Do you use a bike bell?

So, I've been thinking I could use a bike bell for riding the trails, since some of the ones we ride are multi-use trails, and although I am very unlikely to pass another mountain biker (since I'm a pokey newbie!!), I occasionally pass a jogger or walker. I found this cool one, and it also has a compass!

Ebay bike bell

Anyone else use something like this? Do you like it? I figure at under $8 (including shipping!) it is certainly worth a try, even if the compass doesn't work all that well, it's still a bell. And it's blue!!! :D

Emily

I have a bike bell on my pink city bike. It's a metal one so it really has a very traditional bike bell sound. I use it mostly for fun, because it makes me happy to hear it.

See its sister bells here:
http://www.dringdring.ca/catalogue%20sonnettes.html
(Mine is the one with the cat but I also love the pink candy, goes well with a cycling top from Shebeest 2 years ago)

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Originally Posted by Grog

See its sister bells here:
http://www.dringdring.ca/catalogue%20sonnettes.html
(Mine is the one with the cat but I also love the pink candy, goes well with a cycling top from Shebeest 2 years ago)

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Those are just darling!!! The "chien" (woof-woof) would look cute on my mountain bike, color wise, but I've already ordered the more "serious" compass bell. Actually "chien" would look fab on my Bike Friday too (it has blue bar tape in the same shade). Will it fit on road bars, do you know? And are these available in the US, by any chance? The site appears to be French-Canadian.

Thanks much!
Emily

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

Those are just darling!!! The "chien" (woof-woof) would look cute on my mountain bike, color wise, but I've already ordered the more "serious" compass bell. Actually "chien" would look fab on my Bike Friday too (it has blue bar tape in the same shade). Will it fit on road bars, do you know? And are these available in the US, by any chance? The site appears to be French-Canadian.

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Dunno about a retailer in the US - you could send an email and ask, write in English, they will understand - but even in Montreal I couldn't find one this summer! They completely sold out, crazily popular.

I am fairly certain they would fit on road bars. Not sure about oversize bars (which is my case), but I could check (I have an extra bell of the same type).

It makes a fabulous dring dring sound, you can actually listen to it on their main page (http://www.dringdring.ca) by clicking the play button on the right side of the page!!

Let me know if they DO ship, because I will order a few!!

I would order also!! These are adorable and fun!

DF has a whale bell on his road bike. Yep - his road bike. He's only using it for the MS150, then it will get trasferred to his mountain bike. He DOES pass a lot of bikes on his way up and down the hills :)

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

So, I've been thinking I could use a bike bell for riding the trails, since some of the ones we ride are multi-use trails, and although I am very unlikely to pass another mountain biker (since I'm a pokey newbie!!), I occasionally pass a jogger or walker. I found this cool one, and it also has a compass!

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If you are passing another biker, you should be calling out "On your left" or "On your right".

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Originally Posted by madisongrrl

If you are passing another biker, you should be calling out "On your left" or "On your right".

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To prevent all confusion, I much prefer adding something like 'passing on your left' or 'coming on your left' and even 'passing on your left, please stay to your right' or 'passing on your left, stay where you are'.

I have a loud and clear voice so it's not too much of a problem to be distinctly heard.

'Passing on your left' is problably the clearest.

I like these bells. Especially the Betty Page-style pinup devil with her bike on her shoulder.

http://www.somafab.com/hellsbells.html

I usually do a 3 part holler when I pass. "coming up behind you" "passing on your left" "thank you".

If you just shout "left" or "on your left" the pedestrians don't always know what you mean. (other bikers will) Walkers will often think you are telling them to move to the left, and they will do that and so end up right in front of you.

If/when I get a bell I'll use it for advanced warning before my hollering.

Knotted -- I like those bells w/'tude. "Bad Car" is my favorite!

I don't know about "passing on your left" here in Texas.... some people don't know where the left is. I like bells, a loud one, so they can hear, well if they hear...

But also to say, lot's of joggers or walkers are thankfull for the warning

Therese

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Originally Posted by madisongrrl

If you are passing another biker, you should be calling out "On your left" or "On your right".

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Oh, I do, though I don't think passing on the right is proper/safe unless there is absolutely no way to avoid it. I've been a road rider for years, just started to mtb, so I know how to handle passing other riders. However, the equation gets a little muddy on multi-use trails. Pedestrians often freak out at "on your left" - they aren't used to it and sometimes step right in front of you. I like "Passing on your left" and will start saying that that, but I think a little bell at the same time is not a bad addition. Anything to get someone's attention and avoid a crash!

After riding my Bike Friday today, I noticed that there is absolutely no room on the bars for anything else. I already have a computer, air horn, and Halt holder, and the bars are only 36 cm wide. I do like to ride in the tops occasionally, so I am afraid the darling "chien" bike bell will not work on that bike, if I could even locate one. The compass bell I ordered for my mountain bike will be helpful for the multi-use trails, though, and I do have the bar room on that bike.

Emily

I really like the bike bells and wish they'd become more commonplace. When we went to Germany, everyone used them and they were very effective. We were kind of amused, though, hearing the dainty little jingle and knowing that it meant "move it or you're gonna get clobbered!" But again, they worked and pedestrians didn't jump to their left in shock.

Within the last few weeks, several bikes have passed me when I've been out running on the paths and they've used the bells to alert me. I have to agree with some earlier posts, though, that they can be confusing by themselves. The first one I actually thought was birds or squirrels pecking or swatting at something metal. I ended up in the middle of the path (not wanting to twist an ankle getting too close to the edge) looking around for where the sound was coming from when the bike passed me.

On the other hand, a jingle to get someone's attention followed by "I'm on your left" would probably work - and not be as startling.

Deb

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

If you just shout "left" or "on your left" the pedestrians don't always know what you mean. (other bikers will) Walkers will often think you are telling them to move to the left, and they will do that and so end up right in front of you.

If/when I get a bell I'll use it for advanced warning before my hollering.

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Maybe I should get a bell for the road bike:

I should have had a bell the other day. After spending about 6 weeks in Montreal riding my bike, I came back to Vancouver (where I live now). I sit on my bike for the first time and head out to a ride during which I have to cross a bridge. Both bikes and peds are on the sidewalk, which is one-way for bikes, and it's decently arranged, I have yet to see a real conflict there despite heavy bike/runners traffic. So anyway, there I go, spinning up the bridge. I approach a guy on a heavy mountain bike slowly crawling up the hill, so I call

"J'arrive par votre gauche. Restez sur votre droite." (Coming on your left. Stay to the right.)

Yes, in French. With a great smile in my voice, but in French. Of course, he doesn't move. So a little louder, he probably has headphones, right? He turns a little bit, sees me and moves to the right. I pass him and say 'Merci! Bonne journée!' (Thanks, have a great day!) with the same smile, which he doesn't return.

I did that exactly twice on the bridge, with the same results. As I was going down the bridge, I just realized that I was speaking the wrong language for the circumstances. I just as nicely told the next person that I was 'passing on her left', and she moved accordingly.

Multiuse trail users here are better trained than elsewhere, but only in English! I should get a bell for the road bike maybe...

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Originally Posted by Grog

It's a metal one so it really has a very traditional bike bell sound. I use it mostly for fun, because it makes me happy to hear it.

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I'm with you - I don't know why but the traditional ting-a-ling of an old fashioned bike bell always makes me smile. It's the law in the uk that new bikes have to be supplied with a bell but the one that came with mine has a cheap and nasty 'ting' so I'm going to replace it with a 'real' bell.:D

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

Oh, I do, though I don't think passing on the right is proper/safe unless there is absolutely no way to avoid it.


Emily

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Depends on the situation. On a multi use trail, you might be passing on the left....but it doesn't always work that way because there a many pedistrians that don't pay attention. Sometimes passing on the right is what happens. I'm not sure how your path is set up, but many times pedistrians should walking on the left side of the trail if they heading in the same direction as you (just like you would if you had to walk in traffic). Again, it all depends on how the path is set up.

(Passing on the right during a mountain bike race is allowed and acceptable here in Wisconsin....you just need to call out your pass).

You can't win.

If I am riding along a cycle track that is divided for pedestrians and they are walking on the cycle track, if you suddenly appear behind them they do not like it, if I ting me bell, they moan about that very often.

Some people are just never happy.

Secretly I wish I could just sneak up to the grumpy ones and shout MOVE!

Then you get the friendly people that are grateful for the warning.

Sally

I got my compass bell and used it yesterday for the first time riding on a multi-use trail. I had to use it once on a pedestrian who was drifting onto the left side of the path, and probably should have used it a couple more times.

You're right, I am not sure which annoys peds more -- the "ding" of a bell, or having a cyclist whiz by without a word. I was kinda distracted since I was riding with a friend and we were chatting some, so I forgot to say "passing on your left", but I will make sure to do that next time too. A couple of times a rider going faster than us whizzed by us, and they rarely said anything. I wished they would have b/c it can be a little startling if they come up fast around a curve!

Anyway, I like the bell! Doesn't have the nice "dring-dring" of the cutie ones, just a "ding", but it's better than nothing. And the compass is a nice addition.

Emily

Love my classic "ching ching" bell, use it all the time! Works great to let joggers know a bike is coming behind them (unless they're wearing ipods).

I have a "ding!" bell and use it quite a lot, but people react very differently. Adults on their own, and children for some reason, tend to get it, they look up and move to one side. While some elderly people look like they're about to have a heart attack or jump into the bushes at the sound of a bell, so I'm a bit wary of using it behind them just a warning.

And mothers with loose toddlers will sometimes go berserk too at the sound of a bell. I have children myself so I try to make a point out of slowing down and giving the child a huge friendly smile... "see, I'm nice, I'm NOT an ogre about to run you into the asphalt just because your mother says so!"

Hi, I'm the dringdring bike bell girl! I just discovered this forum while checking out the stats on who was visiting my website (www.dringdring.ca) I'm really happy that you're enjoying your bell GROG. Thanks for spreading the word about my small business. Some of you seemed interested in knowing where to buy my bells. You can order them directly from me at annie@dringdring.ca Just go on the website and let me know which bell you would like. I ship anywhere in the world. I send an invoice by e-mail which customers easily pay through paypal. The bells are 20$ + shipping. They make a really great gift! Hope this answers the question. Thanks for the interest !

annie legroulx
montreal, canada

Bells are required by law here, so I have one of the ones with a compass in it. The compass goes crazy when crossing over the railway (as does my heart rate monitor), apart from that it works really well. Some pedestrians are so dopey though, I think a fog horn might be more effective.

Bron

There were two guys hanging out at a spot by this v coaster waiting for others and when I rode up one guy said Rider Up...:p