Heltor Chasca wrote:I like my Lion Works bell. It has a long sustain in D [emoji444]. It is loud but mellow and less aggressive than the little pingers. I can also whistle loudly and will also bellow if my blood sugar is low[emoji6].Elizabeth_S wrote:I guess how effective a bell is depends on the pitch. Older people tend to lose hearing from the top of the range, so if you have a high pitched ping they might not hear your bell, and they might not hear you if you talk if they have more hearing loss. Or a person of any age might have hearing loss and a hearing aid of some kind, which will be directional.
So it is not correct to assume that people are ignoring your bell or voice, they might not be able to hear it.
c0d3x42 wrote:From what i understand, as you get older the ability to hear higher pitched sounds diminishes. Anecdotal evidence backs this up in my opinion, i've rung my pinger bell at 20-1m away and not been heard by the elderly. At which point i revert to an "hiya, can i get past please?"
Good point about hearing difficulties. I was told the same thing about my right ear that was affected after my stroke and how hearing upper tone range has been affected.
Cunobelin wrote:I have a Pashley Delibike with a big "Ice Cream Bell"
Funnily enough, there are a couple of ice cream vendors who ride up and down the prom and along the same section where the aforementioned incident took place. ("Ah..but they're not 'lycra-clad' racing cyclists like the rest of 'em!")
[/quote]mjr wrote: I'm a big fan of brring and ding-dong bells, which have more range than a ping-ping.
I think the pitch and sustain of the bell is important as the quoted comments suggest. When I used to use a simple pinger bell, the slightest sign of moisture in the air, such as mist or light rain , would render it almost inaudible reducing its 'ping' to a mere 'thud'.
I now use an old retro aluminium bell which has a mellower ring to it. I like those heavier brass bells with a double striker mechanism within - but they are a lot heavier and take up a fair bit of handlebar room.
Audax67 wrote: What p's me off is when a group of people splits at the sound of the bell, half each side, thus taking up far more room than they would if they all moved the same way. You're never sure, either, that one of them won't decide at the last moment to nip across to the other side; followed, an instant later, by the dog.
Yes! Also groups of walkers with a child/children that turns round, sees you approaching and stands holding out their arms blocking you from coming past, the parents of which made no effort to stop her but just carried on talking! This has happened to me twice now.