Touring - New York apparently requires bells on bicycles....

.....they've got to be kidding me. I was just reading through some ride notes for the 600k brevet in the Boston Brevet Series (which goes through part of NY), and a bell is required on this ride because NYS law dictates a bicycle must be equipped with one. So now I need to get a bell I guess :rolleyes:.

Anybody have any preferences in regards to something incredibly small and cheap? I don't have much handlebar real estate to work with.

incredibell, mounted upside down at a 7 o'clock position on the handlebars to make it unobtrusive. Incredibly, they make you sound like a bicyclist.

So they emit a loud, yelling noise?

:D

They require bells on bicycles here in Red Deer too ... in fact, one sporting goods store was giving them away in some sort of promotion one day last year.

And they are required in Australia, so if you ever go over for the Great Southern Randonnee, you'll need one then.

I've got a small bell which I mount in various locations around the bicycle . . . no one says it actually has to be within reach!! :D

But the usual position is upside down on the Minoura space bar thing I use to mount my lights ... so it is situated quite low - near the top of my front tire.

A bell, a mirror, and a helmet are three things that I refused to get when I became involved in cycling as an adult. Now, I consider all three essential.

Sure, you can shout to get attention while riding, but ringing that little bell is so... so... civilized! And the sound is just the right decibel level, and translates instantly into the languages and dialects of every land I have travelled in. I prefer to save my voice for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists who endanger my life or their own.

I am new here and i dont know how to make my own New post (start a new one with my won title) and i thought someone could help me, and by the way, i any one knows; whats better, Schwinn or specialized?

please answer me at a private E-Mail: Yonatant@shaw.ca or my user name is
The Killer 911

I am new here and i dont know how to make my own New post (start a new one with my won title) and i thought someone could help me, and by the way, i any one knows; whats better, Schwinn or specialized?

please answer me at a private E-Mail: Yonatant@shaw.ca or my user name is
The Killer 911


Click on the "Click Here to start a new thread" link to start a new thread ... see attached diagram below.

.

I CANT FIND IT! Where is this page?
its not here...
aaaaaah!!! i am comfused! i cant find this "click here" button! :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :(

I CANT FIND IT! Where is this page?
its not here...
aaaaaah!!! i am comfused! i cant find this "click here" button! :mad: :( :mad: :( :mad: :(


You got into the forum on this page, right?
http://www.bikeforums.net/

Then you scrolled down and clicked on "Touring" right?
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=47

Well, the "Touring - Click here to start a new thread." is right there near the top.

Take a look at that photo I attached to see where to look.

Hi Machka

I sent you a PM about french courses.

brian

There was a thread about this on the Commuting Forum last fall. Apparently the NYC police were actually enforcing this law and giving out tickets. Like they couldn't find better things to do with their time.

There was a thread about this on the Commuting Forum last fall. Apparently the NYC police were actually enforcing this law and giving out tickets. Like they couldn't find better things to do with their time.

But only if it's to their advantage.
Being a long time NYC bicyclist, I always check for signal lights when I am passing a car nearing a corner. I was riding down 2nd ave. when car started making right turn w/o signalling so as I passed him and yelled "signal". Instead of making his turn, he caught up to me and from inside his car showed me his badge and identfied himself as a police officer. Unphased, I told him again that he did not signal, he said that he did and flaunting his "authority" by looking at my handle bars said "you don't have the required bell" and told me sternly to move on before he gives me a ticket, ignoring the fact that he could have caused an accident by not signalling. I didn't mouth off and challenge him as he had the right to issue me a summons. I, on the other hand did not have any proof that he did not signal. Since he took the time to stop me instead of making his turn, I guess he wasn't in any hurry or perhaps wasn't even on duty. I am buying a couple of bells, so that the police will not have any excuses. I already wear a helmet, have both rear/front lights.

Go to www.rivbike.com they have a cool one. I dont own it but it sounds nice. 8 dollars. under misc. i think.

Toronto is the same, you need something to make a noise, and a bell is pretty good way of clearing out that person who is talking on one side of the bike path while their dog is 20 feet in the opposite direction on some interminable lead, blocking the road.

My fovorite was this Ghostbusters van with a hand crank on it that came from McDonalds, but it broke and I now use a little snapper bell.

NYC cops are really getting out of hand. Cops have no regard for rules on the road. Often and unmarked car will blow an amazingly loud siren to get through an intersection apparently in no emergency as they then slowly cruise the next block.

I was once given a ticket for going through a red light. A few months later a cop actually laughed as I sat and waited for a green, then said to go ahead through the red. You can't win with these guys.

In general, cops don't treat bikers here with any respect.

I used to commute 19 miles RT. I got hit once with a red light ticket but with a slight twist. I was waiting for the light to turn green a long side a squad car except while my light was still red, when the cross street light turn red, I slowly started riding before my light turn green 2 seconds later. The irony was I waited for the to turn, a car ran the cross street red light right in front of the cop. When I mention this said to him he said he didn't see the car. I guess he was too busy watching me but probably it was easier to cite me rather than chasing a more dangerous law breaker. I fought the ticket and the judge dismissed it because the cop wrote me up for the wrong violation, which had notthing to do with running a red light.
I used to take cautious liberties because of similar experiences as yours with cops who appeared not to be concerned with my infractions.

Bells work. They are not silly, useless appendages on your bars and will not result in speed loss.

They cut through idle chatter between twalkers, general traffic noise and most other white noise associated with human activity. Humans attenuate noises in this category very well.

The voice can be associated with other talkers nearby, or with general background murmering by people some distance away. Human voices blend with the cacaphony around them and so can be mis-understood or missed entirely.

That's why it can be so aggravating to try to communicate your approach to people. They're not stupid, lame, or deaf - they just can't pick you out.

At a hundred feet I sound off. If, at about fifty feet they haven't a clue, I hit it again. Bingo every time. Bells are a good idea. Even an important idea. Mine is about 1-1/4" in diameter and cost $5.95 at Target.

True Story:
Last summer I was riding the Burke-Gilman Trail which is very popular with everyone - including morons who feel it's their God-given right to go as fast as possible around baby strollers. While manouvering thru some twalkers, I came upon two gals who were chatting it up on their power-walk. I politely gave the ubiquitous "on yer left" and they responded by crashing into each other as one of them went right and the other went left. A lady coming the other direction on a Huffy tanker went of the trail who-knows-where. I nudged them both harmlessly but that was enough for me. I got a bell and there have been no more dust-ups.

I guess he wasn't in any hurry or perhaps wasn't even on duty. I am buying a couple of bells, so that the police will not have any excuses.

Cops ALWAYS have a reason, and if they don't, they'll make one up. What good is having authority and power if you don't flaunt it all the time on those who can't fight back. I'm sure there are many officers who become cops for noble reasons, but they hardly make up for the ones that are just bullies with a badge.

I'm sure there are many officers who become cops for noble reasons, but they hardly make up for the ones that are just bullies with a badge.
+1

I have a bell but I notice the recent penchant for ipods etc means that many people simply do not hear me when I ring the bell.

An airhorn is appealing.

Mostly though I just avoid the trail where the headphone wearers tend to collect.

Small, simple, and a nice sound. $5



Temple of Tone (http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=BPC316947) http://www.bikeparts.com/pimage/BPC316947.jpg

I have a bell but I notice the recent penchant for ipods etc means that many people simply do not hear me when I ring the bell.

An airhorn is appealing.

Mostly though I just avoid the trail where the headphone wearers tend to collect.

Yes, thats why I got an airhorn, works well, even people with ipods.

Super Geek