a - yes - on my mtb and commuter (not on my road bike though).
The Peaks + trails around Sheffield can get quite busy and i tend to use it almost every off-road ride.
Yes, I have one on my commuter. Inavluable when zipping along narrow paths. I do slow down around people as well but when approaching from behind it's very useful. Usually a good response to the little ting-a-ling, unless they're teenage boys in which case they have to look dead butch and not smile or anything.
But bells in no way look uncool. Mine has a compass on it as well so it's a bit of a fanny magnet.
Got a ting ting type bell fitted on the steerer tube, doesn't rattle jobs a good un. Mainly used on shared paths.
Depends how you phrase it. Never had a problem yet.
If you shouted 'bike up' at me, you could get anything from me rolling me eyes or telling you to Foxtrot Oscar. Either way, not the reaction you would probably want.
Bells are for winners.
If you shouted 'bike up' at me, you could get anything from me rolling me eyes or telling you to Foxtrot Oscar.
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.Bells are for [s]winners[/s] weiners
Bells on about half of my bikes - they're great - saves me having to make the effort of speaking to people. Not that I'm a miserable git or anything 😆
Bells seem to irritate people.
A polite [i]"good morning! Can I just come past you on your right, please? Thank you! Nice day"[/i] type of thing works wonders.
(although I still laugh at one former riding companion, in reply to an irate "where's your bell", simply replying "ding-a-f*cking-ling")
1) No
2) No bugger ever heard it when I did. Though they are good for when Rambler get all acusatory in your face asking where your bell is #smile + ding#
I am pretty sure a good loud blast on a whistle could be the way to go!! Loud, waterproof and not awkward at all!
I know a bike being sold with a bell is a legal requirement but is it a legal requirement to ride with one?
I'd have one of these if they made the kit smaller. Would scare the shit out of people thinking there was an HGV comign up behind them.
😀
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/delta/airzound-2-horn-ec009169
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[url= http://www.cowbells.com/collections/bells/products/bike-bell-2-3-8-high-with-velcro-strap ]get with the ****ing programme[/url]
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No bell on any of my bikes. I prefer a cheery greeting and it's less likely to get people's backs up - more difficult to respond badly to a "Good morning!" than a ting ting.
Frankly, you can't win. The number of times I've had to literally yell at people to be heard above the noise of their bloody noise-cancelling headphones or them gabbing into a phone. A bell would be useless.
Ring a bell and the response is often a grumpy "you don't need to ring that, I heard you" or "you don't have right of way you know"
Don't ring one and you get "you should ring your bell".
🙄
What is it about people on shared use paths who feel the need to either listen to music at full blast or walk along staring intently at a 4" phone screen? Pay attention to your surroundings you utter moron!
Frankly, you can't win. The number of times I've had to literally yell at people to be heard above the noise of their bloody noise-cancelling headphones or them gabbing into a phone. A bell would be useless.
Ring a bell and the response is often a grumpy "you don't need to ring that, I heard you" or "you don't have right of way you know"
Don't ring one and you get "you should ring your bell".
My experience too.
I only have one bike.. When I lived in town and used a lot of busy shared use paths, I wouldn't contemplate riding without a bell, a quick ting ting and everyone is happy, and using it on the trails generally went down well.. I've only ever gotten grief for [i]not[/i] using a bell
Out in the sticks and on the moors where I would rarely see more than half a dozen people all day was a completely different matter, so I put my bell on to my lads balance bike, and now I am back in town this thread has reminded me that I should go and pinch it back.. especially as I have a long canal tow-path ride tomorrow.. 😀
It's weird. I've ridden thousands of miles on towpaths etc with bells, and never met one of these bell haters.every so often someone doesn't hear your bell and you have to say excuse me, but 99% of the time, you just go ting ting and they look around.
Nope, no bells on any of my bikes.
Just shout " gerrroutttamywaaaayyyyy " ( you can add as many exclamation marks as you like there )
I suffer with a number of amblers ( deleted R ) who do insist on meandering like a wobbly hobby horse on one of my fave footpaths along the river, it's a bit of a mish mash of Mums, kids, amblers, dogs, old folk and tourists... It's just rude to go hacking through that lot so I adopt a cheery " Hi " & " thank you " & " lovely day eh "
Seems to do the trick.
I'm not an EndBell.
I got this bad boy for my single speed.
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Them dog walkers will be jumping into bushes when they hear it.
Yes to having a bell. Most useful on tow paths where just about every small bridge is a very narrow blind bend with low headroom and a wet drop on one side. Not a good place to have a head on with a cyclist or walker.
Cycling along last summer with a chap who when he approached females of middle aged , he would shout politely DING DONG, in a terry thomas sort of voice , they loked so disapointed to see 2 blokes behind them who didnt look anything like Terry Thomas.
Also i sometimes shout RUFF RUFF, like a doggie barking that usually get them to move.
Yes,bells are good for urban areas.
Mind you it does get quite musical when I ride on the moors.
i've got one of those 'i love my bike' bells, it was even fitted to my bike for a while...
but, it made standing my bike upside-down a pain in the ar53.
so i took it off.
I have one of those airzound horns but had to stop using it because I kept scaring the shit out of myself every time I leant over it to open a gate
😆 stufive
Most of my bikes have bells except my best road bike and xc racer
Mostly got either salsa chilli pepper ones or bob the builder
But the comuter has a Barbie bell after a lost drinking game
Yep got bells on all my MTB. I go for the polite ding and cheery hello. If people intentionally choose not to hear the bell I tend to give a couple more dings. I have been previously labelled a "militant campanologist" by my cycling buddies.
[url= http://www.turbospoke.com/products-turbospoke-what-is-it.aspx ]Turbospoke should do the trick. [/url]
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I've got a 'ting ting' bell fitted on all my bikes including my Whyte 146 which usually gets me some stick from fellow riders.
TBH I usually forget to use it until I'm right up behind fellow trail users but in conjunction with a good morning / afternoon it's usually appreciated.
I have in the past been berated by other trail users when I didn't have a bell and using a line stolen from a friend when asked where my bell is reply 'on my front door'which always seemed to increase the 'loving' bond between red sock'r and rider 😉
I know a bike being sold with a bell is a legal requirement but is it a legal requirement to ride with one?
No, as per my previous post. The Highway Code only [i]recommends[/i] that you carry a bell.
[url= https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82 ]See rule 66 HERE[/url]
I like that!when asked where my bell is reply 'on my front door'
a) No
b) I usually just utter the words "ding a ****in' ling" in my most sarcastic tone
