"Ringing in the New Year"

Christmas "doggie" bell added to handlebars of carbon fiber road bike

I got this bell in my Christmas stocking and decided I would try it. As it turns out, a few days after Christmas it was warm and I took it for a ride and decided I liked it better than "on your left" all the time. And in DC at least it is the law to have one.


More typical modern bell in roughly the same location on my older steel bike

I had this bell on the stem, but it isn't a very convenient location. I thought since I have no trouble finding the downtube shifters without looking that I wouldn't have any trouble finding a bell that was on the stem without looking but it hasn't worked out that way. So I have moved it to this location, which seems a lot simpler to find.


Bike bells available in 1900 - quite a variety!

A number of the bells available in this catalog are described as "electric stroke" bells. I don't think any electricity is involved; this is meant to evoke the way it works somehow. There are also "single stroke," "double stroke," "push button," and "continuous ring" bell - this last one activated as by the rotating tire somehow.