Bells or voice - give a guy/gal/child a break
#27
Grupetto Bob
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,239
Bikes: Bikey McBike Face
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2599 Post(s)
Liked 5,680 Times
in
2,932 Posts
Likes For rsbob:
#28
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,646
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10999 Post(s)
Liked 7,527 Times
in
4,211 Posts
1- ride on MUPs as infrequently as possible. Ride roads instead.
2- you don't just pass walkers/runners on MUPs. You pass other cyclists too. And many times these others are 2 wide so letting them know you are there is a good thing.
3- bikes yield to walkers/runners on MUPs. Let them know you are there for safety then move around them in a safe manner. If you want to ride fast, see #1.
4- my God, this place.
2- you don't just pass walkers/runners on MUPs. You pass other cyclists too. And many times these others are 2 wide so letting them know you are there is a good thing.
3- bikes yield to walkers/runners on MUPs. Let them know you are there for safety then move around them in a safe manner. If you want to ride fast, see #1.
4- my God, this place.
Likes For mstateglfr:
#29
Old but still riding
Thread Starter
Ahhh . . . Downhill master - here you are! Please enlighten us with your youthful wisdom regarding anything about cycling. It is a cycling forum after all.
Last edited by SeniorCanadian; 04-25-21 at 10:58 PM. Reason: clarification
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 1,680
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 980 Post(s)
Liked 776 Times
in
402 Posts
The solution is very simple.
Stay off the silly MUP’s unless you are too feeble or too gutless to ride your bike on the road.
Bells and whistles and ‘on your left’ shouldn’t be utilized on moms with strollers, people walking dogs, bird watchers, and 4mph wannabe joggers.
You keep trying to figure out the best way to navigate your 25+mph ultra lightweight cf machine on your local walking paths though
Likes For downhillmaster:
#33
Zip tie Karen
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Posts: 7,004
Bikes: '13 Motobecane Fantom29 HT, '16 Motobecane Turino Pro Disc, '18 Velobuild VB-R-022, '21 Tsunami SNM-100
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1465 Post(s)
Liked 1,542 Times
in
806 Posts
My wife and I have debated this "how to signal responsibly and non-offensively?" issue over the past decade, it seems. She's firmly in the voice camp. She thinks that bells are irritating and not specific as to the rider's intent.
I like the gentleness of the bell's 'ping', and feel that the ping is a unique sound that emerges from the clutter of everyday noises. I don't have any bells on my bikes at this time though.
I asked an acquaintance at church just yesterday about her preference. She prefers voice over bell.
EDIT: I forgot to add that I'd prefer to ride where I don't have to interact with pedestrians at all, but that's not practical when you live in or nearby a city. The available riding corridors naturally collapse onto a multi-use path from time to time. It's an unavoidable reality.
I like the gentleness of the bell's 'ping', and feel that the ping is a unique sound that emerges from the clutter of everyday noises. I don't have any bells on my bikes at this time though.
I asked an acquaintance at church just yesterday about her preference. She prefers voice over bell.
EDIT: I forgot to add that I'd prefer to ride where I don't have to interact with pedestrians at all, but that's not practical when you live in or nearby a city. The available riding corridors naturally collapse onto a multi-use path from time to time. It's an unavoidable reality.
#34
Senior Member
the amount of zealotry with this stuff blows my mind. As far as I'm concerned, and this is going back to when I started riding bikes regularly in 2013, there needs to be some onus on pedestrians, slower cyclists to be aware of the environment and, you know, not be surprised that on a multiuse path there may always be folks passing. if slower people stay on the right, I can pass as wide left as possible. And if there's someone approaching from the opposite direction, I won't try to split the middle and do a close pass, I set the expectation for myself that if I'm on a path, it's not for speed and uninterrupted travel so I exercise patience. If I see kids or more erratic users, of course I'll give a verbal warning and again pass as widely left as possible and slowly.
I'm personally against bells because they strike me a bit as passive-aggressive (I know that isn't the case), at least that's how I feel when I'm on a path with my son, and with both of us on road bikes and maintaining a steady line, we don't exactly look like noobs. Dinging at every person to me says more 'stay out of way' as opposed to 'hey, i'm here,' but that's just my bias and interpretation. As a faster person, of course, I like to stick to the roads, but on the rare occasion I am on a multi-use path I generally abide by my basic rules above.
I'm personally against bells because they strike me a bit as passive-aggressive (I know that isn't the case), at least that's how I feel when I'm on a path with my son, and with both of us on road bikes and maintaining a steady line, we don't exactly look like noobs. Dinging at every person to me says more 'stay out of way' as opposed to 'hey, i'm here,' but that's just my bias and interpretation. As a faster person, of course, I like to stick to the roads, but on the rare occasion I am on a multi-use path I generally abide by my basic rules above.
Likes For hubcyclist:
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Menomonee Falls, WI
Posts: 1,835
Bikes: 1984 Schwinn Supersport, 1988 Trek 400T, 1977 Trek TX900, 1982 Bianchi Champione del Mondo, 1978 Raleigh Supercourse, 1986 Trek 400 Elance, 1991 Waterford PDG OS Paramount, 1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer, 1985 Trek 670
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 604 Post(s)
Liked 1,064 Times
in
535 Posts
I found out, after being passed a few times by other cyclists, much to their dismay, that I don’t hear the bell. Probably something to do with a close association to jet engines for the last 40 yrs. Recently, almost parked another into a tree, should have been obvious to him, that I was gonna pass the pedestrians before he got abeam me though.
I generally avoid the MUP during peak times, retirement is great about that, but when coming upon pedestrians I vocalize my presence.
Even as a kid, felt like a dork ringing a bike bell. I know, looking like a dork shouldn’t bother any cyclist, myself included, it comes with the territory, but why add to it.
If a do hear a bell, my mind goes right to ice cream man!
I’ve have never failed to hear an “on your left” from another cyclist, if I do the same for other cyclists and pedestrians, and end with a thank you, or good morning, seems most encounters are pretty pleasant.
The 3 biggest scares that I’ve come across on the MUP are, dogs on leashes, pedestrians who don’t know left from right, and deer. Wonder if the bells would work on deer? Might be a worthwhile investment then.
Tim
I generally avoid the MUP during peak times, retirement is great about that, but when coming upon pedestrians I vocalize my presence.
Even as a kid, felt like a dork ringing a bike bell. I know, looking like a dork shouldn’t bother any cyclist, myself included, it comes with the territory, but why add to it.
If a do hear a bell, my mind goes right to ice cream man!
I’ve have never failed to hear an “on your left” from another cyclist, if I do the same for other cyclists and pedestrians, and end with a thank you, or good morning, seems most encounters are pretty pleasant.
The 3 biggest scares that I’ve come across on the MUP are, dogs on leashes, pedestrians who don’t know left from right, and deer. Wonder if the bells would work on deer? Might be a worthwhile investment then.
Tim
Last edited by tkamd73; 04-26-21 at 08:07 AM.
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,311
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18443 Post(s)
Liked 15,651 Times
in
7,363 Posts
Likes For indyfabz:
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Mich
Posts: 7,423
Bikes: RSO E-tire dropper fixie brifter
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 2,993 Times
in
1,924 Posts
worst thing to say aloud might be, "Comin up yer rear!" . It backfires when the runner says, "OK!"
__________________
-Oh Hey!
-Oh Hey!
Likes For Troul:
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Menomonee Falls, WI
Posts: 1,835
Bikes: 1984 Schwinn Supersport, 1988 Trek 400T, 1977 Trek TX900, 1982 Bianchi Champione del Mondo, 1978 Raleigh Supercourse, 1986 Trek 400 Elance, 1991 Waterford PDG OS Paramount, 1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer, 1985 Trek 670
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 604 Post(s)
Liked 1,064 Times
in
535 Posts
Likes For Reflector Guy:
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Far beyond the pale horizon.
Posts: 14,295
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4273 Post(s)
Liked 1,369 Times
in
950 Posts
The ring of a bell basically says "get the hell out of my way" to most people who don't expire from a coronary arrest when some sanctimonious zealot cycles up behind them to deploy their noise-maker.
If you want to go around someone on a MUP, it is up to you to give them clearance, not the other way around. If you think startling a bunch of pedestrians who are just strolling along and innocently discussing quantum measurement theory and Bell's Inequality, or the latest Instagram influencer's body odor is doing them a favor, you need to think about it some more, and pass them (if at all) more politely.
.
If you want to go around someone on a MUP, it is up to you to give them clearance, not the other way around. If you think startling a bunch of pedestrians who are just strolling along and innocently discussing quantum measurement theory and Bell's Inequality, or the latest Instagram influencer's body odor is doing them a favor, you need to think about it some more, and pass them (if at all) more politely.
.
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,933
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7016 Post(s)
Liked 11,028 Times
in
4,713 Posts
I guess bell vs no bell is the new disc vs rim brakes, or the new steel vs cf.
Likes For njkayaker:
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,812
Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1945 Post(s)
Liked 2,175 Times
in
1,326 Posts
Likes For 70sSanO:
#47
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Far beyond the pale horizon.
Posts: 14,295
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4273 Post(s)
Liked 1,369 Times
in
950 Posts
Nothing is perfect.**
Bells are understood fairly-commonly to be associated with bicycles and that association is world-wide and language independent.
--------------------------
** Nothing is perfect.
Likes For njkayaker:
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: northWET washington
Posts: 1,197
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 383 Post(s)
Liked 690 Times
in
396 Posts
I usually try ringing the bell pretty far in advance of my passing. The Spurcycle is a bit shrill and can be heard even by the harder of hearing (I know personally) and so is more a light tingling as an advance warning. But occasionally, I do use it again on closer approach a bit more insistently. I will also use "on your left" when appropriate. If I see wires dangling from the ears then all bets are off and I will slow and provide good passing distance. I slow for erratic kids and leashed dogs. I use roads and paths. Although, in Seattle some roads are now pedestrian corridors and there are more pedestrians in the roadway.
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Far beyond the pale horizon.
Posts: 14,295
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4273 Post(s)
Liked 1,369 Times
in
950 Posts
I usually try ringing the bell pretty far in advance of my passing. The Spurcycle is a bit shrill and can be heard even by the harder of hearing (I know personally) and so is more a light tingling as an advance warning. But occasionally, I do use it again on closer approach a bit more insistently. I will also use "on your left" when appropriate. If I see wires dangling from the ears then all bets are off and I will slow and provide good passing distance. I slow for erratic kids and leashed dogs. I use roads and paths. Although, in Seattle some roads are now pedestrian corridors and there are more pedestrians in the roadway.
Likes For njkayaker:
#50
Advocatus Diaboli
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,650
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4750 Post(s)
Liked 1,536 Times
in
1,006 Posts
How about suburbia, where seemingly most new housing areas don't put in sidewalks, so the pedestrians are out in the street also. My experience is they most definitely don't make it a habit to walk against traffic -- more a 50/50 potluck thing, depending on which direction they need to go from where they were.