Ding, Ding! Bell or No?

[badgercat]

I have a DringDring turtle on my commuter. It was a surprise gift from DBF that he picked up at what has become our favorite LBS, and I completely adore it.

[Aggie_Ama]

I have a very minimal black bell on my mountain bike, it is the Mirrycle Incredibell Bellini Bike Bell. My husband teases me about leaving it on for races but I can't be bothered to remove it. It is a life saver on the trails, very simple and a nice clear noise. I have had many hikers, dog walkers and slower riders thank me for the bell warning.

[PamNY]

Is it unusual for bells (or equivalent) to be required by law? Granted, if you are mostly dealing with cars, it's useless (though I ring mine anyway just for fun) but if you deal with peds or other cyclists, it is essential, I would think.

[crazycanuck]

Supposedly in Western Australia, bells are a legal requirement on a bike. Apparently they can fine you but i've never known anyone that has.

No freakin way am I putting one on mine.

One-hardly anyone has one on theirs & if they do they're a senior
Two-i'll use my voice and say "On your right" or "rider" or biiiiiiiikeeee (if i'm going around a certain corner).
Three-there's no room on my handlebars! GPS, bike light..that's it

Half the freakin time people don't pay attention anyways on some of the bike paths here so why even bother. This is another reason I avoid certain bike paths! I like my detours

I never know if a bell is being rung from behind me or or behind another rider etc.

Same with mtb...I heard "rider" yesterday behind me at our event but it was another rider behind someone else in the distance..

[PamNY]

Two-i'll use my voice and say "On your right" or "rider" or biiiiiiiikeeee (if i'm going around a certain corner).

Do you never deal with people from other countries? It's rude to assume everyone speaks English (IMO).

[OakLeaf]

Do you never deal with people from other countries? It's rude to assume everyone speaks English (IMO).

I don't think it's rude at all when you're dealing with rules of the road, which encompasses pedestrians as well. We're not talking about complex communications.

When we drive - or walk - in Europe, we're expected to know and obey the road signs whether or not we understand the language (and on our first trip, some of the signs were very counterintuitive to Americans). IMO the same thing applies to people who don't speak the predominant language wherever they may be. Even assuming someone is tooling around in the middle of the lane where they're not supposed to be anyhow - so that it may be important for them to understand which side you intend to pass them on - I think the words for "right" and "left" are some of the first words anyone learns in any language, and I think it's safe to assume that even a tourist would understand those words.

Re: a bell, I've never heard of that being a requirement, but I'll take your word that it is in your state. In Ohio, there's actually a section that permits a bicycle to have a bell, as distinguished from prohibited sirens and whistles. Florida doesn't mention it. Most states have a requirement that anyone passing, in any vehicle, give an audible signal, but a verbal warning qualifies when you're riding a bike.

[Velocivixen]

My rides through both regional parks and neighborhood parks on multi-user paths dictate that we give a verbal warning that we are approaching (biker warns pedestrians) & it is also considered a courtesy.
There is a senior woman who only rides about two months out of the year and I would be walking my dogs and she would be right up on me, not saying a thing, and scare the cr*p out of me. I always had to watch for her, and finally I stopped to talk with her and gently told her that it is customary (around here), to call out. Especially to dog walkers because it can take a few seconds to get out of the way or whatever.

[PamNY]

- I think the words for "right" and "left" are some of the first words anyone learns in any language, and I think it's safe to assume that even a tourist would understand those words.

Oak, I live in lower Manhattan and I have a dog. That means I give directions to tourists a lot. Many people know "left" and "right," but certainly not all.

"On your left" is confusing to native speakers sometimes; it certainly might be confusing to visitors. In my case, using the bell is simple courtesy.

[oz rider]

Supposedly in Western Australia, bells are a legal requirement on a bike. Apparently they can fine you but i've never known anyone that has.

Legally required here too but most roadies don't have one. The police have a blitz on the inner city commuters every now and again so a lot of those riders have them. I have a noisy hub on the roadie which does the job if I'm on a path, but I haven't seen a 4WD stopped by a bell.

[jelee1311]

I don't have a bell on my roadie I'm not sure it would do much good. Badgercat that is the cutest stinkin bell ever. I might entertain having one if I had one like that or maybe a lady bug because my bike is black and red.

[crazycanuck]

Pam...I've never come accross anyone of a NESB on the bits of the bike path I ride on...Older upper middle class folk manily. In Sydney it might be different but in Perth nope. Not all bike infrastructure is the same accross the planet....

(however....most of the NESB folks in my neighbourhood ride on the footpath..which is illegal..no lights, no bell, helmet on the wrong way etc and scare the $($($( out of us when walking...)

As I mentioned before..I now take avoid certain bike only paths & take the road which is actually safer than the bike path.

There's a few corners in Perth that a bell might help but heaps of people cut them & don't give a $*$&*$& anyways....It's one big testosterone laden bike path here..oo nooo we can't slow down.. we might have a slower ride in... and we then can't tell all our friends that we did our ride 20sec faster than the previous day and 40 sec faster than the day before that...

Aslo, most of the roadies i pass have $*$$& Ipods on & wouldn't notice if someone had a bell...

Most of the kwinana bike path going south (i don't go north very often) doesn't have anything along it...The houses are set back from it with a small noise wall then after that, pretty much nothing.

One more thing...our mtb trails in Western Australia aren't walker/rider shared. The walkers have the Bibbulmun track & we have our dedicated mtb trails. I've never ever ever seen anyone walking on our mtb specific trails.

There's a well known recreational walking/bike path in the hills here that cris crosses roads etc. I might come accross one or two folks w doggies but I stop even before they see me so i don't frighten them. It's better at night!

[Eden]

Is it unusual for bells (or equivalent) to be required by law? Granted, if you are mostly dealing with cars, it's useless (though I ring mine anyway just for fun) but if you deal with peds or other cyclists, it is essential, I would think.

Out here it is bell or voice warning when passing - and that is only when on a MUP. I also avoid MUPs when at all possible.....

[Aggie_Ama]

One of the trails I like to ride is a spider web layout. I use the bell at intersections and have again had people thank me. It keeps us all safe. On my road bike my voice is plenty to alert people. I don't use MUP. I will take a picture of my bike set up once the new one arrives. I use a tiny stem and bars but my bell is minimal and doesn't take up any valuable space for me. Road bars there is a shortage of real estate though.