Why won't you use a bell on a shared path?
Yes, bells are pretty much useless on the road when you're mixing it with cars and other noisy traffic. But why won't you use your bell (it's a legal requirement in NSW) when you're on a quiet path that you are sharing with pedestrians and slower cyclists. Is it because
And, if the person/people actually make the effort to move over or reign in their dog/offspring, I say "thanks" as I pass. What an old Fred am I? |
1. Yes
7. My Chris King hub >> bell. Morons with bells like to over-use them, which means I have to cary a frame-pump to stick in their spokes. |
7. The nice thing about not having or using a bell is it allows some who do feel superior to me. You should thank us!
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:popcorn
8. None of the above. |
Originally Posted by wgscott
(Post 22029640)
1. Yes
7. My Chris King hub >> bell. Morons with bells like to over-use them, which means I have to cary a frame-pump to stick in their spokes. I can certainly imagine what over-use of a bell would sound like. I would also call it moronic. |
If you're as civil on the bike paths as you are in this forum, then you should definitely warn people of your presence.
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My job is to not hit someone else on the bike path. Someone else’s situational awareness is not my job. I am good at my job.
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Originally Posted by Gresp15C
(Post 22029685)
If you're as civil on the bike paths as you are in this forum, then you should definitely warn people of your presence.
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Originally Posted by Dominae
(Post 22029687)
My job is to not hit someone else on the bike path. Someone else’s situational awareness is not my job. I am good at my job.
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Generally speaking, I'll use the Bell to give people more advanced warning than just calling out to them.
Examples are, Those with small kids or a dog, those taking a significant portion of the path due to walking in the middle or walking in a group. Barry |
Originally Posted by fredlord
(Post 22029695)
Do you agree that your method will not decrease the likelihood of an accident?
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Originally Posted by Dominae
(Post 22029700)
You mean like when you ring the bell and startle them and, scared and confused, they jump out in front of you?
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There are three types of cyclist out there:
1 - those who use a bell 2 - those who choose to startle and confuse people by shouting on your left 3 - those who don't care and never announce themselves Me personally I choose to use a bell. |
case-by-case basis.
in the past year-ish, most of the time an audible alertness has shown to be ineffective. Doesn't matter the activity they're engaged in; walking, running, recumbent, E-Bicycle, etc etc. Some don't even have ear-buds in or a phone glued to there face. Common offending group tend to have an early 90s timeless attire & if there vehicle is nearby, ingress to a modern Buick branded vehicle. |
a bicycle requires no dialect, therefore, a bell may never draw attention to someone that has a deaf/mute handicap.
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I know how to enunciate the words "on your left!"
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I have a bell (s) and use when appropriate.
Not big on shouting. |
Originally Posted by Dominae
(Post 22029700)
You mean like when you ring the bell and startle them and, scared and confused, they jump out in front of you?
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Originally Posted by fredlord
(Post 22029671)
I told you how I use a bell. Do you think that is over-using it? If so, what is the appropriate way to use a bell, or don't you use one at all? Are you against letting people ("civilians") know you are about to pass them?
I can certainly imagine what over-use of a bell would sound like. I would also call it moronic. I try not to put myself in a position wherein I would need to deploy a bell. If I do find myself in such a situation, I find a simple "good morning," or "good afternoon", or "how 'bout dem Mets?" can work wonders. If you are on a path where you are passing people every 20 seconds, do you wonder if possibly you shouldn't be riding (or going so fast) on that path? They have that kind of path on the shore of Monterey. On the very infrequent occasions I have ridden that path, I just go more slowly. or get off the path and onto the adjacent road. |
I use a bell on my touring bike and hybrid. Both are the only bikes I own that’ll ever roll on an MUP. I use a bell and have experienced the following; pleasant waves, greetings like good morning, and thank you. I sometimes get yelled at to say something by old people who seemingly can’t hear the bell, completely ignored, and completely ignored by folks with headphones.
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
(Post 22029733)
What really startles, confuses and scares people is when some cyclists comes up from behind and starts shouting on your left or some other confusing jargon...Using a bell shouldn't scare, confuse and startle people. I've had people thank me for using a bell, never had a problem scaring or startling anybody.
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Originally Posted by wgscott
(Post 22029734)
I try not to put myself in a position wherein I would need to deploy a bell. If I do find myself in such a situation, I find a simple "good morning," or "good afternoon", or "how 'bout dem Mets?" can work wonders.
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Pre-ozone hole, it was possible to purchase a small Freon horn, not unlike what people used on boats. I got one of these as a kid, and had an absolutely delightful time with it until my mother confiscated it.
I recently bought one of these, but haven't tried it out yet. It seems a bit less obtrusive than a conventional bike bell. You can turn it off when you don't need it so it doesn't drive you nuts: https://thegadgetflow.com/wp-content...ike-Bell-4.jpg |
Originally Posted by Troul
(Post 22029721)
case-by-case basis.
in the past year-ish, most of the time an audible alertness has shown to be ineffective. Doesn't matter the activity they're engaged in; walking, running, recumbent, E-Bicycle, etc etc. Some don't even have ear-buds in or a phone glued to there face. Common offending group tend to have an early 90s timeless attire & if there vehicle is nearby, ingress to a modern Buick branded vehicle. Doing nothing isn't an option, because by using the path I agreed to share it. |
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