@uxmark asks:
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite #BikeNite A7. I have a couple of bells, but I find that people get freaked out by it and/or jump 2 feet up into the air in alarm and or jump into traffic... so I am not eager to use them. A headlight seems to scatter pedestrians like roaches, which is kinda rude, but effective. Yelling seems to be inviting fisticuffs. I am considering something that plays an ice cream truck melody.
@ai6yr @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
Have you tried Morris bells?
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#bikeNite
#bikeNiteA
A6
As most have said, bell and voice, depending.
I have a third mode for people stepping out unpredictably into the bike lane - squealing disk brakes. It's got a couple of advantages - it's immediate. There's no brain involved trying to remember where the bell is.
The other advantage is that it's LOUD and will cut through the best noise cancelling headphones.@v_perjorative And also, pretty much everyone knows the sound of brake squeal as a moving vehicle of some sort.
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@uxmark asks:
Q7. When you’re cycling, how and when do you alert others to your presence?
Others can be people walking, other people cycling, or people driving motor vehicles. A bell? Your voice? A bulb horn? An air horn? Something else?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite A7. Like the many said before. Pedestrians often hear me rolling from behind, especially when riding through the woods. Sometimes I use a bell, if I am still at some distance. If we have to share the lane, I say "thank you", if they make room while I pass by.
(At cars I sometimes would like to have a strong foghorn on my bicycle, as used by ships. You will know why.)
#bikenite -
@uxmark asks:
Q7. When you’re cycling, how and when do you alert others to your presence?
Others can be people walking, other people cycling, or people driving motor vehicles. A bell? Your voice? A bulb horn? An air horn? Something else?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#BikeNite A7a:
You can tell the regular/daily Multiuse Path walkers by the way they react to a bell ding or an "on your left." They are already on the right side (in North America) and they wave a hand or say "hello," "good morning,' or "thank you" acknowledging they've heard your warning and appreciate it. -
@uxmark asks:
Q7. When you’re cycling, how and when do you alert others to your presence?
Others can be people walking, other people cycling, or people driving motor vehicles. A bell? Your voice? A bulb horn? An air horn? Something else?
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#BikeNite A7b:
Once I had to resort to a tap on the shoulder. I was riding a bike trail in Alabama through a swamp, a boardwalk with railings on both sides. A woman was walking 2 dogs, a leash in each hand blocking the entire width with earbuds apparently playing full blast. After shouting as loud as I could for about a minute from a couple feet away, I finally tapped her on the shoulder and scared the daylights out of her. What was she thinking? -
@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#BikeNite A7b:
Once I had to resort to a tap on the shoulder. I was riding a bike trail in Alabama through a swamp, a boardwalk with railings on both sides. A woman was walking 2 dogs, a leash in each hand blocking the entire width with earbuds apparently playing full blast. After shouting as loud as I could for about a minute from a couple feet away, I finally tapped her on the shoulder and scared the daylights out of her. What was she thinking?@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#BikeNite A7c: What I yell depends on the circumstances. "On your left, " "bicycle approaching," "behind you," etc.Sometimes when saying "on your left" and the person inexplicably moves to the left side, I will then say "on your other left."
When I am passed by another faster rider who fails to warn, I'll sarcastically yell "on your right!"
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#BikeNite A7c: What I yell depends on the circumstances. "On your left, " "bicycle approaching," "behind you," etc.Sometimes when saying "on your left" and the person inexplicably moves to the left side, I will then say "on your other left."
When I am passed by another faster rider who fails to warn, I'll sarcastically yell "on your right!"
@MartyCormack @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite (1) sometimes all they hear is "left"; (2) if you're already to the left of them when you shout, they will naturally turn towards the source of the sound
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#BikeNite A7c: What I yell depends on the circumstances. "On your left, " "bicycle approaching," "behind you," etc.Sometimes when saying "on your left" and the person inexplicably moves to the left side, I will then say "on your other left."
When I am passed by another faster rider who fails to warn, I'll sarcastically yell "on your right!"
@MartyCormack @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite "On your left" usually makes zero sense to pedestrians and a fair few of the people I encounter on bikes.
I haven't found an ideal way to alert people but just just keeping it simple and saying "excuse me" has produced the least confusion and/or anger
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@lopta @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
We're looking to communicate our presence not excommunicate...
@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite Exorcise while we Exercise?
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@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite Exorcise while we Exercise?
@lopta @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
Chapeau! -
@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite What's the drag coefficient of a bishop's mitre?
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@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite What's the drag coefficient of a bishop's mitre?
@lopta @MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite there was a fashion a few years ago for very pointy time trial helmets, so ...
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@spacehobo @MartyCormack @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
I usually just go silently and wait to pass until I can leave ~1m/3ft behind or beside or ~3m/10ft in front of them when passing.
The bell is for if I've been waiting for a chance to pass for a while and they're a group walking side by side or something of the sort.
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@theantlady @ascentale @uxmark @bikenite Very culturally dependent. Honking in New York often means "get out of my way" or "I'm going when it isn't my turn and I'll run you over if you get in my way", and people in mid-state NY seem to interpret bike bells the same way. I see a lot of people basically leap out of the way. In Minnesota where people are a bit more chill, and apparently in Seattle too, people tend to interpret a ding as a "just letting you know I'm overtaking". So I use my voice in mid-state NY ("passing on your left"). California Birk Gilman trail is another example where there are so many people, bikes, toddlers, skateboards, ebikes, etc that it's pointless to warn people because there's a steady stream of passing bikes and the toddlers don't understand or care anyway. I think if I rode on a bike-ped path a lot, I'd do a spoke noise maker. Something to be said for Bluetoot speakers too.
@scrottie @theantlady @ascentale @bikenite Yes to culturally dependent! Years ago I was in Beijing and was surprised at how often drivers honked their horns. I finally realized it generally wasn’t an aggressive gesture like at home, but often was a “just letting you know I’m here” gesture. I saw lots of people cycling, too, but I didn’t get to.
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite A7) Bell, book and candle #BikeNite
@lopta @ascentale @bikenite Ha! Do you “throw the book at ‘em”?
That movie is a lot of fun, and is memorable for me as an early cinematic appearance of a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite A7. I have a cute little bell that dings, but people still startle, so I follow up with a big friendly “good morning!” Not because I’m actually friendly, but because I want people to understand it was a neutral heads-up, not the equivalent of a car honking.
#BikeNite@ClimateJenny @ascentale @bikenite I do that too!
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite why would I alert them? If I warned them, I'd lose the element of surprise and my advantage on attack rolls!
@iaintshootinmis @ascentale @bikenite Nobody expects the MUP Cyclists!
Our chief weapon is surprise. Surprise and fear — fear and surprise.
Our *two* weapons are fear and surprise, and ruthless efficiency.
Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to commuting by bike.
Our *four* — no. *Amongst* our weapons, amongst our weaponry, are such elements as fear, surprise…
I'll ride up behind you again.
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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite
#BikeNite A7:
I have a bell on two of my bikes. But the majority of the time I use my voice. I frequently ride multiuse trails with plenty of pedestrians and many walking dogs. If they have a dog, I give a warning as soon as they are in hearing range, the sooner the better, and that makes it more likely the dog will be under control by the time I pass.@MartyCormack @ascentale @bikenite Same, regarding dogs. Then as I pass I’ll often thank them, and say something like “I didn’t want to startle your dog”
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From pedestrians and other cyclists, I just say hello
If they have ear buds or otherwise cannot hear me, I just cruise along slowly behind them until they notice me. I am a patient person
For motor vehicles, I use a long flagpole with something silly attached to the end. Artificial flowers, a small stuffed animal.... Something that people might notice
I also will not cross in front of a vehicle until the driver meets my eyes. This is another thing that sometimes involves waiting
Somebody in the turn lane, and looking down at their phone, I absolutely do not trust them. I've been hit before, multiple times, by drivers who turn after stopping, and without looking. I can yell, bang on their hood, anything. They are clueless
@NilaJones @ascentale @bikenite Yeah, I’ve had to bang on cars. I’m sure many others here have too
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A7: if coming from behind, call out "on your left," (or "right") and have my Timber bell dingling. If approaching them face to face, voice as well and a wave, and I might declare which side, or say something nice.
Timber Mountain Bike Bells
Timber mountain bike bells are the first bicycle bells designed for mountain biking. For mtb trail awareness Timber features cowbell style ringer system with dual modes and an easy on-off switch from ring to silent mode for warning hikers, horses, bears and mountain lions.
Timber Mountain Bike Bells (mtbbell.com)
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@morgan @ascentale @bikenite Oh, that Timber bell looks very cool. I’d never heard of them before!
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