Bicycles

The Hornster bicycle has a horn that's louder than a Concorde

View 3 Images
The Hornster is a custom-built bike that is designed around what is billed as the world's loudest bicycle horn
The Hornster is a custom-built bike that is designed around what is billed as the world's loudest bicycle horn
The controls for the Hornster's Airchime KH3A triple air horn
A top view of The Hornster
View gallery - 3 images

It’s no secret that cyclists are at a disadvantage when sharing the roads with motorized vehicles – not only do bikes offer less in the way of protection and speed than cars, but drivers often don’t even notice that they’re there. The Hornster, a bicycle featuring what is claimed to be the world’s loudest bicycle horn, was designed to bring attention to that fact.

The bike was designed by Yannick Read, who works for the UK’s Environmental Transport Association (ETA). The company provides insurance for cyclists, and wanted something that would publicize just how important it is for drivers (particularly drivers of big trucks) to acknowledge the presence of cyclists.

... and it’s a fair bet that The Hornster is capable of getting itself acknowledged. It features an Airchime KH3A triple air horn, which was taken from an American locomotive. That horn has been modified to run off of a scuba diving compressed air cylinder, which is mounted in the custom frame. If blasted at full volume (which is not being done in the video at the bottom of the page), it emits a stunning 178 decibels – according to ETA, that’s far louder than a transport truck’s horn, the take-off of an F-14, or the landing of a Concorde.

A top view of The Hornster

Should you like the cut of The Hornster’s jib, you can buy it for yourself. It went on sale last Thursday, priced at £4,995 (US$8,074). Needless to say, buyers will have to also budget for all the lawsuits brought against them by deafened drivers and pedestrians.

In a previous similar ETA campaign, Read created something called the BOND Bike – an “urban assault vehicle” that humorously included features such as a handlebar-mounted flamethrower.

Source: ETA via Wired

View gallery - 3 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
13 comments
sk8dad
With a gaudy setup like that, you probably won't need to actually use the horn...that's good.
The added bulk of the grenade...er...scuba tank hanging off the bike could lead to unexpected handling issues. I would not want to be anywhere near it when the bike crashes...that's bad.
Fran Firman
Could do with something like that on my motorbike..
Roger Kummert
I would think that mounting the tank behind the rider would give him a better pedaling position.
Mr Stiffy
Stupid and of limited novelty value....
Nice, an airtank in front of the ball sack.... and a cylinder valve pointed at your face - cool - only 2000 PSI behind that as well.
VoiceofReason
Since the pain threshold is 140db, what's the point of 178db other that making more people hate bicycles? The police should cite him for reckless endangerment.
Jim Ronholm
Oh please people - clearly this wasn't created for actually riding around on.
overbyte
Is that a horn or a stun-gun?!
I have a small air horn already on my bikes, which works very well and loudly. It's called the Delta Airzound bike horn: www.deltacycle.com/Airzound-Bike-Horn . The manufacturer says it's 115 db. It uses an ordinary carbonated drink bottle as the air reservoir, and you fill it with 80psi of air through an ordinary bicycle valve like inflating a bike tire. It lasts for about 50 short blasts.
YukonJack
This is not a bicycle with a horn. This is a horn that you can ride.
Iván Imhof
+1 for Delta Airzound, it's very loud, like a car's horn. A lifesaver for commuting.
Ken Bloomquist
I think my brother the bike rider needs one of these ;-)