I've got a thing that goes ''ting'' - it's not enough!

[deptfordmarmoset]

I spend nearly all my time riding on the hoods on a drop handlebar bike, I even have a bell. Unfortunately, it's hard to mount in a position where I can reach it when my hands are close to the brakes (and if you need to use a bell there's a good possibility that you might need to either brake or have both hands in a position where you have full control of the bike).

And then, even when I've managed to locate the bell, all it does is a little insignificant ''ting'' - not enough to alert your average pedestrian, who's inevitably on the phone or texting, walking the dog or children, or otherwise insulated from the auditory environment. There are wilful sleep walkers in our midst.

So, what we need to invent is a Variabell. It will mount anywhere to suit riding style and, as the name suggests, it will have a range from mild tinginess for those quiet days on the canal path where a gentle ''coming through'' is all that's needed, to OI-DEAF-GIT!!! levels for the inevitable iCocooned road crosser.

Is a wide range of volumes for a bell possible? And where would you mount your Variabell?

 

[Gareth]

Why not an electronic bell .... we have a battery powered door bell with umpteen different programmable chimes on our front door.

With the way modern electrickery is going these days I see no reason why pressure sensitive grips couldn't be used: a button built into the grip or the rear part of the clamps and the speaker or what ever it is called and the batteries built into the hoods. With a combination of button and pressure sensitive grip switch it would give out decibels proportionally from " coming through" to "Oh shoot!"

 

[Part time cyclist]

A good bellow often works if the bell fails to arouse the attention of the odd ignorant pedestrian

 

[ufkacbln]

Law states an audible warning device... That will be me then!

Then of curse there is the AirZound - in a league of its own!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I can't help with the mounting issues but my vote goes to this: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_757135_langId_-1_categoryId_210161

Mine makes a properly loud "ding-dong" and people not only notice it but many actually thank me for ringing the bell. Not what you get with the silly little "ping" type.

 

[Red Light]

I have an infinitely flexible bell substitute. I can go from a quiet "ping" to a top of my voice "DING BLOODY DONG" to calling them "an f-ing ding-a-ling-head". I almost never use it though because I try to anticipate and avoid instead.

 

[Norm]

Then of curse there is the AirZound - in a league of its own!

A rather appropriate typo, eh.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I have an infinitely flexible bell substitute. I can go from a quiet "ping" to a top of my voice "DING BLOODY DONG" to calling them "an f-ing ding-a-ling-head". I almost never use it though because I try to anticipate and avoid instead.

Sounds more like a deci-bell! I think I use my voice much more than I use my bell but I may have a look at Rickshaw Bill's bell and have a think about where the ideal place to mount it would be.

 

[ufkacbln]

A rather appropriate typo, eh.

Typo - How dare you sir?

That was a finely crafted and measured mistake play on words!

 

[Ian H]

I have an orifice just above my neck which emits the sounds, "Bike!" and "Thank-you!" at appropriate moments.

 

[sheddy]

Use a whistle ?
(tries to recall a scene from Belleville Rendezvous)

 

[cyberknight]

Another vote for airzound, with a bit of fiddling you can mount it so you can use it from the drops with just 1 finger, very loud if you need it !Sold mine as my commute is country lanes and it did not get the use .

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

[QUOTE 1739174, member: 45"]The proper Dutch ding dong bells make a beautiful sound, but to get that they need to be huge.

The trigger that comes with the Hornit will fit on brake hoods.[/quote]

I just googled Hornit - 140 dB! - that's seriously loud - over the pain threshold! I like the trigger thing, though.

 

[MontyVeda]

why not a hybrid of a proper old fashioned ding-a-ling bell with an additional spring-ping on the side?