In Santa Barbara, you have to wear a bell on your bike, because all the trails are shared use. It’s super annoying. The horse people attempted to get mountain biking banned and the bell was the solution.
While somewhat annoying bells keep multi use trails open to bikes in my local areas. Only selfish assholes ride without them.
You tune it out after a while and it improves the trail experience for everyone. You won't believe how many friendly greetings and thank you's you will get from appreciative hikers and equestrians.
I'm in Southern California and they are a life saver on trails around here. I routinely get thanks from hikers that heard me coming and weren't startled when I raced around a corner and many times have stepped off trail allowing me to pass at speed. Less startle responses from hikers = less trail conflict = more trails open for mountain biking in my area. Aside from the noise, which you get used to, its a total win-win Timber makes an excellent bell that can be turned off with a flick of the thumb. So no need to jingle on climbs and lines with good visibility.
@aschohn: I have had good experiences with peoples the timber bell in Marin as well as SoCal. As for the noise I just pretend that its a cowbell rung by race fans, now if only I could also have a voice track of Rob Warner yelling at me to "stay on my bike".
Holy crap. If I had to ride with a bell, I'd buy noise cancelling headphones and pipe in maybe Skinny Puppy, My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult, KMFDM, Ministry...every metallic speed thrash Industrial Genre thing I could to drown out that satanic tingle in my ears!!!!
instead of a bell you can could also just blast some music from a portable speaker, way more fun.
it doesnt have to be an annoying af bell, i think lots of passive agressive hikers just like that we are like cats strapped with bells.
also instead of wearing a bell you could just ride in control to where you arent gonna hit anything you cant see and whistle around blind corners.
@getsomesy: Anyone who thinks that playing the music you like out to those on trails interrupting people outdoors for their own experience and forcing them to listen to your choice of what sounds good...we can't be friends. That has got to be in the top 10 most inconsiderate and self absorbed actions I've ever seen on trails.
I was kidding about the bell issue. Playing mini-boom boxes as you go by, no matter the volume, is narcissism and passive aggressive behavior at it's pinnacle.
@getsomesy: You're one of those guys Personally I can't get by making everyone else enjoy my taste in music...especially outdoors. The bell is WAY less specific ( and more consistent) as far as sounds go. It's volume is also a lot more subdued than the DB's than most crank out of their speakers. Also. less is more on a bike ride. A speaker is just a non-starter for me. Perhaps future e-bikes will include those in the frame too so we can all REALLY hate on them lol.
@blowmyfuse: I like your taste in music. Regular headphones do a great job of masking it and as other have said a Timber bell is the solution. On for when you need it and off for where you don't.
@getsomesy: The last guy I heard blaring music on the trails from his handlebar mounted speaker was listening to AC/DC Thunderstruck. Really shouldn't need to explain any further.
@striveCF15: I use an Onxy silent hub and a Timber bell. People thought myold loud hub was a motor and they like the bell. I like it because I've done my part to warn that I am approaching at very high speed and barely in control rather that having to worry about surprising the unsuspecting (who then leap into your path to 'avoid' you)
Watching these fails week after week I've began to notice a pattern to what people say after a crash. There's the "Oh shit!" The grunt on impact. The silent heavy breather videographer who doesn't help. The dramatic Eastern European. The English bloke with a witty comment.
The guys who lose the front wheel and slide down always get an "oh my God are you ok". The guys who get annihilated by a 10 ft Gap jump get no reaction.
It's like a 2-for-1. Bad enough that your groin is torn wide apart, but then the frame comes up and gives the ol' blunt force trauma. I'm still laughing about it and I type really slow.
Thursday afternoon: "I don't feel like I rode well on that ride. Why am I so terrible at bikes after so many years?" Friday AM: "Okay, I'm pretty great."
In the south east of France we sometimes use those bells during the hunting season... the trails we ride go through hills where people hunt... IMO it s usefull but a bit boring too, u feel like being a cow or a goat( no tribute to G Minaar...).. Safety first he?
I preferred the old exploding biker theme in the beginning. It was way more fluid, and the rolling wheel and flying fiery shards made my kids laugh like crazy.
1:36 - am i watching a different angle of the same crash where a lad looked like he got ejected off the planet? friday fails #111 from 3/27, 2:12. or did this same dude go for it again with the exact same end result?
Having a good bike is fine, spending too much is discussable, but learning some technics to ride properly is certainly the first thing some people should do. It`s a Benny Hill festival...
TGIF but Y do all the Fails happen on Friday ,could we not get a few to happen through the week, you know as we are all shutins these days.
Maybe one good one per day and we vote at the end of the week, prizes could be like Gauze, bandages, painkillers etc.
@rideronthestorm1: It's not a work ethics thing, it's a no f*cks given thing. Like "Line is sketchy....is ok. I send it biiig!!". I don't ride that way, but my history with avalanches shows my Eastern European disregard for safety (at least on snow).
@BiNARYBiKE: You need something to avoid running into people around blind corners on high use trails (read every trial in the Colorado Front Range). I personally went for the annoyingly loud hub (Hope Pro 4) rather than the loud annoying bell. Pick your poison
@freestyIAM: I have Hope Pros. I'm no stranger to the need to alert people. Luckily these days I'm able to stick to directional trails that aren't too busy.
Aside from the noise, which you get used to, its a total win-win
Timber makes an excellent bell that can be turned off with a flick of the thumb. So no need to jingle on climbs and lines with good visibility.
I just pretend that its a cowbell rung by race fans, now if only I could also have a voice track of Rob Warner yelling at me to "stay on my bike".
That has got to be in the top 10 most inconsiderate and self absorbed actions I've ever seen on trails.
I was kidding about the bell issue. Playing mini-boom boxes as you go by, no matter the volume, is narcissism and passive aggressive behavior at it's pinnacle.
Personally I can't get by making everyone else enjoy my taste in music...especially outdoors. The bell is WAY less specific ( and more consistent) as far as sounds go. It's volume is also a lot more subdued than the DB's than most crank out of their speakers.
Also. less is more on a bike ride. A speaker is just a non-starter for me.
Perhaps future e-bikes will include those in the frame too so we can all REALLY hate on them lol.
So, Michael are you ok?
Are you ok, Michael?
You've been hit by
You've been hit by
A Friday Fails video
Friday AM: "Okay, I'm pretty great."
-Dwight Schrute
Stay tuned next week for an entire episode of moms filming 8 year olds falling off curbs while dads watch in their bathrobes.
I don’t think I can make it through all this without banger fails to look forward to every Friday!
*Insert Eddy Murphy Meme here*