To have a bell, or not to have a bell...

[Thoglette]

3 riders passed ok and then one decided without looking and back to passing traffic step out in front of him.

And yet there's complaints when the excuse is "the cyclist came out of nowhere"

[warthog1]

Apparently it is. Haven't had one on a bike since I wrecked my dragster in the late 70s by trying to turn it into a bmx.

You serious you have to have one on your race bike up there?

They wouldn't let you start without a working bell and talking to a mate no all that long ago. He said in Vic recently the comms wouldn't let riders start without a rear light. If it's a legal requirement, I have no problem with having one on my bike and do. You can have them mounted any where within in arms reach and I had one on my seat post on one bike and you can clamp them on your stem or top of your fork around the spacers. It's not hard and cheaper than a raffle ticket if you're pulled up and the copper is on the ball with their knowledge. A few years ago they were booking riders on the Coronation Drive bike path and riders were sooking because they got a raffle ticket.

Foo

Never heard of the working bell in Vic for racing. Absolutely pointless.
Yes rear light came in a few years back I believe. I haven't raced for a while now.

Yes I believe it is a legal requirement. 20+ years of not having one hasn't caused me any grief.
As pointed out, your voice works more effectively as you can say which side you are passing on. Not having a bell has no negative consequence for safety.

Edit; just looked up the Auscycling regs and can't see anything for rear light (or bell). May have just been a local club thing.

[g-boaf]

I still have some contacts in the official side of things, I could check and clarify that with the people who set the rules for racing and solve this question once and for all.

[foo on patrol]

I still have some contacts in the official side of things, I could check and clarify that with the people who set the rules for racing and solve this question once and for all.

The rules change like the weather sometimes and then there's the Comms on how they feel on the day.

Foo

[hunch]

The crazy thing now is that pedestrians so often have headphones on with music or something else going so loudly that they cannot hear you no matter what you do, you can be shouting at them and no use. They won’t move and don’t notice you. Even a bell is useless.

Witnessed this directly out front 3 days ago. Lots of parking on both sides of the street, female jogger with headphones, ran from the adjacent driveway, diagonally across to the other footpath and was almost mowed down. Not a mere bicycle ting, ting, either, a 4wd with tyre rumble you could hear from a couple hundred metres away.

Must have been around 10 years ago during the Baird/Gay era, when the bell was on the blitz hit list. Some wag on Sydney Cyclist I remember mounted his on the front hub.

[foo on patrol]

I have a leccy horn that is built into one of my lights and works very well.

Foo

[mat8iou]

I have a leccy horn that is built into one of my lights and works very well.

I'm surprised there aren't apps for bike computers to give that function - I thought Garmin might have one, but there seems to be resistance to the idea from riders and users (which is odd considering how many random features they do cram into these devices).

[Retrobyte]

I have a leccy horn that is built into one of my lights and works very well.

I'm surprised there aren't apps for bike computers to give that function - I thought Garmin might have one, but there seems to be resistance to the idea from riders and users (which is odd considering how many random features they do cram into these devices).

Can't imagine it would be loud enough to cut through, given the size of the speaker on bike computers

[g-boaf]

I have a leccy horn that is built into one of my lights and works very well.

Foo

Never knew that existed.

Devices that do more with one unit are a good thing.

I’ve wondered what an Apple designed Garmin 1030 alternative would be like… it’d probably have a better screen and much easier operation than Garmin with their sometimes clunky interface.

[foo on patrol]

I have a leccy horn that is built into one of my lights and works very well.

Foo

Never knew that existed.

Devices that do more with one unit are a good thing.

I’ve wondered what an Apple designed Garmin 1030 alternative would be like… it’d probably have a better screen and much easier operation than Garmin with their sometimes clunky interface.

I bought it about 3yrs ago and it is loud. I didn't notice the blurb about the horn when I bought but I got it because I could mount my phone on it with the spring loaded grips. Twin lights and a pretty good beam and when I got it, I was woundering what the black lead was for and thinking it was too change between the light settings and when I pressed it, I near crapped myself when it sounded.

Foo

[Magpie]

Legal requirement in QLD , been pulled up once

[Mububban]

I swear I need a bell that also fires a BB gun, because in the last week I've come right up behind at least 4 walkers wearing noise cancelling earbuds or headphones, and I'm ringing my bell constantly and slowing to a crawl to pass them and they simply do not hear you at all, then get startled even though I'm passing them very slowly

That and old deaf guys who can't hear anything apparently....

[g-boaf]

I swear I need a bell that also fires a BB gun, because in the last week I've come right up behind at least 4 walkers wearing noise cancelling earbuds or headphones, and I'm ringing my bell constantly and slowing to a crawl to pass them and they simply do not hear you at all, then get startled even though I'm passing them very slowly

That and old deaf guys who can't hear anything apparently....

This morning I had to stop completely because the lady in front decided to walk across to the spot where I wanted to go to past.

Note I had already slowed down (because someone here will give me a lecture about slowing down/giving way, etc). Just annoying, they don't look or listen.

[Mr Purple]

I'm surprised there aren't apps for bike computers to give that function - I thought Garmin might have one, but there seems to be resistance to the idea from riders and users (which is odd considering how many random features they do cram into these devices).

I mentioned this on the previous page - I have no idea why no-one's done it yet either.

Not because it would actually be loud enough to be useful (it won't). But given the laws in many countries are 'you must have a bell' not 'your bell needs to be actually effective' it may be enough to get you out of a fine.

Interestingly on my recent trip to Japan - filled with cyclists and pedestrians sharing footpaths, I didn't hear a bell once. I suspect a requirement for one is simply another of those onerous expectations placed on cyclists because motorists don't like cyclists.

[find_bruce]

My bike has an inbuilt audible warning device that is far more effective with pedestrians - no not the air zound - I use that almost exclusively for communicating with drivers.

Nope I'm talking about the humble disc brake squeal. Front brake is basically silent, but if I want to add a warning just a touch on the rear brake has peds paying attention. Sure I could fix the squeal, but I'm still looking for a reason

[CmdrBiggles]

My bike has an inbuilt audible warning device that is far more effective with pedestrians - no not the air zound - I use that almost exclusively for communicating with drivers.

Nope I'm talking about the humble disc brake squeal. Front brake is basically silent, but if I want to add a warning just a touch on the rear brake has peds paying attention. Sure I could fix the squeal, but I'm still looking for a reason

Contamination on the rotors but more commonly on the pads themselves.
Remove them, use degreaser and dry, inspect and reassemble.
Stuff that has "welded" itself to rotors over time, or even rotors beyond their service life, is much more troublesome; in that case, off with the rotors too, on with the new.

In recent times, "the spoken word" of an approach might just be better than the loud gong of my Jezabell. I just imagined myself in their shoes, and having a loud bell suddenly shatter the quiet walk.

So for a time going forward, I just slow right down (walking pace) and say "passing right...". Interestingly, many people can hear the pawls in the freewheel of the TCR ticking away rapidly some distance back— an OK warning sign of an approaching roadie!
Of the many paths I ride — expected to be busy during the school holidays but surprisingly very, very quiet, I have not encountered anything adverse or angry, as people do know around here the paths are shared, not exclusive.