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Vehicle: Bicycle: Safety
Bicycle Noise Machine   (+2, -1)  [vote for, against]
Make bicycles sound like cars

OK, so rather than actually teach the 'look' part of the Green Cross Code to people, I propose a device which can be fitted to bicycles that make them sound exactly like cars, so that people won't simply walk out into the road because they can't hear cyclists coming at them at speed. Ideally the device should not be audible to the cyclist, which is quite plausible given that the sound only needs to be emitted forwards. The device could be linked to the gears so that the sound is dependant upon the bicycle's speed, and for those who so desire, it could even be made to sound like particular cars.
-- Milkyteaboy, Mar 12 2002

"Raw Power" http://www.bbc.co.u...rs/1976/toys3.shtml
"... a sound box to attach to your bike handle that made a revving sound..."
I thought this sounded familiar. Baked in '76. [waugsqueke, Mar 12 2002]

TurboSpoke http://www.turbospoke.com/
Apr 17 2004: Now baked! [krelnik, Oct 21 2004]

There's definitely a problem with this. I've knocked down a few people at speed on my bicycle - the last time resulted in a sprained wrist & potato-chipped front wheel for me & the woman who I knocked down appeared to be bleeding out her nose as she got up and ran off. There have been plenty of other times when pedestrians have stepped right out in front of me but I've managed to stop in time. The problem with ringing the bell or shouting is that you only do it when you spot them first.
-- stupop, Mar 12 2002


Why, back in my day - we used to put baseball cards in our spokes with clothespins attached to bike frames. Kind of regretted using Tom Seaver's Rookie Card when the price started getting into 300 dollar range. But a pack of cards was dirt cheap back then - In fact, my Mother was the bookkeeper for my Grandfather's 3 Supermarkets - she bought a case of 1968 Topps Baseball cards and my brother and I got a pack a day from the case. When the market was high, I sold a number of the cards I had collected from that year and a few preceding and beyond - bought a car that made real car noises. And still have a few thousand cards in the closet - None of the three Nolan Ryans I sold for anywhere between 120 and 800 dollars each and the best one of the 8 Johnny Bench Rookie cards which fetched 125 at the highest.
-- thumbwax, Mar 12 2002


Where I live the biggest problem is not getting run over by a cyclist on the road. They don't go on the road. They stay on the bloody pavement.

(Excellent idea Rods - beats just having a bell)
-- mcscotland, Mar 12 2002


I had a similar idea to this a while ago - but I wanted the sound of the witch on her bike from Wizard of Oz, as she flies through the whirlwind space "I got you Dorothy... and your little dog too! heh hee hee hee heh heeeeee"
-- Danzarak, Mar 13 2002


waugs - that link - heh, had a couple of friends with those on their bikes
-- thumbwax, Nov 12 2002



random, halfbakery