The Hornster Bicycle features a bell more deafening than a 747 at liftoff and is sure to get the attention of any motorist or other passerby on the street.
Anyone who has taken their bicycle out on busy city streets knows how difficult it is to get noticed by motorists, other bicyclists, and even pedestrians. While a small little bell attached to the handlebars of a bicycle might get someone noticed on a quiet neighborhood street, the sound gets lost in the hustle and bustle of city life. Motorists believe they are king of the road and pay no heed to bicyclists, while other bicyclists as well as pedestrians are too tied up in ensuring they remain safe on city streets to notice anyone else (and most are either on the phone or have their headphones on anyway). City bicyclists who struggle to get noticed are now able to purchase the Hornster bicycle. Louder than the Concrde Jet, it is described as the ultimate way to gain the attention of motorists and a very extreme way of going about road safety.
Developed by Yannick Read, an avid bicyclist in London, the horn on this bicycle sounds at 178 decibels and is powered utilizing a modified scuba air tank. The three Airchime KH3A air horn was taken straight from an American locomotive and is mounted straight ahead between the handlebars and the seat.
The horn is being further developed by the United Kingdom’s Environmental Transport Association with the goal to highlight the real dangers that bicyclists face on congested city streets. However, this horn is actually quite dangerous and possibly even fatal to those around the bicycle. It is much louder than the average horn on a truck, even from a distance of one-hundred feet and so noisy that the rider needs to wear noise-canceling ear phones to avoid self-deafening.
If you want to make sure you are noticed on the street, the Hornster will run you $8,000. At this price, it has got to be one of the most expensive bicycles currently available on the market.
For more interesting bicycle related stories, check out this R2-D2 inspired helmet or customized superhero (and other characters) bicycles.
