Dragons' Den reject who designed ‘the world’s loudest bicycle horn’ hits over £3 million in global sales

[swldx...@gmail.com]

The Devon-based brand behind the “world’s loudest bicycle horn” to increase cyclists’ safety, Hornit, has reached over £1 million in export sales and £3 million in global sales despite being rejected on Dragons' Den back in 2015.
Hornit founder Tom_de_Pelet

Hornit’s founder Tom de Pelet appeared on BBC’s Dragons' Den in 2015 where the Dragons turned down the chance to support his patented Hornit Bicycle horn.
Hornit 140dB 1

Yet now Hornit has achieved export sales worth over £1 million after a growth of 220% to Australia since 2019, as a result of the southern hemisphere country experiencing a boom in cycling activity during 2020 - one survey found that 63% of respondents increased cycling during COVID-19 restrictions. (link is external)
Hornit 140dB 2

Hornit says its dB140 bike horn is four times louder than the nearest competitor for alerting drivers of cars, buses, lorries as well as pedestrians about your presence. At 140 decibels, it’s 30 decibels louder than the standard on cars and vans. .

Road.cc reviewer Shaun Audane had a go at alerting road users with the first model when it was released in 2015, and confirmed: “Loud enough for congested town centres, it's assertive, rather than aggressive, alerting pedestrians to your passage without making dogs howl, babies cry and elderly gentlemen wave their sticks in outrage.”
> 13 of the best bicycle bells to get you heard on the road

In addition to the piercing 140dB “road mode” a lower pitched car horn sound at 121dB can be used when riding along cycle paths.
Review: Hornit Clug bike rack

A remote trigger is included to allow ease of use when braking, and it also now includes a Garmin style mount developed in collaboration with K-Edge.

Unlike Hornit's bike horn, cycling-related products have successfully secured funding from BBC’s Dragons’ Den time and time again including, for example, Rehook’s tool that reseats the chain without you having to get your hands or clothing dirty.

CYCL also won £45,000 of funding for their handlebar-mounted indicators in 2017, but road.cc’s John Stevenson suggested that maybe – just maybe – there wasn’t an enormous market for such a thing and that the Dragons’ got it wrong, asking "cycling's least successful product category get the dragons' attention?"

hornit.com (link is external)

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/dragons-den-reject-hits-over-ps3-million-global-sales-287995

[TMS320]

On 23/11/2021 11:29, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> The Devon-based brand behind the “world’s loudest bicycle horn” to
> increase cyclists’ safety, Hornit,

How does a horn increase safety?

[J Nugent]

That's a good question.

The more so when posters here have frequently expressed objection to being hooted at by drivers. One is immediately made to think of geese and ganders.

[TMS320]

Most horn use occurs after the event so it serves no purpose except to
show annoyance - such as the incidents that Jeremy Vine likes to publicise.

But there are fundamental differences. Cyclists get hooted at merely for
using the road, whereas cyclists do not creep up behind a motor vehicle
and give a blast. Cyclists' ears are subjected to the full sound of a
vehicle horn, whereas the ears of a vehicle occupant are protected by a
box with lots of soundproofing. As in many situations, even if the
motive is sometimes the same, the physics matters.

[swldx...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, November 25, 2021 at 9:55:17 AM UTC, TMS320 wrote:
whereas the ears of a vehicle occupant are protected by a
> box with lots of soundproofing.

Yet you can still hear the car's music system blaring out of the vehicle, yet driver's bleat about cyclists wearing earpieces.

[Rob Morley]

Really?

[TMS320]

On 26/11/2021 13:41, Rob Morley wrote:
> TMS320 <dr6...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 23/11/2021 11:29, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> The Devon-based brand behind the “world’s loudest bicycle horn” to
>>> increase cyclists’ safety, Hornit,
>>
>> How does a horn increase safety?
>
> Really?

?

[Rob Morley]

Wondering which bit of "bringing my presence to the attention of someone
who may not have seen me yet" doesn't potentially contribute to my
safety.

[JNugent]

On 05/12/2021 02:32 pm, Rob Morley wrote:

> TMS320 <dr6...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 26/11/2021 13:41, Rob Morley wrote:
>>> TMS320 <dr6...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On 23/11/2021 11:29, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

>>>>> The Devon-based brand behind the “world’s loudest bicycle horn” to
>>>>> increase cyclists’ safety, Hornit,
>
>>>> How does a horn increase safety?
>
>>> Really?
>
>> ?

> Wondering which bit of "bringing my presence to the attention of someone
> who may not have seen me yet" doesn't potentially contribute to my
> safety.

It seems to me that the objection was not to a reasonably-audible means
of alerting other road users to one's presence, but to "the world's
loudest fairy-cycle horn" being bought, deployed and used as a
punishment of, or source of annoyance to, other road users and (no
doubt) people inside nearby buildings.

[swldx...@gmail.com]

Much like the drivers who complain about modern LED bike lights as being "too bright" at the same time as asserting that nobody uses lights.

[TMS320]

Before a point of conflict, concentrate on avoidance. It serves no
purpose after the event.

[JNugent]

Fairy-cycle lights "too bright"?

Who complains of that?

[JNugent]

We agree.

Especially where "avoidance" means using the steering and the braking
system (if fitted).

It cannot possibly be construed as meaning "...carry straight on at full
speed because you believe you have "right of way"...'..

[swldx...@gmail.com]

My front light is 5000 lumen - brighter than a car's headlight.
Been flashed by unhappy drivers many times - you can't win! :-)

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/accessories/lights/front-light/exposure-six-pack-mk10-front-light-review/

[Rob Morley]

Really? I've seen (heard) lots of drivers use it to communicate how
inconvenienced they have been, by other road users failing to get out
of their way.

[swldx...@gmail.com]

A horn should only be used when warning someone of any danger due to another vehicle or any other kind of danger, and not to indicate your annoyance.
It is illegal to use a horn on a moving vehicle on a restricted road, basically a road that has street lights and a 30 mph limit, between the times of 11:30 p.m. and 07:00 a.m

[JNugent]

And what good does it do?

[TMS320]

Quite so. You have inserted the word "been" quite correctly.

[Rob Morley]

Thank you Captain Obvious.