snow_echo_NY

-whistle? (EDIT: whistle and siren are not legal to use in NYS or NJ)
-bell?
-horn?
-is there anything else?

i've used a bell since 2011 but that didn't prevent an oncoming cyclist from looking at the vista instead of the road then running right into me sending me flying last year.

i am getting the kickstarter fly12 (light/camera/alarm). i'm contemplating getting a GPS. i just want to protect myself on the road.

when i'm winded, i'm tired of continually shouting out to people to get their attention. i need something louder that i can dispense even when winded.

a nurse in the ER after my accident last year says he uses a whistle when he cycles to alert pedestrians meandering into the bike paths - i suppose thats loud enough for other cyclists and motorists.

what works for everyone? why do you use it? thanks for your feedback...

BobbyG

Bell for pedestrians and bikes, Airzound Airhorn if they don't respond. Airzound for mototists.

CrankyOne

Bell. Works about 99% of the time. I've got a loud voice for the other 1%.

ItsJustMe

I've honestly never had to alert a pedestrian or cyclist of anything. I can go months without even seeing another cyclist, even in the summer. Cars, well, airzound, but I only ever have use of it maybe 4 times a year, and about half the time I'm just basically yelling at them for having run me into the median (oncoming cars passing in my lane, for instance) so it doesn't actually do any good. Sometimes someone's about to pull out of a parking spot though and the airzound has always stopped them.

cobrabyte

10 Wheels

Most peds seem to use ear buds.

I use a Marine Air Horn. Also works on Dogs about to bite.

snow_echo_NY

i have a loud enough voice, but not always for the surroundings. the city can get extremely loud with cars, pedestrians talking and/or oblivous and pedestrians on bikes who look around instead of looking at the road/path (some of the cyclists here). which makes commuting a nightmare at times. i once led a train of 15 bikes across a bridge shouting "heads up! coming thru!" and other things b/c there were so many oblivious pedestrians. the bike commuters following behind me thanked me at the end for my resilience to keep doing it and the patience. was definitely out of breath b/c the constant shouting takes your attention from the road/path which i don't like.

that's a great placement for the air horn, thanks for the photo 10 wheels

SpeshulEd 

I just ride around people, I stopped announcing myself as it usually just resulted with the person turning into me.

the sci guy 

"on your left"

or

"left side"

or if those fail

"that means get to the right i'm passing you"

snow_echo_NY

thanks i do all those things

i ride around and behind pedestrians a lot, giving pretty much everyone else right of way and staying far away from them as possible. on a crowded path, it's not always feasible b/c everyone is wedging themselves into a tiny space.

the calling out thing i do as well, on your left or right - but when i have to do it constantly (like 10 minutes straight the length of the bridge, plus the uphill/downhill aspect and controlling my speed), it's tiring and distracting. two things i don't want on a commute. i want to be alert and vigilant at all times.

i figured if the lady was looking at the vista instead of me she wouldn't notice me, i was wrong. she certainly couldn't hear me or my bell. the winds and the pedestrians were far louder than my bell. as we passed, she was startled and drove her bike into me. if i had something in which i was definitely heard she would have paid attention to the road/path.

tougher

By breaking (metal disc pads)

noglider 

I am going to try out Grant Petersen's trick in his book Just Ride. I bought a bunch of jingle bells, and I'm going to sew a bunch onto a strap. I'll loop the strap over the handlebars. They will ring passively as I ride along, and when I want to ring them actively, I'll shake the strap. We'll see how that goes.

no motor?

Lights.

Darth Lefty 

I have a bell but tend to forget it's there. By the time I remember it is and reach for the trigger, the moment has passed. I'm the same way with a motorcycle horn. Some of this is due to the fact that you steer a bicycle or motorcycle with your fingers and toes while you control a car with your arms and legs. Whoever invented the car horn and then made the button ten inches wide across the middle of the steering wheel was either a genius or history's greatest monster.

FBinNY 

My primary method is voice, which I can modulate from conversational to a yodel or hog call style according to the situation. It's never failed me yet. In heavy, low speed traffic, I'll use the occasional tap on a car or truck body when I think it's needed.

For things like not getting right hooked I'm not comfortable until the driver is alerted enough to turn his head and make eye contact. The tap method works for that.

joeyduck

+1 to this.

Bells work a majority of the time and they are associated with bicycles.

Bandera

A polite friendly "Ding" followed by more urgent and precise imprecations.

-Bandera

RoadTire 

Yah. Right. You are going to sound like Rudolf leading Santa's sleigh. Come to think of it, I have a short string that I ran through the woods just before dawn every Christmas Eve util my kids admitted to figuring out it was Dad, not Santa, Ho-Ho-Ho-ing.

I wonder ... that might be kinda cool on a bike, at 1 am, on the MUP. Ching-ching-ching...

RoadTire 

I ring my bell a ways behind cyclists and peds. If that doesn't work I scream like a little girl when the move out in front of me.

wolfchild

I think that shouting and yelling cycling specific jargon at pedestrians is rude. I use a bell and it works for most situations, unless somebody is deaf or has ear buds with volume cranked up to the max.
As for drivers I prefer to make eye contact, I hate cars with very dark tinted windows, I can't see who is hiding behind it and I can't tell if they even see me.

CrankyOne

Seems to often get translated from ear to brain in to "move to your left" or perhaps "go to the spot on your left". I've also been told that I seem unable to say it in anything but a rather unpleasant anger tone which doesn't come through with my bell.

CrankyOne

Good point. I think that association is important and conveys that they're getting ready to be passed by a bicycle which is larger and possibly faster than a runner or jogger so people aren't as alarmed. More pleasant sound too.

FBinNY 

I've run into this so often that I gave up on "on your left" for pedestrians entirely, and rarely use it for bikes. I've found that "bicycle passing" or "bicycle back" let's them know I'm there, then I wait until they make a move, and adjust accordingly. Saves me lot's of zigged when I should have zagged surprises.

erig007

option 1: throw some bananas
option 2: don't bother and ride through

Joe Minton

Bell first; loud voice second; really loud voice third.
The bell usually works.
Loud "Hey!" comes next.
Once in a while I need to shout "STOP!!".
I can be pretty loud and, for some reason, I've found the the word stop works rather well.

Joe

BTW: I've found that a "Good morning." or "How are you today?" gets the best and most generous response if there's time for such niceties.