Compulsory bike bell law could return (bikebiz)

Canyon48 wrote:

I use my voice instead of a bell.

I can simply say "hello, excuse me" and "thank-you".

Works really well.

I don't know why a bell would need to be law.

Yeah, I've given up on bells, especially with horses. I just shout something like 'hi, there' or whatever. People tend to take bells as 'GET OUT OF MY WAY', a bit like when they get a dose of car horn and look greatly offended and slightly angry (even when they're wandering into the road looking at a phone). 

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

Canyon48 wrote:

I use my voice instead of a bell.

I can simply say "hello, excuse me" and "thank-you".

Works really well.

I don't know why a bell would need to be law.

Yeah, I've given up on bells, especially with horses. I just shout something like 'hi, there' or whatever. People tend to take bells as 'GET OUT OF MY WAY', a bit like when they get a dose of car horn and look greatly offended and slightly angry (even when they're wandering into the road looking at a phone). 

I tend to find whatever I do isn't right. Use the bell, they jump out of the way and look at you like you're telling them to shift, use my voice and they say 'you should have a bell'. I don't use shared paths that much these days, my commute used to go on one, but since moving home I don't need them - I do have plenty of country roads though, and this being the Lake District, there are always plenty of pedestrians on them due to the lack of pavements.

On a side note, my Knog Oi bell was criticised for not being loud enough the other day, and tbh I agree, it's really quite poor. Great design though! Just wish I had tried it a few times before I bought another for my other bike.

KendalRed wrote:

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

Canyon48 wrote:

I use my voice instead of a bell.

I can simply say "hello, excuse me" and "thank-you".

Works really well.

I don't know why a bell would need to be law.

Yeah, I've given up on bells, especially with horses. I just shout something like 'hi, there' or whatever. People tend to take bells as 'GET OUT OF MY WAY', a bit like when they get a dose of car horn and look greatly offended and slightly angry (even when they're wandering into the road looking at a phone). 

I tend to find whatever I do isn't right. Use the bell, they jump out of the way and look at you like you're telling them to shift, use my voice and they say 'you should have a bell'. I don't use shared paths that much these days, my commute used to go on one, but since moving home I don't need them - I do have plenty of country roads though, and this being the Lake District, there are always plenty of pedestrians on them due to the lack of pavements.

On a side note, my Knog Oi bell was criticised for not being loud enough the other day, and tbh I agree, it's really quite poor. Great design though! Just wish I had tried it a few times before I bought another for my other bike.

I've had the old "you should've used a bell" muppetry. The gent in question was asked whether he had heard me calling out (shouting has a negative connotation). The reply of "no" was obviously followed up with the question of why, if he hadn't heard me calling out, did he think he'd hear a bell...
Some people will go out of their way to find a problem with you, a bit like here sometimes...

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

Canyon48 wrote:

I use my voice instead of a bell.

I can simply say "hello, excuse me" and "thank-you".

Works really well.

I don't know why a bell would need to be law.

Yeah, I've given up on bells, especially with horses. I just shout something like 'hi, there' or whatever. People tend to take bells as 'GET OUT OF MY WAY', a bit like when they get a dose of car horn and look greatly offended and slightly angry (even when they're wandering into the road looking at a phone). 

Aallegedly bells scare horses. MInd, I've had people turn round after i said "Hello" quite loudly, look at me, then s your at me for not using a bell. I think we're back to "they hate cyclists". The specific excuse for hate is optional.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

A bell on a shared use is utterly futile, either you're going slow enough to take into account of the peds or you're not, in which case you're own voice would be suffice if the way is blocked. A bell as most find out is often ignored and/or taken as an afront in exactly the same way being admonished with a horn is.

Totally bonkers, I think even the Australians have dropped the fine for not having a bell on a bike and they are properly mental when it comes to these things.

may depend on which state you live in - Victoria has the rule and this article (hopefully not pay walled) shows close to 500 cyclists fined for no bell in NSW last year

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cycling-fines-soar-in-first-year-of-...

plus benefits :   plenty of signs/symbols on shared paths saying the like of "cyclist must ring bell when approaching" means you don't get the "how rude" stuff you get in the UK

negative: useless a lot of the time though due to headphones or the dreaded "leaping family" -  ring bell and you've no idea which direction will jump in but can guarantee will all end up back across the trail in the panic and no ringing my bell doesn't mean i intend to kill your firstborn so grabbing them and shouting "bike" at them  isn't really a useful reaction

as a dog walking ped' i quite like - some shared trails out of peak can be 10-20mins between cyclists and being warned of approach from behind so can move to side on narrower paths if peds coming the other way is useful and better than a silent "whoosh" at 25km/h

edit and as to the house of lords debate - just pointless noise - the issue is why are are cyclists on the pavement not what pointless controls to add 

Dr Winston wrote:

A bell is a total misnomer. The perceived purpose of a bell is to warn people who step out that you are there. The fact is you have an immediate choice with a bell...either use your hands to brake or use your hands to ring a bell.

The safest way to ride in a pedestrian areas, for both cyclist and pedestrian, is to be prepared to brake....not ring a bell...

The purpose of a bell is not as you describe but rather to warn those ahead on a shared path or on a narrow pathless road that you're there. It's typically used when such persons have their back to you so can't see you coming. It's necessary because a bike is otherwise quiet.

On every ride I use my bell half a dozen times or more, generally from 50 yards back, which gives plenty of time to also brake. It's good manners to brake a little so that you don't pass like a Strava-striver and thus have time to say hello & thanks.

Why would you want to ring a bell at people on the pavement? If they step into the road in front of you, give a shout as you brake. Hopefully you won't be riding so carelessly that you'll be able to stop in time, even if it is their fault for not looking.

Cugel

cyclisto wrote:

I would like having a bell but I it would be dangerous to use it with drop bars. So will they make compulsory something that is dangerous to use?

Err, why is a bell now dangerous to use with drop bars? Cyclists have had drop bars for decades and have used bells for decades. What's changed?

OldRidgeback wrote:

cyclisto wrote:

I would like having a bell but I it would be dangerous to use it with drop bars. So will they make compulsory something that is dangerous to use?

 

Err, why is a bell now dangerous to use with drop bars? Cyclists have had drop bars for decades and have used bells for decades. What's changed?

Should you have to change hand position you put a significant percentage of your weight isn't that dangerous? Otherwise we would all be very happy with downtube or stem speed speed shifters that older bikes had. But we are not and so we happily pay the overpriced brifters of Shimano.