Ding, Ding! Bell or No?

[Velocivixen]

I love a good bell, and I have a good bell on my hybrid. I ride where there are people walking dogs, jogging, kids, etc. and my very loud Crane brass bell let's them know I'm coming. I still call out, as I get closer to people, "passing on your left" so I don't startle anyone.

My only issue with my bell is that it looks more like a bell you'd see on a cruiser bike. My hybrid is sporty looking and the bell looks like one of those pictures you see titled "What doesn't belong here?". I had an adjustable Incredibell Bell by Mirrycle, but it broke, so I returned it for the Crane.

I don't have a lot of room on my handle bars and the Crane, although, really loud and functional takes up a lot of room.

So....do you have a bell? Why or why not? Favorites?

[OakLeaf]

I have a bell that came installed on my hybrid - I don't know what brand it is or even whether it was installed by Trek or by the LBS.

I leave it there, I use it for politeness' sake, but eight times out of ten, people ignore it. That's why I have a loud bunny-shaped squeeze horn right next to it. (Which only gets ignored about two times out of ten.)

On the roadie, I just holler, which is louder than either of those in any case (and it's also easier to modulate the volume and tone, so the pass-ee can tell whether I'm being polite, or whether I'm exasperated from hollering at them for the third or fourth time).

Not having a noisemaker on the roadie is less because of a lack of room on the bars, than because I rarely ride the roadie in situations where I'd need one (frequent passing of people who aren't experienced cyclists who know what to do when someone hollers), plus there's really no place to put any noisemaker on drop bars where I wouldn't have to reach for it.

[Velocivixen]

I love the idea of a horn!

[Eden]

I have an irrational hatred of those cheerful little dingy bells...... I would be more than happy to melt them all down... (no I don't have one on any of my bikes).

[hebe]

I have one on my hybrid (plain small black tinny), but took the one off my mountain bike. Most of the time I just shout/call out, and if anyone didn't hear me shout they probably wouldn't hear the bell either. I think that bikes sold here have to be sold with a bell.

I think Electra have some pretty bells.

[PamNY]

Bells are required by law and common sense where I live (I suppose another sound device would be legal; I don't know for sure). Whistles do not satisfy the legal requirement

I have a largish, clunky bell right now. Incredibells are fairly small and don't look too bad; I'm going to get one eventually.