lately, as I've been riding around Maastricht, the bell on one of my bikes has been jingling along with every bump and cobblestone I ride over... while i like the gentle ringing sounds, it reminded me of how convenient it is, as a pedestrian, to hear bikes coming from behind you before deciding to cross the street.
no doubt you're less likely to blindly step out without looking if you can hear a noisy rattling thing approaching at speed.
and that is something to be thankful for - most of the bikes are old and noisy.
just don't assume that their brakes will work efficiently...
you can hear my jingling bell here:
to stimulate your eyes here's a little film of riding around Maastricht.
I didn't make the film and wouldn't have chosen the music that has been used... but it does give you an additional sense of what it is like to ride around Maastricht.
)
you could even watch it on mute and play this longer version of my bike sounds.
lastly, I wonder if there have been any unintended effects of making smoother (i.e. quieter) bike lanes?
