Bicycle indicators? Buy, or make my own?

[Alan O]

My approach to indicating is to use hand signals, unless doing so would be a net disadvantage to me, in which case I offer no signals at all.

I remember one time when cycling up quite a steep hill at a junction, I turned left and was then overtaken by a following car whose driver shouted to me that I was supposed to signal.

In my imagination I cycled up alongside at the next junction and politely explained "Yes, good sir, I would happily have indicated my intention by appropriately animating my arm had I not needed both hands on my handlebars to avoid falling under your wheels and clogging up your tyres with messy meaty chunks", to which the driver responded "Ah yes, that is an apposite point you make sir, and I welcome it", and we both doffed our caps and went on our way.

In reality I stuck a finger up at him.

 

[Slick]

Mm, i'm sure too. Wonder why it was much reduced.. Do you think it's weak to hold up against a tumble on the road? Some of those things look filmsy.

No, it's not flimsy per se, it could take a tumble on the road no problem but the washing machine could do a bit of damage after a while. To be honest, I liked using it 6am mid winter commute. It was probably my imagination, but it really did feel like more drivers slowed down as they tried to work out exactly what you were.

 

[Tangoup51]

No, it's not flimsy per se, it could take a tumble on the road no problem but the washing machine could do a bit of damage after a while. To be honest, I liked using it 6am mid winter commute. It was probably my imagination, but it really did feel like more drivers slowed down as they tried to work out exactly what you were.

I forgot about washing machines.. Maybe that's why people dont often shove electronic stuff into clothes : D

I agree with that last part, though, I've had the same feeling when I used a really bright rear light.

 

[Will Spin]

I tried flashing on my bike once

 

[Tin Pot]

I actually made some for my CDT GCSE back in 1989/90 somewhere around that time. Never fitted them to my bike as I stopped cycling when I passed my test one year latter and didn't start again until 2010.

I made a wallet alarm for CDT, it's been patented and sold by someone else now.

My design had one flaw, the alarm was bigger than any wallet.

 

[Drago]

Ah, the old wallet shotgun-shell-in-a-moustrap wheeze. My how we laughed as the pickpocket ran up the road screaming and clutching the bloody stubs of his fingers.

 

[Tin Pot]

Ah, the old wallet shotgun-shell-in-a-moustrap wheeze. My how we laughed as the pickpocket ran up the road screaming and clutching the bloody stubs of his fingers.

Ha ha not quite.

I researched different EM waves, as I needed a transmitter that could get through the body. The alarm would be clipped to a different pocket than the wallet was kept in, transmitting a signal that disabled the the alarm. Once the wallet got more than ten feet from the alarm, the signal attenuated, the alarm no longer disabled and would sound. I wanted to use ultrasound

I thought it was good, but we were constrained by construction materials - 5mm thick acrylic casing made it gigantic. I handed in a pile of bits and 5 A3 pages of design, got a C I think.

 

[NorthernDave]

Try this instead?

https://lumoshelmet.co

 

[Tangoup51]

Try this instead?

https://lumoshelmet.co

Na, I don't like it when people shove things like that into a product that's literally meant to be disposable

 

[Dogtrousers]

Have I wandered into the pointless accessories thread by mistake?

 

[Welsh wheels]

I tried flashing on my bike once

Was it late and were you in a carpark with other cyclists?

 

[Tangoup51]

Have I wandered into the pointless accessories thread by mistake?

If you want to talk about pointless accessories then what about handlebar streamers.. Or are they really, really useful?

 

[MontyVeda]

It's really annoying when the OP asks a serious question and you lot just take the pith.

@Brand X ...I've also considered making my own bicycle indicators in the past and luckily i had an electronics engineer for a brother to consult... he told me to use my feckin arms, before slapping me with one of his

 

[Brand X]

You know, you can use indicators and your arms at the same time. And hands don't glow in the dark.

 

[alicat]

In reality I stuck a finger up at him.

@Alan O, well I suppose you were signalling.