@uxmark asks:
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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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@ascentale @uxmark @bikenite A7. Oddly enough, I was just dealing with trying to order an AirZound from the US this week. I wish I had thought to bring mine with me, but I didn't know what would be easy or hard to get in Albania, nor that shipping would be so incredibly expensive, hard, or even impossible.
I use a combo of bell and AirZound. Bell for alerting pedestrians...more gentle. Airhorn for drivers. #BikeNite
What you can do with a bulb horn: https://youtu.be/hgCqz3l33kU?si=_aKzhAo2clQVeDZc&t=108
@meganL @ascentale @bikenite That’s fantastic
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I have actually been told off for using my bell not speaking AND for calling out hello not ringing my bell - on the same short ride.
I ride a lot on shared paths so now do this
1. Slow Down
2. Ding Ding (spurcycle bell - very pure high pitched pings)
3. "Hello There!" As friendly as I can make it
4. If indecision showing in action of ped "ok if I come past on your..."
5. "Thanks! Enjoy your walk"My voice is sometimes as tired as my legs
@MatthewNewell @ascentale @bikenite Yeah, I’ll often slow down too, depending on the situation. And a friendly “Thanks” has never seemed unwelcome
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@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.@MartyCormack @ascentale @bikenite Yes! That’s always nice to see
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@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”
️@uxmark @MartyCormack @ascentale @bikenite same. There are a lot of lockdown dogs (and others) on my cycle route. I absolutely thank the people who can control their dogs.
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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 @bikenite A7. I’m loving both variety of responses and the loose consensus on how folks handle this.
For me, I try to ding my bell at some distance to avoid a startle response. As others have said, though, when someone is wearing ear phones they may not hear that. I do try to be careful when passing them, but the lack of situational awareness is a *them* problem.
As others have said, I’ll also say something like “hello” or “good morning” as I pass. Communicating with other people can make things so much easier and fun.
️️And I’m happy to have learned about Timber bells!
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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 I usually have one of those small cow bells hanging from my backpack, which is constantly jingling, so other trail users can hear it from a distance. I agree that yelling "on your left" can startle people. Coming up slower and saying "hello" is better.
Some days on the trails we'll come across the local cross country running teams and those kids are also taught to say "hello" to others. So, there is a whole lot of hellos being said on those days.
Another thing our mountain bike team practice groups is taught is to yell "hiker up" when we spot a hiker up ahead. The kids are supposed to repeat it back along the group. We're really yelling it to tell the rest of the riding group about the hiker, but the hikers also hear it. We try do it far enough away that they shouldn't be startled by it.
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@morgan @ascentale @bikenite Oh, that Timber bell looks very cool. I’d never heard of them before!
️@uxmark @ascentale @bikenite best part, you can turn it on and off. Hikers thanks me for it all the time.
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@uxmark @ascentale @bikenite best part, you can turn it on and off. Hikers thanks me for it all the time.
@morgan @ascentale @bikenite Very cool. And I’ve discovered this morning that a local bike shop carries them.
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A7 - when overtaking pedestrians in a shared space I'd sometimes whistle while approaching them from behind.
My reasoning was
- I only want to alert them to my presence, not shoo them out of my way
- the bell is too aggressive
- voice wouldn't work; they might not understand me (because they weren't expecting to be spoken too and I didn't want to shout)
- me whistling: not aggressive and they can judge my speed from increased volumeA7 P.S.
A few points that I should perhaps clarify [it was late last night]
• I haven't been in the kind of situation I was thinking of last night for quite some time, we have mostly separate lanes here now
•I'd whistle a *tune* , not a cat-calling style whistle (sometimes I'd even sing a few bars of a random song) -
A7 P.S.
A few points that I should perhaps clarify [it was late last night]
• I haven't been in the kind of situation I was thinking of last night for quite some time, we have mostly separate lanes here now
•I'd whistle a *tune* , not a cat-calling style whistle (sometimes I'd even sing a few bars of a random song)@47363 @ascentale @bikenite Noted
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@yorkie @MartyCormack @ascentale @bikenite Years ago I passed a couple of people who were riding horses at the side of the road. They loudly told me how dangerous a spooked horse might be. I now *always* ring my bell when I see horses ahead, no matter how much room I have to pass!
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