Originally Posted by
stevegor
I've lost count of how many times I scared the hell out of other cyclists when I've silently and stealthily caught up to them and simply said "Hello"....some of them have nearly fallen off their bikes, so one of these would be even more fun
Yes, also pedestrians!
Many places I ride, folk are not "tuned" to a bell, but my bikes are quiet, & the simplest approach is to slow down to a crawl, & speak, to which folk are "tuned", & thus respond. The bell works sometimes, but not invariably.
I don't recall ever seeing horse riders on roads in the few USA areas I've visited, but here they are a regular sight, & a voice is always preferable to a mechanical sounder.
As rhm points out, it's better to be friendly :-)
I've bought an air horn, but not mounted it yet, just for phone using, inattentive drivers, & situations where loudness is paramount.