Germans & THE BIKE BELL
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- As an American living in Germany, I have noticed that Germans love to use their bike bells! Klingel klingel!!!
So my question for you is: what are your thoughts on the bike bell? If you ride a bike, do you use the bike bell, do you say something when you're passing, do you say something and use the bike bell?
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The main difference is: In the US bycicles mostly are just for fun or maybe for doing sports. In Germany they are serious means of transport. Nobody would expect a car driver to lean out of the window to warn a pedestrian on the street "Passing on your left!"
Most germans aren't annoyed when hearing the bell. Why should they? It's just a fair warning. Sometimes I hear the bell, and when the biker passes, she or he says "Thank you!"
In parks or so when there's no special bike-lane, you aren't expected to react but just to realize there is a bike approaching.
Of course, I don't live in Munich, so maybe, it's different there, but in my hometown (all of them I have bee living until tody) the situation is more relaxed than it seems from what you describe. When I'm going to work on my bike, I'd rather be croaky if I had to talk with every person I would have met on my way.
Sometimes pedestrians are annoyed if I pass them without sounding the bell!
A car driver wouldn't and shouldn't be in a position to directly interact with a pedestrian. It is illegal to cross an occupied crosswalk (Br.Eng. zebra crossing) in your car. It is illegal for a pedestrian to cross a road where there is no crosswalk, unless at the corner of an intersection and crossing only one street at a time. No cater-corner crossing.
I live right beside a bike/pedestrian path and get to see bike commuters all the time.
The purpose of calling out is to alert the person who can't see you of your plans so that there is a minimum of disruption. Some use a bell to preface the announcement, particularly when coming up on a group that is blocking most of the width of the paved surface, or one with small children that might not understand the unwritten rules and run into your path at the last moment. Actually, now that I have said the rules are unwritten, I realise that the park district that maintains the path in recent years put up signs to educate pedestrians and joggers and bicyclists on how to do all of this.
Bicyclists usually greet one another when passing in opposite directions. Not always verbally, often it is just a nod of the head. Joggers seem to be too out of breath or feel too vulnerable to respond, even non-verbally. They only acknowledge your presence by making sure you have a clear path around them.
Also I personally would be much more startled when a person behind me suddenly starts to talk and says something like passing on your left than when I hear someone ringing a bell. I guess it's because every german has learned as a kid that you have to expect hearing a bell sound anytime you're out in public instead of some stranger talking from behind you.
Ulf Meier-Schulze there, you are kind of forced, to say something.
Imagine at nightmare, it would be if everybody had a bell attached to the ski pole! It would be hilarious.
The advantage is that the ring can be understood in all languages.
I think, if you shout "ACHTUNG" or "BAHN FREI" at people, they'll all understand ;-)
i often ring the bell in Germany, but when i pass i mostly try to be polite to pass slowly and say "Dankeschön" for them letting me pass
I am from Germany and since I hate talking I am quite grateful that I just have to ding the bell xD yep I use it
AFAIK in Germany it is the law that if you ride a bike in general traffic you need to have a bell. And it has to be a bright sounding bell (helltönende Glocke), you are not allowed something that could be confused with a car horn or a fog horn.
It has nothing to do with politeness but with following traffic rules (as to be expected in Germany, rules rule over politeness).
So our thoughts are not very important here. One can additionally also say/call something to warn people but as a rulefollowing traffic participant on a bike in Germany the default should be using the bell.
bios theoretikos This is true. It is also very common for German elementary schools to teach children to use the bell and that it's an integral part of your bike. It's called Verkehrsschule where you learn the basic traffic signs and rules and all parts that a bike legally has to have to be allowed in public streets.
It's also that especially teenagers like to listen to music by using their headphones. It's really hard to hear someone behind you talking to you with those on. But if the volume isn't at 100% chance is pretty high they still hear the bell.
That's right. But nobody cares about you having a real air horn on your bike. Speaking from over five years of using one. Police doesn't care at all, even if they check your bike. Or they just did not recognize the #airzound You see more and more cyclists having one, since it's the only way to make yourself noticeable to drivers in cars or trucks.
In Amsterdam, if anyone (tourists) is using their bike bell when there's no danger or no need to notify people, but you're just using the bell for fun, you will be met by death stares by the locals.
yeah its similiar like honking. Honking in a car without giving a signal would be very very weird
A bell can be heard distinctively from 10 to 20 meters away. If I'd have to start at that distance and say something loud enough for the pedestrian to a) hear it, b) notice that it is meant for them (and not some far away people having a conversation), and c) understand it, I would have to shout awkwardly loud. Interestingly, even cyclists without bell (tsk, tsk) tend to call "klingeling" rather than e.g. "Vorsicht", so they piggyback on the well-understood signal :)
In germany nobody wants to say more then necessary
Actually, why should you?
On right or left is not that hard to say.
Jessica Ely thats right ... but germans are used to the bell
if you pass over 200 people on your way to work its anoying ^^
M.
I feel like saying something would be more dangerous because you're generally not paying attention to what people are saying when you're riding a bike because their conversations are usually not directed at you. The sound of a bell always means 'there is a bike coming look out' no matter what
Elise Weusthuis not true. When you hear left or right you ALWAYS know it's a bike or roller blader/skater (if people still do this). I've walked in front of bicyclists because I thought they would be passing on the left (like normal people), but nope they pass on my right.
Bicycles and pedestrians are separated from one another on city streets. Bicycles are treated as motor vehicles even when they have their own lane on streets that are shared with cars.
Where bikes and pedestrians share pathways, the rules are known or learned within minutes. Make a clear path according to the direction of the bicyclist. The bicyclist has had more time to assess the situation than the pedestrian. Assume you will be passed on the left, if in doubt. Avoid sudden changes in movement or direction. Stopping in your tracks may make it impossible for them to clear an oncoming bicyclist before they come onto you.
I suppose it depends on what you are used to but as someone who often needs some time to process what someone is saying if I wasn’t paying attention to them, I’m glad to have a very simple cue. What also might make a big difference is that for as far as I know is that here (in the netherlands in my case) there are way more bicyclist so it could get tricky to know who is talking to whom, and the rules are taught better because we cycle so much.
I suppose here if you did pass on the right you might say so but it’s pretty rude to do so in the first place
+Elise Weusthuis
Cyclists in the US will prefer to pass on the left, but sometimes you run into a group that is already at the far left margin of the path and it is simpler to say "passing on your right". We're all trying to get to where we want to get to and if it is less bothersome to all involved to negotiate a passing on the right, that seems far less rude.
Manchmal bedanke ich mich, wenn ein Radfahrer oder Fußgänger für mich Platz gemacht hat. Kommt auf die Situation an.
*Ich lade sie immer zum Essen ein ;)*
Ich kenne es auch so, dass man sich bedankt, das tun hier eigentlich alle. (Liegt wohl daran, dass ich in einer Kleinstadt wohne.)
Es ist auch nicht unüblich "Das hier ist ein Fahrradweg!" zu rufen.
Wenn es ein Fahrradweg ist, dann muss man die Menschen aggresiv wegklingeln, anschreien und erklären, dass es ein Fahrradweg ist.
+Harry_Bo Ist für mich die Norm: Ich höre hinter mir eine Fahrradklingel, ich geh aus dem Weg, ich krieg ein kurzes Danke ohne jeglichen Blickkontakt. Effizient, höflich, perfekt.
Ich hatte eine Weile lang keine Klingel am Rad und wenn ich dann freundlich auf mich aufmerksam gemacht habe, wurde ich teilweise angemeckert warum ich keine Klingel benutze. 😂
Richtig ! Wenn man höflich fragt darf ich bitte vorbei, kommt „haben Sie keine Klingel ?“ und wenn man klingelt dann sind alle genervt. 😂
Kenn ich 😂
I studied in Cambridge (England not MA), which is very bike heavy (being flat and full of students). A bell is a nice clear way to indicate there's a bike nearby and needing someone's attention - it's also easier to identify the direction than a voice, being higher pitched (same with a whistle): sounding a bell is a good way to alert a pedestrian to traffic hazards or similar and avoid them stepping in front of you or things like that.
Unjustified use would be irritating though - like a car horn, only use it if you need to alert someone!
I think this has probably something to do with the monolinguistic nature of the US and the fact that the bikers can make their voice heard most of the time.
In Europe, you don’t know if you and the person obstructing the road speak the same language. You could be riding alongside a busy street where yelling probably won’t work. When you’re riding on a combined pedestrian-bicycle road you can’t keep yelling “on your left/right/left/right” while there’re many people around.
Still, here in Vienna, bike riders tend to shout “Vorsicht!” in frustration when people keep ignoring the klingeln. 😊
PureGold not really on speaking the same language. I lived in FL and down in Miami-Dade County 75% of the people don't speak English. They only speak Spanish. California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona can be like this also.
I agree with the Vorsicht, Achtung, Obacht. It is the same in Salzburg. the problem is that usually the people ignoring the bell are the tourists who do not understand what you are saying anyway.
Everybody has a voice in their possession at all times. The standard for being passed is the same, make sure there is a clear path to your left, avoid sudden changes in direction or speed. The only time I would pass somebody on the right is if they were already on the extreme left edge of the paved surface.
In the UK most cyclists use a bell, some are just ignorant and just race by ignoring pedestrians and there are some, mainly teenagers, who ride close, snatch your phone and ride off. I always slow down when approaching pedestrians from behind and will ring my bell long before reaching them so they have time to move and I always ride well clear when passing anyone.
Dutch cyclists seem to flock like birds, I'm sure there is method in their madness.
Genial Harry Grout HA! 😂Made me chuckle, thanks
I've only heard the bell in the UK too. Sometimes a "thank you" when they pass though.
Or something unmentionable if you get in their way!
I've got to say, most of the time I don't use my bell and just pass them. Only time I ring is when there is not enough room to pass. Might not be the nicest way but it's the fastest one because otherwise the one in front of me will not really know where to go or what to do and that way we both have to slow down. If I just pass no one has to stop but it's a bit risky.
☝️This
As a dutch person I usually feel very awkward if my bell is broken and I often simply say "ding ding" out loud if I need to pass someone. I only ring the bell if there is no comfortable space to pass, which also means that I would expect the people/person I intend to pass to make room for me to pass, generally by moving to the right. I do the same thing if others ring the bell behind me.
First, when we were preparing for our trip to Austria and Germany last year, your videos gave us a lot of cultural tips, including to watch out for bike lanes and to listen for the Klingeln (we even got geklingelt at one point). Thank you for the information you provide. I'm sure that at times you feel like you're shouting out into a void, but your voice is being heard (no pressure, now ... ).
Now I'm in a USA national program, OLLI, which gets senior citizens back on university campuses (about 300 campuses) with their own OLLI classes and activities plus the ability to audit regular university classes -- the facilitator for the OLLI German class is the university's German professor and a native German. Her sister, a teacher in Germany, recently visited and commented that Germany has nothing like it. Germany offers all kinds of educational opportunities, but mainly with an eye to helping you gain a marketable skill. As for the seniors (according to what that German professor told us), they're expected to stay at home and be the Omas and Opas.
Being back on campus after four decades and back on topic, a lot of the young students zip about campus on bikes, but mainly on skateboards and skooters (I think they're called "razors", but that's probably already a couple decades out of date now). All without any kind of Klingeln; though if some kind of protocol were to have evolved, I am entirely clueless of it. My own strategy (I might hear something to know that something's behind me) is both to stay exactly behind the person in front of me and to maintain a steady course. If I were to try to anticipate what they want to do, I could anticipate wrong (if you and "German Man" ever get into partner dancing, the follower trying to anticipate what the leader wants to do is the most common recipe for disaster). In those cases, my best strategy is to stay put in order to not mess up their plans to get around me. I guess that was my punch line for you -- you hear a Klingeln and don't know what to do? Stay the course. (I apologize most sincerely for that Reaganism) Reduce the variables.
From my experience, I’ve only heard the speaking from cyclers in the US, and the rest of the world use the bell. I also tend to freeze because it’s quite frightening and befuddling haha!
To start with, whatever the USA does has nothing to do with anything international. In Europe, you never know what language the person next to you speaks (eg, in Volterra I was looking for the Estrucan ruins so I addressed somebody else in Italian about them and it took a couple minutes to realize that that he was German which I'm much better at than with Italian). Throwing your native words at that other person may or may not work, whereas some kind of mutually understood Klingeln signalling could and would work better.
BTW, as I just told Dana, freezing is usually the best strategy. They know what they want to try to do. If you stay put, their plans will work out. If you try to anticipate what they are wanting to do, the entire cluster-f*ck will collapse into an enormous heap.
David Wise hahaha yep
Just "klingeln"--and since I ride my bike in Münster, lot's of "klingeln". :D
In Japan, they think it's rude to ring the bell.... OR to say anything.... so most people cut their brakes so that whenever they brake it SCREAMS AT YOU! This loud, high pitched obnoxious sound that scares the crap out of me ! HOW is that not worse than a bike bell?! HOW I ASK! It drives me nuts!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Isabel.
Isabel who?
Isabel necessary on a bicycle?
When I got my previous bike, which I used for getting around, I put a mirror on it, but no bell. My current bike, which is just for riding up and down the street for exercise, has neither.
Wow you are full of creative ideas!! That knock knock joke and also a mirror on a bike! Cool:)
Hi again, Barbi (American living in Austria) I love the bike bell rule! Yes I was startled the first few times but oh so grateful too. I can only hear out of one ear, so for me it was wonderful to know that something was coming up from behind me. Getting that fair warning. As opposed to the feeling of almost being run down or over, since it's my left ear that I can't hear out of.
I can honestly say 98% of the time I've never heard anyone say ; "Passing on the left." As they rode on by. The occasional time I did hear it, I just thought... Oh what a polite or nice person that was and thanked them for the gesture. Again, that could be because of my hearing or a difference between Florida and Michigan.
Anyhoo die Klingel is loud, clear, and happy sound making it a welcome addition to my world. lol
When I trained for triathlons in Southern California out on the long rural roads I used the bell, it would be heard more easily by pedestrians walking their dogs along the roads. No sidewalks. When cycling on a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over a busy city road I used to say "passing on your left". Now I mainly use the bell everywhere. It is more readily heard by the elderly and people using earbuds to listen to their music or talk with someone on their phone.
I want to say thank you. You're amazing you make us smiling 😊
I live (and ride a bicycle) in Alaska in the USA. I have found that the bell is more readily heard from a greater distance than just speaking to the person being passed. I prefer to give as much notice as possible, even though I always slow down while passing. I also make it a point to say "thanks" as I go by if the person has moved over or heeled their dog.
I only use the bell if i can`t get pass the people inn front of me.
There are several bike and hike trails by my house. Many people have a bell, but they ALWAYS say which side their passing on as well as sounding the bell.
When I ride the bike and am approaching someone in front of me I *always* use the bell, but just so that it makes a little "ping" - nothing aggressive.
I just want to make sure the people I am about to pass know I am coming. That way I don't have to expect someone to suddenly step in my way only because he or she didn't have a clue that a 250 pound flash is approaching front behind...
A collision would be quite nasty for everybody involved, so I like my Klingel!
I never yell at people like you described in the video, and I never heard anyone in Germany do that.
But it is quite common to say "Dankeschön", when you use the bell and people get out of your way.
When I was jogging on a bike trail in the US the police riding a bike rang her bell as she passed me, without saying anything, but riders without bells usually do say, "on the left" or something similar. My late father once brought me a bike bell back from Germany.
Normally I say 'Danke' while passing.
If only they would use the bell when passing me. I often feel like im an obstruction when pedaling along even at 20-25 kph, minding my own business. Most of the time they're passing me without warning at very high speed. Another issue is the reaction to the bell by some people, especially pedestrians in groups or with dogs on loooooong leashes when they're blocking the path and see no reason to let me pass, sometimes they're even quite aggressive.
This deserves the specification where you usually ride your bike. On the street, or on the bike-lane, or even on the side-walk. If it is the last one: Why do you complain !? If it is one of the first two: understandable.
Most of the time either on combined pedestrian-bicycle roads or where both tracks aren't clearly seperated by markings on the ground. There's only a sign at the beginning showing bicycles left, pedestrians right. But all theory is gray.
I gotta say I kind of feel guilty when I pass someone slower than me because I don't want them (most of them at least) to feel like they are an obstruction.
Ich kann das bestätigen, dass in Deutschland nur geklingelt wird und nicht gesprochen :). In Deutschland haben die Fußgänger stets auf der rechten Seite zu gehen und die Radfahrer können dann von links überholen :).
Na ja, ein "danke" von seiten des Radfahrers ist oftmals schon angebracht (und wird auch gesagt).
Eigentlich haben Radfahrer auf dem Trottoir ja sowieso nichts zu suchen, genau wie Fußgänger auf ausgewiesenen Radwegen und Straßen.
Es gibt aber auch Wege, wo beides erlaubt ist und keine Trennung erfolgt.
Stimmt, auf solchen Wegen läuft man allerdings am Besten links, damit man wenigstens sieht, von wem man über den Haufen gefahren wird.
Genauso, wie man mit dem Eselsgespann am besten die Linke Spur der Autobahn nutzt, wenn man eine neue Rekordlänge an Stau vom Nachrichtensprecher hören will...
Klingel and a "Dankeschön" while passing is polite.
This film reminded me about my bike ride two days ago. It was Sunday and quite a nice, warm day, so the bike lanes where very crowded. And when people overtake with their bikes in Poland, they don't do anything - neither say something or use the bell. And at some point one guy was riding next to me and he did it so close, that I nearly lost the balance. Then it appeared that he had a bike trailer with a kid inside :o
How have I overlooked this great video the 1st time around?
The bike bell os very practical. When I go on bike rides in a group with some mates, we use the bike bell also to let others in the group kjnow about motorised traffic that's oncoming from behind.
Oh god, that would be awful, if I would have to talk to people just to pass them >.< Happy Bell-User here xD
I don't ride a bike but drive a truck and drive where there are many bike riders. This said a gentle tap on the horn will alert bike riders that you are passing on their left. Now in Peru taxi drivers use a series of honks to tell the other drivers what they are doing. It is fasinating and I never quite figured out their code.
Just the bell is common practice, and I get just as often startled as you do, and I hate it. In best case, some bells only make a single timid "ring", and thats kind of OK, but if someone gives me the full fire alarm treatment, it feels like being yelled at for no reason.
Looks comfy in Germany while here in WV it was sweltering in the 90’s today. Once at the store my car read 100 degrees.
I've ridden bike/hiking trails in three states and all of them have required a "signalling device" which can be a bell or horn.
I don't have a bike bell, but I ride a triathlon bike, where you want to avoid any weight. So I always shout "Achtung" before I rush over.
Ringing the bell when I lived in Hawaii was always a gamble because there would be many tourists, the ones from the mainland didn't understand, and folks from Japan jumped to the left...
In Switzerland the bell is mandatory, you can get a ticket of abou 40 francs if you don't have one.
But we tend to use the bell like a car driver uses his horn. On the street you never really use it unless somebody is jaywalking or another biker is daydreaming when the light turns green.
In the Netherlands you can expect anything. Passing is usually done in silence. No bell, no talking. (We’re so used to bicycles here that passing is a non-event). However if the situation warrants it, a bell may be used. I myself often can’t be bothered using the bell and will say (!) ‘tring-tring’ instead. Sometimes I’ll even say something like ‘passing on your left’. I can’t remember a situation where someone else did the same.
I LOVE using it! Even when is see stray doggies , i give them the kling kling! They`re like '' umm..what??'' lol
Cool! Cool! I am going to need this bell!!
I live in the US and I usually say "eh, up - on your left" which is weird because I'm not from Yorkshire (England) lol. But I have a friend from York and it just sounds friendly haha. And a pleasant, "Cheers" as I pass.
I really love shouting at pedestrians walking on the bike lane ^^
I always say 'thank you' when I am next to them.
From my experience, the people from Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands also just ring the bell.
I've never been on a bike in the US where it was that crowded that I had to announce that I was passing. Maybe if I was in a city or something, but as Dana said, bikes are not used for transportation in the US, unless you are poor or a kid. Bikes are used for exercise, leisurely strolls, or for fun. You would be riding in your neighborhood, or bike paths, which are as wide as a single lane of road. Both places have plenty of room to maneuver around somebody and you would probably see them coming a half mile away anyway.
I've grown up in a city where the question "so, how many bicycles you have" was not unusual by any means... i learned ringing the bell, but growing older i realized that the reaction to the bell is not always what i would hope for and I ended up having to emergency stop more often... so in the end given up on the bell; just jump down on the road with the bike and back up after the "obstacle" and along my merry ways i went... in North America, except for a few short months, pretty much given up on the bicycle as the cities been built for cars... so safer to be in a car yourself as well...
I've even two bells on my bike: a little "ding ding" bell, like you in the video, but also another bell as the next level of escalation ab big loud "DING DONG" bell; in fact more for elderly people, that don't hear the tiny bell. :-)
Used a "clown" horn on my handlebars. You squeezed it to sound it. Never had or used a bike bell ever, including in Germany.
My 5 year old has a bell on her trike but that's about it. Most say excuse me when passing but then again many don't say anything at all. I often have loud music in my ears, the bell would be nice.
I think you're right. Just using the bell in the states would probably be seen as fairly rude. Like honking a car horn. Voice is no problem as we virtually all speak English. When I walk the broad and busy lakeside bike/stroller/rollerblade/skateboard/walking path at home, anyone faster says, "On your left" before they pass.
I always use the bell when i ride my bike, and when the pedestrians stepped aside i greet. When i am walking i don't like when someone is passing me on a bike and didn't use the bell.
I'm a runner living in the US. I've run in many different cities and states in the US and in several countries abroad, and in my personal experience, cyclists in the US are notorious for not using a bell, not calling out they're approaching, not slowing down for pedestrians in walking paths, and passing you full speed on the right. I have seen so many accidents in parks and on the street caused by the lack of warning from cyclists approaching pedestrians or runners from behind, and riding at full speed. I use the bell when I cycle (it's a pretty normal, and expected practice outside the US), but what I've noticed is that pedestrians in the US freeze when they hear the bell: They don't know what to do! I've always been taught that "you pass on the left and move to the right or stay on the right if you're slower or walking". But I rarely see that in the US. Most cyclist that I've encountered don't provide any audible warning, and it's basically up to us (runners or pedestrians) to be alert and move out of their way. When we run single-track on trails, we typically yell "bike up!" or "bike back!" depending on the cyclist approaching us. --- So, "on your left!" is typically used by runners... not by cyclists. At least in my experience.
I can't imagine where you are from, because literally everything you report is the opposite of my experience. Runners never speak or acknowledge anyone but their companions. Bicyclists always prefer to pass on the left, but sometimes, in the evening after dinner, some people decide to "go for a walk on the path" and ignore all of the rules that people obey the rest of the day. They refuse to yield to faster traffic, even joggers and other walkers. They wander all over the path. I've been hit in the chest by someone who was gesticulating wildly while talking and I was trying to sneak by them in the dirt off the trail since they had ignored all the warnings and requests for passage.
I'm german and I use the bike bell but try to be descent whenever possible. For example if I want to pass someone I make sure that the bell sounds only short and does not apear agressive.
I also like to use the bell in Situations, where there is a corner and you can't see anything behind and there's not much room to draw aside (or you know, that often the other one is riding his bike too fast to react fast enough). So in case, there is a person around the corner too, he or she is warned ^^
In South Africa cycling is used more for sport than for commuting (generally speaking). I'm also a cyclist, but would never consider using a bell here - instead I will always say "coming through on your right" or "passing right". (Like the UK and some other commonwealth countries, we drive on the left.) Overseas the bells startle me as well, I also tend to panic and want to throw myself into the nearby shrubbery. :)
Agreed, it is so much safer in Germany to ride a bike than in the USA (with only few exceptions)
Not for the bike .. just two days ago, some jerk stole half my bike (front wheel, saddle, front light and rear light) at Hamburg mainstation.
Why would it be safer for either in Germany? All you get is a bell. In the US, you get notified of the passer's intent (who is behind you, remember) before the pass happens. Tourists sometimes get confused and freeze, but generally everybody gets to keep doing what they were doing and planning on doing so that there is less disruption and unexpected behavior that could result in a collision.
Markle2k Hello that's good question. My opinion is based on growing up in the US riding a bike as most kids and then spending 3 years in the Heidelberg and Mannheim area and traveling around for work. I felt safe riding a bike while in Germany. Pathways were normally available in cities and often between cities. I felt most people respect bicycle riders too. The auto drivers shared the road when bike paths were no available. That feeling of safe riding in the US became less and less over the years.
+John Reynolds The infrastructure and attitude differences are quite different, and I will grant you that point unreservedly. There are many places where you can find bicycles a more integrated part of the traffic mix in the US, but they are isolated to the coasts and college towns for the most part. Many drivers in the US don't have a good relationship with bikes or misunderstand how they are to behave around bikes. Far too often I will have timid drivers try to give me the right of way and put us and everybody around us in danger by stopping in the middle of the road even though I wasn't in the crosswalk and was acting as a regular part of traffic.
Markle2k - Good morning, I agree there a few places that feel safe to me in US to ride. As Dana describes for most situations people in Germany are more used to the bell and in my experience transportation was designed with bikes being considered. I wish greater design consideration existed in US so kids might enjoy bikes as I did in the 1950-60s, but too many cars now using the same roads. At my age now, I might like to try a bike again in retirement, but don't feel safe enough to try it. I hope you have a place to ride safely and enjoy the scenery. I liked the same situation that Dana described of my kids riding their bikes while I ran back in the 80s ,but that was on a military base. I enjoyed biking to work when I lived on Okinawa, but wonder what it would be like nearly 40 years later? Germany felt safe enough and had considered biking that I rode again while on vacation at Lake Bodensee in my 60s. It was fun and a very beautiful place to ride.
I from Canada found I needed a bell so I bought the cheapest Amazon bell . Well the bell sounded like cardboard and it broke even before I put it on, So I google loud quality bells and found the Crane Riten Bell a solid brass bell, (perfect). Quality Japanese bell. It is a necessity for trail riding. I ring the bell and as I pass I say thank you.
Growing up I was quite shy and had a very quiet voice (still have actually), so that would have been a nightmare for me. I love the bell. It makes things so much easier and I don't have to talk to the people. Sometimes I thank or greet them, but that's it. Das ist das höchste der Gefühle xD
I am doing this two. The bell just provokes erratic behaviour. If I think the situation needs acoustic support I loudly say "Von links" or "Von rechts" and sometimes a "Danke" while passing. So far it worked perfectly for me, people usually move to the opposite direction.Picked that up in LA and found it much more practical than the bell. Sometimes I use the bell, usually if I am still far away. For cars I have an air horn ;) One American once wrote: everywhere in the world a bell means a bike is coming from behind. In Germany it means a bike just was passing you ;) It's one action ping-and-woosh :) The thing in Germany is - if you ring you are an annoying biker "Kampfradler" if you don't ring people ask angrily "Don't have a bell?"
In Holland we also use the bell, what ends up in instead of people go on the side, they look to the back to see whats is going on or they do not hear it and get angry when you pass them. Maybe saying that you are going to pass is more useful, because if you say something instead of using the bell here in Holland, people will argue because you are not using the bell but using words. Kind of weird.
I think it depends on what kind of path I'm biking on -- if it's a combination bike/foot path, I use the bell only if pedestrians are blocking the whole path by walking three abreast. If I'm riding on a bike path, I give pedestrians who don't belong there hell with my bell, and sometimes scold them verbally, as well. So, I like to differentiate my use of the bell, while I have a friend in Munich who rings his constantly, which makes me cringe when I'm riding with him. I believe it's similar to using the brights on the autobahn...drivers who flash their lights constantly are annoying, although if someone has fallen asleep in the right lane, flashing may be warranted.
One should not assume that you _can_ do "verbal communication" in the city. But that assumption is faulty since a lot of people aren't able (or willing) to shout so loud that someone about five metres ahead can understand you through all the other noises on the street. The bell, however, sounds in a frequency that can't be mistaken for, say, some shouting drunk. A nice "ding" is much more polite than someone shouting and you can actually do that early enough that the intended recipients have time to prepare themselves while with a "verbal communication" the persons have to be much closer thus increasing the chance to startle the other and decreasing their time to react.
In most cases people only use the bell in Finland if they don’t have enough space to pass other bikers or pedestrians. Where I live, you often have to bike on the road, but there are some bike lanes too where bikers might be biking next to each other so you might not have space to go around them. In some areas we might also share the street with pedestrian but that’s more uncommon. All in all, I will only ring the bell once for anyone who is blocking my way, and that doesn’t happen every day 😊
I was out for a run just yesterday in the US. To pass walkers, I did say something. But a bike dinged at me and passed. I didn't think it was rude.
Passing with a bike is normal like StVO and you pass always on the left.
I noticed that you also have a basket on your bike's rear rack. What do you carry? What is the most you've carried (in weight or items)? I ride my bike almost every day and often carry items in a basket because it's so easy- no special bags required!
Last week in Switzerland: an old couple walking on the bike lane BLOCKING my way - me klingelingelinging like crazy - them still blocking my WAY - driving slowmotion aka balancing on bike 50cm next to the lady saying with a rather small voice (picture the traffic passing by, PLUS at this point I was already a bit like ???): „Achtung“ - lady FINALLY turning to me and warning her husband to make way - me exhausted...😐
lol "hi! passing on your left!" is cute
but ringing is easier
i bet that "fahrrad von links!" would sound impolite in german
In Germany I usually use the bell and say something like „Thank you“ while passing.
If there are many People I just say it once, but loudly (and not for every person).
When I lived in Ohio and there were extensive bike paths, people would use their bell and say "to the left" or "passing," and sometimes a "thank you!" But, I've notice people in Germany (and especially the Dutch!!) use their bells way more. In fact, we just bought bells for all of our bikes this weekend because we felt left out;)
In addition to the bell required by law, I have a two tone horn on my bike (with an old style rubber bubble I press and let go to sound it). It sounds funny, but sometimes people are not used to it so they are a bit surprised ;)
Even if Germany is very strict about verkehrstaugliche bikes with lights, reflector things and a bell, most adults don't find this necessary. It's more a common thing to teach children how to take part in traffic with less danger. Myself, I never used a bell. Seldomly I said something like "Achtung, caution!" so people turn around and see me coming. Most of the time I see how they walk and look for a way around them to let them enough space. As a pedestrian I always expect a bike coming from behind me without any noise, so I 'm not scared, even if they might come very close and fast.
I just moved to Germany from the US last week and I've had a bike since day one but have been too afraid to use it yet since bike culture is so different between the countries. I've biked in Germany before but that was when I was in a rural area, rather than the center of a city like now. I've just been walking everywhere while taking mental notes on how cyclists behave. But over the weekend I have to travel two or three miles so hopefully by then I'll have the confidence to use the bike!
Usually I just pass without ringing the bell or saying anything. I only use my bell when people are actually blocking the road and I can't pass without them moving a side (I'm Dutch btw).
Das Ding is ja nicht aus Spaß dort :D Ich kenne den Gebrauch der Fahrradklingel ja nur als "Achtung!" oder "Aus dem weg!!!"
I use just the bell here in Canada (but like one of those 'cha-ching' ones so it may sound a little friendlier 😅) I've noticed on our local bike path though, lots of people don't have bells and often don't say anything at all… they just pass (but maybe that's just my neighbourhood)
The only place I have ridden a bicycle is in the US, but I visited Germany, recently, and did not see _anyone_ riding a bike, though I did not spend much time out and about.
I hear a mix of both on trails in the DC area. I prefer to use my bell because I'm worried I come across as barking or annoyed if I say "on your left." I also think a bell is a bit safer since it's louder and everyone knows it belongs to a bike that's about to pass you.
For some reason, though, I will give a verbal warning if I'm passing any slower cyclists. Just seems to be the protocol around here.
In Leadville CO habe ich ein Radl ausgeliehen, das hatte weder eine Klingel noch Licht :-).
I cycle every day about 20 km and I hate when I see other bikers using their bike bell just the moment they pass. However communication is done, it should be in a friendly manner. Use your bell at the right moment so people can react and also be ready to use your breaks when needed! Don not just rush past children or dogs just because you believe your're right.
Thumbs up! for Stefan's appearance! :D
I just use the bell. I will say something when passing on the right, but I almost never pass on the right. If someone steps aside to let me pass on narrow paths I will say 'Thank you.' but usually I don't talk to the people I pass.
I use the bell all the time. As someone said, it is the law in germany to have on in general traffic, but of course there is more to it. On those rare occasions where i am in a shared traffic space, pedestrians and bike riders on the same way, it is just to politely tell the pedestrians that i am approaching, on bike paths to tell them to get the hell out of my way pronto. In general biking on a normal sidewalk is not allowed, except for kids up to 8 years old on their own bike and accompanying guardians. However, on normal pedestrian ways/sidewalks the pedestrians of course have the right of way and bikers have to keep enough of a distance on their own.
On bike paths, of course bikes do have right of way, but they still have to take care not to overrun pedestrians. In my city we have a lot of tourists who do not know the meaning of the different colored path (bike path) close to the street on the sideway, and one has to give ample warning if at all possible. Which is sometimes hard when biking at normal speeds of around 20 to 35 km/h and people step on it without checking its free.
I was in scenario where a father and his three kids between the ages of four and seven were on a bike path/shared use path walking. They were taking up the entire lane enjoying themselves, luckily I have a non-scary bike bell and they moved. I could have easily shouted, but I might have scared the little kids and ruined their vibe. I'm a proud owner of a bike bell:)
I have never heard of the “rule“ that a cyclist should pass on the left side of people before.
But I only can speak for Salzburg (Austria) where the places where you have to ride next to people are Fußgängerzonen (an area where driving is forbidden and riding a bike only is allowed by a very low speed). And there are so many people by foot that you cannot say passing on your left, because you would be passing 3 on their left but 7 on their right at the same time.
I never really thought about the bell, but now that I did, I think using the bell is more favourable than talking. First the pedestrian can act faster without thinking "what did he say?" and second by saying "passing on the left" you assume the other person understand you language and if he does not you could cause more befuddling as Roy K wrote :-)
I, as a german, like to say something, but use the bell, too. I try to use the bell when I'm farther away, so that it isn't so shocking and people are forewarned, and then say something when I come nearer. But sometimes I really need the bell - I can ring multiple times and some people just don't react, sometimes elderly people who are hard of hearing, and sometimes young people, especially larger groups of young men .... they walk in a combined pedestrian/bike lane, five men side by side taking the whole width of the lane for themselves, and even if I come from the opposite direction and they could clearly see me coming ... if they looked up from their phones ... they still just don't move a bit, often I ring the bell multiple times and still have to stop to not hit them ... sigh ...
If I'm taking Cider for a walk I can't tell if a bike is behind me unless she senses one behind me and then I move. Rarely have I heard some say "Passing by" or a bike bell
In my part of the US, bikers just go around anybody they're passing. So, you tend to not know the biker is there until they get close enough to enter your peripheral vision.
I also just went on a bike ride, but it was just working for a merit badge for Boy Scouts.
In the Netherlands you most have a bikebell by law and lighting.
Here in the north of Germany only few cyclists use their bells. But they also don't say something. So either you has heard them anyways or you are startled, because of someone passing by bike without your knowing.
im a biker in germany.
When i have to shout for every people I drove by a lose my voice.
The bell is louder than average speaking. (but sometimes not loud enough)
It sucks when people dont hear you.
maybe the should not hear music with earplugs in trafic.
ofcourse you have to ring it early anough for not scarying people.
If you drive in germany you need a bell by rule. ( like lights and reflectors)
I'm in the U.S. and I use a bell BEFORE I get too close. Spandex clad race riders always say "on your left".
Have a germans worst nightmare here in cairns Australia a bike and pedestrian path both also on one street a pedestrian and car zone no crossings both surprisingly work well no accidents to my knowledge
tbh most of the time I don't really use my bike bell at all, I think it's kinda annoying :D when there's enough space I just pass the pedestrians, there's no need to say anything. but when there's a lot of traffic I do use the bike bell sometimes. I've also heard people say something like 'Achtung!' but that's very rare.