Bells on bikes

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
recumbentpanda
Posts: 286
Joined: 6 Apr 2009, 12:13pm

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by recumbentpanda »

[I understand there is a sect which sees single panniers as heresy.


It’s worse than that. There’s a sect that sees double panniers as heresy!
Mike Sales
Posts: 7882
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Mike Sales »

recumbentpanda wrote:
[I understand there is a sect which sees single panniers as heresy.


It’s worse than that. There’s a sect that sees double panniers as heresy!


Doesn't each side denounce the other as heretics.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by reohn2 »

Mike Sales wrote:
recumbentpanda wrote:
[I understand there is a sect which sees single panniers as heresy.


It’s worse than that. There’s a sect that sees double panniers as heresy!


Doesn't each side denounce the other as heretics.

I see the racktop bag the real winner in all this as it sits on the fence denouncing both :mrgreen:
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Bonefishblues
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Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Bonefishblues »

reohn2 wrote:
Mike Sales wrote:
recumbentpanda wrote:
It’s worse than that. There’s a sect that sees double panniers as heresy!


Doesn't each side denounce the other as heretics.

I see the racktop bag the real winner in all this as it sits on the fence denouncing both :mrgreen:

Hipster!
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by reohn2 »

Bonefishblues wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
Mike Sales wrote:
Doesn't each side denounce the other as heretics.

I see the racktop bag the real winner in all this as it sits on the fence denouncing both :mrgreen:

Hipster!

I'm more like a belly dancer these days :shock:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
landsurfer
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Joined: 27 Oct 2012, 9:13pm

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by landsurfer »

Mike Sales wrote:
I find that an appropriate message can be more easily and politely delivered vocally.
I would not think of pushing past someone with only a ding, ding, I like to be sure that my message has been received before overtaking.


+1 ... I never use a bell .. a friendly Good Morning and a smile makes people feel comfortable rather than the aggressive ringing of a bell with it's gets out of my way message ...

"The joy of One" ... my single pannier has transformed my cycling over the last 9 months ... no more cycling jerseys, rear pockets stuffed, no more wondering where to stow clothing when the weather switches from Icelandic to Saharan in the space of an hour ... Light, loose, t shirts to ride in ... The joy of the single pannier. Nearside fitted of course ... off side would be heresy ........ :lol:
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Mike Sales
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Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Mike Sales »

Mike Sales wrote:
recumbentpanda wrote:
[I understand there is a sect which sees single panniers as heresy.[/q]

uoteIt’s worse than that. There’s a sect that sees double panniers as heresy!


Doesn't each side denounce the other as heretics.


And of course there is another fundamentalist sect which rejects any sort of luggage strapped to the bike.


The Velominati.

Rule 29. No European Posterior Man-Satchels.Saddle bags have no place on a road bike, and are only acceptable on mountain bikes in extreme cases.

In fact, all of The Rules are no more than a set of heresy detectors for this Wahabi sect.
A bell on a bike merits excommunication.
Insisting on a bell is, I suspect, also a sect marker, like rejecting bishops or something.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
kwackers
Posts: 15643
Joined: 4 Jun 2008, 9:29pm
Location: Warrington

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by kwackers »

I ring my bell from a fair way back, usually folk hear it and move out of the way in good time.
I slow down, wish them good morning and/or thank them.

That's how it works 80% of the time.
If it doesn't I ring it again at what I'd consider a slightly ruder more intrusive level (plus I'm considerably closer).

And if that doesn't then I slow to a walk behind them and say loudly "excuse me" which usually does the trick.

Sometimes with the latter I get the odd person say something along the lines of "I remember when bicycles had bells".
There are many good retorts available for that, usually I bite my tongue though and ignore them.
Usually.
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Cunobelin
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Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Cunobelin »

Cyril Haearn wrote:
Cunobelin wrote:The AirZound.....

RIng bell

Ring bell again

"Excuse me"

"EXCUSE ME"

EXCUSE ME!

Air Zound, and let them dance the funky pedestrian!

Nothing funny about that, could cause an innocent PoF to have a heart attack


It could also cause the Plague, however neither claim is borne out by reality

Although MickF's post could be interpreted that bells and the human voice scause heart attacks,,,

Mick F wrote:Riding along a quiet lane. Not flying along, just riding nicely.
Two walkers in front going the same way as me.
I dinged my bell.
I dinged my bell.
I dinged my bell.
I dinged my bell.
I came up behind them and said, "Excuse me please".

They jumped out of their skin!
.......... and one of them said, "I wondered what that ringing noise was!"
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Audax67
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Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Audax67 »

Cugel wrote: "I like to let walkers know I'm there with a nice ding-ding in plenty of time, as a wheel up the crevice is liked by no one but the perverse." Or similar.


A swiftly-rotating tyre abrading the inner walls of the gluteal fold is hardly likely to appeal to anyone.

WRT those dour-faced roadies* without bells: they don't have 'em because real racers such as T.d.F. Wossname (Ineosteopathologists) don't have bells and they're the heroes of their own imaginary TdF stories. Such very important people are very importantly doing their very important training, not just going for a footling bike-ride. How DARE you set foot on the same road?

* I'm a cheery roadie: look, real bell! Real mudguards (well, raceblades). Real saddlebag. Real smile. Real friendly hello! Now, get out of the effing way.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
mercalia
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Re: Bells on bikes

Post by mercalia »

The trouble is too many peds have earbuds in and so dont hear ANYTHING?
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Cunobelin
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Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Cunobelin »

Mike Sales wrote:
mjr wrote:It's not a word. Another typo?

If you whisper, you're not going to be heard over other traffic and people's conversations. If you merely speak, you'll need to be scarily close - someone thinks they're walking alone and suddenly a voice says "excuse me" - of course they jump.


I know its not a word, and that is why you guessed what I meant to write. You make a lot of fuss over a slip.

You really want to prove that a bell is the only way. Why, I wonder.
A voice, as I said, can encompass all that a bell can, and a good deal more.

I find many cyclists are convinced that their's is the only true way to cycle, and need to tell other cyclists where they are going wrong. If you are keen on bells, then fine, but don't get so dogmatic about it.

I come across many helmeteers, but few bellists. I understand there is a sect which sees single panniers as heresy.


... and quite right too.

Why cause a potentially fatal imbalance to your cycle when with a little care you can balance it perfectly.... and that is before you get to the aesthetics.
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Cunobelin
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Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Cunobelin »

mercalia wrote:The trouble is too many peds have earbuds in and so dont hear ANYTHING?



Interesting article on headphone use

Applies equally to pedestrians
Mike Sales
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Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by Mike Sales »

Audax67 wrote:
Cugel wrote: "I like to let walkers know I'm there with a nice ding-ding in plenty of time, as a wheel up the crevice is liked by no one but the perverse." Or similar.


A swiftly-rotating tyre abrading the inner walls of the gluteal fold is hardly likely to appeal to anyone.



They don't like it up'em Mr.Mainwaring!

One suspects that the dearest wish of the Velominati is to be mistaken for a professional out training.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
drossall
Posts: 6115
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 10:01pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: Bells on bikes

Post by drossall »

I have bells on one or two bikes, but never use them. To be honest, I think the periodic posts here telling others what to do get a bit repetitive. There are various ways of being polite and considerate. A bell is just one, and is not required by any rule of the Highway Code etc.

My personal preference, for pedestrians and horse-riders, is to whistle a happy tune (preferably one that is itself as inoffensive as possible!) while still 100m or so away. The sound carries well, and people seem to get the idea that there's someone around and they need to check behind them, without getting at all offended. Usually gets a smile in fact.
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