For safety's sake - learn how to whistle!

ColinJ

Being able to whistle loudly has been very handy for me at times when cycling, for example when mates are shooting off up the road in traffic and I've just punctured behind them. It also helps to wake up dozy pedestrians stepping out in front of you, or dozy drivers doing something equally daft. A loud whistle really cuts through traffic noise and conversation.

I can emit a piercing whistle using my fingers in my mouth but there are times when I don't want to put them in there (when they are dirty) or when I can't (my hands are in use - death grip on the brake levers on a steep descent for example). Sometimes I just wouldn't have time to get my fingers in position. It would obviously be better to be able whistle 'no-hands' but it is a skill that I'd never learned. Well, I've just found an online whistling lesson that claims to be able to teach that very skill. I haven't managed it yet, but I'll stick with it. I remember that it took me about a week as a boy to learn how to whistle using my fingers.

If you can't whistle, follow the link above and see if you can get the knack.

OnTow

...or buy a bell, or a whistle

homercles

Good call - I'm not far off the fingerless whistle already (have surprised the office a few times though!)

ColinJ

OnTow wrote:

...or buy a bell, or a whistle

Perhaps the pedestrians in your neck of the woods have better hearing than round here! I used to get "Why don't you buy a bell for that damn bike of yours!" when riding my MTB on the canal tow path and approaching walkers. Now it's - ting, ting ting, ting ting ting, ting ting ting ting ting, TING TING TING TING.... Then they suddenly hear me, jump about in panic and say "Oh sorry mate, I didn't hear your bell!"

As for buying a whistle... I can already whistle really loudly if I can take my hands off the bars as I would have to to put a whistle in my mouth. What I want is an alternative to shouting. I've shouted in traffic and not been heard but a loud whistle always seems to work. I suppose an airzound would also do the trick, but whistling is cheaper and doesn't take up space on my bikes!

Haynes

Cant whistle so ive got a bell. And, seriously, dont f**k with lorries, dont ever cut up inside or outside them when theres the slighest chance they might turn, they wont here your whistles, bells or you getting ground up under there wheels.