Who uses a bell on their commute?

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J.Primus

Senior Member
I never used to have a bell as I thought they were for girls until I got my new bike which came with one already fitted. I figured I might as well leave it there as it was more hassle to take it off and I'll happily admit I am fully converted. It helps clear a path through a crowd of lemmings in central London much better than shouting.
Do most people on the commuting forum use one?
And now mine is broke as Evans only fit the cheapest possible bits on new bikes and I keep reaching for my non-existent bell. Any suggestions for something small and loud (and durable)?
 

400bhp

Guru
No

You were correct - a bell is for girls (and Potsy) :whistle:
 

defy-one

Guest
I find flicking the sti levers is enough to get pedestrians to move. London peds are very aware of cycle lanes as they are heavily used
 

MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
best gadget I ever bought is the humble bell... it's essential for shared use paths.

all these nay sayers just haven't seen the light... for some reason, they think bells are beneath them... how deluded they are :tongue:
 

dhd.evans

Veteran
Location
Dundee
For shared path use they're brilliant. Still, have had a couple of idiotic run-ins with peds when they don't hear it. Tempted to plump for an airzound....
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
A bell is the most inoffensive warning followed by a polite "'Scuse me!" However I find that older ramblers often can't hear bells because their ears are too dull or blocked with wax.
 
I just say "ting ting", it breaks the ice really well.
Your bike came with a bell because UK law requires all bike to be sold with a bell, just not for all bikes to have a bell.
My tourer has one because some countries we have cycled through have a law requiring all bikes to have a bell, but my road bike (and when I had a mtb) does not have one.

I find for example it is easier and often quicker to just say '2 bikes' or " excuse me please!".
example - downhill section leading into my road which is a single track, single lane entrance which is blind, at the bottom of a fast dip, I'm usually trying to brake, slow down, signal and get into the correct gear as well as listen for cars... today there was a dog walker with 2 dogs on a lead, the road has no pavement and he went into the track. I had just caught up another bike, who also turned left into the lane but did not indicate and made no attempt to let the dog walker (in his own world) know we were there. Politley calling out "2 bikes" dealt with the situation... I had no hands left to ring a bell and calling out "2 bikes" informed him of far more than could have occured with a ting of a bike bell....

On friday - yelling a woman driver through her closed car window as she started to pull out in front of me, got her attention... I don't think a bell would have done personally!
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I just say "ting ting", it breaks the ice really well.
Your bike came with a bell because UK law requires all bike to be sold with a bell, just not for all bikes to have a bell.
My tourer has one because some countries we have cycled through have a law requiring all bikes to have a bell, but my road bike (and when I had a mtb) does not have one.

I find for example it is easier and often quicker to just say '2 bikes' or " excuse me please!".
example - downhill section leading into my road which is a single track, single lane entrance which is blind, at the bottom of a fast dip, I'm usually trying to brake, slow down, signal and get into the correct gear as well as listen for cars... today there was a dog walker with 2 dogs on a lead, the road has no pavement and he went into the track. I had just caught up another bike, who also turned left into the lane but did not indicate and made no attempt to let the dog walker (in his own world) know we were there. Politley calling out "2 bikes" dealt with the situation... I had no hands left to ring a bell and calling out "2 bikes" informed him of far more than could have occured with a ting of a bike bell....

On friday - yelling a woman driver through her closed car window as she started to pull out in front of me, got her attention... I don't think a bell would have done personally!

Airzound and if dark a Max D front light preferably on full beam would have alerted her to your presence and avoided you being knocked down.
 
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