yankeefan

It'd be really useful if they made cycle computers with a digital/integrated bell. Even if I found a lightweight, stiff, carbon bell with great power transfer and vertical compliance I'd have nowhere to mount it since I have a headlight on my left handlebar and a cycle computer on the right.

AlmostTrick

Who cares if it is?

I already agreed that a bell can be handy when dealing with peds. But what about those of us who mainly only deal with people in motor vehicles? Should we too sport a bell that will not even be heard?


Maybe ring your bell next time.

john4789

This post exposes your own ignorance on the issue.

You suggest there are only two types of riders - those who pass with sufficient lateral distance clearance or jek cyclists who pass too close. No doubt this simplistic view has been formed by cycling in rural Iowa where the roadway configurations and passing opportunities are limited. Many posters in this thread commute in dense urban environments such as Chicago's loop or NYC. Those environments sometimes create situations where it is not realistic to pass with sufficient lateral distance clearance to eliminate the risk of passing, only mitigate it. One such situation is the 'protected bike lane' (or regular shared lane with very heavy traffic). A novice rider who swerves to avoid an unforeseen obstacle can easily span the width of the bike lane. When passing in this situation one should be aware of potential hazards, adjust speed as necessary, make the other cyclist aware of their intentions (I do via bell ring as posted above), move as far to the left as possible (taking the lane when you can) and execute the pass.

IMO, this is the most appropriate behavior in a number of situations. Oh well if ringing my bell annoys some of my fellow commuters, that's traffic. Deal with it.

alan s 

I agree peds have priority on the sidewalk, but not on a MUP. That sort of thinking is part of the problem. Peds need to share the MUP, which means staying to the side generally, and looking around before crossing, not acting like a zombie, and acting predictably. Also, not taking up the entire path as well as keeping dogs close by and under control. The mindset that bikes have to watch out for peds and peds have no responsibility is a dangerous one.

TrekNerd

Since I haved been commuting in Japan, the biggest annoyance I witness is cyclists not adhering to traffic lights. I know it can be an inconvience at times but I have seen many close call when cyclists casually strolls through a traffic and nearly collide with a car.

yankeefan

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=681452278638780

Under normal circumstances twisting and throwing front wheel about is poor form, but I think this guy can be forgiven.

john4789

Here is my setup. I use a SRAM stem bell that has a threaded rod at the base. I made a small hole in my brake hood, passed the rod though it and added a washer & nut on the inside. I then wrapped it with tape to hold the whole thing down and in place while riding. Anyone concerned w/ aesthetics could do a better job than I did.

It is concealed on the inside of the hoods an not noticeable from most view angles if that is important to you. More importantly, I can reach it with my middle finger while riding and my hand is still in the normal hood position allowing access to brakes. This allows me to ding freely without losing reaction time for control or braking.

spare_wheel

walkers are vulnerable traffic on mups so any *danger* is almost entirely one-sided.

alan s 

I disagree. Never seen a ped crash, but plenty of bike crashes. I'd say bikes are far more vulnerable. Around here, peds are generally pretty cooperative with other MUP users. They don't generally seem to have a sense of entitlement.

I-Like-To-Bike

Too funny
Assuming that I or anyone else not currently posting from a dense urban environment have never lived in such locales and has no knowledge or experience or ever commuted in same: too dang funny

But you really hit on my big mistake, suggesting that "there are only two types of riders - those who pass with sufficient lateral distance clearance or jek cyclists who pass too close." I forgot about a third kind: a self proclaimed experienced cyclist who just MUST pass a swerving "novice", doesn't have enough room to do so safely in a bike lane, refuses to leave the lane or wait for a better opportunity, and believes that ringing a bell or otherwise making the "novice" aware of the expert's presence makes an unsafe pass safe.

The third kind of cyclist, unaware that his self professed expertise ( ) in whizzing around the city and its "novices" including nutty/unsafe passing technique is just an example of annoyingly rude bicycling jackassery.

john4789

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you ILTB's recipe for posting:
1 part: contempt for other forum users
1 part: perceived persecution from elite/rude/expert/wannabe cyclists
2 parts: too funny & lol emoticons
"1 part": "quotation marks"
0 parts: actual content which helps this community

Follow this simple recipe and you too can achieve 20,000 posts without actually saying anything.


ILTB: So here is your big chance, let us all know what you learned from commuting in a big city so that the forum can benefit from your experience.

kickstart

It seems if your personal bias against bells has tainted your perceptions.

I have found the opposite to be true in both regards, and personally as a recipient, I prefer a bell as an early warning to a "polite" verbal warning just before being passed.
The fault in your analogy of a driver blowing their horn when passing a cyclist is that a motor vehicle isn't totally silent like a bicycle, and there's no comparison in how cyclists behave on the road to how pedestrians behave on a MUT.

The only warning that actually "annoys" me is the one not given by the high speed rider shooting a gaps.

yankeefan

The only annoyingly rude bicycling jackassery going on here is coming from your posts. john4789 may have been wrong to assume you've never commuted in an urban area but that doesn't make his point any less valid. Protected bike lanes (or even regular bike lanes) in the city very rarely have room for two people to comfortable ride abreast, and even an experienced cyclist may not hold their line if they have no immediate reason to do so. I regularly see commuters taking up the width of the lane because they are avoiding potholes/debris, fiddling with their water bottle or even worse staring at their cellphones. A warning of some sort (verbal, bell, etc) is necessary to alert them of your presence so that they can make an effort to momentarily hold their line. This really does show how much of an antagonist you are because a couple pages ago you were against my "basic jargon" and was completely in favor of a non-cryptic warning, now all of a sudden you are completely against giving any sort of warning, because giving a warning means you are a jerk. Take a minute and think about how farcical that statement is.

yankeefan

Honestly I'm beginning to doubt whether the dude even owns a bike. I can't recall ever seeing him post any useful advice derived from his own riding experience, and prior to making an account I had been lurking for the better part of a year. You probably shouldn't post his recipe though, he could sue you for violating his patent

Grey.

Who says bells can't be cool?

Spurcycle: better bicycle bells and other enduring bike accessories.

TxSpeedster

The Katy Trail in Dallas can get rather congested in nice weather. I have no problem with saying 'On your left' or ringing my stem mounted bell as the situation warrants.

hardboiled718

All types of cyclists, all types of situations, we're probably all guilty of being that guy to another commuter at one time or another. It's annoying as hell to have to stop but ultimately when it comes to other cyclists or pedestrians if you hit them you're almost guaranteed to be at fault. (Please note I said almost) I kind of apply murphy's law when approaching other cyclists or pedestrians, maybe they will, maybe they won't but what happens if they do?

Anyone else profile the cyclists they are trying to overtake? I've had some close calls where bells or calls will cause inexperienced riders to swerve or just stop in the middle of the lane. Both of which are extremely dangerous, if I see someone who I think might pull one of those maneuvers I'll just wait for a safe moment and move by them quickly without any warning. Of course give space and don't cut them off.

hardboiled718

Think he can do that on a tight rope?

AlmostTrick

Yikes, that is really trick... and I was convinced I didn't need no stinkin' bell. Darn you, Grey.

Jim from Boston

I have a golden rule of cycling, “Do unto the peds, as you would have the cagers do unto you.” So while peds should be more alert, walking on a MUP is a petty carefree activity, whereas cycling demands more attention, and cyclists IMO, are possibly more vulnerable in a crash.

The ability of a cyclist to do damage in a crash I would say is intermediate between that of a ped and an automobile, but I think a cyclists’s own safety demands that he/she be the most attentive of the three, and frankly assume the others are jerks.

spare_wheel

I like your rule.

I have absolutely no problem with cyclists using bells to warn against a collision -- even a potential collision. However, when I walk on busy mups during commute hours there are cyclists who treat their brass bells like some sort of personal road clearance signal. Dring, dring, dring, dring, dring becomes a milder version of the fakenger yelling "bike lane" on Portlandia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nMnr8ZirI

And cyclists can be especially rude to people (often tourists or out-of-towners) who do not understand the "unwritten" etiquette of having to jump out of the way when someone drings you.

I-Like-To-Bike

Are rude/annoying cyclists using bells as a personal road clearance signal to get other cyclists, pedestrians and other unworthy "novices" to jump out of their way similar to cyclists yelling jargon at pedestrians and other cyclists for the same purpose/intent?

alan s 

This is the proper use of a bell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7oGk-ozhKI

achoo

ILTB:

kickstart

Bell or verbal, using a "warning" as a demand to clear the road so one may maintain their speed or cadence is rude, using them as a request for clearance when others are blocking the way or as alerting others to ones presence isn't.

In Washington its required and often expected on MUTs when passing others.