A UK insurance company has found the perfect way for pedestrians and drivers to resent cyclists even more. It’s created the Hornster bicycle which features a triumvirate of horns on the handle bars capable of blasting out a deafening 178dB honk.
For reference, a jet aircraft taking off measures in the neighbourhood of 140 to 150dB. And most scales we’ve checked seem to indicate that 178dB is more than loud enough to cause instant hearing damage. So we can’t think of a better way to bring attention to the dangers of riding a bike in the city than with a system that inflicts pain on those you share the road with.
The horn itself is apparently the same kind used by modern locomotives, and is powered by a full-sized scuba tank integrated into the frame that actually makes the bike fairly difficult to ride. It’s hard to see this thing as a unique approach to bike safety with the seat awkwardly perched over the back tire like that. But with a supposed price tag of just over $US8000, it should at least make for some entertaining YouTube clips. [ETA via Wired] [imgclear]