Bell? Or Voice?

[Crankin]

The only path riding I have done has been in other countries. I have found that saying/yelling "bike left, passing" and also saying thank you helps. I slow down, but it requires a lot of attention.
Two weeks ago I went on a club ride in the middle of the week. There were 50 people and the last 8 miles of the ride were on the Nashua Rver Rail Trail. I have passed this trail on many of my road rides and it is always filled with people on the weekends. It was fairly open at noon on a Wednesday, but there were 2-3 slow riders and one little kid who we told "Just stay there ujntil we pass." I was at the front, with about 8 people and we were flying, going about 20-22. The group was really spread out and some people didn't get back for an hour after we did, but I don't think as a leader I would have taken a group on a path. Just too many things could happen.

[Jo-n-NY]

Yup me too, bell, too vain.

It all depends who I am passing on what I say. If it is another cyclist or a jogger I say on your left. If I am passing a child or people walking, bottom line, none cyclist I will say excuse me. No matter what, I say thank you when passing. When passing a child, I tell them they are doing a good job

~ JoAnn

[KnottedYet]

I don't understand.

How is having a bell a vanity thing?

Is that an image thing, like motorists not wanting to give a lane to a bike, because they're too vain and don't want other motorists thinking they're polite wusses? Is a bike with a bell a polite wuss in the eyes of some mythical "other biker"?

Or is it that you can't find a bell that matches your bike? My "Incredi-Bell"s are quite small and elegant looking (and LOUD). Take a look at pictures I've posted of my various bikes. Are the bells glaringly obvious? They come in black, brass, and silver.

REI doesn't have all the bells my LBS has, but they do have a few: http://www.rei.com/category/4500869?vcat=REI_SEARCH

[Pax]

Knot - I use an Incredi-Bell too, it works very well. I have one on my commuter but not on my roadbike, it only gets used for long out-in-the-country rides so I never bothered with one on it.

[VeloVT]

We have a local bike path that I frequently run on, and sometimes bike on when I'm pressed for time/need something easy and flat/want to get to the nice road route that is most easily accessed via the path.

As a runner, I never wear headphones and try to keep an ear out for bikes so I can move over before they have to alert me -- but when the path is busy that doesn't always work, and I have to say I prefer as a pedestrian to be alerted by voice rather than bell. I find it easier to place exactly where the bike is coming from/how close it is from "on your left!" or even "hi there" than from a quick ding-ding.

As a cyclist, I use my voice (can't see putting a bell on my bike). I used to say "on your left" (and under certain circumstances still do), but I started feeling like I was still startling people and sometimes families with six people, grandmother and dogs spread across the path would not be able to figure out what to do in time even when I slowed to a crawl, so lately I've extended the length of my warning to something more like, "hi guys, I'm coming up behind you on a bike on your left." This seems to get lots of appreciation. And I thank people too. Even when they aren't ACTUALLY being very consciencious .

[KnottedYet]

that's why i call out "one bicycle passing on your left"

If you just yell "on your left" folks think you are asking THEM to move to THEIR left.

I had a lovely run-in with a cyclist when I first moved to the big city: I heard this voice behind me shouting "LEFT" as I was walking to class. So I moved to my left. He got really mad at me and started screaming at me for being a stupid *****. I yelled back that he told me to move left.

If you don't give folks enough info, they can't always guess what you are trying to say.

I use the bell to alert folks that something is coming up behind them, then my voice to tell them exactly what is going on.

[northstar]

I have a bell on my commuter. People always seem to smile when I ding it to pass. It's worked well.

On my road bike, however, I don't have a bell. I call out "(however many bikes) on your left."

I wish it weren't frowned upon to have a bell on a road bike. Maybe I should get one that I can just slap on whenever we're doing a slower trail ride. The bell sounds friendly and is easy to hear. In fact, my DH has often commented that he wishes he had one. If he's riding in front of me on the path, and I'm on the commuter, he'll give a wave to me when he's ready to pass and I ring the bell for both of us.

I know I shouldn't care if hard core road riders would never put a bell on their bikes, but (sigh...) I do.

[GLC1968]

I don't have a bell on my commuter, but I think I want one. I'm not sure why though...as I never encounter pedestrians or other cyclists anyway! I am tempted by the compass one because I have no sense of direction. It would come in handy (I carry a compass in my wedge bag).

I probably wouldn't bother with one on my road bike for the same reason (don't have a need). The only people I ever encounter are on the sidewalks while I'm on the road. I do pass other cyclists, but they understand 'on your left', so I've never had an issue.

If I ride on MUT's, I only do it during 'off hours'. Around here, they are WAY too crowded to ride any other time (unfortunately). I do see how a bell would be a huge benefit in crowded cities or towns or in places where lots of people are using the same path. If I rode in places like that, I'd definitely get a good bell.

[mimitabby]

I wish it weren't frowned upon to have a bell on a road bike.
I know I shouldn't care if hard core road riders would never put a bell on their bikes, but (sigh...) I do.

Who is frowning about having a bell on a road bike? And why do you care?
This is about your safety. Maybe you'll never need it. But maybe you will.

No one else is sitting on your bike with you. Don't let your own common sense be overruled by someone else's opinion.

As Northstar, I expect you to be above and beyond common opinion.
go for it. Last time I looked, there were no laws against it.

ps I know a lot of hardcore road bike riders that have bells!