After having the bejesus scared out of me yesterday by a roadie shouting his approach on a small country road whil walking my hound, I’ve realised this is not the ideal way of doing things.

So I need a bell.

Cheap and cheerful halfrauds special or something else?

There can be only one…

Spur Cycle – Better Bell

I’ve got one of these

I bought it here
Decathlon

It’s lovely 😀

I don’t like those single ‘ding’ ones. Much prefer I nice jangling ring-ring. Picked up a cheapy from a pound shop which is fine and a posher electra one for the other bike which is slightly better but either do the job.

Snap!

Charity shop bell FTW..

Go to LBS and test every one they have till you get the appropriate sound you want.

It will also give us a great thread when the LBS staff complain about you on here.

I find basic “ping” bells are fine if flicked twice – people react better to two pings than one.

BBB EasyFit is small & unobtrusive.

I like the look of the Spur Bell though.

I agree two solid pings gets best results, a few seconds before you actually arrive at a walker, just to say ‘I’m here’.

I can’t help but think this is a classic case of STW over complicating things. Go to a bike shop/Halfords/a pound shop and buy one that they have. I have one on my gnarmac and mountain bikes, they’re great but I have no idea where any of them came from, it’s just a bell FFS.

Lunge, I’m on holiday, it’s raining and the only thing to do here is internets as I seem to have borked my hand so can’t ride either.

Now, about those spur bells!!

Crane top cap bell – loud and harder to steal:

I’ve got one like the “i love my bike” too, used to have a “ding” type but it’s not as effective and also seems to set off the nutters, it’s quite insistant sounding. Whereas grdirdidirinngid- drininringiring goes on for ages, easier to hear and locate… And also it’s so cheerful, much more headcase friendly. Genuinely think you get a better response.

Stem or steerer mounted bells are a stupid idea, you have to take your hands off the bars to use it.

Stock cheap bells I find stop working and have to keep dinging the thing to make a sound beyond a dull muffled ding no one will hear.

When they do work they make people jump out of their skin and possibly leap into the bushes thinking you’re about to mow them down, and then you get “the stare”.

They are a demanding sound. A bit “get out of my way”.

Old school ding-a-ling type bells are more polite, but then the things are massive and people are more likely to think you’re a little old lady pootling along.

I only use bells on tow paths though. No where else do I find I either need them or anyone insists I should have one. “get a bell!”.

I always fit the NC17 ones they are cheap and they don’t rattle.

Portland Design Works King Of Ding II Brass Bell

<psst, want to buy a bell?>

Is there a particular problem with bell theft?

I recently rode the Grand Union canal to London from home (Warwick) and bought an BBB EasyFit bell to help alert people to our presence.

It was rubbish.

We came across loads of people as you’d expect and I reckon it really worked about twice to the point that I gave up. The Hope hubs I have worked far more reliably.

On a related note I have a BBB EasyFit bell for sale. Only used on one ride and not for that long.

Here’s an epic one

King Cage BarBell – doubles up as a shot glass

I have an old skool honker. Terrible mount but the noise is brilliant

For a number of years I have successfully used the method of saying “ding ding” when an appropriate distance from obstruction.

I have an old dring dring type bell, works much better than the ding ding on my other bike, people move quickly expecting a child as the dring dring is more normally associated with a child’s bike I think and I get more thank yous with the dring dring than the ding ding lol

I’ve got a big Dutch ding dong. A ping is not sufficient and the jangley ring too coarse. Everyone love a ding dong.

Big dong dong

Yeah me too – it usually gets a smile.

Daffy – Member

Stem or steerer mounted bells are a stupid idea, you have to take your hands off the bars to use it.

Funny, I was just thinking “great idea! frees up space for my lights and reflectors. 😆
(road bike)

Daffy – Member
There can be only one…
Spur Cycle – Better Bell

I have a basic black bell (mounted upside down as it was easier to flick with my thumb plus looked neater)

But have been encountering so many people with headphones in, it was virtually a waste of bar space.

That Spur Cycle bell however is a work of art. Can’t find anywhere with one in stock though. (Yes I would spend that on a bell 😳 )

http://www.bricklanebikes.co.uk/spurcycle-bell-silver

Spur Cycle Better Bell @ Brick Lane Bikes.

Unfortunately this item is currently out of stock.

Thanks. Emailed them to see if they know when they’ll get more in but they don’t have an ETA right now.

These are rather fetching and happen to work well in all conditions including torrential rain…

Velo vitality in Brighton had a load of spur cycles in a few weeks ago, their website is showing out of stock but may be worth pinging them an email.
Bells

We have silver or black Spur bells if anyone needs one.

Rich @ Keep Pedalling

Do you post and do you charge the standard premium for black?

The Spur seems like the ultimate STW product tbh- very pretty, very expensive, and worse at the job than something you can buy for £3 in Halfords. Do they do cufflinks? 😆

mocha – Member
We have silver or black Spur bells if anyone needs one.
Rich @ Keep Pedalling

How much Rich? (including postage)

TIA

This from Brick Lane looks a LOT like a Spur Cycles bell (its available in black and silver) but is only £20.

Crane-e-ne Bell – Clicky Link

In defense of the spurcyle it had a very loud, clear, long ring. It is rock solid on the bar as well, I also have a pdw king of ding and the clapper moves on it.
Yes, I’d agree with northwind it is a STW product, in the same way that we are all Audi driving, gaggia classic owning, cotic riding, hope fanboys or girls 🙂

Hey that’s unfair I just want a nice bell!(for my Hope equipped Cotic 😳 )

Riddoch and Normal Man, they’re £35 plus £3 (edit oops…) post. Didn’t know there was a black tax, we sell them both at the same price.

Give us a bell if you still need one…

(edit 2 apparently the black’s have recently gone up, we had stock before that happened).

It never fails to amaze me quite how far a pedestrian will jump in the air when you roll up behind them and say good morning…..
Feckers didn’t hear the bell…
Tapping them on the shoulder is a no, but the reaction is priceless

The worst/funniest situation was saying good morning to a runner wearing a day glo vest and dark glasses. He almost crapped himself on the path as we came the opposite way….turned out the font on his day glo vest saying “blind runner” could have been a lot bigger