Just a simple little bell...

[fimm]

From a pedestrian point of view ... I find it rude to be bellowed at by someone on a bike. Also, if he/she is so near me that I can hear them without them shouting, that IMO is too near...

I'm not disagreeing with your overall post, but; my usual practice (depending on the width of the path) is to roll up behind someone and say "excuse me" - I think that shouting from further back is rude, and prefer to use my voice rather than a bell as I feel that is more courteous. Are you saying that you object to a spoken "excuse me" from a stationary or near-stationary cyclist?

I also run and I'm still perfecting the best distance to call "excuse me" from if I need to warn someone of my approach - too near and by the time the pedestrian has realised what's behind them you're on top of them. So is has to be further back and a bit louder (without sounding rude - and it is of course harder not to sound rude when you're running as you're out of breath! You shouldn't be cycling at a speed that will make you out of breath on a shared use path, IMO).

To be honest, I think we as cyclists can't win on shared use paths - no matter what we do, someone will object.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I'm not disagreeing with your overall post, but; my usual practice (depending on the width of the path) is to roll up behind someone and say "excuse me" - I think that shouting from further back is rude, and prefer to use my voice rather than a bell as I feel that is more courteous. Are you saying that you object to a spoken "excuse me" from a stationary or near-stationary cyclist.

Well, if I'm on foot, you are on a bike and ring your bell I would hear and adjust my position on the road to let you pass. If you are already on top of me whispering sweet "excuse me" I would probably turn the wrong way and bump into you, dislodging my headphones in the process Now, if you had a BIG bell like mine, I could hear you even if my mp3 player is blaring "rocket man" at top volume ...
Joking aside, I really think, when you're on foot, you see/hear a cyclist in good time, you move accordingly to let them pass. When they are already on top of you, it's a bit too late, some people react slower to step aside.
Of course, if you are on your bike, me in front of you on mine, you saying "excuse me" when you're already reading my CChat sticker on my mudguards, then expect to be swore at in 4 different languages simultaneously!

 

[BentMikey]

I think Jonny's point is that bellowing from a distance implies that one wants to speed past the pedestrians, perhaps wrongly.

It's a shared path, I'm gonna ride quietly and slowly, and then I won't need to warn the pedestrians from a distance. It's much nicer and much more friendly to call out a good morning or make some sort of chatty comment. If I want to go fast and make progress, I'll ride on the roads.

 

[jonny jeez]

I think Jonny's point is that bellowing from a distance implies that one wants to speed past the pedestrians, perhaps wrongly.

It's a shared path, I'm gonna ride quietly and slowly, and then I won't need to warn the pedestrians from a distance. It's much nicer and much more friendly to call out a good morning or make some sort of chatty comment. If I want to go fast and make progress, I'll ride on the roads.

Spot on, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I think Jonny's point is that bellowing from a distance implies that one wants to speed past the pedestrians, perhaps wrongly.

It's a shared path, I'm gonna ride quietly and slowly, and then I won't need to warn the pedestrians from a distance. It's much nicer and much more friendly to call out a good morning or make some sort of chatty comment. If I want to go fast and make progress, I'll ride on the roads.

Yup

Had a couple of good conversations on my latest jaunt, in the more remote bits of canal side cycling the people that are there tend to be interested in a little chat. Good mix of users on Sat with day walkers, some fell runners and a couple of down and dirty MTB's giving it the beans through the puddles lol

My old commute route was a canal, great for when there's no rush but now I'm a little time limited in the morning I'm on the roads.

 

[akb]

The majority of my Shared Use Path travel is spent negotiating dog walkers and dogs. I dont have an issue with the pooch being off the lead; mine are very rarely on the lead. I use the bell from about 10m away to give the chance for the ped to get their dog under control and on the lead if neccesary, with a polite thank you as I pass.

(You shouldn't be cycling at a speed that will make you out of breath on a shared use path, IMO).

Im forunate in that the SUP is pretty straight being a dis-used railway line. I am comfortable mainting a 20mph speed on this section of my commute in the daylight as you can visibly see if there are any peds or other users on the path.

 

[ferret fur]

sorry BM, but while I agree that if you want to ride at road speeds: ride on a road, I don't think that means that shared use paths require you to go at just above walking pace which is what your 'let's have a chat with the peds as I pass' implies. Clearly you adapt it to the situation (which may on occasion require you to stop).

The point is, if the ped objects to a bell being used correctly, as per the Highway Code, then that is their problem, not yours.If I'm driving a car and sound my horn to warn someone of my presence they invariably react badly. But that isn't because I'm misusing the car horn it's beacuse they are twonks.
I've been with people who ask politely and get told 'why aren't you using a bell?' so clearly some people object to a voice as well. In all my time riding a shared path only a tiny minority object to a bell and they are far outweighed by the number of people who thank me for using it. The problem isn't the bell per se but that the bell is misused by people who are already riding badly.

 

[BentMikey]

There's nothing wrong with riding fast when you're far away from pedestrians. You only need to ride slowly when passing pedestrians. If you want to go fast past them, that's the only reason I can think of for using a long distance warning like a bellow.

If you spend time amongst pedestrians, rather than as a cyclist, you'll see that a lot more than you think object to a bell.

 

[ferret fur]

I spend lots of time amongst pedestrians. I come from a family of bipeds.

 

[BentMikey]

Then you wouldn't be trying to claim most appreciate a bell.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

This thread's nearly as good as a helmet debate.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

This thread's nearly as good as a helmet debate.

Well said: do you think that the bell opposition is also the helmet opposition?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Could be.

Edit: User - I though there was one. Well done finding it.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Get a "noisy" freehub instead.

Campag?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

[QUOTE 1762092, member: 45"]The only problem with that, if it's still the same as the one I bought, is that it goes dong-ding instead of ding-dong. And that's just not right.[/quote]
Oh dear, that's no good. You'll never get youngsters telling you it's cool unless it makes the right noise.