Which bicycle bell is best? Testing Knog, Spurcycle, Crane and more

Eight bicycle bells have been put to the test from $2 junk bells through to premium knog and Spurcycle bike bells.

The bells have been tested by Bicycles Network Australia both indoor and outdoor for loudness (decibels), aural quality as well as for functionality, build quality and aesthetics.

-- Video Contents --

0:00 Introduction
0:20 Fast Test of Bells
1:02 Cateye PB-200
1:27 Junk Bell
1:52 Classic Bell
2:12 Crane Suzu
2:36 knog Oi Lux Large
3:00 knog Oi Classic Large
3:35 Spurcycle Original
4:06 knog Oi Classic Small
4:40 Indoor Decibel Tests
5:35 Indoor Audio Tests
6:18 Outdoor Decible Tests
7:01 Outdoor Audio Tests
7:35 Summary and Favourites

-- Product Links (Video Not Sponsored) --

Bells Tested (retail prices in Australian $)

2 - $2 Generic "piece of junk" Bicycle Bell

3 - Classic (historic) Bike Bell 70 - 80 years old

Testing App on the iPad

Links:

[michaelscanlon]

This is the ultimate bike bell review love it

[moabfool]

Remember one simple principle: Decibel ratings are a magnitude scale, meaning that for every 10 decibels the sound increases tenfold. A 70 decibel bell is 10× louder than a 60 decibel bell. As a rule of thumb, a 3 dB increase doubles volume, so a 66 dB sound is about 4× louder than a 60 dB sound.

[jaamaapii]

This was the first truly helpful video in my journey to finding a new bell after my first generic one broke.
I love the designed of the knog. But I have to drive along a quite pedestrian heavy road. So I ended up with the loud crane one.
Thanks.

[siriosstar]

The Crane is quite nice, similar to the british bell " Lion Bell Works " i have one of these and it is like a musical instrument . a very beautiful pure tone that lingers for many seconds .

[sisophous]

I have the Spurcycle bell on both of my bikes. They are mounted on the right side drop bar and work great to alert people I am approaching. The company stands by their product. One of the bells had lost the loudness after a couple of years. So, I shipped it back to Spurcycle and they repaired it, free of charge. Not only does their bell sound great it is very compact which is a priority compared to other bells.

[michaelbaudin]

Thank you very much for this detailed analysis. This is by far the best and technical comparison I have seen so far.

[stever]

Fabulous! Thank you! This is a perfect comparison of both near/distant volume as well as a graphic illustration of the harmonics. It's also great to see them side-by-side, for those of us with accessory-crowded handlebars. This video gets my ringing endorsement!

[BenjaminGerrans]

Hella plot twist on the outside test there - with that accent and channel name, the last thing I expected was snow!

[snowshoe]

I have a spurcycle clone and it's literally the best thing ever.

It's super compact and robust and the sound is sharp, long and loud. Works very well.

[speakerbench]

Thank you for the enlightening review. Another aspect to consider is that for a few people who are hearing impaired at certain frequencies, it is preferable that the bell gives off at least two tones. The 'click' sound in your car when you turn on the turn signal is handled by a speaker giving off two tones (for exactly that reason). Another feature to consider is the ring-time (or the sound decay) because we also like that the tone eventually stops after e.g. 2-3 seconds. The video is pretty clear on these aspects (even if these features are not explicitly mentioned).

[ozzie]

The Crane Suzu is easily the best, loudest and most pleasing sounding bell. It also has the traditional bicycle bell sound. When riding on trails or on the street and approaching from behind people who are walking it is best to have a bell that they can hear and recognize the sound as being a bicycle bell so they know what is approaching them.

[jarinazf]

I just bought my mother a trike for Mothers Day to go around her retirement community with her friends. I want to put a bell on it. This was the perfect video to use as a buying guide. Thank you!

[beaumanikoth]

Oh, I'm getting the squeeze horn...

[Korina]

I love my Crane bell, and my bike wears it on the stem; it's convenient to reach, and doesn't take up bar space. Pedestrians love my bell too. :-)

[AdamGoodson]

Thank you for making this review! Your recording of the sounds is perfect! Thank you for allowing the bells to speak for themselves!

[refresh]

I initially used a Spurcycle bell before switching to a Crane bell. Many elderly men couldn’t hear the Spurcycle bell until I was right behind them, likely because it has a higher pitch and hearing loss often affects higher-pitched sounds first. The Crane bell, being louder and having a lower pitch, worked much better.

[Sad_Bumper_Sticker]

Thank you for checking how they compare regarding decibels. Just got the Crane Suzu Bell the loudest bell you tested

[tejinderseera]

i like knog bell but it is not loud enough….so it is not doing the function of BELL!!! wow! what an awesome product

[boba]

The English made Lion Bellworks bells are the loudest, best sounding, longest ringing and best looking, by far. Not to mention being about half the price of the overpriced Spurcycle bell which isn't any louder than my older tiny Cateye bell. But when in doubt and cycling in the city among vehicles with their windows rolled up and half asleep drivers, the AirZound horn can be a lifesaver. I gave a blast when a tow truck driver was intending to blow through a 4-way stop, and the driver was so startled and hit his brakes so hard that he jerked/bounced forward in his seat as his truck slammed to a stop. The AirZound is louder than our city's transit bus horns, so it can be useful.

[redtobertshateshandles]

I like the $5 bell. It's got a nice large thumb pad and great price.