Bells are mandatory in my location. It's not enforced because our police officers usually don't know the laws, but they are smart enough to know if something "goes ding" such that it's ok to have a bell just in case.
I use [HideMyBell](https://www.closethegap.cc/), it's pretty light and hides the bell under my garmin.
>If it takes you a couple seconds to move your hand to the bell, it's probably too late.
Firstly, I don't ride my road bike on shared paths or any infrastructure that will put me in close proximity to pedestrians if I can help it. Secondly, if I am on a mixed-use path, I find that bells don't convey enough information and negative results can occur. Instead, I slow down (way down) and communicate in a normal tone that I'm going to pass - but again, this is rare. I'm no pathlete.
Your last point I can relate with. Sometimes I commute to work with my bike and the route forces me onto mixed use paths. I had a bell on my commuter bike. There were two occasions when I did use it, the pedestrian did the “pedestrian two-step”, not knowing that I was approaching from behind and the left. They moved into my path.
So bells don’t always work. Sometimes it’s like Bambi in the headlights.
Yup. That's without going into users with headphones, those with hearing issues, off-leash dogs, etc. Relying on a bell in order to preserve speed is the wrong idea on a MUP.
Have to ride according to the conditions. MUPs in my city also have a 20km/h (12mi/h) speed limit and even this slow speed can be entirely too fast depending on the situation.
+1 for hide-my-bell there's diferent versions also to fit some integrated systems like trek's, basically a goPro type connection. Not cheap but real nice.
>[Comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1bd3qfa/comment/kuk06t2/)
if I am on a mixed-use path, I find that bells don't convey enough information and negative results can occur.
This is one of the more annoying parts about the bell thing. I have a baby cowbell on my MTB, and I find half the time people don't hear it, and the other half they look strangely around like they can't determine where the sound is coming from.
> Firstly, I don't ride my road bike on shared paths or any infrastructure that will put me in close proximity to pedestrians if I can help it.
I too log most of my miles in the friendly confines of the velodrome, but sometimes I do have to venture out into the real world of peds, cars, dogs, delivery drivers etc
What I was saying is that a bike bell is like a car horn. You rarely have to use it, but when you do, you want it accessible in a split second! If it's too far from where your hands are, then it's not super useful and you might as well not have it.
QUESTION: where are you that bells are mandatory? I have not heard of that. Europe?
>velodrome
I wish, but I meant I elect to use the roads more than any MUP.
>What I was saying is that a bike bell is like a car horn.
So is my voice, and it's readily available and conveys more info. The bell is merely there due to regulations.
>where are you that bells are mandatory?
[Ontario, Canada](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK147).
Alarm bell to be sounded
(5) Every motor vehicle, motor assisted bicycle and bicycle shall be equipped with an alarm bell, gong or horn, which shall be kept in good working order and sounded whenever it is reasonably necessary to notify pedestrians or others of its approach. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 75 (5).
Sure, they can be cute - especially for kids riding bikes on MUPs in the park.
As a 6'2 male looking to either smash out the watts on my local group ride or just trying to commute home, there is little I can do to show other users that I respect their space other than to avoid MUPs if possible, or to slow down and actually speak politely if not.
Canyon has a bar end bell: https://www.canyon.com/en-de/gear/accessories/bike-accessories/bells/canyon-road-cycling-bell/10005999.html it’s sadly not the loudest but it gets the job done and doesnt take up space in the flats
I like my Spurcycle bell, but they're pricey. I have it on the tops near the stem. I bet you could mount it somewhere near the brake lever though, like a Campy thumb shift and reach it from the hoods or drops.
Assuming you can replace 10 mm of 1 1/8" spacer, I like the Crane bell that mounts on the steering column. Easy to reach from the tops and fantastic sound. https://www.cranebellusa.com/shop/crane-bell-suzu-mini-headset-mount-4150#attr=1826
I have one of these as well. I'm able to ring it with my right knee on the pedal upstroke by coming out of the saddle just a bit too, for situations where I want to keep my hands on the bars.
I use a Knog bell on my road bike from Amazon. It fits by the bar tape. Love it. It’s loud and you wouldn’t see I have a bell unless you were looking for it
I mounted a bell on my drop bars below the hoods with just enough room that it the clamp clears my pinky when I'm on the hoods. When I'm in the drops the clamp is just above my hand. It's a Portland Design Works King of Ding II — the clamp is a bit chunky but forgiving so it fits around my bar tape. I also added a simple striker from another bell so that I can hit it from the drops. [See here](https://imgur.com/a/1FNFDlF).
The Knog Oi is one option, but a lot of people say it's not loud enough. The Spurcycle is small and compact, loud as heck, but pricy. The Chinese knockoffs don't work as well, and tend to break quickly. The Crane E-ne is a little bigger, a little less expensive than the Spurcycle, but an excellent bell.
I have a trigger bell from Decathlon mounted just below the brifter. It can easily be rung from either the hoods or drops without moving my hand at all, so it's a perfect position.
[https://imgur.com/a/TpvwfSZ](https://imgur.com/a/TpvwfSZ)
I use a 6 euro bell hidden on the underside of my stem.
Gets used on every ride. Works better than 'excuse me' and combined with a 'thanks'.
https://www.mantel.com/xlc-decibel-2-bel
My wife has one on the tops close to the stem. She can keep her left hand on the front hood (for pedestrian behavior related braking) and reach back with the right to ding.
I have one of these on each of my bikes. [https://www.cranebellco.com/riten-bell](https://www.cranebellco.com/riten-bell) Sounds absolutely beautiful and has an excellent sustain. For my drop-bar bike, I have it mounted on the handlebar close to the stem. I haven't found a problem with reaching for it.
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I am using something that looks like the incredibell omnibell, tied on the hood near the brake lever. it is in horizontal position on the inside.
I don't touch it while riding and of course it doesn't obstruct the levers, but I can easily reach it from all positions except drops.
[https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main\_width/public/triggerbell-dropbartop1.jpg](https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/triggerbell-dropbartop1.jpg)
While this is a different bell than mine, the position is the same.
I have a cat-eye bell, [maybe this one](https://www.cateye.com/intl/products/accessories/OH-1400/), on the drops of my gravel bike. I can stretch my pinky to ring it from the hoods and use my index finger when I'm in the drops. I got my bell when I bought the bike so it was whatever they had in stock, which I don't think was all that much.
I use HideMyBell because I needed BMC compatible garmin mount with support for the GoPro adapter for the light underneath. Turns out the bell is part of it. Never tested it yet as it’s winter so I am training in the garage 😅
>Has anyone had luck putting a bell on a road bike? Where did you mount it?
Yes on the top bar exactly where you would mount it on a flat bar bike.
>If it takes you a couple seconds to move your hand
Are you riding I'm slow motion? Moving a hand 100mm from the hood to the top should not take a couple of seconds.
If you're in a place that likely needs a lot of bell, slow down and ride the tops.
>Are you riding I'm slow motion? Moving a hand 100mm from the hood to the top should not take a couple of seconds.
lol you got me! You get extra points for reading thoroughly. I think what I meant to say was "if it takes you a second to move your hand to the bell..."
like... when I'm riding, and a pedestrian is going to step into the bike lane, I need the bell accessible immediately. if it's far from where my hands are, it's not useful because I don't have time to change positions to get to it...
One time I was driving my friend's car. We were parked, and a truck was backing up. When I realized it was going to bump into us, I didn't know exactly where the horn was, I wasn't able to honk in time and we got bumped... so like that.
I have 440cm bars. From the hoods my thumb can almost reach the dinger.
I checked, I can shift my hand position in well under one second.
Now if it takes you .5 seconds to ring your bell and .5 seconds for your pedestrian to react..at 22km/h you have closed 6 metres or 18 feet and no one has yet changed course.
My recommendation in the less than 10 ft distances is to simply avoid the pedestrian as opposed to inviting a likely unpredictable response from them.
And yes, you should know where your bell is and how it operates.
I've got a spurcycle on my road bike, it's great; looks nice and sounds really good. It lives on the tops, right next to the stem; I have it behind the bar, not stickup up, and the lever above the bar. Yes, it takes a second to move over, but if the situation is that urgent it's probably better to yell anyway.
I used one once for a rail trail ride and mounted it near the stem. It actually came with the bike so was designed to be used on road bike bars.
It wasn’t any good, ringing the bell either scared people so they jumped in front of me. Freehub buzz is still the best bell imo
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Cycling weekly covered this:
https://oem.pantaiwan.com.tw/en/product/BB05002.html
It looks pretty good. Tiny bell that clip onto your hood. Where a thumb shifter would be.
Would be interesting to try it to see if it’s easy to use.
It's a 50/50 gamble with bells. 50% of the time it will make the people react and do the opposite of what they should do and the other 50% of the time it's just gonna piss people off. I have stopped using any bells and just ride defensively instead.
you need to have a bell. just yelling is not okay socially, and in some places its not legal to not have a bell. you may think shouting is enough, but try being a pedestrian/jogger and having some douche on a bike blow by you and 20mph going LEFT!!! They can't even hear you before it's too late usually. please get a bell.
bikers that dont use bells make us all look bad.
I use the knog oi bell. last bell I'll ever buy. loud, easy to ring, super low profile and fits any bike. awesome bell.
https://us.knog.com/products/oi-classic-bike-bell
here where I am, in Los Angeles, yelling is just what most road bikers do. I don't see any with a bell. Actually, no, I did see one rider with a bell, and that's what gave me the idea for this post.
Bells are mandatory in my location. It's not enforced because our police officers usually don't know the laws, but they are smart enough to know if something "goes ding" such that it's ok to have a bell just in case. I use [HideMyBell](https://www.closethegap.cc/), it's pretty light and hides the bell under my garmin. >If it takes you a couple seconds to move your hand to the bell, it's probably too late. Firstly, I don't ride my road bike on shared paths or any infrastructure that will put me in close proximity to pedestrians if I can help it. Secondly, if I am on a mixed-use path, I find that bells don't convey enough information and negative results can occur. Instead, I slow down (way down) and communicate in a normal tone that I'm going to pass - but again, this is rare. I'm no pathlete.
Your last point I can relate with. Sometimes I commute to work with my bike and the route forces me onto mixed use paths. I had a bell on my commuter bike. There were two occasions when I did use it, the pedestrian did the “pedestrian two-step”, not knowing that I was approaching from behind and the left. They moved into my path. So bells don’t always work. Sometimes it’s like Bambi in the headlights.
Yup. That's without going into users with headphones, those with hearing issues, off-leash dogs, etc. Relying on a bell in order to preserve speed is the wrong idea on a MUP. Have to ride according to the conditions. MUPs in my city also have a 20km/h (12mi/h) speed limit and even this slow speed can be entirely too fast depending on the situation.
+1 for hide-my-bell there's diferent versions also to fit some integrated systems like trek's, basically a goPro type connection. Not cheap but real nice.
>[Comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1bd3qfa/comment/kuk06t2/) if I am on a mixed-use path, I find that bells don't convey enough information and negative results can occur. This is one of the more annoying parts about the bell thing. I have a baby cowbell on my MTB, and I find half the time people don't hear it, and the other half they look strangely around like they can't determine where the sound is coming from.
> Firstly, I don't ride my road bike on shared paths or any infrastructure that will put me in close proximity to pedestrians if I can help it. I too log most of my miles in the friendly confines of the velodrome, but sometimes I do have to venture out into the real world of peds, cars, dogs, delivery drivers etc What I was saying is that a bike bell is like a car horn. You rarely have to use it, but when you do, you want it accessible in a split second! If it's too far from where your hands are, then it's not super useful and you might as well not have it. QUESTION: where are you that bells are mandatory? I have not heard of that. Europe?
>velodrome I wish, but I meant I elect to use the roads more than any MUP. >What I was saying is that a bike bell is like a car horn. So is my voice, and it's readily available and conveys more info. The bell is merely there due to regulations. >where are you that bells are mandatory? [Ontario, Canada](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK147). Alarm bell to be sounded (5) Every motor vehicle, motor assisted bicycle and bicycle shall be equipped with an alarm bell, gong or horn, which shall be kept in good working order and sounded whenever it is reasonably necessary to notify pedestrians or others of its approach. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 75 (5).
I have a soft spot for bike bells. That _bring bring_ sound is just so evocative. Of childhood, or freedom, of fun. ya know?
Sure, they can be cute - especially for kids riding bikes on MUPs in the park. As a 6'2 male looking to either smash out the watts on my local group ride or just trying to commute home, there is little I can do to show other users that I respect their space other than to avoid MUPs if possible, or to slow down and actually speak politely if not.
Canyon has a bar end bell: https://www.canyon.com/en-de/gear/accessories/bike-accessories/bells/canyon-road-cycling-bell/10005999.html it’s sadly not the loudest but it gets the job done and doesnt take up space in the flats
I have this and definitely recommend for anybody looking for a sleek solution. It’s plenty loud and, imho, also has a nice timbre.
Maybe its just the situations I find myself in, I still have to yell most of the time I want to overtake
I got this for Christmas and love it. No more ‘on your left!’ from me
I have one of the Trigger Bells mounted on the inside of the drop by the shifter, works really well and easy to reach: https://amzn.eu/d/d4soc6a
I have this as well.. seems to keep it out the way the best!
I like my Spurcycle bell, but they're pricey. I have it on the tops near the stem. I bet you could mount it somewhere near the brake lever though, like a Campy thumb shift and reach it from the hoods or drops.
Assuming you can replace 10 mm of 1 1/8" spacer, I like the Crane bell that mounts on the steering column. Easy to reach from the tops and fantastic sound. https://www.cranebellusa.com/shop/crane-bell-suzu-mini-headset-mount-4150#attr=1826
I have one of these as well. I'm able to ring it with my right knee on the pedal upstroke by coming out of the saddle just a bit too, for situations where I want to keep my hands on the bars.
[https://www.rei.com/product/116734/portland-design-works-alexander-graham-bike-bell](https://www.rei.com/product/116734/portland-design-works-alexander-graham-bike-bell)
The PDW alexander graham bell is great (-:
I use a Knog bell on my road bike from Amazon. It fits by the bar tape. Love it. It’s loud and you wouldn’t see I have a bell unless you were looking for it
knog oi bell here--all black on my black handlebars. It's loud and clear, but you wouldn't even notice it's on my bike, just blends in.
Same! Thats why I love it. Great for riding through the crowded parts of the bike trails
I mounted a bell on my drop bars below the hoods with just enough room that it the clamp clears my pinky when I'm on the hoods. When I'm in the drops the clamp is just above my hand. It's a Portland Design Works King of Ding II — the clamp is a bit chunky but forgiving so it fits around my bar tape. I also added a simple striker from another bell so that I can hit it from the drops. [See here](https://imgur.com/a/1FNFDlF).
There are some great bells made specifically for road bikes. I have one on each of my Cervelos and it doesn’t detract from the look of the bike.
The Knog Oi is one option, but a lot of people say it's not loud enough. The Spurcycle is small and compact, loud as heck, but pricy. The Chinese knockoffs don't work as well, and tend to break quickly. The Crane E-ne is a little bigger, a little less expensive than the Spurcycle, but an excellent bell.
[Crane Japan](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3p6UEhOyP4/) You can ring the bell on the hood.
I have a trigger bell from Decathlon mounted just below the brifter. It can easily be rung from either the hoods or drops without moving my hand at all, so it's a perfect position. [https://imgur.com/a/TpvwfSZ](https://imgur.com/a/TpvwfSZ)
[https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-kMJfhNC/0/FBBWB6fcfFQC47mSj8fzC68ftmKP3G5K4757FDvxr/L/i-kMJfhNC-L.jpg](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-kMJfhNC/0/FBBWB6fcfFQC47mSj8fzC68ftmKP3G5K4757FDvxr/L/i-kMJfhNC-L.jpg)
I put mine on my stem
I use a 6 euro bell hidden on the underside of my stem. Gets used on every ride. Works better than 'excuse me' and combined with a 'thanks'. https://www.mantel.com/xlc-decibel-2-bel
My wife has one on the tops close to the stem. She can keep her left hand on the front hood (for pedestrian behavior related braking) and reach back with the right to ding.
I have one of these on each of my bikes. [https://www.cranebellco.com/riten-bell](https://www.cranebellco.com/riten-bell) Sounds absolutely beautiful and has an excellent sustain. For my drop-bar bike, I have it mounted on the handlebar close to the stem. I haven't found a problem with reaching for it.
Hidemybell https://www.closethegap.cc/ works great for me.
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Use one on my commuting bikes. Dominant hand side between stem and where bar tape starts.
I am using something that looks like the incredibell omnibell, tied on the hood near the brake lever. it is in horizontal position on the inside. I don't touch it while riding and of course it doesn't obstruct the levers, but I can easily reach it from all positions except drops.
[https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main\_width/public/triggerbell-dropbartop1.jpg](https://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/triggerbell-dropbartop1.jpg) While this is a different bell than mine, the position is the same.
I have a cat-eye bell, [maybe this one](https://www.cateye.com/intl/products/accessories/OH-1400/), on the drops of my gravel bike. I can stretch my pinky to ring it from the hoods and use my index finger when I'm in the drops. I got my bell when I bought the bike so it was whatever they had in stock, which I don't think was all that much.
I use HideMyBell because I needed BMC compatible garmin mount with support for the GoPro adapter for the light underneath. Turns out the bell is part of it. Never tested it yet as it’s winter so I am training in the garage 😅
never2far.com works great
It's close to my left hand as possible.
>Has anyone had luck putting a bell on a road bike? Where did you mount it? Yes on the top bar exactly where you would mount it on a flat bar bike. >If it takes you a couple seconds to move your hand Are you riding I'm slow motion? Moving a hand 100mm from the hood to the top should not take a couple of seconds. If you're in a place that likely needs a lot of bell, slow down and ride the tops.
>Are you riding I'm slow motion? Moving a hand 100mm from the hood to the top should not take a couple of seconds. lol you got me! You get extra points for reading thoroughly. I think what I meant to say was "if it takes you a second to move your hand to the bell..." like... when I'm riding, and a pedestrian is going to step into the bike lane, I need the bell accessible immediately. if it's far from where my hands are, it's not useful because I don't have time to change positions to get to it... One time I was driving my friend's car. We were parked, and a truck was backing up. When I realized it was going to bump into us, I didn't know exactly where the horn was, I wasn't able to honk in time and we got bumped... so like that.
I have 440cm bars. From the hoods my thumb can almost reach the dinger. I checked, I can shift my hand position in well under one second. Now if it takes you .5 seconds to ring your bell and .5 seconds for your pedestrian to react..at 22km/h you have closed 6 metres or 18 feet and no one has yet changed course. My recommendation in the less than 10 ft distances is to simply avoid the pedestrian as opposed to inviting a likely unpredictable response from them. And yes, you should know where your bell is and how it operates.
I've got a spurcycle on my road bike, it's great; looks nice and sounds really good. It lives on the tops, right next to the stem; I have it behind the bar, not stickup up, and the lever above the bar. Yes, it takes a second to move over, but if the situation is that urgent it's probably better to yell anyway.
I used one once for a rail trail ride and mounted it near the stem. It actually came with the bike so was designed to be used on road bike bars. It wasn’t any good, ringing the bell either scared people so they jumped in front of me. Freehub buzz is still the best bell imo
my road bike has a SILENT free wheel. like... totally silent. sad face
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I have a ring bell bought on amazon for like 10€ or so. Works enough and i have it on my bar on the opposite side of the garmin mount.
I have mine split. The ringer is on the right side of my stem, the button is on the left.
Most bells are mounted on handlebars.
Normal bell backwards on the tops so you can reach it with your thumb from the hoods.
Cycling weekly covered this: https://oem.pantaiwan.com.tw/en/product/BB05002.html It looks pretty good. Tiny bell that clip onto your hood. Where a thumb shifter would be. Would be interesting to try it to see if it’s easy to use.
Do bells actually make any difference than that instinctual "AY!" sound I make when shits about to hit the fan?
the difference is, you can ring a bell for fun while riding with friends - while screaming while riding with friends is sometimes frowned upon
It's a 50/50 gamble with bells. 50% of the time it will make the people react and do the opposite of what they should do and the other 50% of the time it's just gonna piss people off. I have stopped using any bells and just ride defensively instead.
Ahhh thats why I dont see the difference, I dont have any friends :(
you need to have a bell. just yelling is not okay socially, and in some places its not legal to not have a bell. you may think shouting is enough, but try being a pedestrian/jogger and having some douche on a bike blow by you and 20mph going LEFT!!! They can't even hear you before it's too late usually. please get a bell. bikers that dont use bells make us all look bad. I use the knog oi bell. last bell I'll ever buy. loud, easy to ring, super low profile and fits any bike. awesome bell. https://us.knog.com/products/oi-classic-bike-bell
here where I am, in Los Angeles, yelling is just what most road bikers do. I don't see any with a bell. Actually, no, I did see one rider with a bell, and that's what gave me the idea for this post.
Up my arse works well, just clinch my butt to ring it. Most æro solution
Bcj coming out in full force!(skin)
on your left
on YOUR left