Must stop scaring ...

[semislickstick]

Bells and reflectors

Note that there is no requirement in these regulations for a cycle to be equipped with a bell at the point of use. And if there were, this is where you'd find it. So the bell and all those reflectors required by the Pedal Cycles (Safety) Regulations, may be discarded just as soon as you get the bicycle out of the shop!
But remember that the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations are also part of the Road Traffic Acts and these impose a number of requirements upon our simple transport of delight, from the moment the sun dips below the horizon! Even the bell could be useful – politely to request free passage through the knots of pedestrians on all those shared use paths. So it's just as well to leave some of this extraneous equipment attached.


http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4073

 

[GrasB]

Thing is though I've scared cyclists with a bell before. At night though, most cyclists know I'm approaching from behind a long time before & those that don't need observational lessons.

 

[BentMikey]

Bells aren't a polite way to request pedestrians to move out the way. Many take exception, which is why I tend to call out a cheery good morning/afternoon/evening.

 

[chap]

Cyclists!
My rural commute means that there aren't too may opportunities to pass other cyclists. However coming up silently from behind (???) on unsuspecting cyclists with a loud Cheery "Hello" or "Coming through" seems to frighten the poor little blinders off their bike. One poor bloke who I only pass on a very quiet country road just outside of home in the dark at around 2300 hours nearly falls off. Got him 3 times in as many months.

You do have lights don't you?

During the day time, if it's a narrow berth, I use my bell to warn them of my presence - the interesting thing is that it is supposed to serve the same purpose as a car's horn yet is several magnitudes more sociable to use.

 

[661-Pete]

Pete,
I only ever pass courteously, SCR doesn't apply to me as I rarely see another cyclist on a commute...

Sorry: as I said before not fingering you! It's more to do with the way some people (no names named!) post on forums, than anything they do on the actual road! I'm almost always perfectly OK with other cyclists (except the daredevil RLJs that is!)

Although reading some posts, i know what you mean...

Like what I said!

Oh yeah, I pity the poor person that announces their arrival behind me with an airzound. Trying to explain to doctors and nurses how it got lodged where it did

Totally off-topic, but I cannot help but think of the story (probably urban myth) of the orchestral clarinettist, for whom the fire brigade had to be summoned to his flat to deal with an 'awkward' predicament...

I was told when I got my new bike last week that retailers are legally obliged to fix all sold bikes with a bell.

Quite true, and an opportunity for me to - er - blow my own trumpet (should that be: 'ring my own bell' ) just for once! When the new law came in about 5 years ago, I started a thread on the old CTC forum expressing my dismay at this measure, which evinced a lot of debate. It even got lifted from the forum and printed in the mag. The only time ever, I've been (OK: anonymously) into print in CTC mag.!

 

[BentMikey]

Remember my "OH FCUK!!!" comments from other cyclists? I got two on Thursday's commute from car drivers as I passed the driver to enter an ASL. LOLOL!

 

[Arch]

Bells aren't a polite way to request pedestrians to move out the way. Many take exception, which is why I tend to call out a cheery good morning/afternoon/evening.

Funny, I don't think I've ever had anyone take exception to a bell. Maybe it's the way you ring it?

Of course, when they hear it and look round, I tend to smile, maybe that helps.

Sometimes, if I'm not in a hurry, I'll just ride behind them at walking pace for a bit, and then enjoy being all "no, no trouble" when they realise and apologise profusely.... (I had to do this on Thursday, but then it was because I'd been forced by the flood to take to the pedestrian footpath, so I felt I had no right to push by, and anyway, there was a foul headwind)

 

[Bman]

I find peds are too slow to slipstream!

 

[Arch]

I find peds are too slow to slipstream!

In that wind, on my heavy winter hack, it wasn't too hard....

No, I was going faster than them, but wasn't in a hurry, so it was nice to just idle along for a moment or two and I was technically 'on their patch' - the alternative was riding through a couple of inches of murky water, and I don't like riding where I can't see the road surface.

 

[Bman]

I was only joking. I know exactly what you mean, I do it too.

Sometimes its just not worth shouting/ringing your bell to alert the 15th set of peds walking on the cycle part of a shared path. If your about to turn or your in no hurry its no bother to just wait behind them. Then again this sometimes scares them more than using an airzound would!

 

[661-Pete]

There have been times when I've been passed by a jogger, on a hill.

 

[aka0019]

I took my bell off when I got my bike but am going to put it back on. Part of my commute is on a path and even though I slow right down and say excuse me half the time the person still jumps out of their skin!

 

[BentMikey]

I've seen lots of people take exception to a bell, but not my bell. This in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens where I work. Lots of quiet tut tuts after whichever cyclist has passed. It's quite common to see cyclists mention on forums how pedestrians don't notice a bell/take exception to it being rung.

 

[Arch]

I suspect people who tut at a bell ringing cyclist would tut at them coming past unannounced, or tut at being called out to.

Assuming you're taking about a shared path, they probably think it's a footpath and the cyclist shouldn't be there. If they are walking in a way that blocks a cyclist's path (ie, bang in the middle or spread out), they are ignorant to start with.

 

[BentMikey]

I've seen right and wrong on both sides of the ped/cyclist divide. Regardless of the reason they are tut tutting, a cheery good morning is *much* friendlier. It takes away any excuse, valid or not, to tut or get irritated, and it's hard to be horrible to a cyclist who's just been nice to you. Making a tiny effort to spread some goodwill and karma is much better than a bell.