Bicycles

Trigger Bell keeps you ready to ring

Trigger Bell keeps you ready to ring
The Trigger Bell allows riders to ring their bell without repositioning their hand
The Trigger Bell allows riders to ring their bell without repositioning their hand
View 10 Images
The Trigger Bell allows riders to ring their bell without repositioning their hand
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The Trigger Bell allows riders to ring their bell without repositioning their hand
The Trigger Bell on a dropped bar
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The Trigger Bell on a dropped bar
The Trigger Bell on a Rapid Fire setup
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The Trigger Bell on a Rapid Fire setup
Plans call for the Trigger Bell to be available in a variety of colors
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Plans call for the Trigger Bell to be available in a variety of colors
A close look at the Trigger Bell
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A close look at the Trigger Bell
The Trigger Bell allows riders to ring their bell without repositioning their hand
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The Trigger Bell allows riders to ring their bell without repositioning their hand
The Trigger Bell on a dropped bar
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The Trigger Bell on a dropped bar
The Trigger Bell on a Rapid Fire setup
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The Trigger Bell on a Rapid Fire setup
Plans call for the Trigger Bell to be available in a variety of colors
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Plans call for the Trigger Bell to be available in a variety of colors
A close look at the Trigger Bell
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A close look at the Trigger Bell
View gallery - 10 images

Imagine if your car's horn was controlled by a button on the dash, that you had to reach for every time you wanted to honk it. It would be OK for some situations, but not those in which every second counts. Well, that's kind of how things are with bicycle bells. That's why London cyclist Stefan Buxton invented the Trigger Bell.

Buxton was inspired to create the device after getting in an accident that might have been prevented, if only he could have rang his bell just a fraction of a second earlier.

Unlike a regular bell, which the cyclist has to reach for, the brass-bodied Trigger Bell can be mounted right beside the hand grip, under the brake lever – this means that the rider can keep their hand in the brake- and shifter-ready position, with just a flick of the thumb required to ring the bell.

The Trigger Bell on a Rapid Fire setup
The Trigger Bell on a Rapid Fire setup

Unfortunately for mountain bikers (who could really use it, on multi-use trails), the Trigger Bell works best with single-speeds or bikes with single shifters. On dual-shifter setups such as Shimano's Rapid Fire (seen above), the Trigger Bell still makes the bell-ringing a little easier, but the rider's thumb does have to reach above the bar to get at it.

Stefan is currently raising productions funds for his bell on Kickstarter, and has already surpassed his funding goal. A pledge of £8 (US$13) will get you one, when and if they're ready to go.

You can see a demo of the Trigger Bell in the pitch video below.

Sources: Kickstarter, Trigger Bell

View gallery - 10 images
9 comments
9 comments
BZD
I gotta wonder about this one. Lots of good small bells out there which plays nice with both shifters and brakes.
For instance on my MTB's I have one mounted just of the inside of the shifter which means I shift my thumb maybe 30 degrees to go from the shifter paddle to the bell spring. There is like maybe ½ inch at the most between the two contact points. On the handle bar it's bell, shifter, brake and then the grip - easy.
Slowburn
I just mounted the bell upside down so the lever beside my thumb.
Martin Hone
You would be better off keeping your fingers over the brake levers, ready for action. It's called covering your lever...........
Gadgeteer
If you get into an accident that could have been prevented by ringing a bell " just a fraction of a second earlier," you need to slow down.
Also, for any bike that has a 22.2mm handlebar with one shifter-free side, like a fixie, single-speed, internally geared, 7-speed without front derailleur, etc., the Mirrycle Incredibell Grip has been on the market for years and is superior to this design.
https://www.mirrycle.com/gripbell.php
Steve Rock
Well, I like it and I've backed it. That Mirrycle Incredibell Grip is all well and good but looks like a bit of a job to take off the grip etc. And you need a 22.5mm bar to fit it onto. I see this as a more polite ring rather than GET OUT OF MY WAY ring. I think it is easier to use for weaker/smaller hands and would be good on mobility scooters and push scooters too!
RaverWild
It's nice however real stupid. If you really depend on sound to prevent accident there is Airzound - I use it for 2 years. Even got a second one. This is the best - you look like a cyclist, but you sound like a truck - nothing scares more the drivers:
www.airzound.co.uk
Bells - who the hell will hear your bell if they are talking on the phone or listening to music in the car - nobody.
duh3000
I also like it. The mounting strap means more flexibility for different bar diameters. The "ping" is nice and friendly. I like having the polite ping sound to alert other road/pathway users. They recognise this as a bike sound. I've used an Airzound in the past but gave it up. I found that it's 100 db blast is both unrecognisable and annoying. It just scares people andthat isn't my kind of cycling. If this clever little bell gets to market I'll surely buy one to try it out.
Ozme
I've had a thumb triggered bell on my bike for years. Like BZD said, lot's of choices out there.
I think maybe Ben was stretching for something to write...
Gadgeteer
Sorry, Steve Rock. You're wrong on almost every count. Grips are easy to get off. At home, a little bit of dish soap squirted under the grip works wonders. Or take it to the bike shop and they can get it off in a couple of seconds with compressed air. FYI, it's 22.2mm, or 7/8".
A "polite ring" wouldn't need instant access and wouldn't be able to prevent an accident like Buxton claims. Also, the Incredibell Grip can give you a single "polite" ding with just a little bit of twist, near continuous attention-getting brrrring with vigorous back and forth twisting, or anything in between. Good luck trying to quickly flick a striker with your thumb multiple times.
Ironic that you should bring up scooters after deriding the need for a 22.2mm handlebar, when all scooters use that bar diameter.