Should you use a bicycle bell, or your voice?
Bringing up bicycle bells raises the large issue of messages that bicyclists need should send out, and attend to.
For one thing, the bicycle makes a variety of sounds, some normal, others indicating mechanical problems. Understanding these sounds extends your pre-ride safety check into your ride — especially important then!
Sounds alert you to other road users, and you to them. As is true with so much about bicycling, you have choices.
Voice or bicycle bell?
Voice or bell: does it matter? This is largely a cultural issue.
According to information which we have, bicycle bell is required by law in some US states: New York, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey. Local jurisdictions also may require one. Besides being useful to alert pedestrians and other cyclists, a bell can just be fun, especially in a group. Definitely consider it, especially where required by law.
Most bicycle bells can do no more than warn people of your approach, and are only loud enough reliably to alert people in the open air, that is, other bicyclists and pedestrians. (Bicycle air horns are a separate topic. Many of these are as loud as car horns.)
Bells tend to be prevalent where bicycle use for transportation is common. There, most people understand the sound of the bell to mean, “I’m approaching, be predictable so I can pass.”
No bell? Almost anyone can signal with the voice, and it works without lifting a hand from a brake lever. On the other hand, the voice does not identify the speaker as riding a bicycle. It can also be misunderstood or carry an emotional burden (for example, if the person you’re intending to alert feels like you’re “yelling” at them).
Predictable/Unpredictable?
In the US, recreational cyclists commonly call out “passing on your left” or “behind you” rather than use a bell. 
Your safety is confirmed not through the signal but through the response. Make your announcement early enough to allow the intended recipient(s) to react. Then check for the reaction, and go slowly and pass wide in case someone suddenly changes direction.
John Allen reports that he often calls out “heads up” to alert pedestrians headed toward him as they stare into their cell phones on university campus paths.
Civility in context
Have you seen the video circulating on YouTube that was recorded by a cyclist riding full-bore on the narrow promenade deck of the Brooklyn Bridge? He’s honking an ear-splitting air horn at anyone who might be in his way.
Can I talk about a sense of entitlement?
The deck, about 8 feet wide, has a painted stripe down the middle. Bicyclists are supposed to stay on one side, pedestrians on the other. That doesn’t work well in practice. (Don’t blame the City of New York for the narrow deck. The bridge opened in 1883, a century before design standards for shared-use paths were developed.)
On the Brooklyn Bridge promenade, or in similar conditions, a ding-ding bell and moderate speeds are more appropriate. Your cycling behavior should never frighten slower path users as you go past them.
Scaring people is rude, yet an imminent threat may bring on a loud yell or scream, unprompted. It can sometimes freeze a charging dog or wayward pedestrian.
Only a loud air horn and the like — or a loud shout — are likely (by no means certain) to be audible inside motor vehicles. Riding to be visible (we’ll get to that) and using lights (see previous section) are also effective to get the attention of motorists, before it becomes a problem.
Next Up
We began this series of beginner “need to know” articles with checking to make sure your bike is ready to ride, and have now concluded a 3-part series on safety equipment: lights, mirrors, and bells. The next article will discuss clothing options for safety.
I get great results by just saying “hello” when I slowly overtake people on foot. No one changes direction in front of me which has happened when I used to say “on your left.”
When I say “hello” no one appears to be startled, along with a combination of slowing down and giving them as much space as possible, such as rolling by on the far left of the trail. I speed up again when I’m clear.
The thing about a bell is that it’s hard for people on foot to tell distance and direction which can prompt unfortunate change in their direction or speed. People seem to be hard wired to respond better to voices.
Great points, thank you.
You had me at ‘hello’.
I’m with you all the way – speaking allows you to deliver exactly the right message and tone to anyone: elderly / at risk, jumpy child, headphoned adult, other cyclist. And ‘hello’ is often just right.
Seems to me that bell versus voice is similar to helmet vs no helmet in that I don’t see folks on one side switching to the other. If a bell is required by law, fine, I’ll comply. One point that I’d like to see brought up is the tendency for some folks to mount the bell on the stem, requiring one hand to leave the bars to ring the bell. I’ll agree that location is very tidy looking and doesn’t clutter the bars. But, IMO, when you’re approaching another cyclist or pedestrian you want both hands on the bars, ready to swerve or brake.
A bell is far preferable to voice. When I run, I sometimes overtake pedestrians on quiet streets at night. My sudden unexpected appearance from behind often scares them. Shouting a warning like “I’m behind you” only adds to the fear. No such problems on my bike, where my bell is a familiar and much less threatening sound. In fact, it often elicits a smile from strangers as I pass.
Some cyclists think the tinkle of a bell is the politest sound man ever created; others think it rude and demanding.
The trouble is, the same variation exists in the pedstrians we want to reach.
Thanks again John!
I say bells/horns and respect out on the road or trails are EVEN more important for people riding e-Bikes!
As a suggestion for your next series and “ready to ride,” please add the NEW “E” for Electronics as part of an ABC E Quick Check pre-ride inspection.
Thanks,
CS
The Retired Bike Cop & eBike Guy⚡
The legal situation for bells in Minneapolis parks was … interesting.
The Minneapolis Park Board has a requirement that all bikes have bells.
Minnesota State had (until two years ago) a law that forbade bells on any vehicle (including bikes).
The state advocacy group got the bicycle bell restriction removed from state law and it’s probable that the Park Board requirement wouldn’t pass muster in a court because it differs from state law.
Correction made: a reader wrote to say that Indiana does not require a bell. The source which John cited was unfortunately sketchy! We welcome comments and corrections.
I just searched and found another page from 2013 pointing to Indiana Code 9-21-11-8, but this page doesn’t mention it. Perhaps it has since been repealed. [https://codes.findlaw.com/in/title-9-motor-vehicles/in-code-sect-9-21-11-8.html]
When I co-taught a class in St. Louis with Melissa and Matthew Brown prior to the I Am Traffic conference there, we had a student from Indiana who told us about the law. I’m forgetting his name, but they may remember.
Hi John!
I didn’t see it, but there wasn’t any reference to the strategy involved in using a bike bell to alert others of your approach to blind corners and underpass pathways. You can also use the bell before you emerge from an underpass to alert others that may be entering from the other direction. Just some things I think bear mentioning.
You’re right, it would have been useful to mention those things, but we didn’t think of it. I do have a situation locally like that. Thanks for mentioning it.