I have repeatedly been asked why I don’t have a bell on my mtb.

Sometimes by ramblers and other times by non-cycling friends who just don’t get why I wouldn’t.

I usually make up some excuse about it jingling away when going down a rocky descent. In all honesty I just don’t want one on my bike because it’ll look sh!t. But it might make some ramblers happy and that has to be a good thing.

So a) Do you have a bell? b) if not, what’s your spurious excuse for not having one

a) no
b) additional weight impacts my Strava times.

I did some research on the use of a bell when I was a ranger in a local country park. Half the walkers/ramblers thought they should be compulsory and the other half thought they should be banned.

Personally, I favour the “slow-down and speak” approach.

Old people often ask if I have a bell. I cannot be bothered to point out that I do, and I rang it, and you are as deaf as a post.

b) additional weight impacts my Strava times.

😆

a) Do you have a bell?

No

b) if not, what’s your spurious excuse for not having one

I have Hope-Hubs and/or my voice is as loud as a bell.

I had loads of people ignore it or fail to hear it, and some folks get confused by it and end up all over the place, then I had one guy go absolutely mental at me for ringing it, so I thought sod it, not playing- a cheerful hello/excuse me/goodbye works better IMO.

+1 patriotpro

Bell on one of my bikes, loud proII on the other. It’s true what scotroutes says IME – a subset of walkers do appear irritated by them.

NW +1 you can’t win on the bell front, so I given up playing.
Occasionally if a walker grumbles, I’ll stop and explain why I don’t use one.

Always fit a bell, always using it.

That way no one can complain.

More people seem to be upset by a polite “excuse me” than by a ping.

No, if I was walking it would wind me up, it feels like the bell pinger is saying “clear out my right of way”, and we don’t have right of way over walkers.

I can see the value as an early warning for horses.

Where is the best place to fit a bell on a horse?

Yeah, I’ve been favouring the cheery hello which apparently they can’t hear. Which is probably louder than my bell…Probably best to just not really care to much what people say and continue being as polite as possible!

a) No
b) “RING RING” is that good enough? I tend to find saying excuse me is much more polite – engage irritatingly nice mode

If you are on a public right of way, there is no legal requirement to carry a bell, horn, or any other form of warning device on a bicycle. The Highway Code recommends that you do, but it isn’t enforceable.

The only legal requirement is that a complete bicycle must be sold with an audible warning device.

I find that a large set of lungs, functioning vocal chords and a big mouth, employed in the formation of the words “bike up!” in an authoratative yet friendly manner to be adequate.

Oh yeah, meant to add- my commuter has a proper bell on it, not one of those irritating modern “ting” numbers but a big oldschool ratchet thing. It just sounds so incredibly cheerful, people seem to react better to it (or maybe they just think I must be an 8 year old girl or something)

I had one (until last month when it broke). I found it really useful, and if you get one of the ones that come on new bikes you can mount it under the bar.

I find that a lot of walkers get it, but even those that approve of bells hear them so irregularly these days that they don’t realise they’ve heard a bell and think it’s something else. So in the end it’s not much of a help and I’m not replacing mine. It is far more effective than “excuse me” though because it can be heard from a long way away and it seems the majority of walkers want you to have one. If you don’t and just rely on politeness it gets their backs up 🙄

Whatever the situation a bell gives you the moral high ground.
Last week a dinged a lady and her dog so I could pass.
Her response was ,” just because you ring your bell doesn’t give you right of way”.
I was able to stop and very politely put her right in her place. No bell would have left me at a disadvantage.
Then an old boy was walking his dog. I dinged him and he didn’t get out of the way. He’s either deaf or hates bikes. So when it was safe and wide I passed him.
” Why don’t you ring your bell?” I told him I did he said I didn’t ,I asked him why I would lie when I pointed out my bell.
” Im a bit deaf” he eventually confirmed. It ended up with him patting me on the back and saying sorry. Without a bell both situations would have meant walkers adding points to their hate score.
Be polite ,have a bell and they can’t really moan.

Always fit a bell, always using it.

That way no one can complain.

AND it annoys the vain riders. Which is a huge ++++ in my book.

I did, but got told by some old boy that he couldn’t hear it after me ringing it for mearly 3 mins from about a yard behind him.

I have now fitted the nice yellow accessory to my SS, worked a treat on Sunday around the reservoirs, also raised a smile with most people too 😀 :

(ignore the rest of the stuff on the bike – first bikepacking adventure)

I have a rachet bell too, goes drrring drring drring. If I didn’t have one when cycling on the canal I would soon get very tired of shouting ‘excuse me’ or ‘WATCH OUT.’ Also I like to tring it for fun when coming up behind my mate or going past some dazed teenagers stumbling out of a smoke filled fiesta in the middle of the night. Sometimes I ring it at cows but they tend not to listen and generally may just lift their tail and shit, is this a comment on my bell or riding I’m not sure.

a) Yes. On all my bikes.

IMO, shouting from a distance to give adequate warning will usually sound aggressive, walkers, horsies and doggists seem more receptive to a bell backed up with a cheery hello and thanks as I pass.

OAP’s can miss them howerver as they get higher pitched when small and unobtrusive, and those are the frequencies that coffin dodgers loose. You cabn’t win all them all though.

IMO, shouting from a distance to give adequate warning will usually sound aggressive

Depends how you phrase it. Never had a problem yet.

Is this another of those English/Scottish things ? In 15 years of living up here I’ve never had a bell on any of my bikes (road or off-road) and never had a single comment about them. Mind you I’ve never had any negative interaction with anybody (walker, horse rider etc) on a trail up here either. OK, I don’t meet that many folk on the trails up here, but when I do we always pass with a cheery comment and sometimes end up stopping for a chat. It’s like nobody has any more right to the trails than anybody else and we are all just happy to be there.

“Hill” trails are (mostly) different. The folk you tend to meet are outdoorsy and tend to be friendly. Think “canal towpath” and it’s a different mix.

a) yes, at times
b) sometimes I don’t as it may be in the way on my bars (ie bar-roll, computer, lights and needing grip options) and not likely to be needed

and c) 6+ pages ..

I think saying hello’s better, but bells can work at a distance that a friendly hello won’t. Depends where I’m riding.

But to not use one as it looks sh1t is bit lame, having 3 extra cables coming off your bars for all your remotes and options and settings looks pretty cr4p too. There’s a few small, light options that work well and they can be mounted under the bar discretely if needed.
Is it daft thinking ‘I’m to H-Core to have a bell’ despite riding on paths that are tame enough to have walkers and horses on? : )
Riding with a bear bell on cos you actually need one feels pretty cool.

s this another of those English/Scottish things ?

I fitted mine when I lived in Scotland- for a trip to the Lake District. I just never took it off. Only once in Scotland did someone say how nice it was that I had a bell. They were English on the Devil’s Staircase…

“Hill” trails are (mostly) different. The folk you tend to meet are outdoorsy and tend to be friendly. Think “canal towpath” and it’s a different mix.

Ah, right, that makes sense. All the folk I meet are out to enjoy the great outdoors and just seem happy that others are doing the same, regardless of how they choose to do so. But I guess things are a bit different on a crowded tow path.

No, if I was walking it would wind me up, it feels like the bell pinger is saying “clear out my right of way”, and we don’t have right of way over walkers.

walkers heading towards you should be able to spot you, if they are in a world of their own a tingting reminds them there’s other people around, gives you all a headsup to sort yourselves out to pass each other in an amicable way.
If you are both heading in the same direction it’s good for drawing attention to yourself. (and despite not having right of way in most cases the [normally] quicker moving cyclist will need to get passed at somepoint)
Neither are shouting “get out of the way”

But I guess things are a bit different on a crowded tow path.

kinda, but you still get dicks out in the wilds just as you still get nice people on towpaths.

Ah, right, that makes sense. All the folk I meet are out to enjoy the great outdoors and just seem happy that others are doing the same, regardless of how they choose to do so. But I guess things are a bit different on a crowded tow path.

Such is the glory of Scotland.

All the folk in the Peak District are out to enjoy their activity only and no one partaking in another activity may invade their personal space (which is roughly 1km radius). The Lake District is similar unless you get off the beaten path.

I’ve recently added a bell to my Enduro 😯 because in places like the lakes, Delamere etc I just find it useful to let people know I’m on my way.

If your just riding trail centers I would not bother though.

We went through a period where my mate had one and I didn’t and when we got to busy areas I would always let him take the lead after a few rides and seeing how useful it was I then added it. Slightly uncoool but I really do find it useful. 😀

what’s your spurious excuse for not having one

If I’m approaching the ramblers from behind (ooh-err) and get asked, I just ask them why they haven’t got a rear-view mirror. If I’m approaching from their front I ask them why they’re not paying attention. With a cheery smile, of course. Soon shuts them up!

I have a Hope hub which does the job anyway. Had a proper bell once, but found that more than half of the deaf old coots I meet couldn’t hear it (or were too busy yapping). I always slow down anyone and find a courteous “hello” or “excuse me” works 99% of the time.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UplJBQi_0_w[/video]

I find one genuinely useful when the West Highland Way starts to look like Sauchiehall Street. I’ve also found freewheeling a Pro II hub is pretty much ignored by walkers round here.

Taking a guess at explaining why, perhaps the pitch of the bell carries further or is more easily recognised -> more likely to promote the reaction I’m looking for.

I’ve not had one since I was a kid, but I do ride mostly trail centres.
For those bell advocates – do they ting annoyingly over every bump (as demonstrated by the recent ‘how I broke my arm at Swinley’ thread), or are they silent until used?

Taking a guess at explaining why, perhaps the pitch of the bell carries further or is more easily recognised -> more likely to promote the reaction I’m looking for.

Hmmm, I suspected that maybe some of the “hardcore” ramblers know what a bell sounds like and choose to ignore it. A Hope hub, on the other hand, sounds like a swarm of angry hornets fast approaching and always makes people turn round.

The only legal requirement is that a complete bicycle must be sold with an audible warning device.

This is the reason I have one, I’ve never got round to taking it off. Use it occasionally, but often find asking is easier. Doesn’t rattle or sound unless intentional.

a) Yes (on my main trail HT) and my SS MTBs only
b) my other bikes have no bell fitted I don’t really take along tow / shared access paths and hence don’t need to alert Doddering Old Giffers Ramblers…

TBH Half of them are oblivious enough to most things that an air-raid warning siren probably wouldn’t quite do the job, the other half will scowl at you for robbing them of another excuse to complain… basically you cannot win,

I love my bell on the my MTB, as walkers can’t complain when I ring it incessantly coupled with a cheery hello/morning/afternoon/lovely weather/you walking far/been out long or any other drivel I can thing of at the time. 🙄

It also make kids smile when Go Sky Riding. 😆

+1 Hope hubs 🙂