When I was in The Lakes last weekend, I popped into Ghyllside Cycles in Ambleside for a browse and a chat. It’s one of those bike shops crammed full of good stuff. You could spend an absolute fortune in the place but, regrettably, I walked out empty handed. If you read my post here on CyclingEurope.org, the subsequent day I had a puncture and should really have bought the equipment I needed to repair said puncture when I had the chance. What a palaver that was… Aside from a pump, some inner tubes with the correct valve, a set of tyre levers that hadn’t perished and some patches (all the stuff that I subsequently needed but didn’t have on me), I spotted a nice Crane Bell that was designed for use on drop handlebars. But as the price was eye-watering I’d have been mad to buy it. Wouldn’t I?
I was back in Ambleside earlier this week on a school trip and, wanting to right the wrongs of my lack of puncture-repair equipment, I returned to Ghyllside Cycles to do what I should have done last Saturday. This is what I bought:
And yes… can you spot it? I bought the ridiculously expensive Crane Bell E-Ne SBR. Examine the picture to find out how much I paid so I don’t have to go through the trauma of actually typing the number here. Here is the new Crane Bell in action:
Beautiful, no? I have a long history with Crane Bells ever since I discovered them about 15 years ago. They are not only beautifully designed by the talented bell engineers of Japan but extremely effective. Loud but non-threatening. A gentle reminder to pedestrians that a bicycle is approaching. Perfect for canal towpaths along which I seem to spend much of my time cycling. When I do use the bell on my other bikes I have found that walkers can be a little startled (in a good way) by the sound of the bell as they think I am much close than they realise. They frequently turn around and are initially bemused as to where the sound may have come from. Moments later they glance further along the path and notice me. Such is the reach of the sound.
But worth the price? Like many cyclists, I spend far too much time trying to justify my extravagances. I thought I had a good one to justify this one. 13 years ago I uploaded a video to the Cycling Europe YouTube Channel (subscribe now!) of me ringing my Crane Bell Suzu. Over the years it has become my most watched video. 57,000 people have seen me ring it. I earn a (very, very) modest income from YouTube but surely this video must have earned me a few pounds over the years to justify the money I’ve just spent on the new Crane bell. Errr… It seems that YouTube doesn’t work like that. I’ve just checked. Since 2012, I have earned £0.002 from those 57,000 viewers. It seems that making slightly longer videos (with more chance to include the annoying ads that everyone skips) is more fruitful when it comes to financial gain. Perhaps the new video of the Crane Bell E-Ne SBR will perform better and in my dotage I will have clawed back the cost of buying it. That said, I don’t care. It’s worth the extravagance every time I ding it.
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Well I wouldn’t have wasted that much for a ting bell. Buy a good old fashioned one – got mine in The Netherlands – way louder.
People wearing headphones or with hearing loss won’t hear it – often are too distracted to hear mine