Ride of Silence 2008

Zebee Johnstone

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 29 May 2008 10:23:02 GMT
Adrian Tritschler <ajft64+noos@bigpond.com> wrote:
> But that'd be why many many cyclists will *not* ring a bell or call out
> when they approach a pedestrian from behind, choosing instead to pass a

I do if they aren't already keeping well left or seem otherwise
preoccupied.

And if I have rung the bell, I say "thank you" when I go past. I have
had a "thanks for ringing the bell" back more than once.

(The startled reactions I get from saying thank you make me think it's
not a usual thing...)

The number of people behaving unpredictably once I've rung the bell is
very low. As in "can't recall the last time" low.

I do remember a bloke without a bell who saw two people on the path
and went to pass them on their right. But they were veering right to
take a side route. He called before they started moving but I've
found calling not useful as people don't think it means them.

On the whole peds seem no more or less silly than any other class of
people. Funny that.

Zebee

Plodder

"Adrian Tritschler" <ajft64+noos@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:kgrk5hdflxs.fsf@fafnir.ajft.org...

<SNIPPED LOTS OF STUFF>
> Have had this happen quite a few times, ride up behind pedestrians and
> call out (loudly) *BIKE!* or "KEEP LEFT PLEASE". Due to pervesity, bad
> cases of get stuffed, or general perveseness they ignore you, or leap
> left, or leap right, then scream abuse telling you to get a bell.
> Obvious that they have heard, equally obvious that they don't give a
> damn or just want to be angry. AFAICT the various road laws state "An
> audible warning device such as a bell". My voice can be louder, more
> expressive and more controllable than any tink-tink bell and I'll be
> willing to argue that with any magistrate.
<SNIPPED MORE>
> Adrian

A bell can be more effective than a voice. In a park, or other public space
(where shared paths often go through), people's natural filters will often
filter out voices (there are many of them around). They will be more alert
to a bell, which is not a part of the continuous background noise of voices.

I've had this discussion a number of times with people on shared paths; I'm
in no hurry so I'll often stop for a chat. A tink-tink bell is a sound
people expect when a bike approaches, a voice is just a voice. Using a bell
is part of a socialised signal sytem; bell=bike. The bell is not there for
your convenience, it's there to help protect others by giving them a
recognisable warning. I don't understand why some riders are so precious
about putting a bell on their bikes and using it but will protest loudly
about the lack of concern other road users show for them when they are on
another shared path (a road).

I've seen many walkers jump in fright after a rider has come from behind,
yelling. No doubt most of us have seen the same. People don't hear shouts
and make the association. By the time the rider is close enough for people
to latch on to the idea that the shout is directed at them, the bike is too
close to stop safely and walkers react rather than respond.

Given human hearing sensitivity profiles, I think the bell's high frequency
is more likely to penetrate to the iPod wearers too. A high pitched 'tink'
is an interference to the music. A voice isn't (dunno if that holds for
noise-cancelling earphones though).

My 2c worth...

Frank

Zebee Johnstone

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 29 May 2008 22:58:31 GMT
Plodder <DACKSfrank.palermo@bigpond.com> wrote:
> I've had this discussion a number of times with people on shared paths; I'm
> in no hurry so I'll often stop for a chat. A tink-tink bell is a sound
> people expect when a bike approaches, a voice is just a voice. Using a bell
> is part of a socialised signal sytem; bell=bike. The bell is not there for
> your convenience, it's there to help protect others by giving them a
> recognisable warning. I don't understand why some riders are so precious

I tried the squeaky toy thing and ran into the same problem as yelling -
people just didn't realise what it meant or think it meant them.

A bell is simple and recognisable and people on a path who hear one
realise there's a bike that is near them and is warning them.

I have met bells that just have one or two 'tink' noises instead of a
ring and those aren't as effective. Was behind a rider with one of
those and the peds didn't react but did when they heard my proper
bell.

Zebee

terryc

On Thu, 29 May 2008 22:58:31 +0000, Plodder wrote:

>
> A bell can be more effective than a voice. In a park, or other public space
> (where shared paths often go through), people's natural filters will often
> filter out voices (there are many of them around). They will be more alert
> to a bell, which is not a part of the continuous background noise of voices.

Hmm, not aroud here. You can be ringing your bell from 100' back at 5kph
and they only hear you when you are within 10' behind. Perhaps we have
more birdlife that sound like bells and so they tune them out as well.

Aeek

On Thu, 29 May 2008 22:58:31 GMT, "Plodder"
<DACKSfrank.palermo@bigpond.com> wrote:

>I've had this discussion a number of times with people on shared paths; I'm
>in no hurry so I'll often stop for a chat. A tink-tink bell is a sound
>people expect when a bike approaches, a voice is just a voice. Using a bell
>is part of a socialised signal sytem; bell=bike. The bell is not there for
>your convenience, it's there to help protect others by giving them a
>recognisable warning. I don't understand why some riders are so precious
>about putting a bell on their bikes and using it but will protest loudly

I used an Air Zound for a while, fun, but most pedestrians would
ignore it as "not a bike".

Sometimes I miss hit the bell, get more thunk than ting, and am
surprised when they still react.

It took me ages to find a bell that would fit my old race bike,
someone here put me onto the BBB O-ring bell, not the greatest bell
but it even fits around the spacers of my new 11k Madone and is easy
to remove for races. 7k, hah!

Its a big problem, with oversized bars as standard and funky frames
and seatposts its hard to find a bell that will fit anywhere on a
serious adult bike.

Skewer

Plodder wrote:
> "Adrian Tritschler" <ajft64+noos@bigpond.com> wrote in message
> news:kgrk5hdflxs.fsf@fafnir.ajft.org...
>
> <SNIPPED LOTS OF STUFF>
>> Have had this happen quite a few times, ride up behind pedestrians and
>> call out (loudly) *BIKE!* or "KEEP LEFT PLEASE". Due to pervesity, bad
>> cases of get stuffed, or general perveseness they ignore you, or leap
>> left, or leap right, then scream abuse telling you to get a bell.
>> Obvious that they have heard, equally obvious that they don't give a
>> damn or just want to be angry. AFAICT the various road laws state "An
>> audible warning device such as a bell". My voice can be louder, more
>> expressive and more controllable than any tink-tink bell and I'll be
>> willing to argue that with any magistrate.
> <SNIPPED MORE>
>> Adrian
>
> A bell can be more effective than a voice. In a park, or other public space
> (where shared paths often go through), people's natural filters will often
> filter out voices (there are many of them around). They will be more alert
> to a bell, which is not a part of the continuous background noise of voices.
>
<snipped even more>

And here's the proof of the power of the bell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtv2_-2mHck
(in Japanese- no translation, sorry)

Even in a supermarket!

--
Pete.B

Zebee Johnstone

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 30 May 2008 22:24:59 +1000
Aeek <aeeeeeek@tpg.com.au> wrote:
>
> Its a big problem, with oversized bars as standard and funky frames
> and seatposts its hard to find a bell that will fit anywhere on a
> serious adult bike.

Luckily I have a funny adult bike and so no problem.

Zebee

Moike

Skewer wrote:
> Plodder wrote:
>> "Adrian Tritschler" <ajft64+noos@bigpond.com> wrote in message
>> news:kgrk5hdflxs.fsf@fafnir.ajft.org...
>>
>> <SNIPPED LOTS OF STUFF>
>>> Have had this happen quite a few times, ride up behind pedestrians and
>>> call out (loudly) *BIKE!* or "KEEP LEFT PLEASE". Due to pervesity, bad
>>> cases of get stuffed, or general perveseness they ignore you, or leap
>>> left, or leap right, then scream abuse telling you to get a bell.
>>> Obvious that they have heard, equally obvious that they don't give a
>>> damn or just want to be angry. AFAICT the various road laws state "An
>>> audible warning device such as a bell". My voice can be louder, more
>>> expressive and more controllable than any tink-tink bell and I'll be
>>> willing to argue that with any magistrate.
>> <SNIPPED MORE>
>>> Adrian
>>
>> A bell can be more effective than a voice. In a park, or other public
>> space (where shared paths often go through), people's natural filters
>> will often filter out voices (there are many of them around). They
>> will be more alert to a bell, which is not a part of the continuous
>> background noise of voices.
>>
> <snipped even more>
>
> And here's the proof of the power of the bell
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtv2_-2mHck
> (in Japanese- no translation, sorry)
>
> Even in a supermarket!
>
> --
> Pete.B
Love the bit on the escalator. What were they thinking was coming up
behind?

Moike

Dinsdale Pirana

On Thu, 29 May 2008 10:23:02 GMT, Adrian Tritschler
<ajft64+noos@bigpond.com> wrote in aus.bicycle:

>
>Have had this happen quite a few times, ride up behind pedestrians and
>call out (loudly) *BIKE!* or "KEEP LEFT PLEASE". Due to pervesity, bad
>cases of get stuffed, or general perveseness they ignore you, or leap
>left, or leap right, then scream abuse telling you to get a bell.
>Obvious that they have heard, equally obvious that they don't give a
>damn or just want to be angry. AFAICT the various road laws state "An
>audible warning device such as a bell". My voice can be louder, more
>expressive and more controllable than any tink-tink bell and I'll be
>willing to argue that with any magistrate.

The advantage of a bell over any other method of warning is that
people still associate them with a bike. I tried a horn with a rubber
bulb that I bought 40years ago but all that did was frighten the shit
out of people which was not the desired result.

I would throw one of those tink tink bells away and replace it with
the 'old fashioned' one with the rotary clapper they only cost a
couple of dollars and are well worth the money if you use cycle paths
a lot.


Regards
Dinsy

Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum - Lucretius

Simon

PBK has some cheap but nice little bells which fit on oversize bars. I
use these on the bike path and then whip them off for racing (before
anyone sees).

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=A1249

Dave Hughes

On Sat, 31 May 2008 00:36:46 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:

> Luckily I have a funny adult bike and so no problem.

Other than a lack of elbow patches, a beard, and the respect of your peers!

--
Dave Hughes - dave@hired-goons.net
"Verbogeny is one of the pleasurettes of a creatific thinkerizer."
- Peter da Silva

Aeek

On Sat, 31 May 2008 20:07:41 +1000, Dave Hughes
<spambait@hired-goons.net> wrote:

>On Sat, 31 May 2008 00:36:46 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
>
>> Luckily I have a funny adult bike and so no problem.
>
>Other than a lack of elbow patches, a beard, and the respect of your peers!

A beard is surely optional unless a mirkin is worn.

Zebee Johnstone

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 31 May 2008 20:07:41 +1000
Dave Hughes <spambait@hired-goons.net> wrote:
> On Sat, 31 May 2008 00:36:46 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
>
>> Luckily I have a funny adult bike and so no problem.
>
> Other than a lack of elbow patches, a beard, and the respect of your peers!

Damn. I'm never going to get away with the beard thing am I.

Zebee

G-S

Aeek wrote:
> On Sat, 31 May 2008 20:07:41 +1000, Dave Hughes
> <spambait@hired-goons.net> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 31 May 2008 00:36:46 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
>>
>>> Luckily I have a funny adult bike and so no problem.
>> Other than a lack of elbow patches, a beard, and the respect of your peers!
>
> A beard is surely optional unless a mirkin is worn.

Errr.... ewwwwww.


G-S