Bike Bell
- Thread starter Mr Crash
- Start date
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Gerry Attrick
Lincolnshire Mountain Rescue Consultant
A polite "excuse me please" is far more effective than any bell.
Grendel
Veteran
Yes. I find on cyclepaths especially this is the case, with either people who are hard of hearing/wearing MP3 players. Half a dozen rings later, and on passing at walking pace I usually get the shout- "You should get a bell on that thing!".
OP
OP
Mr Crash
New Member
Cush
Veteran
- Location
- North Cumbria but still a Geordie
Prefer the voice and a polite thank you when the ped gives way but yesterday when a group of female walkers(maybe 20+ of them) were going to step in to my path on a shared track / cycle way by the side of the Tyne I hollered in my best decibell voice "Get back" By the look on their faces, I think at least two of them must of wet themselves
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I tend to be on a road bike most of the time (no bell 
) but I find when I've had one people are very variable to it; some thank you yet other get irked by it and you get those that just don't hear it and those that choose to ignore it! I find the best thing is the campy hub (folk here you comming 
) yet its not too aggressive and I ride on road 99% of the time anyway. The bike I ride most often however, has got shimano hubs and quite often I cycle it over the FRB (where you've no choice but to use the shared path) and whereas I find a polite excuse me works 95% of the time you do get the odd idiot, usually a young ned/chav, circa 13-17.
) but I find when I've had one people are very variable to it; some thank you yet other get irked by it and you get those that just don't hear it and those that choose to ignore it! I find the best thing is the campy hub (folk here you comming ) yet its not too aggressive and I ride on road 99% of the time anyway. The bike I ride most often however, has got shimano hubs and quite often I cycle it over the FRB (where you've no choice but to use the shared path) and whereas I find a polite excuse me works 95% of the time you do get the odd idiot, usually a young ned/chav, circa 13-17.
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
I've had that before or people saying "Oh I wondered what that sound was".
Maladjust your brakes so that they screech, that usually makes them jump aside and shocks them into silence.
Not that I would be anything less than polite myself of course.
Deb13b
New Member
- Location
- Co. Durham
Most people ignore mine. I usually end up shouting "coming thru!" which tends to work. But I get a lot of nasty looks off people. But it is a clearly-marked shared path.
The only time any one noticed my bell was crossing the Humber Bridge one day when there was a charity event taking place and we was having to weave through crowds of walkers. Everyone ignored it apart for one group of people, and they turned out to be a group of Chinese walkers who politley made way for us. After we had passed them I said to my colleagues, "That confirms it, my bell was made in China, as they are the only people who understand it".
Trouble is these days, most people have ear phones in listening to music so they hear nothing from behind.
Trouble is these days, most people have ear phones in listening to music so they hear nothing from behind.
betty swollocks
large member
IMO bike bells are not a good idea.
You hear one..what message is it giving?
Out the way please.
I'm coming up behind.
Both?
So what do you, as the pedestrian?
Most, try to get out the way. But, there's a fifty fifty chance that they move the same way you were intending to go.
As a cyclist, but when walking, when I hear a bell, I stop and stay still, until the bike has gone. i do this because i know that that is what I'd prefer a ped to do, were I on my bike.
Far better to call in a friendly voice "Bike coming through on your right/left!" ...followed by a "Thank you" after.
You won't always get it right. There are always those who are determined to be miserable and cantankerous. Ignore them.
At least you've been cheerful, courteous and done your best to ensure their and your safety.
For dogs and children, slow right down and be extra careful. After all, what's a few more seconds on your journey?
You hear one..what message is it giving?
Out the way please.
I'm coming up behind.
Both?
So what do you, as the pedestrian?
Most, try to get out the way. But, there's a fifty fifty chance that they move the same way you were intending to go.
As a cyclist, but when walking, when I hear a bell, I stop and stay still, until the bike has gone. i do this because i know that that is what I'd prefer a ped to do, were I on my bike.
Far better to call in a friendly voice "Bike coming through on your right/left!" ...followed by a "Thank you" after.
You won't always get it right. There are always those who are determined to be miserable and cantankerous. Ignore them.
At least you've been cheerful, courteous and done your best to ensure their and your safety.
For dogs and children, slow right down and be extra careful. After all, what's a few more seconds on your journey?
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
I prefer a combination of the concepts of bell and voice, so I put on a Leslie Phillips voice and shout "I say, Ding Dong"
phil_hg_uk
I am not a member, I am a free man !!!!!!
I dont have a bell I prefer to use my voice.
The other day I was cycling down the road at the side of the river in Knaresborough, as usual loads of peds not realising they are wandering aimlessly about in the middle of a road. I came across a clump of them and in a load voice said excuse me with no response said it several more times before they heard me, as I was passing on of them said "BELL" in a loud voice so I just said "HEARING AID" back to him, as if they would have heard a bell
The other day I was cycling down the road at the side of the river in Knaresborough, as usual loads of peds not realising they are wandering aimlessly about in the middle of a road. I came across a clump of them and in a load voice said excuse me with no response said it several more times before they heard me, as I was passing on of them said "BELL" in a loud voice so I just said "HEARING AID" back to him, as if they would have heard a bell
