[Closed] Do you people not have bells on your bikes now?

Took mine off to save weight!
Same time as the reflectors came off of my pedals....

Yunki: "bells are good PR for cyclists.. that is a fact"

Completely agree. I fitted a bell for the first time this morning and was amazed at the improved reaction from walkers. Of course there will be some ignorant ones but surely it's better to rise above it and build some positive feeling for the future.

I'm surprised walkers aren't startled by the hideous rumble of deja vu which accompanies all remarks about bicycle bells, I'm now incapable of actually using a bell, instead the merest thought that I ought maybe to consider the action, triggers a panic attack at the possible consequences should I post a forum thread about it.

I'm sure many walkers are the same, hence their mule-like inaction when faced - reared? - with a bike. I've found an answer though, I simply pass the walkers carefully then ritually disembowel myself with rusty kitchen knife leaving a pile of steaming entrails in the middle of the trail.

After this, a bell is rarely mentioned.

Most days though, I just choose to slow down and say hello in a friendly way. Less hassle.

I think saying 'excuse me please' or 'hello' is politer than pinging a bell.

Yeah a bell is the answer and they're fun although mine doesn't work well when it's got water in it as it just goes 'dink' which can be embarrassing.

On riding past a couple walking along a cycle path, a friend of mine was asked "where's your bell?"
His reply was "up your wife's arse"
Of course I do not condone this kind of thing.

Genuinely LOL'd at that. Top work.

Chicken pine-marten?

Well done tootall. You enter
[img] [/img]

Slowing down, a good girlie high pitched "Hellooo" and a smile seems to work for me

Once riding in a group of 10 riders. Bridleway, 4 walkers in front going the same way.

Mate at the front pings his bell, we all pass the walkers, i'm last man.

As I get to the walkers, one says "where's YOUR bell ?"
"Guy at the front's knicked it !" said I.

Cue much laughter from said walkers. 🙂

TooTall - Member
I like my bells on my bikes. They annoy ramblers and gnarcore rad mountain bikers in equal measure!

..and gnarcore rad roadies too :-)(is there such a thing?).

All mine have bells fitted. Polite 'helloos' are good, so is the bell as an alternative / back-up

And whoever it was who said something about removing it for weight saving purposes did you weigh it first??? FFS! 🙄

I took mine off after having people go nuts at me for ringing it, "*ing cyclists, why should I have to get out of your way". Shouting "scuse me" has never done that, so that's what I do instead.

I am another one for the voice approach.
Having been a pedestrian in cambridge much more than a cyclist, I have come across more obnoxious, moronic cyclists than I can count. What I find most annoying is that I am a cyclist myself, and they are giving decent mannered cyclists a bad name. Anyway, I digress..

Personally, if I hear a "ding ding" directly behind me, it is as if the person on the bike can't be *ed to use their voice to say a nice polite "excuse me". It is like when you are on the motorway doing the speed limit, and some nob in a BMW or a Mercedes comes right up your arse and flashes their lights at you... because you are doing the speed limit and they want to exceed it and you are holding them up. Obnoxious, **** you sort of attitude.

Also - if there are people in the way in front of me, I generally see it as a challenge, and an opportunity to have MUCH more fun in getting around them, or I just realise that it is their right of way and just say nothing and continue at walking pace quite happily, until there is a place to pass or they decide for themselves that they will let me pass.

There are always people who have to have a little whine about cyclists though, but in those cases, there is nothing you can do, because they are clearly morons. Either give them a load of witty abuse back or just laugh at them and try to kick up some mud as you pass 😉

Around and around we go.

Bells. They're not required by law so you don't have to have them. Some people find them useful, others don't. They ding irritatingly when you're travelling over rough ground but sometimes alert people to your presence. Sometime they don't, and sometimes people choose to ignore them. Therefore, some people choose to use bells and some don't. The optimum word is choice.

People. People are people, whether they're walking, cycling, driving or hang-gliding. My personal experience of people is that they're often rude, ignorant and selfish. Having a bell fitted to your bike may possibly alter this. It may not. People are just people.

Please, can we stop with this constant bell debate and get back to important forum posts. I really need to know what tyres to use for East Exmoor between the 15th and 21st of March this year.

I find a bell pretty invaluable on a busy southdowns sunday, having said that though, the amount of deaf/inconsiderate/ipod wearing people seems to be on the rise. My pro2 hub does a good job too, folk seem to think angry swarm of wasps is approaching.

+1 for the Pro 2 much more effective than a tinkling bell

[img] [/img]
😀 😀 😀

I like to compromise by shouting 'ding ding', thus achieving the effect of having a bell without having to incur the huge weight penalty of carrying a bell.

Works every time and often gets a laugh.

I had a bell once. It died after a crash and a puncture.

+1 for eviljoe

120 decibels.

I was happily pootling along a towpath next to the River Lee a couple of years back, when a stick flew out of a hedge in front of me, closely followed by a large dog. I had to slam on the brake to avoid a canine catastrophe.

I remonstrated with the owner "Do you realise that you nearly caused me to be knocked off my bike?"

Owner: "This is not a cycle path"

Me: (pointing to sign stating 'Cycle Path') "You're not very bright are you?"

She just stood there huffing but not saying a word almost as if the brain gears were slowly creaking out a retort so I swung a leg back over my bike and cycled off, slowly shaking my head.

I think it was a point well made.

For what it's worth I've not had much issue with walkers. This weekend I surprised a couple even though I was saying 'excuse me, hi there... etc' from as far back as I thought they'd hear. Perfectly nice about it, but if I'd been walking I wouldn't have appreciated being startled.

Will be doing the WHW in a few months, for which I intend to combine bell and spoken pleasantries. Oh and brush up on my Scottish Outdoor Access Code / Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 😉

a week or so back riding along a cycle path, i slowed as a dog was running loose, the dog then nips my leg, medium sized brown terrier thing. I start ranting at dog owner saying your dog bit me, get your dog on a lead etc. Response, she didn't bite you, me what thats blood then, dog didn't bite you your just being grumpy, me the **** dog bit me, her "i'm not listening, la la la la". as she walks back the way she came.

What the * can you do!!!!

Cheapo ping bells on all our bikes. I figure if you're riding on shared paths it's only polite. They last a few years, don't cost much and the look on walkers faces as they start the 'where's your bell' question is priceless.

Ring bell, "hello, excuse me", then louder shout. Yes, if someone steps off a pavement in front of your a shout is a lot more effective but a bell is a different sound to a voice which makes a difference.

I like to compromise by shouting 'ding ding', thus achieving the effect of having a bell without having to incur the huge weight penalty of carrying a bell.

Works every time and often gets a laugh.

That's what we do! When we're all out (me, missus and 3 kids) you get a right laugh from most folk.

Youngest has one of these too....
[img] [/img]

HONK HONK!

I find my bell works very well on the towpath. Calderdale Councill have even gone so far as putting up posters with the slogan "Two Tings" encouraging bell ringing and er...maybe something else.
Its a shame there are no rabid ramblers lurking around STW waiting for a chance to dive in on these threads as they are depressingly one sided.
Maybe some of you ranters should find a suitable Rambling forum go on a raiding party.

The entire "problem" is entirely of cyclists' making. Passing too damned fast. Slow right down. Like walking pace slow - that is the only courteous thing to do.

"Barging past" and all that is just ultra rude. If I'm walking I will move sideways to signal that I would appreciate less speed from a coming cyclist.

the air zound horns are the way forward. mate of mine used on on a car that cut him up and the guy stopped, got out and challenged him to a fight!

Anyone using an air horn off road would get an [i]extremely[/i] angry reaction from me! I'd be inclined to make sure I got IN the way, so that I could express myself at length to the idiot doing that.

I make sure I slow down to walking pace irrelevant if they have seen me and stepped to one side. If they dont hear me or see me, then I say a poilte excuse me. Allow them time to find a decent place to move to one side, and a polite thank you as I pass.

Never had anyone purposefully keep in my way. If they did, then i wouldnt let it get to me. Lifes too short.

Like the shouting 'ding ding' idea. Definately going to try that.

Pedestrians stepping off the pavement without looking with earphones in is another matter. Only thing to do is shout 'oi' at full volume. Usually scares them enough to stop dead.

If you slow to walking pace, you won't be going any faster than the walker and wouldn't be able to pass.

If you slow to walking pace, you won't be going any faster than the walker and wouldn't be able to pass.

I have a bell on my bike as i find it's worth its weight in gold round Mugdock on a Sunday morning.

Having said that, on the narrow path between Balmore and Cadder there was an elderly couple walking up ahead in the same direction as I was riding. The woman was about 20m behind her husband and she moved to one side after one ring of my bell. I said "Thanks". Then I came up behind her husband. Three rings of the bell and still no response so I go right up behind him and say very loudly "Excuse me please!". He grudgingly moves over to the side and, as I pass, he shouts at me: "Get a bell!" 😯 I replied with "Get a hearing aid!" I think his wife put him straight and hopefully he was suitably embarassed 😆

Bells, calling out "rider" etc does not work when they have bloody Ipods and similar. They are oblivious until you are upon them and then when startled can react inappropriately. If they want to insulate themselves from what is around them then it is their problem not mine.

Dog walkers, trail riders all seem to be doing it now.

Doesn't anyone stick their mudflaps under their tyres anymore to make a motorbike noise? Lolly sticks in your spokes are an alternative.

Is this thread still going?

3 pronged attack.

From a distance: bell, *ping* *ping* or old fashioned *trrriiiiinnggggg* types are both good. They are instantly recognisable as "I'm a cyclist and I'd like to get past please"

If no response then slow down on approach. A WHRRRRRRRRRR from a Pro2 hub followed by SQUEAK SQUEAK from the brakes usually works to alert the most sleepy walkers or argumentative families.

If you're closer still, then try a firendly "hello, excuse me" or a "HELLO EXSCUSE ME CAN I GET PAST".

Ringing a bell at close range can seem antagonistic, shouting from far away might not be heard.

Nothing like a good STW moral outrage thread to rumble on for pages and pages. It's compulsive reading actually.

Had an incident last week commuting out of London. Some bloke was wobbling down the road on a BSO, pootling at fairly sedate pace. Myself and several other riders passed him, only to be forced to stop at a red traffic light 300 yards further along.

Anyway, said chap pootled up to the light, mounted the pavement and cycled across the road on a green pelican crossing light, oblivious to the pedestrians forced out of his way before plopping back onto the road again, in doing so he ensured that we had to overtake him again just as the road narrowed to one lane 100 yards further on.

The lights went green and I quickly caught up with the wobbly fellow, who in turn had decided that he was going to nip past an even slower moving, even more wobbly middle aged bloke in front. I should have been patient, but the moral indignation about being made to overtake this chump for a second time made me scream "Passing, on your right!" when I was about five feet from his lughole.

Poor chap nearly jumped out of his skin.

I feel a little guilty about that, but slow moving RLJers who necessitate a second overtake irk me something rotten

You know I have never come across a walker who got a hump on when I let them know I was passing with a simple coming pass AND if you are on a quiet country road the same applies you let them know you are there. Some half wit at the start of this rant gave a bit of a verbal abuse when someone stepped in front of him. People including him do forget to look over the shoulder before stepping to the right on quite road.

PJM1974 - Member
Nothing like a good STW moral outrage thread to rumble on for pages and pages. It's compulsive reading actually.

Had an incident last week commuting out of London. Some bloke was wobbling down the road on a BSO, pootling at fairly sedate pace. Myself and several other riders passed him, only to be forced to stop at a red traffic light 300 yards further along.

Anyway, said chap pootled up to the light, mounted the pavement and cycled across the road on a green pelican crossing light, oblivious to the pedestrians forced out of his way before plopping back onto the road again, in doing so he ensured that we had to overtake him again just as the road narrowed to one lane 100 yards further on.

The lights went green and I quickly caught up with the wobbly fellow, who in turn had decided that he was going to nip past an even slower moving, even more wobbly middle aged bloke in front. I should have been patient, but the moral indignation about being made to overtake this chump for a second time made me scream "Passing, on your right!" when I was about five feet from his lughole.

Poor chap nearly jumped out of his skin.

I feel a little guilty about that, but slow moving RLJers who necessitate a second overtake irk me something rotten

Do you know PJM1974 you sound just like a car driver who has to slow down for a cyclist? Did he slow you down by a lot? No right to do that OPPS I am talking like a car drive. Have you ever thought he may not be as fit as you.......and maybe you will be as unfit as him one day? It is unbelievable you had to overtake him twice he was right out of order.

"Passing, on your right!" when I was about five feet from his lughole. Poor chap nearly jumped out of his skin.