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
- you assume everyone else is deaf because of earphones?
- you don't have a bell because of the weight/aero penalty?
- you prefer to shout or whistle to warn people of your presence, and constantly making noises never gets old for you?
- there's no law that says you have to?
- you just don't like people, and scaring them or inconveniencing them shows them your disdain for them?
- you just couldn't be arsed?
My opinion: I decided very early in my cycling renaissance that - when on a shared path - I would use a bell almost every time I was about to pass another person. That meant that, yes, at times on my journey I might be ringing every 20 seconds.
Big deal. The upside is that I can alleviate
some of the guesswork when predicting what the person in front of me might be about to do.
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?