nwmtnbkr

Well, I finally got around to ordering an Airzound air horn as part of my winterizing project. (I thought it was even more important to have a loud horn during the winter when drivers will have their windows up.) It came today, along with my pogies. Unfortunately, I didn't do enough research before hand to learn that air horns have a problem operating in cold weather. (I guess it has to do with the diaphragms freezing.) My horn sounded nice and loud in the heated house but started to go quiet once it was on the bike in a cold room in the garage/shop. So much for it working as a cold weather horn. Anyone else living in a cold climate have an Airzound and an alternative, inexpensive loud horn for winter riding? (Also, does anyone have a better alternative to the handlebar clip that comes in the kit? Even with the rubber shims, I can't get the thing tight.)

Now I'm patiently waiting for Amazon to resend my SKS commuter fenders. I had to return the first set because the mounting hardware was missing. The fenders looked nice though. I hope the next set is in good order with all the parts.

Plutonix

I've always thought an electronic horn would be a decent idea. Seems like to be loud it would need a lot of power and/or a large speaker or emitter. This is about all I have ever found though.

DX has several bicycle alarms that might work to serve the same purpose. Some look like you could replace the key switch with a cable to a switch on the bars. The aluminum mount would have to go too.

nwmtnbkr

I have a bike alarm, I don't think I'd want to try to mod one to use as a horn. The AirZound will work great in warm weather. I hadn't realized that there was an issue with air horns and cold weather, if I had I wouldn't have bought the Airzound since the area where I live is cold for a good part of the year. Reading the hits to my Google search on air horn malfunctions in cold weather, it looks like some large air horn systems used in commercial vehicles and on buildings have built-in heating systems to keep the diaphragms from freezing. I may pick up a small chemical hand warmer for an experiment and mount it on the area where the diaphragm is before a ride. If it keeps the Airzound working, I may see if I can find an inexpensive source to buy small hand warmers in bulk. I really like the loudness of the Airzound, when it works.

ItsJustMe

I wired up a car horn back when I had a 12V battery on the bike, but now that I've switched to an LED front light and a Dinotte rear, that's not an option for me anymore.

I haven't worried about it because even when I had a horn on the bike, I never used it. There just isn't much call for it around here.

NoRacer

Try filling the bottle with air once the bike has been sitting outside in the colder temps. Fill the bottle outside.

Also, there's a little control on the side of the air horn. Try adjusting it for max volume while at the temp you'll be operating.

nwmtnbkr

NoRacer,

Thanks, I'll try that over the weekend.

froze

I think it's more prudent in an emergency to reach for both brakes or take evasive action then to reach for some stupid horn or bell...but that's just me. So no, I obviously don't have a noise maker and haven't needed one in over 40 years of riding.

NoRacer

I had one when I first started riding. It looks like a toy, especially in the colors they dressed the thing in, it took up one of my water bottle cages, and usually, the only time I would use it was when a motor vehicle blew it's horn at me, I could blow my horn back in response. Emergency blasts didn't happen because I quickly learned that it is more prudent to keep both hands on the handlebars than to reach to the horn actuator.

And, then I became a racer and that made such items taboo on my road bike. <j/k... sort of>

nwmtnbkr

NoRacer,

Thanks, your tip worked. I filled the Airzounds outside today and it works. I don't anticipate having to use it that much, but felt it was something I should add for winter rides since everyone has their vehicle windows up. I only had one encounter this summer where I would have used a horn if I had had one. A driver was looking for something on his front seat and crossed the center line. Fortunately, he had his windows rolled down and I yelled loudly (as well as moved off the road). Froze, it's easy to mount where you don't have to move a hand very far to hit the button.

froze

Buuutttt, your still moving your hand and still trying to activate a button and not your brake. Anyway's good luck in an emergency.

nwmtnbkr

Actually, just the thumb has to move a bit to hit the button, the hand doesn't move. You may encounter a situation at some point where you have no where to move out of the way and need to get a driver's attention so they can take necessary actions to avoid an accident. I hope you reconsider getting some kind of horn so you'll have that ability, if necessary. Good luck.

froze

I've had 40+ years of "good luck" without a horn so I'm not going to start now. But thanks for replying

Dahon.Steve

I suspect you put the horn by your right hand. The left hand should only be used for the front brake which does most if not all your braking.

froze

I like to see a video of you doing that under a true unexpected and sudden emergency trying to stop with one hand on the bars activating the brake hard and trying to blow the horn...I would have a hearty laugh to see that!!

chucky

If you're using a horn in a way that overlaps with defensive/evasive riding then you're not using it properly.

You don't use the horn in an emergency stop. You use the horn when an emergency stop won't save you (for example, riding at night and it looks like the car in your mirror is going to rear end you). That's why my horn is facing backwards on my bike.

Also, you shouldn't be waiting until the situation warrants panic maneuvering to take action. Honking the horn allows you to probe the other road users before the situation escalates. For example, if you see a car in the mirror do not wait to use the horn until the car is close enough to hit you, use it to prompt them to give you more space as soon as you think they should be able to see you. THEN you use an evasive maneuver if the situation calls for it, but the idea of the horn is to allow you to cooperate with the other vehicles so, when possible, you can avoid such questionable situations altogether.

Not being able to get the attention of other vehicles is a recipe for disaster (which is why it's illegal). So what if you haven't needed it in 40 years of riding? You only need it once in a lifetime to make it worthwhile.

degnaw

That's why you should keep your front brake squeaky, and use your rear brake exclusively otherwise.

Not that I do this (it'd be really annoying when riding without both hands), but it seems like it'd be effective.

cyclist2000

If you fill the horn canister in cold temperatures and it functions now that is because the colder temp is reducing the pressure in the canister, now you have filled it when it is cold bringing into a warm room could cause the canister to be over pressurized and causing it to burst, relieve some of the pressure if bringing the unit to be stored in the house.

tspoon

[QUOTE=chucky;10033613]
You don't use the horn in an emergency stop.
QUOTE]


Exactly. Nobody sounds the horn of their motor vehicle in mid accident do they? Horns are a good way to get the attention of people in motor vehicles, a normal bicycle bell will not suffice for that. There are numerous occasions where they might be needed.

I have one on my work bike, I sound the horn when approaching a blind intersection in warehouses and other areas, similar to the way forklift drivers do in the same environment.

tarwheel 

You guys are missing the point. The best reason to have a horn is to blast at ninja joggers who run in the dark with black clothes and no lights or reflective gear.

chucky

+1000

Halloween

+1.

Last week, after just barely seeing the big oaf on in-line skates wearing all black clothes at 10PM in time to not hit/become embarrassingly tangled-up with him, all I could do was growl "Get a light !", when I really wanted to honk my car horns at him (but they're on my other bike !).

xtrajack

Mine, quit working about a month ago. It developed some sort of slowwwww leak. I tried to find it, no such luck.

SlimAgainSoon

How load are those things? What would be a good comparison?

As loud as a car horn?

xtrajack

I believe they are supposed to be rated around 115 decibels. I would say comparable to a vehicle horn

Mine was seriously loud, until it quit working. I had wanted to use it to startle deer and or moose in the road. For the most part, I worry more about deer and/or moose than I do traffic.

MilitantPotato

It's stopped ~5 vehicles and 4 peds from pulling out and hitting me in the past few months I've had it.

The most memorable moment for a car, had to of been the first time I used it.
My wife, 6 year old son, 3 year old daughter (in a trailer,) and myself where out for a ride. There was a guy in an SUV parked on the side of a the road having a conversation with someone on the sidewalk. They where starting to wrap up their convo and the guy driving started pulling forward and into the lane while still chatting with the other guy. My wife was in his blind spot, as was my son. I tapped the horn. He stopped abruptly and the guy on the otherside of the SUV said "Watch out for that car! errr, bikes!" Had he continued, he'd of likely hit my wife, son, and daughter. Other times it was used when while watching cars backing out in front of me, attempting to merge from a parking spot, and trying to do a left hook.

It stops peds cold, much more shocking than yelling at them.

As for use in an emergency, it's useless, much like a car horn. When used it's damn effective stopping someone from putting you in an emergency situation to begin with.