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  • Timber Bell – a short review
  • easily
    Free Member

    “alright, you only need to ding once!”

    That’s what concerned me. I’ve never yet had a bell that satisfies pedestrians: they’re too loud/too quiet/don’t sound like a bike bell/ make them jump …
    I fear this would just annoy people in a slightly different way.

    NewRetroTom
    Full Member

    I got my band on bell a couple of days ago and used it on the ride to work this morning. Seems pretty good. Band does allow some slippage, but still easy to stablilise the bell with thumb while switching it on/off with a finger.
    Wish I had had it on my other bike for the pre-breakfast ride where I got bitten by a dog this morning. It was the kind of incident that the bell could have prevented – woman walking up the track who I saw from quite a way back but who didn’t hear me until her dog charged out of the bushes and bit me on the calf. If she had known I was there she would perhaps have been able to control her dog/it might not have reacted in the same way if not taken by surprise.

    jeffl
    Full Member

    So I’ve used mine a couple of times now. I ordered the band on but received the bolt on which based on the comments above I’m happy about.

    I use a track that has lots of walkers, doggers and horse riders on, to get out to the edge of the Peak District. Generally it’s worked really well and people have heard me coming from a way back. Do have to give the bars a wiggle sometimes to ensure people have heard you.

    Only issue I’ve had once was a couple of dogs kept following me, chasing is too strong a word they were soft as anything, until I turned the bell off. I can only assume that they had a toy at home that also had a ring to it.

    So overall 👍

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    syncro
    Full Member

    A great bit of kit. After being unsure about the band on version due to some of the comment I bought the bolt on version. It definitely changes how people respond to you out on the busy trails at the moment. I guess that it’s because you’re not taking them by surprise.
    Didn’t take long to perfect the ‘bar shake’ technique on smoother trails either.
    It’s not cheap but it’s a nicely made quality item.
    I assumed that I’d only be switched it on when approaching people of on blind corners but the sound it makes is not at all intrusive so I just leave it on most of the time.
    All in all I’m pleased enough with it that I’ll be buying another for my other bike.

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    I’ve had mine on for a few weeks now. It’s a lot more polite than a traditional bell and has managed to extract a few smiles from people when they see the bar wiggle. All positive except for one miserable old duffer.

    On a section of quite overgrown and disused bridelway, I came out into a bit of a clearing from some trees, old duffer 20 metres away coming towards me, I stop to make room for us to pass safely with a polite “Afternoon!”

    His reply was along the lines of “This is a footpath! Shouldn’t be on a bike!”

    “It’s a bridelway.”

    “Hmmmf! You should have a bell on that bike!”

    “I have.” Wiggles bars, ting-a-ling!

    “Well I can’t hear it, I’m deaf anyway!”

    “Bye”

    🙄

    oreetmon
    Free Member

    To those who asked,

    1, Can fix a loose bell by installing a Tiny ziptie around the wire that holds/just above the ‘dinger’, this takes up the slack when switched off.

    2, a drop of chain oil helps on a stiff thumb switch.

    Cheap versions are available on AliExpress £7 ish.

    TheGhost
    Free Member

    I have been using my Timber Bell all week. I like it. Everyone I’ve meet so far has been ok with it.

    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    Yep, been using mine a while now. I love it.

    Does sound a little,erm, “emasculatiing” but that’s abbot the only “negative.”

    Really pleased with it.

    Murray
    Full Member

    Just got mine from Charlie@singletrack – fitted it between calls, looking forward to seeings its effect on walkers. At least they’ll never have a valid reason to say “why haven’t you got a bell?”

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    Does sound a little,erm, “emasculatiing” but that’s abbot the only “negative.”

    You need to embrace your inner tinkle.😉
    Clicky for tinkley

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/2j6MC7y]Where's your bell.[/url] by multispeedstu, on Flickr

    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    ^^ Haha! Indeed I now have. Rather than emasculatiing I now think of it as bright and cheery.😁

    drewd
    Full Member

    I’ve only had mine fitted for a week but it’s been effective and is easy to use. I do feel a bit daft with it ringing, but that goes for all bells.

    I bought the clamp mount version and the only negative I have is that you have to open the band up to fit the bar. It doesn’t feel fragile but it does feel cheap. For the price it’d be nice if the clamp was hinged.

    Early days but so far I’d recommend it. It does what it is supposed to and does it well.

    thepurist
    Full Member

    you have to open the band up to fit the bar.

    I was surprised at the lack of a hinge too – didn’t fancy trying to open the band so just popped the grip off and slid it on. No biggie, but I’d expect a hinge wouldnt add that much to the production cost.

    Fwiw it went on Mrs Ps bike and seemed very effective on its first outing.

    eskay
    Full Member

    I have been avoiding my local trails because I knew they would be swarmed with walkers. I noticed this thread and ordered a clamp on (unfortunately not from single track because they were out of stock).

    Went out on MTB for first time since lockdown today and used the bell for the first time. Only had to use it a couple of times (the weather kept quite a few inside I reckon today).

    Pretty happy with it and was nice not to have to shout out excuse me.

    It does sound like a new age hippie’s wind chime but it does the trick!

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    “alright, you only need to ding once!”

    That’s what concerned me. I’ve never yet had a bell that satisfies pedestrians: they’re too loud/too quiet/don’t sound like a bike bell/ make them jump …
    I fear this would just annoy people in a slightly different way.

    When this occurs I just ride no handed with a little gallic shrug and say “I’m not ringing it mate, it’s on auto”

    plop-pants
    Free Member

    Bit of a mixed review from me. Used it for a couple of weeks, all off road.
    Some people hear it, some don’t. Dinging into a head wind hasn’t been effective. Most don’t seem
    to know from which direction the noise is coming from and I end up shouting anyway.
    It has been effective on downhills. I set it off at the top and leave in on to the bottom.
    Several times I’ve come round a blind corner on a descent to find people lined up away from the trail wondering what the hell is coming down it!

    thenorthwind
    Full Member

    When this occurs I just ride no handed with a little gallic shrug and say “I’m not ringing it mate, it’s on auto”

    Even better: “What bell? I can’t hear a bell.”

    kayak23
    Full Member

    Somewhat underwhelmed to be honest

    Me too. Had mine on for a few rides now, couple of weeks old and to be honest the tinkle seems a bit dull and dead. I checked to see if any mud had pinged inside it but seems clear.

    Tried angling it slightly but seems to make no difference. It still takes a lot of handlebar wiggling to get any sound and the sound is fairly dull.

    Seems to need a particularly rough cattle grid type surface to get it to tinkle well enough by itself.

    Presumably you can’t adjust it somehow?

    Yeah, underwhelmed… 😐

    p7eaven
    Free Member

    Several times I’ve come round a blind corner on a descent to find people lined up away from the trail wondering what the hell is coming down it!

    ^ This (for me) raises questions

    1. What did you do about the people on the trail before you fitted the bell?

    2. What were they thinking walking on an MTB trail, round a blind bend?

    longmover
    Free Member

    2. What were they thinking walking on an MTB trail, round a blind bend?

    perhaps it was not a dedicated MTB trail.

    I have accessorized my timber bell with some i9 hubs, now it sounds like a swarm of angry wasps with bells attached.

    jeffl
    Full Member

    @kayak23 Sounds like there’s something wrong there. Have a look at some of the YouTube vids to see how it should sound.

    If you take it off the bike does it sound like it should. I had an initial problem that the bell was a bit dull. It’s because it was touching a shifter so dulled the noise. Also make sure it’s vertical, or near as damn it.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    Cheers, yeah I’ve checked all the obvious…I think, while out riding.
    I have it central, just by the stem.

    I’ll take a better look today.
    I mean, there’s not much to it. You’d have thought there wasn’t space for a dud. 🤔

    meikle_partans
    Free Member

    A bit of a cheeky thread resurrection. I’ve lost the spacer for my bolt-on timber bell and I was wondering if anyone had one spare? Postage/donation to charity happily paid.

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    I might have somewhere. Failing that, give cyclorise a shout, they’re really helpful.

    nbt
    Full Member

    I’ve got a spare, DM me and I’ll pop it in the post.

    Anone had the issue of the handle coming off? I got mine from STW and Charlie sent a warranty replacement but I keep looking at the old bell there and thinking “surely I could knock up a replacement handle”

    meikle_partans
    Free Member

    Thanks guys, I’ve dm’d nbt. Appreciate it

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Anone had the issue of the handle coming off? I got mine from STW and Charlie sent a warranty replacement but I keep looking at the old bell there and thinking “surely I could knock up a replacement handle”

    MrsP had the handle snap where it goes into the mechanism. Charlie was great and sorted a replacement so I thought I’d have a fettle with the old one, and it’s tougher than you think to bodge a viable alternative. With hindsight I’d say just stump up the cash if you want another one.

    nbt
    Full Member

    it’s tougher than you think to bodge a viable alternative

    That’s the conclusion I’ve come to. Charlie sorted a new one no questions which is great, just idly wondering if a solution had been found by anyone

    plastercaster
    Free Member

    I love mine but I wish it was more sturdy. The first one I had came from mtbriders and the clapper came off. Replaced without hassle. Second one the bell sheared from the mount but I think that was in a crash, with the bell hitting the top tube. Didn’t warranty that as I Felt it was my fault.

    I’m now on number 3, this time a band on from STW. I used a spare band from a light to fit it on the narrow part of the bar – the ones provided don’t grip enough to allow the bell to stay still whilst pushing the slider in my experience.

    Despite all this PITA I still like it because the walkers responses are so much better. I Even overhead a “what a great idea” from one guy as I cycled past. And I can just turn it on at the top of an off-piste descent and worry a bit less about surprising anyone.

    jamesoz
    Full Member

    I like mine, it was a present about a year ago. It no longer stays locked out but an o ring wrapped round gives it some tension.
    I’ve had runners ask where they can get them and thumbs up from walkers.
    One posh bint shouted ‘tell your friends to get one’ confused me a bit as they mostly don’t ride bikes. Maybe she’d had a few gins.

    Still plenty that are so engrossed in walking 6 abreast on a byway they don’t hear me coming compared to those that hear me 100 yards away, same byway, same (lack of) wind.

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    You need to embrace your inner tinkle.

    I had a TURP in November to stop my inner tinkle!

    The timber bell though is still working well.

    tjmoore
    Full Member

    I keep thinking about one of these, but I suppose I’m not that fussed about a bell on MTB trails. I’m rarely faster than anyone else and I’m also able to politely wait. Main use for me is general xc wanderings. Gravel if you like (not a gravel bike). I have an old a bit broken bell. My Covid bell as I call it for all the Covid walkers.

    I’m concerned with the Timber about it not likely to be ringing on smoother surfaces. Sure could wiggle the bars but may as well have a regular bell.

    Also been looking at Granite Cricket. Same idea but adds a manual ding option. Great but reviews aren’t so great. Quiet and maybe not of great construction.

    I like the idea for alerting walkers in a less aggressive way though.

    One posh bint shouted ‘tell your friends to get one’

    I’ve had “at least you have a bell”. Yeah, thanks 🙄

    zippykona
    Full Member

    It barely take a shake of your bar to make it ring.
    Another plus is on bendy single-track downhill that it lets people know you are coming.
    A perfect device that I will hear no bad words about .

    ta11pau1
    Full Member

    Granite Cricket

    I have this on my hardtail which I use a lot for local riding, which means walkers.

    Perfect combination of dinger and cowbell, only issue is it’s quite big so might not fit within thumbs reach, depending on your brakes.

    swdan
    Free Member

    I have a granite cricket on my gravel bike which doubles as my London commuter with a different set of wheels. Works well for both if I’m honest and I find the dinger to be plenty loud enough. Cow bell style is quieter but still ok for my off road needs

    kendonagasaki
    Full Member

    Mine was knocked on when loading it into the back of the van last week. That was a fun journey.

    sotonkona
    Free Member

    I’ve ended up with a STW Timber Bell on one side of the bars and a Oi on the other side of the bars. Timber Bell does a brilliant job on the trails (well except for anyone with airpods in, they could miss an A380 behind them!), but is next to useless on the flat, hence the Oi to back it up! Never thought I’d become a single, let alone double bell end 🙂 ……but it’s become essential!

    StuF
    Full Member

    Mine was great until the handle snapped off. Haven’t tried to bodge a replacement handle yet

    10
    Full Member

    I had a knock-off one that lasted a year, then I bought the real thing and it’s been great so far. Both have been about the same volume and have had the same level of effectiveness. I love the confused look on people’s faces as they try and figure out where the bell is coming from. All positive comments about the bell from the people who’ve commented. I aim for rough stuff now to trigger the little tinkle!

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