I have one of these fitted to both of my bikes. I’ve had various different bells over the years and these are the latest ones I have tried. Thinking about the bells I have used it really is difficult to pick out the best ones. As I ride a lot of the time on canal tow-paths and other spaces shared with pedestrians, a bell is absolutely necessary to help avoid collisions.
The spurcycle bell is an expensive model and only one of mine is an original. I bought one on special offer with a voucher and doubt I would have paid the full price. The second is a copy but works just as well. The original spurcycle brand sells at anywhere between £55 and £100, whereas a copy can be picked up for as low as £15. I usually wouldn’t consider buying a cheap version of something as I’m of the belief that it usually ends up as false economy but occasionally the savings overcome this reluctance.
Like most bells this one needs to be fitted properly in order for it to work at its best. The bell mounts with a narrow metal band with notched ends which fit into slots on the underside of the bell. It can be quite awkward to get these lined up but once the allen bolt is tightened some of the way it will be held enough to allow for adjustment. There is a cushion pad which fits between the base of the bell and the bar and this also needs to be adjusted correctly. If the bell is touching any other component on the bars it will sound dull and not as loud as it should be. There is a degree of adjustment to the ring available by tightening the allen bolt in the top of the bell but this needs to be just right. Too tight and it doesn’t ring. Too loose and it will move or even fall off. When it is fitted just right the spurcycle bell is one of the loudest bells I have tried and getting it right is worthwhile. It also needs to be fitted to bare metal to work correctly. I have bar tape on my touring bike and because of this reducing the area I have available, I mounted the bell on the stem. This is slightly less convenient to operate than on the bar but works just as well. The bell has a loud and clear ring which lasts for a good few seconds but is easy enough to dampen if required.
Just Me - On my bike 