe a bell if you have one. A loud and sharp HRRRNT! on the airhorn when someone is pulling out of a driveway or side street directly into your path. Nothing rage-y about either of those.

zeppinger

My Airzound doesn't work at all below 32 F and around 40 F loses significant volume and capacity. Also, I used to have a tough commute cycling the streets of Seoul, South Korea and would use an entire bottle of Airzound in a single day, making pumping the thing up a daily chore that I didn't look forward to. This product seems to solve both of those complaints. However, it also likely introduces new ones such as the risk of theft of a 90$ item and the worry of using an electric item in the rain, etc. Ill wait to "invest" until I can read user reviews.

David Bierbaum

Rather than sounding like a car horn, I'd want a horn that sounds like the horn of an 18-wheeler that's barreling down upon one.

In this modern age, I'd think horns that play whatever sound you want (call them "horntones" maybe?) would be the predominant horn type available now.

TRANS4M

Figured I'd share this with you guys...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...art-horn-smorn

I'm not related to this product in any form. Just thought it was a good idea. I might help "back" it myself.

EBikeFL 

The Hornit solves all these issues: http://www.thehornit.com

I've used it in every weather condition except snow and it's 140 decibels. It has a quick disconnect which allows you to take the horn with you or lock it up when you're away from your bike. No air to pump in and uses very little handlebar space.