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Mine - No bells. Last bike that came with one I kept it on for a while, tried it. Useless. No one heard it. I also think its a bit tantamount to a Horn in saying "Out of my way". I know that's not how it's meant. Its just a cheery - here I am!
I go for slowing to about twice walking pace, and a cheery, "Good afternoon" about 20/15 metres out - usually followed by "No you don't need to fling yourselves into the undergrowth, I can go round you I just wanted you to know I was there."
Aye, because I can't whistle.
Does my head in when cyclists only ding it once. Ding it twice ffs.
No bell - just Hope hubs...
No I can shout "DING DONG" or "RING RING" as required, I much prefer a polite excuse me though.
Think I used to go for the double double "dingding - dingding".
Nope, I just shout "STRAVA!!" After that whatever happens is out of my hands.
No I can shout "DING DONG" or "RING RING" as required, I much prefer a polite excuse me though.
This.
I took the last bell I had off my bars after it created a surprisingly gory (and painful) gash in my knee following a slightly unplanned stop.
Bells on commuter, singlespeed, fs but not dh bike: I had one on that too but I broke it on an unsceduled 'rest' against a tree. 😀
The PDW 'king of ding' from charlie the bikemonger is nice, and sounds pleasingly like those antique mantlepiece clocks you get in national trust houses.
No - Hope hubs etc etc as above.
All my bikes have em and they get used, I normally slow up and give it a couple dings with as much warning as possible without trying to give the "get out of my way impression".
Does my nut in though.....every single time they jump, spin, do a twirl as though I'm bearing down on em at warp factor 5 in a juganaught.
Just got used to it now and give a smile and a thank you.
ThisMine - No bells. Last bike that came with one I kept it on for a while, tried it. Useless. No one heard it. I also think its a bit tantamount to a Horn in saying "Out of my way". I know that's not how it's meant. Its just a cheery - here I am!
And thisNo bell - just Hope hubs...
Bells = moral high ground. You can ding politely. I've had a real grumpy pants congratulate me on having a bell.
Sure ,not everyone hears it but it shuts up the where's your bell brigade.
As above back pedalling a hope hub normally does the job.
Same as the OP, I have a bell on my commuter but don't use it cos if you ring it it makes some of the dafter walkers flail around and then leap about two foot in a random direction, usually straight into your path. Slowing down and saying "Hello" works much better.
Hope hubs...
My Hope has lost its click, it's very annoying, been like that for months. Works fine, but no football-rattle sound effect. Just bought some bits to try to fix it, I think it's the freehub bearings.
Does my nut in though.....every single time they jump, spin, do a twirl as though I'm bearing down on em at warp factor 5 in a juganaught
Yeah, I think they see bike and just react before actually taking in what the bike is doing. I find it all the more entertaining to slow right down. Call out greeting, watch them run to the side of the road/ climb the nearest tree/hold on to each other and kiss the children goodbye. And then have to wait while I continue to slowly tootle towards them. Finally many seconds later, missing them by 4 or 5 yards. All the while looking puzzled at their behaviour, while they begin to look embarrassed.
Its the little things in life. 😆
If I get this I just ask them where their rear view mirror is, then pull a wheelie and zoom off. Normally shuts them up. 🙂the where's your bell brigade.
I tend to shout dring dring or bike behind, mostly works.
Have been earholed by ramblers for not havin a bell and gf has been earholed for having a bell - not having a bell saves weight.......
Bells = moral high ground. You can ding politely. I've had a real grumpy pants congratulate me on having a bell.
Some obnoxious organised rambler type had a go at me on the keswick railway line, a good distance away I politely called out Excuse Me/Do you mind (as they were blocking the entire path) that I was coming and could I get through. He turned round an pointed shouting Bike Bike to all who could hear. Then said I should have a bell, as I was going slow I explained that I though Excuse me was more polite....
Bells on the redways of Milton Keynes are a waste of time. Everyone seems to be wandering around in a technohaze with earphones in and staring at their smartphones completely oblivious to the outside world.
Bell on all bikes. Annoys the vindictive pedestrians and the cyclists who are too cool for bells, so win win.
Shouting at people to let them know you are there is so uncouth. A gentleman should warn with a bell.
Sing Neil Diamond songs at the top of my voice! .... then would have good reason to panic!
I'm too coo... oh
Hope hubs and the ability to communicate (not necessarily clearly).
I was planning on buying one for the commuter on my lunch break today.
I also once got told off by walkers for not having a bell whilst riding on the Ashton Court trails in Bristol...
Are they all shared use around there or just certain trails?
I've got a great ding dong bell on one of my bikes. It's such a happy noise no-one leaps away in horror or fear.
It's usually gets greeted with smiles. 🙂
Annoys the vindictive ... cyclists who are too cool ....
I have spokey dokies on my wheels for that. 
Bells just make them turn round, still blocking the path, and just look at you... wtf is the point of that? It's bell, do you not understand what a bell is for?
So now I just say hello, as I approach and ignore the "where your bell" comments.
ell_tell
I also once got told off by walkers for not having a bell whilst riding on the Ashton Court trails in Bristol...Are they all shared use around there or just certain trails?
Shared bits are signed as such.
Still causes a certain tightening of the sphincter when rounding a tree at speed on a non-shared section to discover ramblers/runners/dogs etc coming the other way.
I say excuse me if I need to get past. Like I would do if I was walking or running.
However, sometimes speed differential is much greater. In these instances a simple shout of "strava!" lets them know I'm on an important segment.
I've always used a bell when in town, but I'm considering getting a horn this time around..
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I'd rather barge the old dears into the canal than look uncool and ruin my expensive Niner carbon handlebars.
The water provides a soft landing, and the swimming is good for elderly joints. That's some considerate thinking there actually.
No bell on the commuter or the mtb. MTB has hope hubs on it though.
No bell,I use a whistle and 'excuse me' on the commute.
If they are plugged in and don't hear I slow right down and wait till they notice me.
I don't mind going slow on the shared path bits,just in case they have a dog.
loud bell on my commuter, use it in London all the time, very useful to alert dopey pedestrians who step off the pavement without looking
not on the MTB or Road bike though as both have Hope hubs and a quick freewheel is very effective...
Actually, it's a requirement to have a bell on the canal, I should add. Altho, not sure who would enforce it these days.
damned if you do, damned if you don't
mostly a waste of time but yes
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edit PS i've had a horn on but not sure if clears my passage
I took my bell off as everyone ignored it and it tinkled non stop when ever I rode over rough ground - like the roads in Glasgow.
I just say hello or excuse me on shared paths. Mind you recently really squealy brakes have proved remarkable effective too
"Shift thee sen!"
Used one all the time while guiding in France.
Got one on the SS that I did use while night riding locally.
Not got one on the main bike because I don't want to ruin the otherwise svelte lines. 😐
shout at the buggers, on yer left, on yer right, or move! works a treat for me.
No bell - just Hope hubs...
This !
The bell supplied at the bikeshop sits in the house. My Missus rings it to signal that a sandwich or cuppa is ready , if I'm in the garage fettling.
My commuter has a bell and its well worth having. Not everyone hears or pays it any regard but some do.
My mountain bike did have one and it was always fun ringing it when following a mate on a trail to add to the pressure of having someone right on your tail Might pop one on the Dyfi Enduro to aid courteous passing.
Plebs!
not a bell but a horn.
I'm surprised anyone on here uses a bell, especially given all the self builds.
In London IME at least it just seems to be the norm to pelt past walkers at 30kph on shared use paths. If it's busy you slow down a bit, or wait, or politely asked to be let past. Any where's your bells would just get an eff off because it's so obviously petty minded rather than genuinely meant.
My mate has a whistle (with a pea in it, like a referee's whistle) hanging off shoulder of camelbak. Not sure it is great for bike/redsock PR but it is funny to see peoples' faces when they realise who/what/why it is. Whenever I hear a whistle outside my kids' school playground, my first instinct is that I am in some sort of school/footy/old fashioned gendarme related trouble. 😆