The Power of the Bike Bell
Here's a great video from Japan which showcases the power of the bike bell. In the video a pedestrian walks through the streets, and malls, of Japan ringing his bell to demonstrate the ingrained Pavlovian reaction people have when hearing a bike bell. While I salivate, the Japanese move over to let the bell-ringer pass, even on an escalator!
We here at BikeArlington encourage you to buy a bike bell if you don't already have one. A ring of the bell is a great way to let slower moving trail or bike lane users know you are passing on their left. The pleasant ring of a bell surely beats someone yelling, "Passing on your left!", from behind you.
When purchasing a bell, you'll find ringers, pingers, ding-dongers, honkers, and knockers - these are my descriptions, not those of the industry. The ringers do just that, ring like an old phone. The pingers make a quick ping that resonantes for a few seconds. The ding-dongers make the sounds of a ding-dong when rung. The honkers are usually toy bells that look like a dog's chewable toy, but come in funky shapes like a sumo wrestler, dragon, cow, or fish. Finally, knockers are wooden "bells" that make a quiet knocking sound; not too useful if you want to be heard.
Personally, I have a ringer. It's the funnest sounding type of bell and every time I ring it I think of Queen's song, Bicycle Race. For just a few bucks, there's no easier way to bring a smile to someone's face when cycling.
Sayonara!
