Is a bell worth while?

spen666

I know its a legal requirement that all new bikes are SUPPLIED with a bell, but what benefit is that to the average commuter.

watching pedestrians as I rode into work today, it seems that most of the ones who walk out into the road without looking have their ability to hear a bell wiped out by the headphones/earphones they are wearing.

I wonder if they could actually hear a bell and if they do hear it, would they have time to react?

PrettyBoyTim

I have one, but I no longer use it. I prefer an 'Excuse me, please!' with a smile which seems to work well. In emergencies I tend to find I can shout a warning much quicker than I can reach my bell, and it's much louder.

bigease

I Agree, I use the vocal approach too. I think it also provide less shock and therefore less of a random reaction.

andyp

A general observation - the sound of a bell seems to have the same effect on pedestrians (assuming they are not listening to Kanye West on their ipods) as car headlights do on rabbits.

clanton

I don't use a bell (for fashion reasons!) yet I think they could be very useful as the sound is instantly recognisable and people associate them exclusively with bicycles.

DavidTQ

I took the bells off both my bikes the day I got them, they look crap, they took up space used by lights and cycle computer, they were the "tink tink" types really cheap and hard to hear even at point blank range, utterly useless waste of handlebar space.

Ive been commuting since spring and due to route \ travel times I dont think Ive yet came across a situation where I would want to use one if I had one that worked at all.

Now an airzound for vehicles I really should get sometime...

whywontyoulisten

Is there any rule prohibiting the use of one of those small air-horns powered by a deoderant can-sized compressed air cylinder?

Or truck/train horns powered by a compressor in a bike trailer...

Mog Uk

I can shout/react far quicker and safer than I can reach for a bell/gong/airhorn/cymbal...

A - W

I was fortunate enough the other night to see a commuter shouting loudly at the car that was slightly in the cycle lane.

In a big booming voice he said 'Get out of the cycle lane.'

I didn't half laugh at the poor old dear in her Ford KA as she didn't know what had hit her.

Any back to the OP, I removed my bell, it made room for my lights. I did use it but people didn't take notice of it.

Gussio

I can't imagine a bell being much use against people walking out into the road, but they are pretty useful on towpaths, shared cycle paths etc.. Certainly more effective than a polite cough when silently creeping up behind peds. An air zound in such circumstances maybe considered overkill, although it would be amusing to watch people jump out of their skins :twisted:

alfablue

I agree about shared paths - I ride the Bristol to Bath Railway Path regularly and the bell lets me pre-warn walkers way before I get within (my quiet) vocal range. The bell is instantly recognisble, usually gets the desired effect (often without the walkers even needing to turn to look), and I often get a "thank you". As for bar space, I have the bell at 90 degrees to the top of the bar so it faces towards me and is an easy reach for my left thumb (flat bars on my commuter), so it only takes 1cm of bar space.

I would agree that it is of minimal to zero use in traffic.

dondare

Although people tell me that they can only see cyclists who ride along ringing their bells, I have discovered that in real life it doesn't make the blindest bit of difference, except that ringing a bell makes it harder for me to steer and use the brakes.

alfablue

In real life, walkers on the Railway Path generally move to single file, and with the position of my bell I don't even have to move my hand off the grips. I reckon your lack of success is due to the particular breed of peds you encounter and the positioning of your bell. That said, I am willing to accept that regular walkers on the Railway Path my be more savvy re: bikes, as there are so many of them (in excess of 1.5 million cycle journeys per year).

whywontyoulisten

Gussio wrote:

I can't imagine a bell being much use against people walking out into the road, but they are pretty useful on towpaths, shared cycle paths etc.. Certainly more effective than a polite cough when silently creeping up behind peds. An air zound in such circumstances maybe considered overkill, although it would be amusing to watch people jump out of their skins :twisted:

I just change gear loudly.

spen666

whywontyoulisten wrote:

Gussio wrote:

I can't imagine a bell being much use against people walking out into the road, but they are pretty useful on towpaths, shared cycle paths etc.. Certainly more effective than a polite cough when silently creeping up behind peds. An air zound in such circumstances maybe considered overkill, although it would be amusing to watch people jump out of their skins :twisted:

I just change gear loudly.

i tried that on my fixed wheel bike. It was very loud when I fell off trying to change gear

il_principe

I've always gone down the vocal route. Although I overtook someone on a double susser last night and they tinkled furiously as I passed... perhaps they were peturbed by the silent swoosh of my singlespeed.

Porgy

I've got a big horn

prj45

I find my bell invaluable.

Its a single dinger (DING!) and sits underneath my right shifter pointing down, its black and not noticeable really, I ding it with my right thumb.

Veeeery useful when I cycle across Hyde park.

The key thing is to ding it whilst your a way away from any ped or cyclist that could turn into your path.

I do resort to the occasional "Oi!", but try to avoid this, just creates an atmosphere.

Being upside down it does fill up with water though, so its a bit crap in the wet

dondare

Porgy wrote:

I've got a big horn

8)


Respect.

Flaming Arrow

I've given up saying excuse me as it's generally ignored on the shared paths around here. I find that locking up the back wheel has the desired effect. :shock:

Hairy Jock

A bell can be useful on share cycle paths, particularly canal towpaths where it can be used as a warning before going under bridges, but there are time when a loud voice work better :twisted:

secretsam

Bells are a WOTSAM

New bikes have to be fitted with one? Since when, did I miss this, what nonsense

spen666

SecretSam wrote:

Bells are a WOTSAM

New bikes have to be fitted with one? Since when, did I miss this, what nonsense

For quite some time now new bikes have to be supplied with a bell. it is not a requirement thatyou keep the bell