Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Topic started by: ravenbait on 03 April, 2024, 01:36:30 pm
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I put a Knog Oi on Hamish a while back. I ride mostly rural roads and don't have much use for a bell most of the time, but there has been an influx of new people to our village, and most of them have dogs, and I thought it would be helpful for the short stretch of time when I'm passing through into more out of the way places. A friendly "Hello! Coming up behind!" doesn't always turn out as I'd hoped.
It's a nice bell. It's discreet. It tucks out of the way. It doesn't jangle. I like the tone. But it's also not very loud. So when I had yet one more encounter with Angry Old Lady from the nearby farm, who doesn't like even the friendliest "Excuse me!" (I suspect she might be suffering from hearing loss), I thought I'd put a different one on Shackleton, my work horse who gets used around people way more.
I was feeling pretty down in the dumps and needed cheering up, so I treated myself to a Spur Cycle bell. This is a ridiculous amount of money to spend on something that goes ping, even if it is the loudest, most sustained, crystal clear, musical ping, which Mike Oldfield could have put to use had there been one available. Even better than I'd expected.
What item of ridiculous bling (but not too ridiculous -- I don't mean nanofibre elf fart bottle cages that cost 3000 ailing molluscs and are made pointless by a single mini melton mowbray) do you have that has made you happier than a thing has any right to? Tell me about it so I can share vicariously in your bling satisfaction.
Sam
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A bell for me too, but a beautiful Lion one made in the UK with my name engraved on it.
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Agree with you about the Spurcycle bell. I didn't realise how good they were until I bought a secondhand bike that had one fitted. I also have a Lion bell.
Other cycle bling that are ridiculously expensive but once used, are worth every penny:
1. Oakley prescription varifocal sunglasses. Twice the price of other prescription sunglasses but they are super comfortable, light weight and really well-made lenses.
2. Rohloff hub/Gates belt combo. Stupidly expensive but once ridden, never bother with derailleur and chain again (probably)
3. (Any) Rapha jersey. I can only justify to myself buying from Rapha during one of their (many) sales.
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A bell for me too, but a beautiful Lion one made in the UK with my name engraved on it.
Oh nice! I looked at Lion, too, but they were a bit big for my limited cockpit real estate.
Sam
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Agree with you about the Spurcycle bell. I didn't realise how good they were until I bought a secondhand bike that had one fitted.
Other cycle bling that are ridiculously expensive but one used, are worth every penny:
1. Oakley prescription varifocal sunglasses. Twice the price of other prescription sunglasses but they are super comfortable, light weight and really well-made lenses.
2. Rohloff hub/Gates belt combo. Stupidly expensive but once ridden, never bother with derailleur and chain again (probably)
3. (Any) Rapha jersey. I can only justify to myself buying from Rapha during one of their (many) sales.
Lovely.
I confess to a bit of a thing for Rapha myself. I love the little stories they put in sublimated print on the inside of their shorts.
Sam
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I like my Lion bell too. In fact I have two of them. Not on the same bike, that would be silly – unless they were in different keys? I thought it was expensive, until I just now checked out the Spurcycle bell.
As for bells and people hearing them, something that I've found works surprisingly well is saying "Ping ping!" Or even "Ring ring" or "Ting ting" or similar.
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I don't rate ping bells, no matter how well made, because I reckon the pure tone is inferior to a bring-bring in terms of both expressiveness and directional audibility.
I have a Widek bring-bring bell on my tourer, chosen for its left-handed operation, but the brass construction gives a superior tone to the usual steel. It wasn't particularly expensive, which gives a high pleasingness to cost ratio.
I quite like that enormous ding-dong one that Wowbagger has. If you can afford the space on the handlebars.
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The most attention grabbing bicycle bell I've ever heard was driven by a cable off the front tyre (or possibly rim). It sounded like a tram bell both in tone and volume.
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A USB rechargeable, plasma cigarette lighter.
I don't need one, but Adam (OTP) should've known better than to post about their existence.
Prior to which, I did not know that they did.
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A USB rechargeable, plasma cigarette lighter.
*googles*
Cor. I don't need one either.
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I have a ping bell, but mostly people respond to my freehub clicking before I use it.
In any case, I'm not sure the bell is better at cutting through high end hearing loss and headphones.
Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk
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A USB rechargeable, plasma cigarette lighter.
*googles*
Cor. I don't need one either.
Neither did I. I got one anyway. I figured I can use it to light my camping stove if the igniter fails.
Sam
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I have a ping bell, but mostly people respond to my freehub clicking before I use it.
In any case, I'm not sure the bell is better at cutting through high end hearing loss and headphones.
Yes, for actually warning pedestrians I greatly prefer to make a mechanical noise. It doesn't have the same GETOUTOFMYWAYness as ringing a bell, so they're more likely to look and react appropriately rather than leap in random directions.
I mostly use my bells for:
a) blind corners, particularly on towpaths
2) ringing at small children gawping at the unusual bike
iii) detecting potholes on my Brompton
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I had an Oi, years ago when they first came out. I was underwhelmed - the tone was neither particularly loud nor clear, and the ringer part seemed to unalign itself too easily.
The last bell I bought was a nice big Basil traditional style one. No understatement for me. :thumbsup:
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The last bell I bought was a nice big Basil traditional style one. No understatement for me. :thumbsup:
Did you get it when you popped out for a pint of milk?
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2 x Lion here.
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Back in the days of my regular commute, my habit was one of loudly shouting 'Ding! Ding!' when circumstances dictated that I should.
It never failed to raise a smile.
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Back in the days of my regular commute, my habit was one of loudly shouting 'Ding! Ding!' when circumstances dictated that I should.
It never failed to raise a smile.
This is the approach I have adopted for towpath adventures on my Reasonably Priced Mountain Bicycle™, where usable handlebar space is at a premium.
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Clearly the various voice options are not succeeding as hoped or I wouldn't have bought a bloody bell. I've done without for more decades than I'd care to mention.
Any more ridiculous but nevertheless oh-so-satisfying bling? Let's all share in the "this was expensive but I am so happy I bought it" glow.
Sam
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My Hewitt Cheviot SE with disc brakes (from before disc brakes on tourers were A Normal Thing).
Windcheetah No.176 from the mid-to-late 90's (just 'cos).
A 1991 PRS CE24 guitar (plain black with the thin neck) which I bought 2nd hand in 1994.
All ridiculous (for a person of my meagre capacities) and not really bling, but I like to get a thing and make it last. All of them induce ear-to-ear happy face.
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I found a bell on a shelf in the garage the other day. I've no idea where it came from. It's still there.
Bling? I suppose buying a complete bespoke bike (as distinct from just the frame) from Mr Hallett* might count, especially as I was fussy about the components - and then a second one, but stainless steel, lighter, more esoteric bits, used mainly for club-runs and the occasional 200.
I came off at speed a few months back, on the way home from the pub, and damaged myself somewhat. Speaking to said Mr Hallett on the phone, I mentioned this. His response was - "I hope you weren't riding one of mine" (I wasn't).
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Elementary screwdriver https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/collections/elementary-screwdrivers
I have no real need for it, but it is so well designed.
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My Jantex paddle
Bought 5 years ago, after much deliberation, trying out lots of paddles.
It cost twice what a chinese or other cheaper version would have cost. A friend was astounded; it is literally half the weight of his chinese copies (that he paid half the money for, but ended up buying two).
The only problem is that I can't stand paddling with anything else.
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I have Crane bells, which look and sound pretty similar to the Lion. Both brass and copper versions, and the large ones not the minis; size really does make a difference in both tone and volume.
Most pedestrians on shared paths hear a double ding from the bell on the recumbent trike, apart from the ones with over-ear headphones. There is always the Airzound mounted under the seat, but that is reserved for cars...
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Any more ridiculous but nevertheless oh-so-satisfying bling? Let's all share in the "this was expensive but I am so happy I bought it" glow.
Yoav mentioned Rohloffs, which I've been sighing wistfully about every time I tweaked the indexing on my tourer. I now have one and it's so satisfying I can almost overlook the grip shifter[1], but it's sufficiently practical I don't think it qualifies as ridiculous unless you actually install one on a Brompton.
Similarly, I have a SON Delux which just ticked over 50,000 miles. It's bling by today's standards, but at the time it was the only proper dynamo hub for small wheels.
[1] Anyone want to lend me a high-end Bosch e-bike and a canbus adaptor (https://www.rohloff.de/en/products/speedhub/e-14)?
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Elementary screwdriver https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/collections/elementary-screwdrivers
I have no real need for it, but it is so well designed.
Oh dear, you really shouldn't have posted a link to that website. It is going to be expensive...
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Any more ridiculous but nevertheless oh-so-satisfying bling? Let's all share in the "this was expensive but I am so happy I bought it" glow.
Not ridiculous but definitely shiny: Gilles Berthoud stainless steel mudguards. They were a bugger to fit, but have been faultless ever since. I'd destroyed multiple SKS chromoplastic ones before these.
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Those are very shiny.
Sam
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Get thee behind me.......
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Elementary screwdriver https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/collections/elementary-screwdrivers
I have no real need for it, but it is so well designed.
You absolute git...
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Tubus ti racks, yes plural, I have a Titan and an Airy, they have no added practicality that justifies them costing three times the price of the steel equivalents. Their only possible purpose is to allow Tailfin owners to think they got a bargain. In my defense... No I'm not even going to bother with the lies... I like them and that's it, I would buy them again.
More practical bling, to the extent of probably being my best ever cycling buys, are the 20+ year old Rohloff and SON hubs, which have outlived several bikes. I'm so glad I got the polished silver rather than the anodised later versions. It's really satisfying to get the Silvo out once every few years and polish them back to a mirror finish.
Back to bells, I like the clear note of a brass ping bell, but so many of them are IMO aesthetically ruined by ugly fittings. The Crane Mini Karen doesn't suffer from this, has a nice note which just hangs, isn't stupidly expensive, or too big. I can get a decent range in volume and it's easy to multi-ping. I do also like those big ding-dong bells, but they take up a lot of handlebar, get muffled when wet and on a sample of one, are very nickable.
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Tubus ti racks, yes plural, I have a Titan and an Airy, they have no added practicality that justifies them costing three times the price of the steel equivalents. Their only possible purpose is to allow Tailfin owners to think they got a bargain. In my defense... No I'm not even going to bother with the lies... I like them and that's it, I would buy them again.
More practical bling, to the extent of probably being my best ever cycling buys, are the 20+ year old Rohloff and SON hubs, which have outlived several bikes. I'm so glad I got the polished silver rather than the anodised later versions. It's really satisfying to get the Silvo out once every few years and polish them back to a mirror finish.
Back to bells, I like the clear note of a brass ping bell, but so many of them are IMO aesthetically ruined by ugly fittings. The Crane Mini Karen doesn't suffer from this, has a nice note which just hangs, isn't stupidly expensive, or too big. I can get a decent range in volume and it's easy to multi-ping. I do also like those big ding-dong bells, but they take up a lot of handlebar, get muffled when wet and on a sample of one, are very nickable.
I considered the Tubus ti rack for Hamish, but ended up with a Tailfin. Case proven! ;D
Not keen on the Karen, but that did introduce me to the Crane Suzu, which in the brass model has an amazing ring. It sounds like beating, where there are two tones not quite the same, but close enough that we hear the same pitch with a pulsing effect. The Woodstock Zenergy chime does this. I kind of want a Suzu just to have. It's too big for my handlebars, though.
Sam
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I've remarked on it before, but I don't really use bells. I prefer to whistle a merry tune. The sound carries well, isn't aggressive, and seems to work in alerting people to my presence while I'm still some distance away. Less fear of scaring horses as well.
I do have one on my Brompton, integrated with the left shifter. Which is the problem. Every time I change gear, I risk upsetting some innocent pedestrians, minding their own business and doing nothing to cause alarm.
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Hello bell
https://photos.app.goo.gl/G9ZjNpYBVpMf72Fb8
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I do have one on my Brompton, integrated with the left shifter. Which is the problem. Every time I change gear, I risk upsetting some innocent pedestrians, minding their own business and doing nothing to cause alarm.
Also, potholes.
On the other hand, it's all worth it for the little typewriter-esque PING! you get when you allow the handlebars to drop into place under gravity at the end of the fold.
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Ah, yes. I can grade the roughness of a road by Mrs P's bell auto-dinging.
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Elementary screwdriver https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/collections/elementary-screwdrivers
I have no real need for it, but it is so well designed.
I'll have to disagree - form over function. Stanley screwdrivers are better.
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Any more ridiculous but nevertheless oh-so-satisfying bling? Let's all share in the "this was expensive but I am so happy I bought it" glow.
Not ridiculous but definitely shiny: Gilles Berthoud stainless steel mudguards. They were a bugger to fit, but have been faultless ever since. I'd destroyed multiple SKS chromoplastic ones before these.
Indeed, and a negligible weight difference. My 'fun' bike (http://www.halletthandbuiltcycles.com/super-audax.html) photographed by Richard before I took it away.
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[1] Anyone want to lend me a high-end Bosch e-bike and a canbus adaptor (https://www.rohloff.de/en/products/speedhub/e-14)?
Kim, I'm not entirely sure what you are thinking of but someone on the Rohloff Facebook group was trying to sell the Rohloff e-14 shifting mechanism they'd stripped out of an e-Bike and replaced with a mechanical shifter. The various replies to it asked if electronic shifting could be adapted to work with a regular bike and also lamenting that Rohloff wouldn't sell the e-14 separately and that even if they did then they didn't have the electronics knowhow to make it work.
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[1] Anyone want to lend me a high-end Bosch e-bike and a canbus adaptor (https://www.rohloff.de/en/products/speedhub/e-14)?
Kim, I'm not entirely sure what you are thinking of but someone on the Rohloff Facebook group was trying to sell the Rohloff e-14 shifting mechanism they'd stripped out of an e-Bike and replaced with a mechanical shifter. The various replies to it asked if electronic shifting could be adapted to work with a regular bike and also lamenting that Rohloff wouldn't sell the e-14 separately and that even if they did then they didn't have the electronics knowhow to make it work.
Yes, basically that. It wasn't an entirely serious suggestion. I expect I'd manage to reverse engineer the communications given a bit of work, but there's a world of difference between that and being able to produce a control unit that's sufficiently robust to do the Rohloff justice.
This is presumably why it only works with e-bike systems at this point: By borrowing someone else's proven control unit and power source, they can concentrate on getting the shifting motor part right, and develop the stand-alone system later when they've recouped some of the development costs.
Better that that a half-arsed solution like the Falco e-bike console[1].
[1] Which lets down a perfectly competent motor.
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My wife has a R&M e-Bike with the Rohloff e-14 but I don't think she'll part with it, even temporarily :thumbsup: It is quite an impressive system integrating the Rohloff hub with the Bosch motor and handlebar display. I'm not sure any of the other e-bike systems have this level of integration between motor and gears, apart from the e-Pinion possibly.
Previously, I might have considered it bling but not any more.
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My wife has a R&M e-Bike with the Rohloff e-14 but I don't think she'll part with it, even temporarily :thumbsup: It is quite an impressive system integrating the Rohloff hub with the Bosch motor and handlebar display. I'm not sure any of the other e-bike systems have this level of integration between motor and gears, apart from the e-Pinion possibly.
STEPS with the Enviolo system (which is in a league of its own, really, being continuously variable and able to shift under full load[1]) is pretty well done.
STEPS with a Di2 Alfine hub is competently integrated, but I'm betting the e-14 is substantially more slick at gear changes.
[1] I urge anyone who gets the opportunity to have a ride on one of these, for the sheer novelty value of it keeping your cadence constant.
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Hello bell
https://photos.app.goo.gl/G9ZjNpYBVpMf72Fb8
I have one like that with pop art on it. It's possible to do a simple 'ting' or a noise that sounds like there is a tram coming. Got it 2nd hand for 3 squid
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Bloody autocarrat. It's meant to be hell Bell 🔔
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Elementary screwdriver https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/collections/elementary-screwdrivers
I have no real need for it, but it is so well designed.
I'll have to disagree - form over function. Stanley screwdrivers are better.
I couldn't buy any'thing with such a need'less apostrophe. Ugh.
See also: Wahoo modls mssng thr vwls.
Wank.
Back to the topic at hand. I have power meter pedals which for someone as mediocre powered as me is entirely frippery. I love them.
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Elementary screwdriver https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/collections/elementary-screwdrivers
I have no real need for it, but it is so well designed.
I'll have to disagree - form over function. Stanley screwdrivers are better.
I couldn't buy any'thing with such a need'less apostrophe. Ugh.
See also: Wahoo modls mssng thr vwls.
Wank.
Back to the topic at hand. I have power meter pedals which for someone as mediocre powered as me is entirely frippery. I love them.
Shirly the 'postrophe should be betwixt the 't' and the 'y' and the 'ar' absent.
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I have a spacer mounted bell what were cheap on px. I get as many pedestrians telling me off for pinging as not pining (whether I have or not).
I bought my first son hub 14 years ago, well worth it.
My crazy expense would be the catrike which I love but ride incredibly infrequently.
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Any more ridiculous but nevertheless oh-so-satisfying bling? Let's all share in the "this was expensive but I am so happy I bought it" glow.
Global scissors (https://search.brave.com/images?q=global+gks-210+scissors&source=web) for the look but especially the silky smooth feel when cutting things.
Snoek velomobile (https://velomobiel.nl/snoek/gallery.php) ridiculous and over the top expensive but I just love the thing to bits (after it got softer springs in the suspension) though the bell (well, claxon) is awful.
I bought a trekking bike with a Rohloff and Son28 in 1991, the Rohloff is now in a bespoke campeur (with 50k+ km combined on the clock) and that Son (obviously the campeur got a fancy Son SL) now lives in a new wheel in that trekking frame converted to a single speed commuter.