Dear male cyclists, I promise you that using your bell will not cause the bulge in your Lycra pants to spontaneously invert. As a trans feminine cyclist I have rigorously and enthusiastically tested this for you! A bell has the advantage of being audible at greater distance and interpretable even to pedestrians, whereas bellowing "on your right" directly in someone's ear will give them a fright and could be mistaken for a very angry birdwatcher.
@quinsibell I find both have their place (especially if riding on urban sidewalks in areas with heavy car traffic and no bike path).
The bell is audible from further away but doesn't give any hints as to your intentions.
Ding as you approach to get their attention, then speak at a conversational volume as you approach closer to make your intentions (left vs right) clear.
Would be nice if ambulances & police cars would revert to the tinkling bells of the past. The high pitch gives you pleasant positional awareness whereas today's sirens are designed to blast through acoustically insulated car interiors and entertainment systems. OK for them but unprotected cyclists confronted by a near, sudden and unanticipated blast are disorientated so working out where it came from comes a distant third to maintaining control and be able to think.
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