Bike Bell/ Alert System

ben_250

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone uses a bell? I am constantly trying to fight my way through pedestrians and other cyclists. Has anyone found a good method of alerting them?

I find a bell annoying and a hastle so i dont use one, any suggestion?

Thanks

Ben

cupofteacp

I whistle very loudly,

It's not perfect but at the volume I produce people look

leoccp

Shout AAARGH! no brakes! :twisted:

BentMikey

An AirZound. Especially with the reservoir changed to a 2 litre coke bottle.

(I don't usually use mine on pedestrians, as that's very nasty overkill.)

Drfabulous0

Air Zound for cars, shouting for peds.

A bell works well on shared paths but is drowned out in a town.

If it's not to loud freewheeling with my Hadley hub is loud enough to alert most peds.

t4tomo

Mikey, I take it the resevoir, be it the standard supplied one or a 2l coke bottle needs to be strapped to the bike somewhere? Just wonding if it word be a viable solution for the Brompton or whether it would impede folding. I use a combination of bell and whistle (mainly for pedestrians who walk out or look like they are about to with out looking) and shouting at the moment (mainly for gits in cars with no regard for other road users).

BentMikey

It only really works on the 'bent due to a combination of a suitable handlebar position where I can brake and press the airzound button at the same time, and having the tailbox to store the coke bottle in.

I just use my voice on my upright.

t4tomo

Aye, sounds a bit bulky for the Bromton. Might get one for the tandem though......

levad

I use my bell every day. No pedestrians or vehicles to alert but it does get the pheasents out of the way (eventually).

dondare

I tried using a bell once, no one took a damn' bit of notice of it.

When I see (well, hear) other cyclists using bells it always strikes me that they'd been just as well off not bothering. Those cyclists who ride through red lights and at pedestrians on crossings whilst ringing their bells are total bloody idiots.

BentMikey

I had one of those Dutch DING-DONG bells. Really good bell, very loud and much better than most. I might order one again, I gave the last one to my Mum.

marchant

If I'm feeling playful, a big handful of back brake (with resulting tyre squeal) works well. Otherwise I whistle

Aidocp

ben_250 wrote:

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone uses a bell? I am constantly trying to fight my way through pedestrians and other cyclists. Has anyone found a good method of alerting them?

I find a bell annoying and a hastle so i dont use one, any suggestion?

Thanks

Ben

On my commuter I find the bell next to useless, it just stops comments "where's your bell"
My road bike has a capagnolo free hub I find the clicking it makes, although only when free wheeling) great for alerting peds.

Totalnewbie

I used my bell on the pigeons in the park. The oncoming cyclist looked at me as though I was odd, perhaps he's in the 'just run 'em over' camp! (ahem Bentmikey!) When I had a car, I used to toot them gently.

Bell hardly ever gets used on peds because more often than not I give way to them if they're already in the road, I'm nice like that (and it's what you're supposed to do, technically).

secretsam

Loads of people in London use them for suicidal peds, total waste of time IMHO, often peds (including me when I'm forced to walk) will have headphones on, so the old fashioned SHOUT works better...

spen666

I find a good old fashioned jousting stick on the frontof the bike prods those peds out of the way

Drfabulous0

It's called a lance, and if we're going there why not bar mounted water cannons or paintball guns.

redvee

BentMikey wrote:

I had one of those Dutch DING-DONG bells. Really good bell, very loud and much better than most. I might order one again, I gave the last one to my Mum.

These are made by a comapny called Widek and from memory imported by Dillglove, if you have probs with your LBS getting hold of one.

rjeffroy

Campag freehub for peds, SHOUTING for cars works fine for me.

Plax

I'm too embarrassed to use the bell on my bike. The only time I have used it was on the shared path around the lake when a little girl on her trike waved at me as I cycled past, so I sounded my bell and waved back.

Bugly

sounding a bell tends to make pedestrians on shared paths stop turn and look not get out of the way - a polite "On your RIght" works well, on the road a car driver hearing a bell you must be joking :shock:

Pat920

Got a traditional bell on the commuter - very useful and loud. Got used to using it when riding in Germany, France and Belgium. Cars and pedestrians do hear it, and it is only polite on shared paths. Also use it on a particular blind corner on a shared path on my commute - saves a collision from time to time.

In emergencies a loud "Oi!" works better - but then bells are not for emergencies.

The bells that only ping have a very limited use.

Yellow Cliff

When I put a bell on my bike I wasn't convinced it would help, but I have to say that I like it on shared use paths. I find the bell has more effect than speaking/shouting and I tend to ring it some way off so that people can hear me coming. OK, some people ignore it/don't hear but overall I do like the bell now.

dirk_van_gently

Just took a look at that Widek website, and as well as producing bells in all manner of styles they also manufacture "Synthetic Bicycle Parts", I never knew there were any Synthetic bicycles :-D

gilbert_by_proxy

I have recently bought an AirZound 3. Very good! It has saved me a couple of times, but I agree with bentmikey its too loud for peds, unless I'm in a mischievous mood!!

http://www.cyclesense.co.uk/products.ph ... p721&z=353

john holiday

Highly recommend Dutch type "ding/dong" bell.Highly effective at 50m range & so much more polite than shouting! Bought one in Netherlands & similar copies from John Street Cycles. In constant use when cycling along North Wales Coastal Path which includes various lengths of promenade(NCN 5).

saveswalking

gilbert_by_proxy wrote:

I have recently bought an AirZound 3. Very good! It has saved me a couple of times, but I agree with bentmikey its too loud for peds, unless I'm in a mischievous mood!!

http://www.cyclesense.co.uk/products.ph ... p721&z=353

Yeah I've got an AirZound 3 and will only use it in extreme situations cos its extremely violently loud. The next time a bunch of sheeple colectively decide to cross a pelican crossing when the mans on red I'll probably give them a blast and vocally remind them that cyclists aren't the only road users jumping red lights.

A bell sounds like a toy ...

ping!

sw

whome

Plax wrote:

I'm too embarrassed to use the bell on my bike.

Me too - well actually I don't have one, but I wouldn't see when to use it. I don't feel I have a right to ring the bell to get people out of the way. On a shared path I generally slow down and wait to pass once there is room. If it is narrow (to narrow for me to pass without their getting out of the way completely) I would expect to have to stay behind the pedestrian until it widens or if they kindly step aside for me to go pass. Generally this has been towpaths and the noise of the brakes /freewheel as I lurk behind is enough to gently make them aware.

whome

aren't the only road users jumping red lights.

But red pedestrian lights are advisory only. Cycles are vehicles and have to obey traffic signals (the round lights). Pedestrians are not vehicles and do not have to obey them.

Actually you could say they have right of way on the road and you should stop/avoid any pedestrian who wanders out.

saveswalking

whome wrote:

aren't the only road users jumping red lights.

But red pedestrian lights are advisory only. Cycles are vehicles and have to obey traffic signals (the round lights). Pedestrians are not vehicles and do not have to obey them.

Actually you could say they have right of way on the road and you should stop/avoid any pedestrian who wanders out.

I used 'jumping red lights' as a play on the tired old cliche that many (non cyclists) use against cyclists.

I think its in all road/pavement users interest that they (pedestrians ) take the red pedestrian light advice.

No jay walking!

sw