horn, bell or voice?

On the odd occasion I've used my Airzound I've found it's had the opposite effect to the desired one: Peds and other road users assume that much noise must be coming from something bigger than a cyclist (and therefore more worthy of their attention) and look straight past me.

"Oi!" works much better (if they're being dumb), or "Morning" if it's just an "I'm here" type of warning.

Car free environments = call out presence vocally. Especially useful for horse riders as I think horses are used to hearing people talking but will often be alarmed by less familiar sounds. Bells work just as well for peds and other cyclists but seem superfluous given that I've always got my mouth with me.

On the road the only thing that's going to be much use is something like an Airzound. Used proactively a horn might be very useful in a lot of situations and I have thought about getting one, especially for use on large roundabouts.

" BIKE UP ! ! ! " This usually has the desired effect, though some dozy people need repeated doses of this in increasing levels of volume. "Watch where you are going you dozy twat " is occasionally is used for texting, i playering teenagers !

The bell that Lion Bellworks make has a beautiful tone. Not sure what note/key it is in but it doesn't come across as aggressive. As others have said it makes little odds if you use a bell, horn or voice. There will be folk out there who will take exception. I found a couple of pings is sufficient. Or a pleasant excuse me while dropping your speed to walking pace. I once tried to explain to a friend that if a cyclist pinged you that it was best to keep walking as they would most likely have determined which way they want to go around you. The bell is only there to warn and its up to the cyclist to look out for the more vulnerable pedestrian. As I ride fixed the bell is more invaluable as I become ninja like when pedestrians are around.

I've got one of these, its great, bought it a looong time ago, it says made in West Germany.
http://www.amazon.com/Ventura-Super-Loud-Bicycle-Tire/dp/B001NGD5ES

A good set of brakes. Honestly, I don't trust anybody any more and my default assumption is that I'll have to take evasive action any time, and instinctively slow down whenever there's the possibility that someone will suddenly step into the road without checking. Though I've also had people stare directly at me and still step out as I approach. I've also resorted to using a decent front light at all times when in the city, I do think it stands quite effectively from the drab London background... obviously that doesn't help if someone is looking the other way and doesn't check. So again, a good set of brakes.

Agree with the comments that a bell is feels like its aggressive, which is a shame. I've just been to Amsterdam and there they are used in a number of ways but a lot of the time they seem to have a reflex of ringing the bell if there are people near the route they are taking who aren't looking where they are going, which is good. However with a predominantly young population there were the odd instances of a bell being use to mean "get out of my way, I'm commming fast and I ain't stopping!".

I would parallel this with car horn use, in the UK people don't use their horn because its aggressive... or at least they refrain until they are ANGRY. But in some other countries its just part of daily driving to warn others of their presence.

I have a loud freehub which is useful for letting folk know i am comming, people on phones wandering about or people being unpredictable (drunks, kids on BMX looking backwards whilst travelling forwards etc) get a shoult of "look out!"

Ultimately its good to bear in mind that on the whole pedestrians are not used to bikes and so find them scary when they come from behind (I know I find the same thing even as a regular cyclist) so they don't instinctivly do the right thing: just keep moving on a predictable path.

Ringing the bell a long way back helps, doing it at the last minute IS going to make them jump.

Agree with the comments that a bell is feels like its aggressive, which is a shame. I've just been to Amsterdam and there they are used in a number of ways but a lot of the time they seem to have a reflex of ringing the bell if there are people near the route they are taking who aren't looking where they are going, which is good. However with a predominantly young population there were the odd instances of a bell being use to mean "get out of my way, I'm commming fast and I ain't stopping!".

I would parallel this with car horn use, in the UK people don't use their horn because its aggressive... or at least they refrain until they are ANGRY. But in some other countries its just part of daily driving to warn others of their presence.

I have a loud freehub which is useful for letting folk know i am comming, people on phones wandering about or people being unpredictable (drunks, kids on BMX looking backwards whilst travelling forwards etc) get a shoult of "look out!"

Ultimately its good to bear in mind that on the whole pedestrians are not used to bikes and so find them scary when they come from behind (I know I find the same thing even as a regular cyclist) so they don't instinctivly do the right thing: just keep moving on a predictable path.

Ringing the bell a long way back helps, doing it at the last minute IS going to make them jump.

I've had an airzound on the recumbent for the last few years, fitted after some muppet pulled out without looking. TBH I'm probably gonna leave it off after removing it recently for a rebuilt, the few times when it's been 'necessary' I've been too busy taking evasive action or the idiot in question has still been unaware. And a bit loud for shared usage paths..tho' might come into its own where someone's plugged into their mp3 player

Air horns whilst effective can be seen as aggressive, constant bell ringing is just plain annoying. The voice can be use to issue a suggestion or a personal greeting/ request. Like another poster has said, whichever will peeve somebody off. Hope hubs are just fantastic not too loud, but loud enough. Such an unusual noise people just have to look. Job done!

I have:
- Hope rear hub
- bell
- Air Zound horn

They all have their uses but the most effective one on pedestrians is a loud freehub. It's about as loud as a bell but less intimidating.

a nice loud freehub does the job

A bell is always handy. As an example, there's an underpass I use regularly, where I'll ding the bell just to warn people hidden from view that a bike is approaching.

I have an airzound on one bike, but in terms of surprise traffic incidents I've almost always reacted by shouting first. I have however had a number of incidents with schoolkids either pushing one another into the road, or wandering out with large headphones, where the air horn proved useful.

I have also been testing a knock-off version of the Hornit. Much easier to fix on drops than an airzound, but not sure about the effectiveness.

I gave up with the bell because it
a) it gets lost in background noise
b) if the pedestrian is wearing their iRape then you are not going to be heard, and
c) it's not going to be heard by the car driver over their thumping 'Drum & Base'.

I now just speak or call out.

I ride up behind people shouting "DING DING DING".

Many pedestrians seem to be unable to understand that you are not telling them to get out of the way, just letting them know you are there; and they react accordingly.

Some will jump out of your way, some will jump into your way, some will freeze, some will ignore you.

Whether you use a flick-bell, a 'ding-dong' bell, say "Excuse me...", or use a 200 giga decibel electronic horn, you will manage to p**s someone off.

So adopt the way of the cycling ninja, my young grasshopper, and flow silently between them...