In praise of... crane bells

[GrumpyGregry]

Same experience as Colin. I have given up on bells and now just call out a polite: "ding ding" or "neep neep" or "bike coming through",

That last one. Is it a statement of fact or merely intent, and if the latter could it be phrased differently to at least consider the possibility that the listener might be minded differently in some situations? I only ask because last Saturday near Victoria I heard a cyclist say it and watched as he promptly fell of his his bike when a pedestrian whose response was "No you bleepin' ain't" stood his ground.

If not on a bike but on two legs would we say "Man/Woman/Person coming through" when encountering others or rather a simple, and polite, "Excuse me"?

 

[fossyant]

Bells should not be fitted to road bikes. Simple.

 

[Globalti]

Many years ago passing through a gate round ColinJ's way I got mixed up with a group of women who were on a long-distance pony treck, carrying all kinds of panniers and baggage rolls. There was a bit of banter and a certain friskiness to the conversation including the suggestion that one of them might like to swop her pony for my bike. My nerve failed me but I wanted to try out the old chestnut:

Cyclist: "Fancy a swop?"

Ponyist: "Oh no, never!"

Cyclist: "I wasn't talking to you - I was talking to your horse!"

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 3811689, member: 259"]I agree. Racers need a horn.

[/QUOTE]
They have some very similar but brightly-coloured horns*** in the local Lidl at the moment. I nearly bought one for a joke, but decided that I didn't really fancy carting one about with me on my lightweight bike.


*** And also some rather huge bells. I tried one out and it was loud but it was pretty heavy.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Last time I was in Manchester, ghastly place but needs must when the devil rives the horses, it was a pretty cosmopolitan place. Surprisingly so for somewhere in the provinces.

By no means all folk there would speak colloquial English with the degree of fluency and contextual grasp to understand the implied threat of what "on your left" means.

What's more... "on your left" and "hello" very often mean next to nothing to a non-cyclist pedestrian in the context of a cyclist trying to pass them. And a great many people, including a lot of folk who ride bikes, don't take kindly to being spoken to by complete strangers in the "I'm comin' through" Mr Toad manner beloved by too many UK cyclists.

Thsnk you for insulting the city I choose to call home. Never had the problem you suggest in 20+ years and thanks again for the utterly erroneous Mr Toad insult tarring us all with the same brush to try and hammer home your personal views as if gospel.

 

[jazzkat]

I've got lion bells on two of my bikes http://www.lionbellworks.co.uk/
It is a thing of beauty and sounds fab, but I feel embarrassed about ringing it sometimes as it feels a bit MrToad, get-out-of-my-way ish. So I tend to ring it quite a long way away. Luckily it sustains forever so most people do hear it, I sometimes call out excuse me, but it usually scares the living wotsit out of people. You are supposed to sneak up on them first, aren't you?

 

[John the Monkey]

The brass Crane bell has a pleasingly sonorous, yet penetrative tone. I have one on my Surly.

Definitely recommended, @User259

Jazzkat - I'd not worry too much, as long as you don't ring the thing like "fire alarm guy", a cyclist I see from time to time on the Whitworth Park bike path. He can ring a ping bell like an old fashioned alarm clock.

 

[Deleted member 23692]

I currently don't use bells, but if I did decide to have one it'd be a Spurcycle. They're not cheap but there are a thing of beauty...

Sound superb too

 

[Milkfloat]

My Campagnolo freehub is loud enough to alert everyone within a mile range, so no bell for me.

 

[ColinJ]

My Campagnolo freehub is loud enough to alert everyone within a mile range, so no bell for me.

As I mentioned above, that is my usual trick, but it doesn't seem to work on elderly ramblers!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I'm a bit of a fan of bells on bikes,

<<<<<<< You called?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Bells should not be fitted to road bikes. Simple.

Define road bikes for the purposes of this discussion, please.

 

[fossyant]

Define road bikes for the purposes of this discussion, please.

Dropbars. Might allow a consession to tourers. Velominati.

 

[fossyant]

[QUOTE 3813174, member: 259"]Inspired by this thread, I've ordered two Crane Suzus in copper.

On will go on my commuting bike and the other will go on my daughter's teenage blingdream.[/QUOTE]

Carbuncle

 

[fossyant]

I currently don't use bells, but if I did decide to have one it'd be a Spurcycle. They're not cheap but there are a thing of beauty...

Sound superb too

Another carbuncle