#11
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loud bell
The other view point, there is one you know... wrote:
On 15 Jun, 22:21, Phil Cook wrote: I found a good loud shout of "WATCH!!!" worked this evening. A pedestrian was wandering across the busy junction between Victoria Strret and Vauxhall Bridge Road seemingly in a world of her own. So you were riding faster than the situation allowed? You have to make allowances for other users you know... ;-) The hard part is balancing the possibility of a pedestrian wandering into the road and a car zooming up behind you. :-\ -- Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks" |
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#12
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loud bell
Tony Raven wrote:
IME you could have Big Ben mounted on your handlebars and they still wouldn't hear it. I find a human noise like a cough works much better. The number of times I've rung a bell several times and then when I was getting close give a cough only to see them jump and then apologise that they wondered what that noise was...... I occasionally used to have that problem when I used a traditional bell. I would never dream of using a ping bell, they're just a waste of handlebar space. For the last 6 years I've been using a nice loud bell that looks much like this one: http://www.bonthronebikes.co.uk/391-16416-11 Since I've been using this bell, it's been very rare for peds to fail to hear it. The only peds who don't hear it tend to be groups of teenagers oblivious to the outside world, and after multiple rings I feel no guilt about using my AirZound on them. In fact, groups of teenagers seem to quite enjoy being AirZounded. I'd still prefer a dring dring bell to a ding dong bell, and I do have a nice loud dring dring bell, but I haven't worked out a way to mount it on the Street Machine where it would be as easy to ring as the ding dong bell. -- Danny Colyer URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/ Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often "Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2 |
#13
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loud bell
On Sat, 16 Jun 2007 12:03:09 +0100, Danny Colyer wrote:
Tony Raven wrote: IME you could have Big Ben mounted on your handlebars and they still wouldn't hear it. I find a human noise like a cough works much better. The number of times I've rung a bell several times and then when I was getting close give a cough only to see them jump and then apologise that they wondered what that noise was...... I occasionally used to have that problem when I used a traditional bell. I would never dream of using a ping bell, they're just a waste of handlebar space. For the last 6 years I've been using a nice loud bell that looks much like this one: http://www.bonthronebikes.co.uk/391-16416-11 I've got a Halfords cheapo squeezy horn that makes a loud but quite comical noise that works quite well without being too rude. (Fans of "I'm sorry I haven't a clue" are referred to the quote "and when you hear this sound honk, this means either a sentence has been reached, or one of the teams has been run over by a vintage car.) However, IMX noise most associated as "bike" by pedestrians is that of the squeaky brake, so sometimes I will deliberately pull the brake suddenly to induce a squeak, knowing I'll probably have to brake anyway, even if not as sharply. |
#14
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loud bell
Danny Colyer wrote on 16/06/2007 12:03 +0100:
Since I've been using this bell, it's been very rare for peds to fail to hear it. The only peds who don't hear it tend to be groups of teenagers oblivious to the outside world, and after multiple rings I feel no guilt about using my AirZound on them. In fact, groups of teenagers seem to quite enjoy being AirZounded. Perhaps we need a Mosquito AirZound so us old fogeys can blast teenagers out of the way in blissful silence. The last time I used a bell like yours on a ped stepping into the road, they tried to answer their phone! -- Tony "The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way." - Bertrand Russell |
#15
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loud bell
LSMike wrote:
I would suggest an AirZound is serious overkill to use on pedestrians, except in emergency. They are very loud so that IMO is rude and unpleasant. A pleasant "Good morning" or whatever seems to work very well for me, and doesn't come across all get-out-of-my-way like a bell can. The problem with shouting at them is that by the time they've heard, turned round and stepped out of the way, I've reached them and had to come to a near-stop anyway. My aim is to be heard (and identified as a cyclist) in plenty of time so I don't have to slow down. I used to think bells were a bit 'get out of my way' and never used (or even owned) one, but when I used to commute to work (about a 10 mile round trip almost exclusively along off-road cycle routes - lovely) local dog owners made it clear to me in no uncertain terms that a bell would be very much appreciated, so I got one and always gave them a courtesy ring as I approached, which they did indeed appreciate. A couple of people have made the same sorts of comments recently, despite me sitting behind them dinging the thing like crazy, so clearly they just can't hear it. I'm a bit wary that a horn might be taken as being a bit pushy (or not identified as a cyclist) but if audible warning is what they want... |
#16
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loud bell
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#17
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loud bell
Ben wrote on 16/06/2007 13:49 +0100:
The problem with shouting at them is that by the time they've heard, turned round and stepped out of the way, I've reached them and had to come to a near-stop anyway. My aim is to be heard (and identified as a cyclist) in plenty of time so I don't have to slow down. Well prepare to slow down then. You would not appreciate a car driver bearing down on you, horn blaring and expecting you to get out of their way so why should you expect it from pedestrians? -- Tony "The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way." - Bertrand Russell |
#18
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loud bell
Like others have said, your voice is one of the best warnings. I
normally call out "excuse me" followed by an "on your left/right" if they seem particularly dopey. At the moment though I'm suffering from a bit of laryngitis and on my brief ride to the DIY store this afternoon I tried to call out "excuse me" and failed, so resorted to a gentle cough. Said gentle cough turned into a real lung busting, eye popping unstoppable explosion. It certainly got the dog walkers' attention, but I think I might fit a bell until my throat's better*. :-) Graeme * they're a legal requirement over here but mine keeps getting knocked off in the shed, honest officer. |
#19
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loud bell
"Ben" wrote in message ... I've noticed recently that pedestrians walking along the cycleway don't hear my bell, even at close range, although they invariably hear the (much quieter) sound of barely-gripping rubber as I brake hard to come to a stop behind them. One of them even helpfully commented "where's your bell?". It is, in point of fact, one of those small ones with a little flicky rubber hammer thing that goes 'dink'. Can anyone recommend a louder bell? I don't really like the huge old fashioned type that spring back slowly, but if they're loud enough then I'll consider them. Similarly, I'm a bit wary of horns as they may not say 'cyclist' to pedestrians, but if its loud enough then I'll consider it! A bell of any description is a no win situation! 1.) You ring it gently - you get ignored 2.) You don't ring it - and make some noise ( changing gear or cough or polite remark, you will be asked why you haven't got a bell!) 3.) You slow down and ring your bell and they jump out of their skin and you end up apologising . 4.) You end up gently following someone lost in their thoughts, until they notice you and you will be accused of nearly having giving them a heart attack 5.) you ring your bell and it is ignored, you wait for a suitable opportunity to pass and then you overhear "They really shouldn't be allowed on the path without a bell!" 6.) If you use a loud bell, you are told to "slow down!" Personally, I found just saying "ring-ring" or "Ding Dong" followed by a gentle "dink" on the bell after passing, quite effective. Fred |
#20
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loud bell
fred2 wrote:
Personally, I found just saying "ring-ring" or "Ding Dong" followed by a gentle "dink" on the bell after passing, quite effective. Fred My usual is saying "excuse me" or "at your back" as a bell tends to get ignored/not heard/not equated with something that may hurt them . I remember one time (I wasn't at my best) I had done the "at your back chief" bit and went past this guy he made some comment about "should have a ******* bell" couldn't help myself I dinged the wee bell(was on sons bike and we had just bought this bike from EBC so it had a (cheap, ping) bell fitted) repeatedly as I cycled away . -- www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk |
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