bells and whistles

[cyclenic]

how many people use bells, horns or whistles?

and do you find them effective?

 

[hackbike 6]

Two x car/motorbike sort horn and yes.

Women almost jumper out of her skin today at Aldgate when I sounded it.

Silly cow was daydreaming as she crossed in heavy traffic.I was riding between the two lanes of traffic also she had the cheek to make a comment to me but she went to sleep I didn't.

If that had been an airzound she would have been 50ft up in the air.

 

[BentMikey]

Airzound here, but almost only for use on motons. As Hackers says, they have a reputation for making peds jump so high you can safely pass beneath them.

 

[Jake]

Heard one last night by the imax, pretty loud. someone tried to pullout infront of cyclist and he zapper her! he had so many lights flashing and twinkling i was mesomorised

 

[4F]

how many people use bells, horns or whistles?

and do you find them effective?

No I just shout but to be fair my route is fairly ped free

 

[mr_cellophane]

I have a bell, but usually rely on my voice. I can shout louder than my bell and it is much more expressive.
I have a whistle which I may start taking out with me.

 

[srw]

I have a bell, but usually rely on my voice. I can shout louder than my bell and it is much more expressive.
I have a whistle which I may start taking out with me.

Little tingy bell, of the sort bike shops attach free to comply with the law. It's surprisingly effective in a city commute and obviously effective on shared-use paths. I resort to shouting only if absolutely necessary.

Horns, whistles and so on only upset pedestrians so I prefer if people don't use them.

 

[Bodhbh]

Have a bell for the towpaths etc. If someone is blocking the way and you're being inconvenienced, I don't always find it easy to sound neutral and take the tone out my voice. Bell keeps everyone happy! Other thing is just to clank the gears a bit on incoming.

Noticed also on bridlepaths, particularly something like the Ridgeway with lots of ramblers, some peeps act very shirty you don't have a bell to use, guessing they think bikes are a bit of an intrusion on the rambling bliss and at best tolerated.

 

[nilling]

I have a classic ding-aling old skool bell from Sainburys. It works well clearing folk in the park I ride through and people on the whole smile as if reminising but nothing quite beats a loud Oi!

 

[Wolf04]

Airzound, when I need to.

+1
Use my voice for peds mostly.

 

[BentMikey]

There's nothing like a cheery "Good Morning" to pedestrians. It makes them smile, some reply, and it just spreads good karma around, unlike a bell.

AirZound is strictly for motons, unless there's some sort of immediate emergency like a diepod pedestrian unexpectedly rushing out right in front of me.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

Airzound = 'instant reality' in a bottle.

 

[Bollo]

I think the idea that people respond nicely to a bike bell is something of a myth. I ended up calling my bell "Mr F&*k-off", because that's what usually came out of a pedestrian's mouth when I used it. Because of this, most of the time I don't bother now and just take a bit of extra care where I think there are pavement lemmings about + a shout when there's a chance of a coming together.

 

[Jake]

bell has been really handy on the towpath, but less now on the roads.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

I think the idea that people respond nicely to a bike bell is something of a myth. I ended up calling my bell "Mr F&*k-off", because that's what usually came out of a pedestrian's mouth when I used it. Because of this, most of the time I don't bother now and just take a bit of extra care where I think there are pavement lemmings about + a shout when there's a chance of a coming together.

An ex-girlfriend of mine used to ring her bell for all she was worth. (Ooooer!)
It was like some pseudo air-raid warning.
I'd ride behind her and always softly say to the peds: "I'm sorry about that, it's day release today" while rolling my eyes.
More often than not I'd get a friendly smile back.