Air horn for bicycle

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Purple

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I hate cycling on cycle paths which are beside footpaths as pedestrians frequently wonder onto them and cause a danger to me (I don’t care if they get hurt; they are the ones being stupid). Do other cyclists use these cycle paths or do they use the road (as I do)?

I was thinking of getting an air horn for my bike so that I can freewheel up behind them and scare the bejesus out of them to encourage them not to put themselves in harm’s way again.
 
Hi Purple

Depending on my mood, I use the bell or the horn or shout to clear the path.

The airhorn can cause people to freeze as it really scares them.

It's great fun using it but one has to be careful.

Brendan
 
Purple said:
I hate cycling on cycle paths which are beside footpaths as pedestrians frequently wonder onto them and cause a danger to me (I don’t care if they get hurt; they are the ones being stupid). Do other cyclists use these cycle paths or do they use the road (as I do)?

I was thinking of getting an air horn for my bike so that I can freewheel up behind them and scare the bejesus out of them to encourage them not to put themselves in harm’s way again.
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It's obviously OK to cycle on footpaths so why the problem walking on cycle paths? :p
 
Purple said:
I don’t care if they get hurt; they are the ones being stupid
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A bit harsh,

I am an occasional cyclist, and understand your frustration, but I would care if they got hurt, even if they were being stupid.
 
I'd love one for cycling in town - which thankfully I don't do very often. I'd some very near misses with pedestrians walking out on to the road - some blatantly looking at me, not appreciating that I like cars have a stopping distance! No I was not going through a red light, a green one and yes I only cycle on the road / cycle track ....the pedestrians figured, hell I've no idea what they figured.

I'm with you, out in the suburbs where the cycle path and footpath are joined I rarely use them. For example Templeogue village is appalling - there is car parking either side of it, shops, a bus stop with the track going around it. I used it a couple of times but after some near misses with cars / car doors / pedestrians all while cycling on the cycle track I gave up and moved back to the road!

Or the last time I cycled in the Phoenix park near the zoo, you couldn't get from the cars to the footpath if you had a pushchair/pram. Clearly all the people with children were going to stick to the cycle track. To be perfectly honest - it was just really badly designed. That's not the fault of the cyclist or the pedestrian.

I also think that the city planners (or who ever 'designs' them!) feel if there's room for more than one pedestrian to walk that there's room to stick in a cycle track - then when the 'path' narrows down they stop the cycle track and then re-start it up a few metres up the road! The reality is that people often walk in pairs or more, of course they are going to take up the whole path. It would be nicer if they considered the cyclist, but the reality is unless they cycle they probably don't even realise its a cycle track. They need to be separated - simple as!
 
I don't cycle as much as I should but when I do, I cycle though a lot of areas with heavy pedestrian traffic city center and the phoenix park. But I don't have all this rage for pedestrians. Have a bell or just call out and most people just move over no hassle. Have had a couple of close shaves. But for the most part its ok.
 
mandelbrot said:
I'd wrap your bike around your head if you blew an air horn at me.
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You could certainly try ;) Do you often walk on cycle paths?

mandelbrot said:
Although, I wouldn't mind having one to blow at cyclists who think its ok to cycle on footpaths...
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I agree. Pedestrians should be allowed to push them over as they pass (unless they are children of course, that would be going too far).

AlbacoreA said:
I don't cycle as much as I should but when I do, I cycle though a lot of areas with heavy pedestrian traffic city centre and the phoenix park. But I don't have all this rage for pedestrians. Have a bell or just call out and most people just move over no hassle. Have had a couple of close shaves. But for the most part its ok.
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Leisure cycling is relaxing so it’s not that big a deal if you have to stop and start but for people trying to get to or from work etc it’s a major hassle as well as being very dangerous.
 
AlbacoreA said:
Have a bell or just call out and most people just move over no hassle. .
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Moving over isn't good enough. You want to know that they have moved off the cycle path, and they will stay off the cycle path, and they won't walk on the cycle path tomorrow.
 
Purple said:
I hate cycling on cycle paths which are beside footpaths as pedestrians frequently wonder onto them and cause a danger to me (I don’t care if they get hurt; they are the ones being stupid). Do other cyclists use these cycle paths or do they use the road (as I do)?

I was thinking of getting an air horn for my bike so that I can freewheel up behind them and scare the bejesus out of them to encourage them not to put themselves in harm’s way again.
Click to expand...

I almost exclusively use the road in those circumstances, far too dangerous to do any kind of speed on those raised paths that share the same plane as footpaths. That was acknowledged when the legislation was changed in 2009 (updated again in 2012) you are now only obliged to use a cycle lane when it is on a pedestrianised street or is a contra-flow lane.

Did you know that bells are a legal requirement on bikes, and they must be bell type devices, so air horns are out :(. Not that there's any real enforcement of any traffic laws here apart from the occasional speed trap.
 
Leo said:
I almost exclusively use the road in those circumstances, far too dangerous to do any kind of speed on those raised paths that share the same plane as footpaths. That was acknowledged when the legislation was changed in 2009 (updated again in 2012) you are now only obliged to use a cycle lane when it is on a pedestrianised street or is a contra-flow lane.
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I didn't know that (the legislation bit or your personal cycling preferences).

Leo said:
Did you know that bells are a legal requirement on bikes, and they must be bell type devices, so air horns are out :(.
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I now you have to have a bell, and I have one. Why can't it be both?

To be honest I'm not serious about the air horn, just frustrated about pedestrians being too stupid to keep out of harms way.
 
Purple said:
I now you have to have a bell, and I have one. Why can't it be both?
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Unfortunately, the legislation specifically states 'no other type of audible warning instrument shall be fitted to a pedal cycle while used in a public place.' When I was young, I wired up a piezo sounder (as used in alarm sirens) to my bike. It was quite effective, but quite often, people just turned around to see what the noise was. With a bell, I guess people are more likely to associate the sound with a bike approaching, and unless they happen to fall into the group of people who seem to think they own whatever piece of road/path/etc. they are on, they might move out of the way more quickly.

Purple said:
To be honest I'm not serious about the air horn, just frustrated about pedestrians being too stupid to keep out of harms way.
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I hear you, and I might have some good news...the legislation states what can/cannot be attached to the bicycle, there's nothing to stop you carrying one yourself, attaching it to a rucksack strap or the like. Or from attaching a pointy stick to the front of the bike to gently 'encourage' miscreants out of the way :D
 
Leo said:
I hear you, and I might have some good news...the legislation states what can/cannot be attached to the bicycle, there's nothing to stop you carrying one yourself, attaching it to a rucksack strap or the like. Or from attaching a pointy stick to the front of the bike to gently 'encourage' miscreants out of the way :D
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What about a cattle prod, like the one Mr. Burns uses in The Simpsons?

At the very least it would make me feel better. :D
It could change behaviour overnight (like my idea of making it legal to vandalise illegally parked cars ;))
 
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