tigerteeuwen

i think i am eyeing this one.

i really should have a bell though, as noglider said.

spivonious

I wouldn't worry about offending people by ringing a bell. Most people instantly recognize the sound of a bike bell. Just ring it when you're well back from them, in case they turn around into your path.

jrickards

Then you need this bottle.

lhbernhardt

I've got a small bell attached to my frame pump. This is a trick I learned at amateur world cycling championships, where the Belgians had this setup when they were training, and then in the races they took off the pump with bell. I guess there's a bell law in Belgium. The ding of a bell is very unobtrusive on the paths; I've actually been thanked by peds (esp those with dogs) for using it. Something non-aggressive about the bell sound, as opposed to a horn.

SPD cleats for mtb pedals can be mounted on older road shoes set up for mounting these cleats (3-bolt Look pattern plus slots for mtb SPD). With these, you were supposed to use a pontoon (two rubber things joined by a thin metal bar). The pontoon would usually break after too much walking on them - they're not really designed to be walked in, they're more for support on the pedal. Your shoes obviously don't have the pontoons.

If you want to mount mtb SPD cleats on a road shoe with only the 3-bolt Look pattern, Shimano makes a plastic adapter for about $20. It's a big, curved plastic thing with raised rubber-covered edges (beefed up pontoons) and slots to mount mtb SPD cleats. I haven't used these, but they look like they'd last longer than the earlier thin pontoons. If the shoes you have are also drilled for Look cleats, you can get these beefier adaptors. I think they'd last longer than the previous pontoons.

Note: make sure you differentiate between road and mtb SPD. SPD for the Shimano mtb pedals (M-xxx) have been pretty much the same for the past 20-odd years. Road SPD has gone thru a number of changes. The original road SPD was the same as mtb SPD, except you used the old, thin pontoons. Although Shimano never admitted it, they were actually compatible with mtb SPD. I think these were the best road SPD pedals made; I still use the D-A version on my track bike, and sometimes use the Ultegra version on my road fixie. The 2nd generation used an additional bolt, which required a different slot configuration on the shoe. This didn't last long, but it was a popular pedal amongst track sprinters, because there was a way to thread a toe strap around it. It wasn't compatible with anything. The third generation is the current SPD-SL, which is more like a Look cleat (although not compatible with Look, trust Shimano). This was in response to the US pro's whining about the previous SPD road pedals not being wide enough for support (awww... I've used the original SPD pedal for Paris-Brest-Paris, London-Edinburgh-London, etc. etc. with no discomfort).

Shimano also previously made road SPD pedals that were compatible with mtb SPD. These are designated A-xxx. The original pedal was the A-520, which was white and purple and was a cheaper version of the original Ultegra SPD road pedal. This was eventually supplanted by the current A-520, which is basically a single-sided mtb SPD pedal with a support frame around it. I am using these right now, and they are pretty comfortable! They're also compatible with any mtb SPD shoes you might have. There is an Ultegra version of this pedal, lighter and in a gun metal finish, which is worth checking out. For recreational riders, there is an A-530, which is basically the A-520 with a beefier platform, and the ability to flip the pedal around and use it with normal shoes.

Luis

noglider 

Ooh, clever. How do you attach your bell to your pump?

tigerteeuwen, please visit your LBS and buy a bell. It may not be perfect, but it will get you going. Then you'll have time to choose the perfect one.

mstraus

My commute is right in the middle of tourist central, particularly in the summer. I go from San Francisco to Marin, past Fisherman's Warf, and the bike paths along the waterfront and over the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is the worse, particularly when you get a busload of tourists in the AM when they do not have a bike only side. Sometimes they don't speak/understand English so yelling "on your left" doesn't help. I don't currently have a bell, but plan to get one. A bell is a pretty universal way to signal a bike is coming. I have seen other riders on the bridge "ding" their bell and people generally seem to respond to it better then me saying something.

PatrickGSR94

Would pair well with the hamburger seat bag



40 Euro for basically a washer, screw, bar clamp, and a spring-loaded striker. Ummmm no thanks.

shoemakerpom

Ordered one myself in black and they have updated their site to june shipping. I can wait for perfection....

halcyon100

You have a good point about the GG Bridge. I live near SF as well and once spent a summer commuting to SF from Marin. I think if I died and went to hell, it would be riding back and forth across the east span when lots of tourists are there. I avoid riding on the bridge unless the west span is open. If i needed to ride on the east side on weekdays between 9am and 3pm, I think I'd invest in some type of air siren...
I've ridden behind other cyclists with bells and I notice some differences. When there is a sea of people on the bridge, the cyclists with a bell can get a Moses-like parting of the sea a little quicker - especially when they are constantly ringing it. Elderly people seem to catch the bell easier than "on your left." However, it seems to me that the people with headphones tend to not hear the voice or the bell. As for the tourists from other countries that are standing in the middle of the GG bridge path with their camera pointed to the sky to get some kind of special abstract photo... I could run naked across the bridge while painted day-glo pink and blowing on a whistle and I think they would remain focused on getting their photo just right.

I'm curious to hear from other cyclists who use bells - how often do people with headphones on actually hear you and move over?

Squeeze

I ride MUPs at times while commuting or just riding around and often get a "thank you" after I ring my bell. I try to ding it once when I'm far away but in sight and that seem to do the trick - and again especially with dogs. It gives the owners time to reel them in or move aside.

mstraus

Yea, East span of the bridge is best avoided from 9-3, particularly in nice weather. IN summer I think even earlier it starts to get bad...motivation for me to get up earlier for my commute in.

Maybe we need some sort of projectile to get attention of the people with headphones.

noglider 

Have you noticed how police sirens sound different lately? They added bass to the sound so people in cars with loud music can feel the siren, since they can't hear it. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of power to make a sound like that. I can't think of a reasonable solution to the runner-with-headphones problem.

walrus1

Yeah weren't they going to roll those out in NYC? It seems most cop cars don't have em at least not in Brooklyn. Or maybe the NYPD is showing some restraint and only using them when absolutely needed.


@tigerteeuwen how much good a bike bell does depends on three things.
1. How noisy your streets are
2. How people actually react to them
3. What you're ringing at at.

In my experience in NYC bike bells don't do any good at all. They confuse tourists, aren't heard over the background, aren't heard by cars or over earbuds. You're better off yelling. By the way it befuddles me to no end that cyclists ring their bells at cars.

noglider 

All the sirens I hear in NYC are the new, bassy type.

MRT2

True. But on a MUP or rural road pedestrians and other cyclists can hear them pretty clearly.

WestMass

you can get a bell that is attached to a stack spacer. I dig this one.

EnsitMike

That made me laugh. I'm really tempted to get this for my super six to make the weight weenies laugh on some group rides.

tcs

Yes, but that washer, screw, clamp and springy thing are Danish.

The Sogreni bell also comes in what must be an industry leading amount of packaging.

walrus1

Are you in Manhattan or Brooklyn? Cause the cops in Manhattan seem to get all the shiny new toys first.

tigerteeuwen

The clamp looks like a standard split ring hanger for plumbing. the box it comes in looks like its worth more then the actual product itself...

allan6344

It's a nice looking / sounding bell. I received my Kickstarter order from them this week. I would expect they have the production process down for the next batch.

westrid_dad

I also love having a bell for the MUPs, and usually I'm receiving a thank you versus a startled look when I signal my presence. Here is what I just picked up to add to a new commuter.



Its mount replaces one of the headset spacers. It is easily accessible and doesn't take up any valuable space on the handlebar or stem.

Also, it does look like NYPD is using the "Rumbler".
NYPD rumbler sirene going crazy! - YouTube

tigerteeuwen

which one is that pictured?

westrid_dad

It is the Crane Suzu mini headset mount brass bell.
Crane SuzuMini Headset Brass Bell|bike bell