How often do you use your bell?

[ebikeerwidnes]

I don’t have a bell on my tank

I have always found that a couple of rounds on a 75mm gun tend to alert people to my presence pretty effectively

 

[Dogtrousers]

It really must be a bell with a decent 'ting' which can be heard at least from 30 metres behind the pedestrian(s). Relying on 'voiced' warnings that you are behind walker means you are too close for many walkers to react quick enough.

30m? Surely that all depends on how fast you are going. Let's do some sums.

Taking a range of speeds that might be attainable (if not necessarily recommended) on a typical lumpy grotty shared use path:

10 km/h (~6mph) is about 3 m/s
15 km/h (~10mph) is about 4 m/s
25 km/h (~15mph) is about 7 m/s

So a 5 second warning requires roughly 15, 20 or 35m

So @Littgull is right. About 30m is reasonable, and includes a bit of contingency for a longer warning period. I was expecting that to be an over estimate.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

30m? Surely that all depends on how fast you are going. Let's do some sums.

10 km/h (~6mph) is about 3 m/s
15 km/h (~10mph) is about 4 m/s
25 km/h (~15mph) is about 7 m/s

So a 5 second warning requires roughly 15, 20 or 35m

So @Littgull is right. About 30m is reasonable. I was expecting that to be an over estimate.

If you are approaching walkers then 25 kph is probably excessive unless there is a clear division between lanes

and we all know how predictable walkers are!!

normally I would drop to about 15kph at that distance on a shared path and be slowing until I know I am clear to go

 

[Dogtrousers]

If you are approaching walkers then 25 kph is probably excessive unless there is a clear division between lanes

and we all know how predictable walkers are!!

normally I would drop to about 15kph at that distance on a shared path and be slowing until I know I am clear to go

post edited for clarity

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I was riding behind someone a few weeks ago and he just did a quick ding and rode past people without slowing
as I have a speedo I know he was doing 15 mph (25 kph) as I was keeping a consistent distance behind him
it was a wide solid path - probably 3m wide
but I reckon it was still risky


but when I passed much slower after a warning, they seemed greatful for the difference

I know I can accelerate easier as I have a motor
but the sort of speed some people use around other users is just wrong

assuming that walkers on a path will stick to a straight line is just crazy in my opinion

 

[MichaelW2]

I use a bell in mixed pedestrian/cycle zones. When you see a group of associated pededstrians standing across the whole path, one may hear your bell and look but at no point will they communicate this information to their friends.

 

[Oldhippy]

Or the groups with assorted dogs on and off leads that see and hear you but make no attempt whatsoever to control dogs despite them being spread over the entire shared path.

 

[wafter]

I also use the Spurcycle bell recently fitted to my housebound CdF in the comfort of the flat; both to remind myself of how nice it sounds with its lovely long sustain as well as what half a day's wages sounds like..

 

[Dogtrousers]

I probably spend more time walking on shared paths than I do cycling. I find cyclists to be a bunch of annoying dickheads. Of course when I'm cycling, that's exactly what I think about pedestrians.

Unless I'm riding on the road, when I think it about motorists, drivers of other vehicles and other cyclists.

 

[Moodyman]

“How often do I use my bell?”

I was going to say as often as she wants it, but I imagine that’s not the sort of bell you were referring to.

On the question of ding dings, I avoid shared use paths. Too many people wearing earphones to make ding dings effective.

 

[tyred]

Didn't Chuck Berry tell us to play with our ding-a-ling!

 

[brommieinkorea]

I spent quite a while trying out different bells in shops
in the end they were all either too quiet or too aggressive
I got one online that was advertised and a happy ding-a-ling and that works well

I can also play a few tunes on it or get a single ding after rather too much practice!!!!

I just wanted to warn people without scaring them
and try to cut down on the "diving to the left like Tom Cruise" syndrome

Crane Riten makes a bring-bring ring at 70db. Arundell Jezebel, 80 db but only one ping each time "one ping only"

 

[SteveH80]

Occasionally I'll use the bell, but normally I just call out "good morning", "bike passing" or similar of shared tracks.
On the road it's all a bit pointless.
I just wish cars would do the same and learn to use their horn rather than sitting there. If I'm going downhill at any speed I can't hear them behind me and I would rather have a beep to let me know they are there.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Occasionally I'll use the bell, but normally I just call out "good morning", "bike passing" or similar of shared tracks.
On the road it's all a bit pointless.
I just wish cars would do the same and learn to use their horn rather than sitting there. If I'm going downhill at any speed I can't hear them behind me and I would rather have a beep to let me know they are there.

Problem with a car beeping is that a lot of people interpret it and anger and "damn bikes getting in the way" sort of way

I do remember going on holiday to Greece and the coaches seemed to have 2 horns - one to sort of say "Thank you" or "hello"
and one as a normal horn

which would be a good idea maybe

several years ago I got stuck behind a cycle club on a mass ride
I was behind them along the main road due to traffic coming the other way and road furniture

then They turned right - hence going the same way as me so I was still stuck behind them but now on country roads - although not single track

When we came to a long straight section I accelerated and passed and the people at the back gave me a thumbs up

but the one at the front would not know I was there so I gave a quick beep on the horn to warn them

It was summer so the windows were open
hence the grand-daughter got the full volume of "F*** off - f*****g c***" from the riders at the front
they clearly thought I was complaining

but how else was I to warn them?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

but how else was I to warn them?

You don’t. You give plenty of space, which generally means other side of white line. The riders at back of group will call up about cars passing.