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Bell Etiquette

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Comments

  • #92
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,725 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    CollyFlower wrote: »
    You can't even get mudgards when buying a bike now... Regarding, Bicycle bells, do people still use the 'ding-ding` ones, the ones that can't be heard in traffic?.. I have a an alarm like one, (battery powered) it's like a siren, when pressed it alerts everyone and no one is sure where the sound is coming from..

    I may be wrong, but I believe that's as illegal as not having a bell. Also they are properly irritating. If they are that distracting, they have no place being used on a bike if you ask me.


  • #93
    CollyFlower
    Registered Users Posts: 5,987 ✭✭✭CollyFlower


    Weepsie wrote: »
    I may be wrong, but I believe that's as illegal as not having a bell. Also they are properly irritating. If they are that distracting, they have no place being used on a bike if you ask me.

    I've never heard of them been illegal. It's hardly irritating if you're just giving it a occasional blast, I wouldn't be constantly blasting it like a 'christmas /birthday present.


  • #94
    TheChizler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,400 ✭✭✭TheChizler


    CollyFlower wrote: »
    You can't even get mudgards when buying a bike now... Regarding, Bicycle bells, do people still use the 'ding-ding` ones, the ones that can't be heard in traffic?.. I have a an alarm like one, (battery powered) it's like a siren, when pressed it alerts everyone and no one is sure where the sound is coming from..
    That seems rather useful for something you use to alert someone of your presence.


  • #95
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,740 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    CollyFlower wrote: »
    I've never heard of them been illegal. It's hardly irritating if you're just giving it a occasional blast, I wouldn't be constantly blasting it like a 'christmas /birthday present.
    93. (1) Every pedal cycle (other than a cycle constructed or adapted for use as a racing cycle) while used in a public place shall be fitted with an audible warning device consisting of a bell capable of being heard at a reasonable distance, and no other type of audible warning instrument shall be fitted to a pedal cycle while used in a public place.
    http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1963/si/190/made/en/print

    I don't think there's a more recent update to the statute book, so I think that makes non-bell attention-getters on bikes illegal.

    I think bell legislation is more or less "dead letter" legislation now anyway. Nobody ever seems to get done for not having a bell, or for having an alternative noise-maker. It might get adduced in court if you were up for another bike-related offence though. I remember there was a collision in the UK between some teenagers, one of whom died, and a man on a high-performance bicycle, and some attention was paid to the bike not having pedal reflectors, even though it's a largely unenforced statute there, and it wasn't relevant to the collision.


  • #96
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,740 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    Tombo2001 wrote: »
    I do think there is an ego thing at play with the cyclist in front getting annoyed; its not saying get out of the way, its simply saying I'm coming past, and from a safety point of view that can only be a good thing.

    But why are you saying "I'm coming past" and why to that particular cyclist?

    In my experience, it's because the passing cyclist is trying to pass with centimetres to spare, or because you assume, for whatever reason, they're going to start cycling erratically.

    In the first case, in a commuting context, it's the passing cyclist that has an ego problem, and ringing a bell or saying "on your right" doesn't mitigate that.

    In the second case, I don't really know how you judge a cyclist is likely to do something erratic, and I really doubt people who advocate warning when passing do it to absolutely everyone, so it's not surprising that the odd person who receives this warning thinks you're chastising them, telling them to get out of the way, or assuming that they're probably not so good at this cycling lark, not like you are.


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  • #97
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,740 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    There is a third case, where a cyclist is on a collision course with you, or already doing something erratic. Ringing a bell, or whatever, is fine, and if the other party gets offended, which is still somewhat likely, given human nature, so be it.


  • #98
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,740 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    partyguinness wrote: »
    So what do you think the purpose of a bell is?

    There isn't any advice from the RSA, or within the statutes, as far as I know.

    The Unbelievable Truth maintains this:
    Between 1888 and 1930 the law stated that cyclists had to ring their bell constantly while travelling as a safety measure.
    https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/the_unbelievable_truth/episodes/18/3/

    I assume our mandatory bell law is the child of that one, with the requirement to ring at all time in motion removed, because it's so impractical, and annoying for all concerned.

    Other than that, the only guide seems to be trying to interpret what the advice for sounding the horn is for motorists, which doesn't include passing in the normal scheme of things, but doesn't preclude all passing scenarios either; it does include warnings in the context of dangerous situations, which is a judgement call really.


  • #99
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,304 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    CollyFlower wrote: »
    You can't even get mudgards when buying a bike now...
    That's not true. There is an issue with many people being sold non-commuter bikes for commuting. There are many people being sold bikes without mudguards when they should really be sold bikes with mudguards, rack, dynamo, kickstand and other features to help commuters.


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