Whistle or horn?

[andyfromotley]

And they certainly don't like AirZounds - just ask D4N OK, the nobber!

Wot u say B***ch

 

[Zippy]

Considering any situation which would warrant the use of an air horn, you would probably need the brake levers covered and possibly gearing down in case of a sudden stop or swerve so I'm not sure what I would have left to press an air horn button!

Whereas a whistle can be closer to hand - although you do have to stick it in your mouth for it to work.

Swings an roundabouts. I could try an "Oi!" as I enter the tunnel.

Hows about a high decibel recording of a car crash?

 

[thomas]

Considering any situation which would warrant the use of an air horn, you would probably need the brake levers covered and possibly gearing down in case of a sudden stop or swerve so I'm not sure what I would have left to press an air horn button!

If you're paying attention there are times when you can anticipate peoples moves and if they're going to do something stupid, a blast of the airzound can stops them from doing it.

Other times they are a good way of making people aware they did something wrong...even during an incident they can work well at stopping it part way.

But, obviously, stopping can be the safest thing to do. It just depends on the situation and you gut reaction.

 

[jimboalee]

The legal requirement for sale of a new bike is a bell.

They can be removed and replaced with other Audible Warning systems, or removed and replaced with nothing at all ( all my bikes ).

Blowing a whistle in a public area after 23:00 ( I think ) can be "Disturbing the peace", and I think 80 dB is the threshold.

Confirmation required.

 

[139NI]

Considering any situation which would warrant the use of an air horn, you would probably need the brake levers covered and possibly gearing down in case of a sudden stop or swerve so I'm not sure what I would have left to press an air horn button!

Whereas a whistle can be closer to hand - although you do have to stick it in your mouth for it to work.

Swings an roundabouts. I could try an "Oi!" as I enter the tunnel.

Hows about a high decibel recording of a car crash?

Hi Zippy.

Personally i would use any method with the greatest potency for alerting others of my presence. If one manufactured a device whereby on pressing a button would release a recording of a 'bloodcurdling scream from a female voice' as loud as an AIRZOUND - would that not make anyone prick their ears up?

i have not heard of any law which prohibits the use of a whistle - as far as i would be concerned, its just a method of warning others of your presence.

if there was a law then i dont know about it and nor would most police officers - i think we got some proper crime mattes to deal with frankly...

if i was give advice on this.... continue using a whistle, airzound or whatever you want as long as you could reasonable justify its use - which would be to ensure your safety upon entering the said tunnel. to contrast, if you were to ride on a road to within say 2ft of a pedestrian crossing the road with their back turned and then for you to give them a full 3 secs from your AIRZOUND -that would not be.


w

 

[Bman]

I’m assuming the whistle being used here is a tin/sports whistle? Something you have to put in your mouth for it to work?

Surely it would be easier, quicker and safer to use an Airzound while covering the brakes, than it would to put a whistle in your mouth!?

Unless you ride around with it in you mouth permanently?

LOL I can just imagine the sound! A cyclist riding along with a whistle on each exhale!

 

[Arch]

LOL I can just imagine the sound! A cyclist riding along with a whistle on each exhale!

Replace 'whistle' with 'wheeze' and you've got me going uphill...

I'll stick to my bell where appropriate (IE a polite warning on shared paths) and a shout when something else is required... No buttons to press, and no chance of accidentally inhaling a whistle kept at readiness...

Mind you, on my winter hack, the bottle dynamo makes so much noise people look round. I call it resistance training...

 

[gaz]

LOL I can just imagine the sound! A cyclist riding along with a whistle on each exhale!

i've seen a few curriers who use a whistle to warn people. they just breath through there nose.

 

[Zippy]

Gaz - is that noise or nose? One is noisy the other is just plain messy!

 

[gaz]

Gaz - is that noise or nose? One is noisy the other is just plain messy!

haha i have corrected it. my mind tells my fingers to press one key but my fingers do something else

 

[Zippy]

OK - I just had a whistle or horn moment this morning that answered my question. entering a midi roundabout - small enough not to be a major, but large enough to warrant a hand signal right to enter then left to exit - and this driver pulled onto the roundabout in front of me.

No time to stick a whistle in my mouth, but as I was signalling left at the time I could've shoved my thumb into an air horn button as the moton clearly was aware of my presence but too dozy to take me seriously.

If I'm going to use my voice at such times I need to rewire my brain to make me shout OI! and not what I did shout

Driver was all over the place; stop for the cycle, go faster so I clear him, stop? go? Ignore and hope he doesnt hit the rear quarter; tw*t!

 

[siadwell]

Drivers don't like "Oi" either..........

I seem to recall someone on here advocating shouting "Yo!" as it's a similar exclamation, but sounds less confrontational.

Unfortunately, my brain seems hardwired to swear in such circumstances.

 

[Origamist]

I seem to recall someone on here advocating shouting "Yo!" as it's a similar exclamation, but sounds less confrontational.

Unfortunately, my brain seems hardwired to swear in such circumstances.

If you can get out two syllables, I prefer a loud "Hello".

 

[Zippy]

There's a problem with this I think. If you warn a motorist of your presence through their car windows you have to use a hard loud tone to penetrate through their car windows into their own little world.

The chances are any witness you may need will also be drawn to the incident and swear that because you had both hands tightly on the brakes at the time you were shouting (they probably hadn't noted you before the shout) that you didn't signal so it's your fault.

The advantage of an air horn is you can continue to signal while blasting (sorry - warning) the driver and witnesses see you were signalling.

I feel that being dressed in flourescent yellow with reflective strips and your cyle/body language and position says more about your intentions than a hand signal however. I always signal, though you do lose some connection with the bike at this point. I noticed this morning that raising the saddle by a mere one inch was enough to upset my steering balance quite a bit.

 

[Origamist]

I noticed this morning that raising the saddle by a mere one inch was enough to upset my steering balance quite a bit.

An inch is a huge amount to adjust the height of your saddle! I think in terms of millimeters when adjusting my saddle.