Bells or noise making

Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells. They
sound like a bike, and one stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
"ting" or "honk" from other sorts IMHO.

RS

"Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"

Just a good old dinger is my preference although I like to call out 'bike' when I approach
pedestrians from behind. It seems to get their attention better.

Cheers,

Ben

"RS" <rs@dede.com> wrote in message news:3f2ef8d4.4354932@news.ihug.com.au...
> Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells. They
> sound like a bike, and
one
> stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one "ting"
or
> "honk" from other sorts IMHO.
>
> RS
>
>
> "Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"

I use an (AirZounds ?) air-horn - I find that a bell just doesn't cut it with taxis and buses who
are trying to squash me. It is a bit OTT for pedestrians, but does work on the headphoned variety,
where a bell is often not loud enough.

"Ben Long" <long@rsbs.anu.edu.au> wrote in message news:3f2f2594$1@clarion.carno.net.au...
> Just a good old dinger is my preference although I like to call out 'bike' when I approach
> pedestrians from behind. It seems to get their attention better.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Ben
>
>
> "RS" <rs@dede.com> wrote in message news:3f2ef8d4.4354932@news.ihug.com.au...
> > Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells.
> > They sound like a bike,
and
> one
> > stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
"ting"
> or
> > "honk" from other sorts IMHO.
> >
> > RS
> >
> >
> > "Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"
>

rs@dede.com (RS) wrote in message news:<3f2ef8d4.4354932@news.ihug.com.au>...
> Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells. They
> sound like a bike, and one stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
> "ting" or "honk" from other sorts IMHO.

Those old style bells send me into a "cycling is for 8 year olds" memory. I use a standard "ting".

In fact, this morning I noticed a few potential doors about to open.. "ting-ting-ting-ting-ting"
tends to work just as well as "rill-a-tring", and while it does require more use of my thumb, the
rest of my fingers are still there to work the brakes or manouver if necessary.

PC

> Those old style bells send me into a "cycling is for 8 year olds" memory. I use a standard "ting".

Some years ago I bought an electric bell from a little bike shop near the airport in Denpasar whilst
on holiday in Bali. When you push the button it sounds like a referee's pea-whistle. Quite
effective.

Theo

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Much as I like the air zound I find that the air line punctures very easily and it is impossible to
get replacements. It is also a little noisy for old ladies and children.

Jack Russell

Andy Simpson wrote:

>I use an (AirZounds ?) air-horn - I find that a bell just doesn't cut it with taxis and buses who
>are trying to squash me. It is a bit OTT for pedestrians, but does work on the headphoned variety,
>where a bell is often not loud enough.
>
>"Ben Long" <long@rsbs.anu.edu.au> wrote in message news:3f2f2594$1@clarion.carno.net.au...
>
>
>>Just a good old dinger is my preference although I like to call out 'bike' when I approach
>>pedestrians from behind. It seems to get their attention better.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>Ben
>>
>>
>>"RS" <rs@dede.com> wrote in message news:3f2ef8d4.4354932@news.ihug.com.au...
>>
>>
>>>Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells. They
>>>sound like a bike,
>>>
>>>
>and
>
>
>>one
>>
>>
>>>stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
>>>
>>>
>"ting"
>
>
>>or
>>
>>
>>>"honk" from other sorts IMHO.
>>>
>>>RS
>>>
>>>
>>>"Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta
http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1"> <title></title> </head> <body>
Much as I like the air zound I find that the air line punctures very easily and it is impossible to
get replacements. It is also a little noisy for old ladies and children.<br> <br> Jack Russell<br>
<br> <br> Andy Simpson wrote:<br> <blockquote type="cite"
cite="midbgnblj$22pk$1@arachne.labyrinth.net.au"> <pre wrap="">I use an (AirZounds ?) air-horn - I
find that a bell just doesn't cut it with taxis and buses who are trying to squash me. It is a bit
OTT for pedestrians, but does work on the headphoned variety, where a bell is often not loud enough.

"Ben Long" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:long@rsbs.anu.edu.au">&lt;long@rsbs.anu.edu.au&gt;</a> wrote in message <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="news:3f2f2594$1@clarion.carno.net.au">news:3f2f2594$1@clarion.carno.net.au</a>... </pre>
<blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">Just a good old dinger is my preference although I like to
call out 'bike' when I approach pedestrians from behind. It seems to get their attention better.

Cheers,

Ben

"RS" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:rs@dede.com">&lt;rs@dede.com&gt;</a> wrote in
message <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="news:3f2ef8d4.4354932@news.ihug.com.au">news:3f2ef8d4.4354932@news.ihug.com.au</a>... </pre>
<blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I
like the old ring-a-tring bells. They sound like a bike, </pre> </blockquote> </blockquote> <pre
wrap=""><!---->and </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">one </pre> <blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one </pre>
</blockquote> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""><!---->"ting" </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre
wrap="">or </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">"honk" from other sorts IMHO.

RS

"Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"

</pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""><!---->

</pre> </blockquote> <br> </body> </html>

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news:c7a5ed5e.0308042255.12a3de08@posting.google.com...
> rs@dede.com (RS) wrote in message
news:<3f2ef8d4.4354932@news.ihug.com.au>...
> > Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells.
> > They sound like a bike,
and one
> > stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
"ting" or
> > "honk" from other sorts IMHO.
>
> Those old style bells send me into a "cycling is for 8 year olds" memory. I use a standard "ting".
>
> In fact, this morning I noticed a few potential doors about to open.. "ting-ting-ting-ting-ting"
> tends to work just as well as "rill-a-tring", and while it does require more use of my thumb, the
> rest of my fingers are still there to work the brakes or manouver if necessary.

Works for me.

j

Greetings RS, The essential object of a bell, like a car horn, is as a warning device. In this
capacity, anything you can reasonably fit to a bicycle is totally inadequate in today's traffic. I
have one of those silly little dingers on my bike because I've never bother taking it off, but my
preferred warning method is along the lines of, WAKE UP, YOU BLOODY IDIOT. Much more effective.
Regards, Ray.

RS wrote:

>Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells. They
>sound like a bike, and one stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
>"ting" or "honk" from other sorts IMHO.
>
>RS
>
>
>"Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"

> Works for me.
>

I howl "LOOK OUT!!!!". It makes it really interesting because the pedestrians instantly leap in a
random direction maximising the chances of bowling one over. Also good for scaring the absolute ****
out of packs of old ladies too.

Well, it's good to have a hobby, isn't it?
---
DFM

RS wrote:
> Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells. They
> sound like a bike, and one stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
> "ting" or "honk" from other sorts IMHO.
>
> RS
>
>
> "Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"
>
If you ride on bike paths, I find a bell is best. As I read somewhere once, people are more likely
to react favourably (in a "Morning, Vicar" kind of a way) to a bell than to someone yelling at them,
no matter how unaggro they are trying to sound.

But yes, in traffic you may need to step up a level. I have actually managed to raise some
door-opening drivers' awareness by nicely asking them if they looked first - if on the other hand
you just yell at them, they are likely to put the experience down to "cyclists being w*nkers" and
not change their behaviour. One can at least try, and hope :-)

&roo Fixing the world, one door-opener at a time...

"Deep Floyd Mars" <deepfloydmars@yDONTaBEhSHYoNOWo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:K%_Xa.335$d6.35182@nasal.pacific.net.au...
> >

> >
> > Works for me.
> >
>
> I howl "LOOK OUT!!!!". It makes it really interesting because the pedestrians instantly leap in a
> random direction maximising the chances of bowling one over. Also good for scaring the absolute
> **** out of packs of old ladies too.
>
> Well, it's good to have a hobby, isn't it?

"Look out" would work a bit better as a predecessor to the above, yes. You appear a little less
hostile in general

I ususally warm up with the bell. BBut Sometimes people just won't hear it and swarm around in their
own little world - e.g., opening car doors without looking. That's when the shout is called for.

j

> I howl "LOOK OUT!!!!". It makes it really interesting because the pedestrians instantly leap in a
> random direction maximising the chances of bowling one over. Also good for scaring the absolute
> **** out of packs of old ladies too.
>

Hmm, a combination of voice, squeaky horn and ting-a-ling bell. Voice, for traffic & heading off potential dooring incidents(& I'm lucky to have a loud voice for a wee lass), squeaky horn for shared bikepaths or stray peds ildling off footpaths. Guaranteed to get prompt attention & a smile instead of bringing more aggression to the situation. Ting-a-ling bell for a combination of peds & traffic. Sometimes all three in a matter of microseconds.

For non-verbal, try pointing/ "polite" gesturing and baring the teeth simultaneously when some inattentive twit attempts driving over you at intersection/side street/drive way.

I'm actually gonna add a car horn to my bike. I was gonna put on a train horn, but then foudn i need
a big compressor. A train horn would rock though I already havea 12 volt electrical system to
power my 50 watt halogen light

On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 08:11:05 +1000, Ray Peace <ferret@jeack.com.au> wrote:

>Greetings RS, The essential object of a bell, like a car horn, is as a warning device. In this
>capacity, anything you can reasonably fit to a bicycle is totally inadequate in today's traffic. I
>have one of those silly little dingers on my bike because I've never bother taking it off, but my
>preferred warning method is along the lines of, WAKE UP, YOU BLOODY IDIOT. Much more effective.
>Regards, Ray.
>
>RS wrote:
>
>>Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer? Personally I like the old ring-a-tring bells. They
>>sound like a bike, and one stroke is needed for 2-3 seconds of noise, which is better than one
>>"ting" or "honk" from other sorts IMHO.
>>
>>RS
>>
>>
>>"Time spent cycling is not added to one's life"

> For non-verbal, try pointing/ "polite" gesturing and baring the teeth simultaneously when some
> inattentive twit attempts driving over you at intersection/side street/drive way.
>

I tend to assume that drivers cannot see me, and are not going to make allowances for me. This is
part of being defensive on a bike. And you have to allow for drivers throwing their car doors open
without looking. It happens all the time, and no matter how many education campaigns there are, it
wont make people glance in their side mirror first.

Intersections can be fun, but you can always find a suitable, and safe, line to take through. Being
aware of the flow of traffic helps. Keeping an eye out for idiots that don't indicate, and don't
know where they are going is not a bad idea either.

Anyway, I'm off to play in the traffic...
---
DFM

On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 18:50:08 +1000, Andrew Swan <news@NOSPAMandrewswan.com> wrote:

>RS wrote:
>> Which sort of bell would most cyclists prefer?

>>
>If you ride on bike paths, I find a bell is best. As I read somewhere

>But yes, in traffic you may need to step up a level. I have actually

I use the smallest bell that I could find mounted out of the way on stem. Even the best bell is
useless on the road but legally required - bizzare. And if I really need to warn, I also need my
hands on the brakes. The canti screech is pretty loud now I think of it.

On the path, I consider bell and voice but now prefer a friendly "hello" as I overtake.

AndreS.au ===> I ride therefore I am