Bicycle Bells and Bicycle Horns

Bicycle bells and horns, like any other bicycle safety equipment can help you keep yourself safe whenever you are riding a bike. As a bike rider, it's my responsibility to show you this important (and simple) safaty feature that served me well during my travels, mainly in cities.

Bicycle Bells

You can get bells for your bicycle in a lot of designs. There are bells made from different types of metals and you can get the one that you like. You can buy them online, and they can be customized according to your needs. There are even electric bells that play songs instead of the typical 'trin trin' sound.

Bicycle Horns

Bicycle horns also serve the same purpose as bicycle bells but they are louder. Bells work great if you are riding in quiet places where the ring could be easily heard, but if you are riding at busy places, then you would need a bicycle horn to let others know you are coming. And then there is the bicycle air horn that makes a loud noise, and works in really noisy places and busy roads.

If you are taking your bike for ride on silent trails or to natural environments, make sure you don't use an air horn because they would ruin the peace and quiet of the serene environment for others! Let's be courteous!

There are many types of electrical bells that play songs but if you want people to take notice of you and get out of the way, it is best to get a standard bell or horn.

Bicycle Bells Vs. Bicycle Horns

So now that we know that bells and bicycle horns are required while bicycle riding, which one is better? It actually depends upon the trail you are taking. If you are going to forests or mountains then simple bells would be better. For noisier places, bicycle horns would be the right option, and if you are going to absolutely noisy places, then an air horn would help.

Different Types of Bicycle Bells

One thing I like about these bells and horns is that there are many options when you want to buy a bell. There are traditional looking metal bells, and then there are bells with various designs. My kids' bicycles have a frog bike bell, as well as an alarm horn. There are bells made of attractive alloys as well. And then there are bells that have "I love my bike" written on them! Those ones are my favorite.

Some New Bells and Horns

There are many types of new bells and horns in the market and you can visit the local bike store to get to know about their latest additions. One of my favorites is the mega horn that gives out a 10 decibel yell, which is second only to the airZound horn which lets out 115 decibels and is known as the loudest bike horn.

Another great product is multi signal horn that works on a 9V battery and lets out an alarm of your choice. So you could choose between an emergency siren, or a loud blast, or a friendly signal. But since it is loud, the friendliest signal is also much louder than a friendly bell.

Legal Issues

There are certain laws guiding the use of bicycles and bells all around the world. For example, in UK, if you see a bike on a display window, it must have a bell on it. Bike shops aren't allowed to keep bell-less cycles on display.

There are several bicycle laws in Canada as well. For example, there's a law in Ontario that mandates the use of bell or horn on each bike. A friend of mine once rode his bicycle without any bell, and he was fined $110!

Let's talk about US now: Similarly, there is a law in Tampa, Florida, that says bikers cannot ride on their bikes without bike bells or horns.

Why Do We Need Bicycle Bells and Bicycle Horns?

Aside from the law issues, it is advantageous to use bicycle horns and bells since it helps notify other drivers as well as pedestrians of your presence on the road.

Using bells coupled with quick thinking and vigilance on the road helps avoid accidents.

What If They Still Don't Hear You?

Just note that in some cases pedestrians may not be able to hear them well enough to avoid collision:

Pedestrians often work by ear. If they do not hear a car engine, they would typically cross the street without a worry in the world. And if they would see a bike running toward them, it would take them a couple of seconds to react to this.
Even if they do hear it, most pedestrians would not even know how to react to the bicycle bell. Some do not have reflexes that are quick enough to avoid a collision.

One Last Note on How To Avoid Accidents

From my own experience, I always try to remain vigilant about my road travels on bike. Aside from using the bicycle horn, I try to a scan the road for pedestrians before I ride along. I also try to follow the rules of cycling and the traffic rules as much as possible.

You can read here more about bicycle accidents, and get some helpful bicycle safety tips..