Hornit dB140 with Garmin Style Mount

We've reviewed the Hornit DB140 before, but it now comes with a Garmin-style mount. As Shaun found back in 2015, the horn itself is very loud and noticeable – too loud, really, for cycle paths and pedestrian-heavy areas, even on the quieter setting, though it makes sense for use in heavy traffic. Is it one of the best bike bells you can buy? No, or at least not for all circumstances, though I do like the new mount.

You get two sizes of the mount, to accommodate the vast majority of bar diameters – one for diameters of 22-26mm, with four differently sized spacers, and another for 31.8mm diameters.

If you have more than one bike, with different diameter bars, you can use both mounts to swap the Hornit between them easily. And if you use a Garmin you can also, of course, use your existing mount for the Hornit, if you don't need to use both at the same time – when commuting in heavy traffic rather than out on a training ride for a few hours, perhaps.

The unit itself is powered by two AAA batteries, and is very light. Build quality isn't bad, and the screw-in battery compartment does make it waterproof enough for all but genuinely underwater use (bog snorkellers take heed).

It uses a separate trigger unit, which means the horn itself can't be accidentally operated in the process of fitting or moving the bike about, which is handy given the volume!

It takes up very little space on the bar, and the trigger unit is easily positioned to allow for quick deployment, while braking if necessary.

LOUD!

As with the previous model, at 140 decibels the Hornit is claimed to be the loudest cycle horn in the world, and it's certainly louder than the average car horn (between 110 and 115db, apparently).

You get two volume settings, selected with a button on the rear of the horn unit: the maximum volume 'road' mode, which delivers a piercing sound similar to a smoke alarm, or a quieter, lower pitched 121db that more closely resembles a car horn. The quieter option is designed for use on cycle paths and where more pedestrians are likely.

There's no denying this is a loud horn. It's audible from both inside and outside motor vehicles, so it's useful for announcing your presence in urban traffic. However, as Shaun reckoned and I'd agree, it's so loud and piercing a sound that it could potentially aggravate drivers, or even confuse them.

Even the quieter setting is incredibly loud – too loud, I'd say, for use in pedestrian-dense situations, and still significantly louder (121db) than others, such as the Spurcycle, which can achieve up to about 100 decibels.

In fact I found both settings uncomfortable to hear, as pilot. The packaging does state that 'prolonged or reckless use may cause permanent hearing damage'.

It was effective at penetrating headphones, though – but it also frequently caused pedestrians to jump.

Part of the issue, I think, for both drivers and pedestrians, is that the sound is alien, and it startles. Arguably that makes it more noticeable, but it also adds to confusion. There's no denying it achieves its aim of broadcasting your presence, but for all but the most traffic-heavy environments, it's uncomfortably loud.

Value and conclusion

At £29.99 it's quite well priced, particularly given that a single set of batteries should last around a year with 'normal' levels of use (which Hornit describes as six one-second blasts a day).

High-end super-loud bells can cost quite a lot more, such as the Spurcycle I mentioned above, which costs £44.99, although they arguably also look a lot more attractive than the Hornit.

If you're not so bothered about the looks, though, and you ride a lot in dense urban traffic, the Hornit DB140 is decent value and worth considering.

Verdict

Well designed and effective, and incredibly loud, but possibly too loud for use on cycle paths and confusing for drivers