alo

Most bikes come with bells. These are good if you are going slowly, and people don't need to hear you until you are quite close. However, I have a track near my place, which many walkers and cyclists use, where you can go on a slight downhill grade for a long way. Many cyclists go down that track quite fast. When going fast, you may occasionally want to warn people from a long way off. That is where a horn comes in handy. It is nice to have both a bell and a horn.

All of the following are available on ebay.

You can get lights with a built in horn. These are much louder than a bell. These are my preferred bicycle headlights. For more information about these see https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...le-lights.html



You can also get squeeze the bulb air horns. I have used these. I have found, after about 6 months, the little vibrating part in the horn breaks. You can get a cheap child's toy which makes a noise when you squeeze it, cut out the part which makes the noise, put it in the horn, and keep using it.



If you want a really loud air horn, get one of these. I have not bought one of these yet. But in the future I probably will. This will get attention. Both people hearing you from a long way off, and a conversation starter.

noglider 

If you need an extremely loud horn, you are doing something wrong, possibly going too fast and too close to people. Or waiting until it's too late.

VegasTriker

I have one of the "140 db" electronic horns on my trike. I almost never use it but it is useful for the jerk who is coming straight at you in the middle of the trail and who doesn't respond to "LOOK UP!". My local trails are not wide enough to get out of the way for someone hogging the center of the trail and oblivious to everything but the pavement below. Most of the time with walkers on the trail I just use my voice to let them know I am passing from behind. Much less obnoxious than blasting them with the horn. They readily recognize a human voice but may not recognize what the horn means.

I wouldn't buy one with all the bells and whistles such as solar recharge and built in light. The simple horn is cheap and I replace the batteries in it about once a year. If the light in the combo deal is going to be solar powered it probably can't be very bright or it would drain the battery quickly. Buy a separate light and get one that is adequate for your needs.

Digger Goreman

Been using AirZound for years. Fills by hand (or any Schrader) pump. Unless necessary, two toots from not-so-close is good on the MUP, or closer when crossings are used.

Daniel4

On trails I use the bike bell. Sometimes people are oblivious as one person said, "I thought it was a bird". And then there are joggers with their headphones who can't hear them.

So when I notice the bike bike bell is not producing any reaction, I sound the 150db Hornit. On trails sometimes you still need to sound the Hornit a few times. In busy streets, it's still useless because of the ambient traffic noise. What sounds loud in the store or your garage is nothing in city traffic.

The AirZounds gets a lot of attention. But still there are the few people who just don't register the sound and still just stand right in front of you oblivious.

I've been thinking of the LoudBicycle Horn but it's expensive.

Loud Bicycle | Car horn for bikes

It's electric and has the same frequencies as the car horn. So when people hear it, whether they are inside their cars or on the trail, it registers to them that there is a car approaching.

Iride01 

When I walk with my wife, I've only twice heard someone with a bell. Both were electronically generated. One was loud enough to hear from a distance and was the easily identifiable "tl'ing, t'ling" that I'd think we'd all identify as a bicycle bell. The other was very low frequency and not so loud. It was almost a horn sound that wasn't easily identifiable as to what it was and the direction it was in relation to me. The bike was passing before my brain told me that an approaching bicycle might be the source of that sound.

So if you are going to use one for the purpose of alerting pedestrians and others, the classic bicycle bell sound it probably the better choice IMO. Mainly because more people will recognize it for what it is.. If you just want to scare the pants off others, then I guess anything is okay. But don't gripe if I accidentally knock you off your bike as I turn from being startled and move from my line of walking to your line of cycling.

No matter what, I and other walkers, joggers and etc, do appreciate cyclist letting us know you are about to pass. It let's me know not to point at something on the other side of the trail. And I have almost clothes lined several cyclist that way.

Madhibee

I had a full electric horn but had to take of as a wee bit to loud lol

2_i 

This one is good and inexpensive. There is also a version with alarm, but the latter is not much apparently. The shipments from China are slow at this moment, though, as few planes fly. Still there might be a US vendor for these.

The original audio suggestions are not that practical. Myself I ride both with a regular bell and an electric horn and apply one or the other, depending what I want to achieve.

Daniel4

Looks interesting. I Googled "Po-ly outdoor products store Bicycle Horn Bike Bell Electric" and couldn't find anything else except on Aliexpress. Nothing about the company "Po-Ly Outdoor Products Store"

There's a few comments about a separate remote controller. Do you really need it? There is a picture with the silicone hanging button. Does it come with the horn?

2_i 

The product name is Fedog F-118. The Fedog website, fedog.cn, seems to be gone, so the only products left might be those in the pipeline. Indeed I cannot find anything on Ebay either. The horn comes with a handlebar switch which is OK, but mounts with a rubberband similar to computers, which I hate. I replaced the switch with one for Triumph motorcycles, which you pound when in peril.

Russ Roth

I like going out to the MUP and seeing if I can do a round trip in under an hour, 56 min is the best so far for 18.5 miles and there's always wind to slow things down and other users; but as much as I like to see how fast I can go I still slow down and use care around others, especially children. I also see people, many of whom go/probably are faster then me and they can be really obnoxious to other uses like everyone else is just an inconvenience who is in their way. I tend to think if you need a horn then maybe you're a part of the problem, rather then a fellow sharer of the path.

Koyote

Blowing a horn at someone is pretty obnoxious.

Better to ring a bell, or simply say in a friendly and loud voice, “on your left“ or something like that.

2_i 

Oh, yes, on a couple of occasions I saw cyclists who were being plowed in by a car, with a driver looking the other way, who were completely silent because their forefront instincts were to be polite. I both case, the bikes were destroyed. One rider ended up in ER and convalesced for some months, while the other escaped with bruises. Forefront politeness instinct can be surely deadly. I keep horns to increase my chances of surviving - maybe I have ridden for too long in the streets.

Koyote

If I saw a car coming at me, I wouldn't be fooling around with a horn.

2_i 

If I have time, I use the horn, and if not, I scream. I had to overcome a psychological hurdle, though, for the screaming to become an instinctive reaction, as for myself and most people the honed response is not to cause trouble. This is similar to the case of people dropping off a ladder and instinctively protecting the can of paint and not the spine. Sometimes my riding partner strikes a critical tone with "You screamed, but nothing happened." They were the person who ended up in ER, illustrating how far people lean towards politeness. Incidentally I do not recall similar comments when I used the horn, presumably because the situation played itself over a longer time and one could more easily tell the details.

Daniel4

Because you'd be busy politely ringing the bike bell.

GeneO 

I thought the topic was using a horn in the context of a MUP environment, not the road. Do you really want to bring obnoxious road habits to the MUP with people blowing their horns at each other?

Digger Goreman

Distracted car ops vs distracted walkers? Only diff, imo, is the amount of damage they can cause....

Koyote

I would have thought it to be obvious, but will spell it out for you: I would have both hands on the bar, trying to avoid the motor vehicle.

sweeks

Best of both worlds: a loud horn with its button within reach of a thumb.
While it's important to always leave yourself an "out", there are times when a really loud signal can alter the trajectory of an inattentive motorist. I've been using the Airzound for over 10 years, and it has been useful many times.

Horn button accessible during braking. Rear brake lever on left.

Daniel4

My bells and horns are attached so the tabs and push buttons are right under my thumb when I'm holding the handlebar with both hands. I can dodge and avoid motor vehicles AND sound my horn at the same time. Better still, look ahead and anticipate dangers.

Look at the photo Sweeks posted, just above.

Sound your horn at motor vehicles to avoid any incidences. On trails, ring your bell first. Again, if you don't get a reaction, try again and then revert to something else that's louder.

alo

I don't know what lights you or others are using. I think if you bought one of these lights, you would be surprised how bright it is, and how long the battery lasts.

Trevtassie

Squeaky kids hooter thingo for "Hey, excuse me" Air Zounds for "hey ******bag, what you are doing right now, stop, just stop doing it and pay attention"

alo

If anyone has lived in S E Asia, there is a completely different way of thinking. People just ignore road rules. Everyone just tries to get in first. Motorcycle riders will go across intersections, and not even turn their heads left or right. People will pull out from side roads and driveways, and not even look to see if any traffic is coming. Large numbers of people run red traffic lights. It is very common for people to run others off the road when overtaking.

If a local is going along, and see someone approaching an intersection, or coming out from a side road, they know they are not going to look, so they sound the horn. It is up to you to warn others, because they don't look.

When riding a bicycle in S E Asia, the same thing applies. If you don't use a horn, expect people to pull out in front of you.

As a result of this, traffic is very slow. Because people do a lot of stupid things on the road, everybody needs to drive slowly.

There are also a stupid amount of people killed in road accidents. The proportion of people killed in road accidents is much higher than in countries where people obey road rules.

People who have not lived in S E Asia, will probably have a difficult time understanding. You can get a better idea by watching Youtube videos of motorcycle accidents in S E Asia.

Ogsarg

Not sure where you are, but I can't recall ever seeing a bike that came with a bell, except maybe some cutesy kiddie bike.