Bells on bikes...

[HLaB]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned campagnolo hubs yet - I don't bother with "bells" or "excuse me" lark - a second or two of loud freewheeling makes them think you're slowing down for them... but it's not rude!

p.s. 400th post!

Mine made a racket for 3800miles then they went silent (well about as silent as my Mavic Hubs) but they still seem to roll just as good

 

[Bill Gates]

I only ever ride on the road and don't have a bell. So when I'm approaching a situation where a pedestrian is in my way or might be about to cross and isn't aware of me I use the brake levers to make a clipping noise. I usually ride with my hands over the hoods and all you need to do push your fingers down on the levers and release them so they bounce back under the spring and make a loud click.

If that doesn't work then a loud Oi and a smile when they make eye contact does the trick.

There is a shared path I walk along to the shops and a cyclist came up behind me and shouted get out the f***ing way. Not to be recommended.

 

[knotbury]

I only ever ride on the road and don't have a bell. So when I'm approaching a situation where a pedestrian is in my way or might be about to cross and isn't aware of me I use the brake levers to make a clipping noise. I usually ride with my hands over the hoods and all you need to do push your fingers down on the levers and release them so they bounce back under the spring and make a loud click.

If that doesn't work then a loud Oi and a smile when they make eye contact does the trick.

There is a shared path I walk along to the shops and a cyclist came up behind me and shouted get out the f***ing way. Not to be recommended.

 

[knotbury]

I only ever ride on the road and don't have a bell. So when I'm approaching a situation where a pedestrian is in my way or might be about to cross and isn't aware of me I use the brake levers to make a clipping noise. I usually ride with my hands over the hoods and all you need to do push your fingers down on the levers and release them so they bounce back under the spring and make a loud click.

If that doesn't work then a loud Oi and a smile when they make eye contact does the trick.

There is a shared path I walk along to the shops and a cyclist came up behind me and shouted get out the f***ing way. Not to be recommended.

 

[Bromptonaut]

A bell immediately identifies a bike and helps those being warned to react appropriately.
Use mine to get their attention and then eye contact or a u-go-first hand signal to negotiate the follow up. Prefer the full size 'ting a ling' bell as it can be used to give different messages; a little tinkle to draw attention or something more manic for the foreign tourist looking left before stepping off the kerb.

 

[knotbury]

I regularly use various trails in the Peak District and I would not be without a bell. The fact that bikes are faster than pedestrians means that I need walkers and indeed slower cyclists to move to one side to allow me to pass. It has become evident to me that there is no way of anticipating the actions of a startled pedestrian if I am approaching from behind. At about 50 metres I ring my bell twice. If there are two walkers it is likely that they will move in opposite directions. Three creates a bomb burst. If there is a dog The owners move but leave the dog attached to a 40 foot lead which offers only a sense of control. A group of walkers will move to both sides but leave the most senior in the middle. They will not tell them why they have moved until he has heard my brakes squeal and caused much merriment to his comrades

The 50 yard ring may need to be followed by another for those without 20/20 hearing. The startle effect is at least doubled.

There should be training for pedestrians on shared paths - will there be - no!

I always say thank you, I try to be gentle. None of this would be possible without a bell. The bell is not a perfect answer but it is by far the best.

 

[snailracer]

IMO a bell is the most widely recognized alert for a bike.

Some peds might be offended by it, but I find a swift "thank you" defuses them.

I don't rely on my voice, as it might be a bit hoarse from exertion or the cold.

 

[campbellab]

With electric cars making sounds to make people aware of their presence, maybe just get a speaker with some loud scooter noises. The public are well aware of the danger of scooters on cyclepaths, and the like, and quickly get out of the way

 

[DrSquirrel]

Am I the only one that finds this extremely annoying. I hate it. What's wrong with engaging with pedestrians and asking them nicely if you can pass, rather than this antagonistic little tinkling sound, which is meant to sound like "excuse me, I am sorry to bother you, but you may not be aware of my presence, so if you could just take care for a moment I'll pass quietly by the side of you. Thanks", but actually comes across as "f*** off out the way t*****, you are slowing me down and I'm more important than you!". Which I believe is exactly the attitude of drivers that we object to, but at least car drivers have the decency not to be hypocritical about it.

Start using it from a much longer distance - that way it is quieter and they might not realised what they heard and look anyway.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I have retained the bell that came on my main daily-use bike.

I moved it to near the top of the seat tube above the bottle cage, as I find the best use of a bell is approaching blind bends etc. No rapid reaction needed, just as I approach, reach down and give a "ting ting"

Anything else..

Sometimes a cheery "morning!" can be better than an "excuse me". I find that a "morning" (substutute similar time related greeting) to have the required effect of alerting someone without even asking them to move - the ball is in their court. Not "I want you to move" but rather giving someone the opportunity to make the decision themselves. Usually, with that in mind, people will voluntarily respond favourably

 

[theboytaylor]

Maybe it's a London ting (sorry) - or simply city/town commuting. My most common experience is of rush hour with pedestrians crossing the road between stopped cars and then the sound of a bell being repeatedly pinged by a cyclist who then whizzes through and no sign of the cyclist having slowed down at all. That's aggressive, and the type of thing Nasserblue I think is describing.

Pinging it once or twice a way down the road while slowing down a bit would be fine, or a warning tinkle before blind bends and on towpaths as Mr Paul suggests.

 

[DrSquirrel]

You could always attach a bell which "runs continuously"

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sYpKZ6PkWs[/media]

 

[Globalti]

I simply can't believe that some posters consider a bell to be aggressive! A polite tinkle once within earshot is not aggressive and on several occasions I've been thanked and even congratulated by walkers for using mine.

For a walker a bell sounded by an approaching bike is the same as for me when I'm cycling on the road and a car driver pips his horn from a good distance away to let me know he's approaching; I'm grateful for the warning.

On the other hand, to creep up behind a pedestrian then shout or ring loudly is as aggressive as for a car to come up behind a cyclist and sound a horn right on their back wheel. It startles people and there's something territorial about it too.

 

[John the Monkey]

some people are angry at everything, Globalti.

I've had people ignore the bell (they look around, and continue walking spread across the path) and others ask angrily why I can't say "Excuse me" (the corrollary being that some will ask why you don't have a bell when you do that).

IME, they're a minority though - a bell (and a decent quality one like the Crane Bell Suzu) is a good thing to have on a commuter if you mix with pedestrians, ime.

 

[theboytaylor]

I simply can't believe that some posters consider a bell to be aggressive! A polite tinkle once within earshot is not aggressive and on several occasions I've been thanked and even congratulated by walkers for using mine.

For a walker a bell sounded by an approaching bike is the same as for me when I'm cycling on the road and a car driver pips his horn from a good distance away to let me know he's approaching; I'm grateful for the warning.

On the other hand, to creep up behind a pedestrian then shout or ring loudly is as aggressive as for a car to come up behind a cyclist and sound a horn right on their back wheel. It startles people and there's something territorial about it too.

Nothing wrong whatsoever with a "polite tinkle". However, often in town I hear repeated sharp pinging that seems to demand "everyone shift because this bike is coming through!" Half the time the cyclist isn't even covering their brakes, let alone applying them.

It's the same as with so many things - in theory they're fine but it depends on the way people use them.