Turn Up your volume to get the real effect of the sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0QfeZx8Vqk

I had that ding dong bell from Niagara, but it was stolen by my girlfriend's brother for his bike. It is very loud, but it's also the size of a small burger. I also have that brass bell from Velo Orange. It's not quite as loud as the ding dong bell, but the sound is a very crispy "tinggg..."

small burger is good

very crisp "tingg" is good

you talked me into getting both

I have to tell you, I am really pissed.

I received today from Velo-orange the Japanese hammer-strike bell. It's worthless to me as it is no louder than the one I had. I couldn't believe people called this "loud", so I did some research.

Turns out there are 2 look-alike versions of this bell. One measures 2" across and has a hexagonal nut on top. (as shown in post #5 above) The other measures about 1.8" across and has a rivet on top.

The 2" bell (with hex nut) is reputed to be twice as louid as the 1.8" bell (with rivet).

The one that velo orange has is the smaller, less loud one. An outfit called Velofred shows the good one on their website and I sent them an email to verify the size and hex nut.

The message here is if you want LOUD do NOT buy from Velo-orange.

$26 counting bell, mount, and shipping. I never bother to return stuff, but in this case I'll make an exception.

I apologize if you think I have misled you. Can you confirm that you bought the bell in the first image, and not the one in the second? I just went over to my bike to ring the bell again, and I really think it's quite a bit louder than those generic bells. Did you try mounting the bell to your bike and ringing it?

I hope you like the ding dong bell from Niagara. It's the loudest bell I've heard in my life. If you find that too quiet, you need to move up to a compressed air horn.

I also recommend that you do not return the stem spacer mount if it is compatible with the other bell you're looking at. One of the signs of a quality bicycle is the lack of random stuff clamped everywhere. The stem location is both elegant and functional for this type of flick bell, as it positions the paddle at the correct location for your thumb when your hand is on the top of the bar.

I refuse to use a bell. Because a bell can rust and, the volume of the sound eminating from the bell is finite. I use my voice instead.

I hate to break it to you, but the volume of sound emanating from your voice in finite too. Drivers tend to ignore yelling people too, at least in my experience. Now my AirZound gets their attention because it's pretty unusual to hear an air horn on the road. Although I did find a nice car horn I'm going to wire up for my winter bike next year, since the AirZound doesn't perform well below 35ish.

I apologize if I sounded like I thought you misled me! Any well-intended info that people contribute to these forums is valuable--perhaps loud is in the ear of the beholder.

The bell I received is identical to the one in the top picture. The louder bell that I should have gotten looks identical to the one in the top picture except for the hexagonal nut on top (and a small increase in size not discernible in a photo).
Better picture at https://www.rivbike.com/products/show...e-bells/31-367

I discounted the bell in the bottom photo as it is clearly advertised as not being as loud as the hammerstrike bell.

I agree that the aluminum spacer-hanger is quite tidy and plan to keep it long enough to see if I can mount another bell (or something) with it.

I know from personal experience that Australians are at least as loud as Hawaiians--If you were coming up behind three women on a walk/bike trail and they were all chattering away, do you really think they would hear this bell? To my ear, it's about the same loudness as a "come out of meditation/prayer" bell you might hear in a quiet church. Very nice resonance, though, as you mentioned.

Anyway, thanks for your help and don't think I'm blaming you or anybody else on here!

I may have to go Airzound. But God is it FUGLY!!!

Further reading on the Revendell site reveals that the bell with the nut on top cannot be used with a screw-in hanger like the spacer from Velo-orange. I sure hope the bell from Niagara does the trick since none of the alternatives hit any hot buttons . . .

I've used that bell in Australia, Canada, China, and the USA, and have never had a pedestrian fail to hear my bell. I usually just ring it once and people move out of the way. I'm not saying you can ride in at full speed, ring the bell from 20 metres away, and have them move out of the way in time for you to pass them without slowing down. You have to coast up to them, ring the bell, wait till they move, and then accelerate past them.

Too bad about the spacer non-compatibility with the other bell. It's quite an elegant solution and people complement my bell all the time.

This comment strikes me as very odd, since all sound is finite and measurable--even the sound of your voice. Not sure what rust has to do with anything.

Back to the OP: I have used brass bells, including the one you didn't like from Velo Orange (and a similar model from Universal Cycles--maybe the Crane version?). Anyways, without a sound pressure level (SPL) meter, it can be very misleading to determine bell is louder (if in fact either bell is), as the tone of the bell can affect its apparent loudness. For example, we have two heating units in our apartment, one that makes a high pitched sound and one that makes a low pitched sound. The high pitched unit sounds louder, probably because the pitch is more invasive (i.e. annoying) to our ears, but our trusty SPL meter shows both units are in fact virtually the same loudness.

That said, in my experience--and maybe this is what Chris516 meant--bells just aren't respected by pedestrians, no matter how many decibels they are capable of producing. Why? Because pedestrians hear the bell and think, "4-year old on a bike". Shouting isn't effective, either, at least not in NYC where shouting is like the normal tone used for conversation. I have found the most effective means to clear the path in front is squealing brakes: people hear that squeal, and they act like the world is coming to an end! Unfortunately, the brakes on my new commuter bike aren't "properly" adjusted yet, so they're dead quiet.

Haha--Make a tape-recording of screeching tires and play it through a handlebar-mounted boombox!

I was reluctant to disassemble my good bike in order to mount the spacer-mounted bell; but I have transferred it back to the basic handlebar clamp and I'm going to give it a test today. Maybe people will hear it better than I think.

I don't want to have to be within 10 feet for them to hear me, though. I could just clear my throat for the same affect. It startles people to be that close before they are aware of you.

Perhaps I could disguise the Airzound as a rubber chicken and hang it upside-down from my bars . . .

Amazon sells the louder version of the brass bell for $18 including shipping

https://www.amazon.com/Soma-Fabricati...0131072&sr=1-2

Just who are you people trying to notify?

I have a little bell that I bought a long time ago. I think its the Incredibell Brass Duet. Its tiny Plenty loud for passing joggers/walkers/cyclists on the trails. The only ones that don't hear me are those with headphones in.

Also, if it looks like someone isn't paying attention, I just say "Passing" and that gets their attention.

Can't speak for Clark, but in my case it would be obnoxious New Yorkers mostly. In response to my bell, one guy stuck out his elbows like he was trying to knock me off my bike. Clearly, he didn't think that through, but that was his response. (I guess he was one of the few people who didn't think "4 year-old on a bike." Or maybe he did!)

And so a louder bell will help, how?

I never suggested a louder bell would help. Sorry, I thought when you said "you people" that you had read the last few replies including my above post, which suggested squealing brakes as a more effective alternative to any bicycle bell.

Yeah, my bad too. I should've been more specific to Clark.

Squealing brakes as an effective alternative? I wonder if setting the pads to toe-out would help in this regard. I know the original pads on my Sirrus screamed like a banshee when I applied them. That certainly gave me looks.

I have not found that to be true in any city I have lived in.

Not sure it applies to what everyone else is talking about, but if someone's looking for a small/light bell like the Incredibell I've found that their Adjustabell is much louder (though higher pitched).

The deafest bell-maker?

If I'm passing peds I give them a wee ting ting (always appreciated). If I'm trying to catch the attention of a motorist (for the usual reasons) I fill my lungs up to the brim and just bellow out. That works better than any bell ever has.

When selecting the bell I went for tone. Whilst in the LBS I went through each bell until I got one that sounded just right. I'm sure they were glad to see the back of me that day.

You could have an idea there.

One Christmas, when I was doing motorcycle courier work, I came upon a junction that had a continuous stream of pedestrians flooding across in both directions. Knowing that;

A. I was in a hurry.
B. The pedestrians would ignore a horn.

As I approached I deliberately locked the back wheel. A satifying screech issued forth. I had complete control and could engage the front brake at any time to actually stop, if required.

The pedestrians parted magically, as if they were the Red Sea and I was Moses.

I came to a halt between the divided masses of people, nodded, said thanks, and after briefly checking traffic, roared away.

It was most gratifying.

To get back to the discussion, I thought the bell I have was originally sourced from Velo Orange, but it is in fact different from the ones on their website, it has a nut on top. It appears identical to the one you originally posted. I find it quite loud enough. It is made by Crane.

Mirrycle Incredibell Saturn Bicycle Bell
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017AVAME/...SIN=B0017AVAME

Available on Amazon.

I ride next to a noisy freeway on one side of a shared MUP and a busy road on the other that frequently has some peds on it. They don't respond to "on your left" because my voice will not cut through the road noise. For some reason, a good, strong bell noise makes them move. The Mirrycle is the best one I have ever used. It sounds great in all weather and is easy (no "thumb tab" to find). And people MOVE.

How does one ring it without a "thumb tab"? Thanks