Ring up, you ding-a-lings!!

<rant>

Seeing way, way more cyclists than any past year on my local rides lately (it's almost getting to be like riding on Milwaukee* 'round these parts), but none of you seem to have bells.

That is wrong.

</rant>

(*at 3 a.m. on a January night)

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by JeffB on August 6, 2013 at 3:51am

I'd want an air horn just to get the drivers' attention. But its definitely too much for peds or bikes. I can use my voice for that.

David Barish said:

I have the Mirrycle bell and it works well for a friendly reminder that a bike is nearby. Its a pleasant tone and can be heard. When a less friendly or more urgent tone is required I have a variety of whistles, whoops and screams including a curdler. I think having an air horn or some other "monster" bell is overkill. The default is to use a discernible but reasonable sound such as the MIrrycle. The heavy artillery is used much less often.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on August 6, 2013 at 3:56am

I love bells!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ivo Iliev on August 6, 2013 at 5:04am

I keep screaming down to a minimum as people get frustrated. Otherwise if I can pass safely I do, if not, then I slow down and go around them. I used to get frustrated at pedestrians and the fat-ass rental bike out-of-towners until I realized that biking (at least for me) is all about having fun and exercising. So don't get frustrated if you want to have fun and slow down, then accelerate again for explosive fitness... :)

Sorry to take the discussion along a different tangent - I support the use of bells and I even like how they sound, but I won't be using one any time soon.

Peenworm "8 mile" Grubologist said:

So you just scream constantly, or what

or are you imagining a world in which pedestrians aren't walking down the kinzie pbl four across with nowhere to swerve

Ivo Iliev said:

If you need a bell to make other cyclists or pedestrians move out of your way, then you are not riding your bike properly.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on August 6, 2013 at 5:21am

Horns????

h' 1.0 said:

I have been buying and giving out bells and horns with my own money for several years.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on August 6, 2013 at 5:24am

Too bad this doesn't fit my 31.8mm bar

Eli said:

As far as traditional bike bells go, I haven't found anything louder than the Crane Suzu bell (http://bicycleastronomy.org/2013/02/14/the-crane-suzu-bell/). Sold in lots of places--I know I've seen this specific bell at Uptown Bikes.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on August 6, 2013 at 5:28am

Good for you!

I still want my horns

Ivo Iliev said:

I keep screaming down to a minimum as people get frustrated. Otherwise if I can pass safely I do, if not, then I slow down and go around them. I used to get frustrated at pedestrians and the fat-ass rental bike out-of-towners until I realized that biking (at least for me) is all about having fun and exercising. So don't get frustrated if you want to have fun and slow down, then accelerate again for explosive fitness... :)

Sorry to take the discussion along a different tangent - I support the use of bells and I even like how they sound, but I won't be using one any time soon.

Peenworm "8 mile" Grubologist said:

So you just scream constantly, or what

or are you imagining a world in which pedestrians aren't walking down the kinzie pbl four across with nowhere to swerve

Ivo Iliev said:

If you need a bell to make other cyclists or pedestrians move out of your way, then you are not riding your bike properly.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ivo Iliev on August 6, 2013 at 7:00am

Horns are fun too - really like their sound :)

Also sometimes if pedestrians are out of line I think it's fun to skid right behind them just to scare them up a little although technically they have the right of way most of the time

J.A.W. said:

Good for you!

I still want my horns

Ivo Iliev said:

I keep screaming down to a minimum as people get frustrated. Otherwise if I can pass safely I do, if not, then I slow down and go around them. I used to get frustrated at pedestrians and the fat-ass rental bike out-of-towners until I realized that biking (at least for me) is all about having fun and exercising. So don't get frustrated if you want to have fun and slow down, then accelerate again for explosive fitness... :)

Sorry to take the discussion along a different tangent - I support the use of bells and I even like how they sound, but I won't be using one any time soon.

Peenworm "8 mile" Grubologist said:

So you just scream constantly, or what

or are you imagining a world in which pedestrians aren't walking down the kinzie pbl four across with nowhere to swerve

Ivo Iliev said:

If you need a bell to make other cyclists or pedestrians move out of your way, then you are not riding your bike properly.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on August 6, 2013 at 10:11am

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on August 6, 2013 at 11:19am

I added a bell to my new bike but only seem to use it going through the tunnel at North Avenue. Wait until you have space to pass without having to make your presence known. I guess I've just seen too many aggressive riders this summer that try to shout through heavy traffic along the lake and get all upset and ride more dangerously when the Red Sea doesn't part for them.

Now something that passively announces your presence, like sleigh bells or the ones the ice cream carts have would be pretty nice. Maybe some sleigh bells for riding in December are in order...