Spurcycle - beautiful bicycle bells

Spurcycle makes beautiful bicycle bells from a combination of stainless steel and brass.

Win a Spurcycle bicycle bell

The Spurcycle produces a 'powerful sound from a trim, precision form. A bell for any bike: Modern road, mountain, or vintage townie.' We have one to give away. Ping us a comment at the bottom of this page and we'll pick one lucky winner next week.

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What makes good bicycle bells?

A bicycle handlebars wear a bell as your wrist sports a watch – not essential, but useful and can look good, too. The bells fitted by law to all new bicycles are cheap and nasty looking.

When it comes to sound, it’s all in the choice of metal. While the alloy used in the most basic models might be cheap to produce, it’s sound is tinny and inferior. By comparison, traditional bell metal comprises mainly copper and has been used to produce the best bells (and on occasion cannon) for over 3,000 years. The Spurcycle uses stainless steel to produce a crisp and distinctive sound.

The bicycle bell is a much under-valued accessory; although it is a legal requirement that bicycle start their lives with one fitted, the fashion is for them to be quickly removed. If you cycle on tracks and paths shared with others, they are a polite way of announcing your approach, especially if followed with a verbal greeting and request to pass.

Beyond bicycle bells

Frustrated and angered by the disproportionate danger posed to cyclists by lorries, the ETA designed and built the world’s loudest bicycle horn. At close quarters the Hornster bicycle emits 138 decibels; a level of sound so powerful that if used in anger it could deafen any motorist who veered too close.

The triple air horn fitted to the bicycle is an Airchime KH3A from an American locomotive, which has been adapted to run off a scuba diving cylinder. Watch the Hornster on Youtube

The Hornster is so powerful that at a distance of 100ft it is far louder than a standard truck horn and more than noisy enough for a cyclist to make themselves heard above the din of the urban jungle.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTQSWtK65PE[/embed]

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

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