Often overlooked, the bike bell is a key piece of kit. It’s a protector, an alarm, a style statement, a friendly hello and a musical instrument. Surely there is just 1 bike bell to suit us all? No, you will be surprised at the world of bike bells we are about to discover together. As you all know, I love researching anything and everything to do with bikes and riding and this article has taught me a lot. I hope you can learn something too. I know 6 is a strange number to choose but I added on a final one, just wait until the last one to see why.
- Lion Urban Bell
- Spurcycle Bell
- Trigger Bell
- Crane Bell
- Timber Mountain Bike Bell
- Knog Oi Bike Bell
| Bell | Price (AUD) | Width of bell | Ding length | Ding volume |
| Lion Urban | $35 | 55mm | 15+ seconds | ++++ |
| Spurcycle | $59 | 30mm | 15+ seconds | +++ |
| Trigger bell | $22 | 27mm | 5 seconds | +++ |
| Crane Suzu | $29 | 55mm | 15 seconds | ++++ |
| Timberbell | $25 | 11cm | continued | ++ |
| Knog Oi! Luxe | $49 | 25mm | 10 seconds | ++ |
History of the Bicycle Bell
Let’s start with a brief history of the bicycle bell. It was patented back in 1887 by John Richard Dedicoat, an apprentice of the British inventor James Watt. They have evolved over time from a single metal bell cap activated by a lever, through to fork mounted sirens, air horns and dual cap button activated ones. Some of these designs were banned from the 1920s roads because they were too loud and scared the horses. Today, the most common bicycle bells are still simple in their design, being operated by the rider’s thumb on an external lever. Why fix what ain’t broke!? That’s not to say you can’t get electric and USB Bells for your bike if you really wanted to. Even though my favourite bells use a simple mechanism, that doesn’t make them simple in design. I have been amazed at the differences we have in appearance these days!
Lion ‘Urban’ Bell
This one is first on my list because it just represents classic cycling, it takes me on a journey back to 19th century England and has a retro brass bell design. It’s the only bell still fully manufactured in England. The sound is loud and has a long sustain. It’s a clear classic ‘Ding’ sound, perfect for your safety whilst making you happy every time you flick it! Reviews have commented on the ‘magical properties’ the bell has, and ‘always making people smile’. I just love that. You can mount on handlebars or stem. The mounts are stainless steel and the bell is Brass. The ‘Urban’ Bell comes in a chrome colour and can be engraved too!
Spurcycle Bell
This is a more modern looking bell. I love the different metals used in the design. The hammer is aluminium and the dome is brass alloy for the pure tones. It is manufactured in the USA and comes with a lifetime guarantee. If you’re feeling jazzy you can even get it in black and purple! Mounts on handlebars between 22.2 and 31.8mm. Spurcycle claims to have a sound length 3x longer than other bells, this is something which reviewers agree with. I have found it to have a similar sustain length as the Lion Bell. Riders using this bell frequently comment on the length of the sustain and the purity of the sound, safe and satisfying!
Trigger Bell
A bit of a different bell coming in next. This brass bell has safety as its number 1 thought. It’s designed to be mounted directly on the handle near grip, of any style of bar! This is so you can ding your bell with your thumb whilst squeezing your brakes, to avoid accidents better, you do not need to let go of your grip at any time. On their website they state that this means you can ring your bell 6m sooner than other bells. For me, this is a great feature when riding on trails. It fits on 20-40mm bars and is pretty small and discrete.
Crane ‘Suzu’ Bell
The Japanese designed bell with a classic look. It has a simple spring loaded hammer which chimes on a simple, sleek large bell. The main downside to this bell is that you need a longer screwdriver to fit it, and favours left sided mounting. If you have skinnier bars then you may need to get the ‘mini Suzu’. That being said, it is pretty and they do beautiful hand painted ones which would make the perfect gift. Crane makes all shapes and sizes of bells in chrome, rose gold, gold and black with hammers, buttons and levers to suit your preference.
Timber! Mountain Bike Bell
Taking things onto the trails with this bell. An unusual design for most of us bell novices inspired by a classic cow bell. This bell can be switched to the ‘on position’ where it jingles about with the undulations of the trails to let people know where you are around blind corners or to give a less abrupt warning from far away etc, or it can be switched to the ‘off position’ to remain quiet. “Awareness when you need it, silence when you don’t”. Most reviewers said they liked the idea of this bell and kept the trails safer but that it’s materials and longevity let it down. I like how discrete it looks and I like the safety aspect, it fits bars 22.2-35mm.
Knog Oi! Luxe Bell
I’ve left my favourite until last. Some of you may have seen this coming because it is a very popular bell. I’ve reviewed the more expensive ‘luxe’ range because it appears to perform better. The unusual design is why I like it. It is thin, sleek and goes with any style of bike whether you’re on a vintage Dutch style or full suspension MTB. The volume is loud but doesn’t have the depth and sustain of the more classically designed bells, which arguably doesn’t matter to the pedestrian you’re about to hit but would be nice for the price! Some say it’s ‘sexy’ and sounds like ‘an angel playing a glockenspiel’! Be aware though, just because it is the prettiest doesn’t make it the best, I have found reviews out there saying the ding can be muffled and it doesn’t fit over cables very well.
Well that’s it, they are my top 6 bike bells for 2020. Please refer to the table at the beginning of this article for an easy comparison.
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