What happens to bike Bell?

On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:55:12 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 6:13:12 PM UTC-4, Red Cloud wrote:
"Ting..ting.." Notice today bikers use less bike bell. It was used to popular in the past that bike bell sounds representing a bicycle was passing by. Why not use any more today? One of my childish songs I still remember is about "Ting ting
biker is coming and stay in a side.." The time when bikers used bike bell.
I think using bike bell just does not fit the today newage biker fashion and style. Imagine Lance Armstrong type of cyclist using bike bell may look so childish. So they shout like a commander in chief: "LEFT.."

Use bike bell more and stop shout like angry chief.. I always give Middle-Finger at shouting cyclist...

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers aren't likely to hear a bicycle bell. People on many MUPs or rail-trails often have an ear bud in both ears and thus can't hear a bicycle bell either. Also, people on rail-trails around here look skyward when they hear a bicycle bell. I never could figure out why they do that but I've had other friends try using a bicycle bell on those same trails and they report the same thig haoppened to them when thy rang their bell = people stopped and looked up. I prefer to use a small air boat horn nad that really gets attention. Drivers or pedestrians often mistake it for a semi-truck horn and react accordingly = they get out of the way or stop the stupid manouver they were about to do.

Cheers

Cheers
I've been real tempted to install a marine fog horn on my bike - one
of those "freon" powered ones!.

On Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 9:54:35 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:55:12 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 6:13:12 PM UTC-4, Red Cloud wrote:
"Ting..ting.." Notice today bikers use less bike bell. It was used to popular in the past that bike bell sounds representing a bicycle was passing by. Why not use any more today? One of my childish songs I still remember is about "Ting ting
biker is coming and stay in a side.." The time when bikers used bike bell.
I think using bike bell just does not fit the today newage biker fashion and style. Imagine Lance Armstrong type of cyclist using bike bell may look so childish. So they shout like a commander in chief: "LEFT.."

Use bike bell more and stop shout like angry chief.. I always give Middle-Finger at shouting cyclist...

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers aren't likely to hear a bicycle bell. People on many MUPs or rail-trails often have an ear bud in both ears and thus can't hear a bicycle bell either. Also, people on rail-trails around here look skyward when they hear a bicycle bell.. I never could figure out why they do that but I've had other friends try using a bicycle bell on those same trails and they report the same thig haoppened to them when thy rang their bell = people stopped and looked up. I prefer to use a small air boat horn nad that really gets attention. Drivers or pedestrians often mistake it for a semi-truck horn and react accordingly = they get out of the way or stop the stupid manouver they were about to do.

Cheers

Cheers
I've been real tempted to install a marine fog horn on my bike - one
of those "freon" powered ones!.

That's what I use. The mini-one is fantastic. I've had people jump back onto a sidewalke because they thought I was a BIG truck. I even heard one guy cuss that it was only a bicycle. He'd have stepped right in front of me had it not been for that horn. Btw, inattentive drivers hear it too even with their windoews rolled up and their stereos going full blast.

Cheers

Duane wrote:
Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 6:13:12 PM UTC-4, Red Cloud wrote:
"Ting..ting.." Notice today bikers use less bike bell. It was used to
popular in the past that bike bell sounds representing a bicycle was
passing by. Why not use any more today? One of my childish songs I still
remember is about "Ting ting
biker is coming and stay in a side.." The time when bikers used bike bell.
I think using bike bell just does not fit the today newage biker fashion
and style. Imagine Lance Armstrong type of cyclist using bike bell may
look so childish. So they shout like a commander in chief: "LEFT.."

Use bike bell more and stop shout like angry chief.. I always give
Middle-Finger at shouting cyclist...

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers aren't
likely to hear a bicycle bell. People on many MUPs or rail-trails often
have an ear bud in both ears and thus can't hear a bicycle bell either.
Also, people on rail-trails around here look skyward when they hear a
bicycle bell. I never could figure out why they do that but I've had
other friends try using a bicycle bell on those same trails and they
report the same thig haoppened to them when thy rang their bell = people
stopped and looked up. I prefer to use a small air boat horn nad that
really gets attention. Drivers or pedestrians often mistake it for a
semi-truck horn and react accordingly = they get out of the way or stop
the stupid manouver they were about to do.

Cheers

Cheers


Yeah a friend has one of those Harpo Marx horns mounted on his bike. I
know they work in spite of the ear buds because of the way the
skateboarders jump when he uses it. Unfortunately, they often jump in
front of me. On MUPs I prefer to lie in wait and pounce when I have an
opening.



You can't do it right as a faster cyclist:
- clinging your nervous cycling bell,
- sneaking by if that is save to do,
- a friendly 'watch it' or an equivalent text.
Some people need to be shout at to keep it save for both me and them. If
the OP gives me the middle finger I say same to you. If you don't want to
be shout at or something else keep to the right, don't do stupid things and
don't ride two abreast on a narrow bikepath or road. Easy.

--
Lou

On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:55:12 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers
aren't likely to hear a bicycle bell.

No problem. Just get a bigger horn:
https://youtu.be/XTQSWtK65PE

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 1:32:25 PM UTC-4, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:55:12 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers
aren't likely to hear a bicycle bell.

No problem. Just get a bigger horn:
https://youtu.be/XTQSWtK65PE

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

My mini-boat horn (compressed air canister) sounds like an 18 wheeler truck. It's plenty loud enough. It's bicycle BELLS that many people can't/don't hear.

Cheers

On 9/11/2016 1:21 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 1:32:25 PM UTC-4, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:55:12 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers
aren't likely to hear a bicycle bell.

No problem. Just get a bigger horn:
https://youtu.be/XTQSWtK65PE

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

My mini-boat horn (compressed air canister) sounds like an 18 wheeler truck. It's plenty loud enough. It's bicycle BELLS that many people can't/don't hear.

Cheers



The Ancients found a solution in the folding-trigger
cyclist's revolver;

http://www.historicalfirearms.info/p...-the-late-19th

YMMV and likely will

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sun, 11 Sep 2016 11:21:53 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 1:32:25 PM UTC-4, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:55:12 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers
aren't likely to hear a bicycle bell.

No problem. Just get a bigger horn:
https://youtu.be/XTQSWtK65PE

My mini-boat horn (compressed air canister) sounds like an 18
wheeler truck. It's plenty loud enough. It's bicycle BELLS that
many people can't/don't hear.

I couldn't find an oversized bicycle bell. I was expecting to find
two large brass church bells hanging from the handlebars, but found
nothing. Perhaps a brass bicycle helmet and a small hammer. The
rider just beats on the bell with the hammer to make provide the
necessary warning. I guess ear plugs might be a good accessory.

The problem with getting a random persons attention with a noise is
that their reaction time will vary substantially. For example, the
local bicyclists seem to favor yelling over bells and horns. I was
walking across a bridge while engaged in conversation on my cell
phone. I was not expecting someone to yell "on your left" and only
reacted after thinking about it, a total of about 3 seconds, which was
far too slow. The cyclist was expecting me to react almost instantly,
which was not going to happen while I was distracted by the cell phone
conversation. There are also some types of individuals (military,
police, martial arts, etc) whom you really don't want to startle
should they react in some unexpected manner.

So, the problem is how to get someone's attention quickly without
startling them. Frightening or startling a person will only make
things worse. It takes time for them to recover from the initial
shock, which will add seconds to their reaction time. Meanwhile,
tinkling bells can be lost in the background noise, or might be
instantly perceived as not being a threat, which can be temporarily
ignored. However, bells do have one advantage. Some of us have been
conditioned from childhood to connect the sound of a bicycle bell with
an approaching bicyclist. That seems to work well, but not for an
increasing segment of the population who lack this childhood
experience. Unlike a bicycle horn, bells also don't scale well.

On my city bicycle, I use a horn. Something like this:
https://thearrow.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/bike-horn.jpg
It's on the left handlebar so that the sound ahead is perceived as
coming from the left, hopefully moving pedestrians to the right. I
tried bells, but found the horn to be more effective, especially at
longer distances.

Out of curiosity, how many seconds warning do you give a pedestrian
before ringing a bell or honking a horn? Speed will make a big
difference so please include the approximate closing speed. By
warning time, I mean how quickly do you expect a pedestrian to move
out of your way?

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 9/11/2016 2:17 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 11 Sep 2016 11:21:53 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 1:32:25 PM UTC-4, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:55:12 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

With the sound prrofing/limiting inside cars these days drivers
aren't likely to hear a bicycle bell.

No problem. Just get a bigger horn:
https://youtu.be/XTQSWtK65PE

My mini-boat horn (compressed air canister) sounds like an 18
wheeler truck. It's plenty loud enough. It's bicycle BELLS that
many people can't/don't hear.

I couldn't find an oversized bicycle bell. I was expecting to find
two large brass church bells hanging from the handlebars, but found
nothing. Perhaps a brass bicycle helmet and a small hammer. The
rider just beats on the bell with the hammer to make provide the
necessary warning. I guess ear plugs might be a good accessory.

The problem with getting a random persons attention with a noise is
that their reaction time will vary substantially. For example, the
local bicyclists seem to favor yelling over bells and horns. I was
walking across a bridge while engaged in conversation on my cell
phone. I was not expecting someone to yell "on your left" and only
reacted after thinking about it, a total of about 3 seconds, which was
far too slow. The cyclist was expecting me to react almost instantly,
which was not going to happen while I was distracted by the cell phone
conversation. There are also some types of individuals (military,
police, martial arts, etc) whom you really don't want to startle
should they react in some unexpected manner.

So, the problem is how to get someone's attention quickly without
startling them. Frightening or startling a person will only make
things worse. It takes time for them to recover from the initial
shock, which will add seconds to their reaction time. Meanwhile,
tinkling bells can be lost in the background noise, or might be
instantly perceived as not being a threat, which can be temporarily
ignored. However, bells do have one advantage. Some of us have been
conditioned from childhood to connect the sound of a bicycle bell with
an approaching bicyclist. That seems to work well, but not for an
increasing segment of the population who lack this childhood
experience. Unlike a bicycle horn, bells also don't scale well.

On my city bicycle, I use a horn. Something like this:
https://thearrow.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/bike-horn.jpg
It's on the left handlebar so that the sound ahead is perceived as
coming from the left, hopefully moving pedestrians to the right. I
tried bells, but found the horn to be more effective, especially at
longer distances.

Out of curiosity, how many seconds warning do you give a pedestrian
before ringing a bell or honking a horn? Speed will make a big
difference so please include the approximate closing speed. By
warning time, I mean how quickly do you expect a pedestrian to move
out of your way?


For my deaf girlfriend, if her hearing aids are out you
could blow it until Arma F**king Geddon with no response.
For hipsters with earbuds, maybe longer.

I don't like to ride in 'mixed' environment, so I don't.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 09-11-2016 14:17, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Out of curiosity, how many seconds warning do you give a pedestrian
before ringing a bell or honking a horn? Speed will make a big
difference so please include the approximate closing speed. By

If they haven't heard me, my speed is proportional to the distance.
Until I know they are aware, I make sure I will be able to avoid hitting
them no matter what they do.

--
Wes Groleau

On 9/11/2016 3:17 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:


Out of curiosity, how many seconds warning do you give a pedestrian
before ringing a bell or honking a horn? Speed will make a big
difference so please include the approximate closing speed. By
warning time, I mean how quickly do you expect a pedestrian to move
out of your way?

First, I encounter pedestrians only infrequently. I don't like the bike
paths that have bikes mixed with peds, dogs, baby carriages, skaters,
etc. and usually avoid them; but sometimes I need to use those. Also,
many residential streets in my area have no sidewalks, so I may
encounter dog walkers or other peds there.

I do use a bell for warning. I'll start ringing at _least_ five seconds
before passing, and ring it fairly continuously if necessary. And if
it's not clear it's been heard, I'll gently say something like "Bicycle"
or "passing on your left" until I get a reaction.

And I keep _very_ clear, giving them lots of space. Especially if they
have a dog on a leash. I slow way down if necessary, too.

BTW, riding with a small group of riders maybe a month ago, the group
used a very popular bike/ped trail. One of the riders was looking down,
fussing with something on his bike, and he damn near ran into a
pedestrian. He's a nice guy, but a crash would absolutely have been
entirely his fault.


--
- Frank Krygowski