Holiday Gift Guide: Bike Accessories Bells and Horns

To warm their hearts, warn the riders and pedestrians around your favorite mountain and road cyclists this season. Active Junky pressed, shook and rattled a full complement of bells and horns at the recent InterBike trade show to ring ‘em and bring ‘em to you.

Timber! Mountain Bike Bell: Serenading Sasquatch

Timber! Mountain Bike Bell

Active Junky loves the subdued look and easy bike attachment connected with Timber! The variable ringing level – and lock-out feature – allows every cyclist to find their acoustic path. Let it ride and keep ringing or clamp it down so it takes a quick smack to activate. Requiring no batteries but carrying energy of its own, this one sleighs the others for pure cheerfulness. Solid brass makes this bike bell one for the ages that weekend hybrid riders may well adapt.

Best For: Riding single-track, getting to and from the trail more safely

Spurcycle Bell: The ding’s the thing

Spurcycle Bell

Take the time to install this bell properly and congratulate yourself on your melodious magnificence. A clean, piercing sound comes from all-metal construction including two bands (22-26mm and 30-36mm) that isolate the bike bell’s mechanism from bar vibration. Active Junky testers couldn’t fathom the long-ringing impact that came with every flick of the formed-wire actuator. Unlike some other bells evaluated, this one flows from trail to road to town to dominate cross-country blitzes and downtown cruises.

Best For: Elegance alerts, style compatible with any category or color bike

Knog OI Classic Edition: Instant attention

Few other bike bells and horns operate so reliably and effortless as this Knog all-star offering. With a frame that isolates the ringer at a precise distance, there’s no need to worry, wonder or wait for the bell’s mechanism to come into proper alignment. Testers favored the brushed finish and large metal chime as actuating the bell took little movement. Enough room between striker and chime prevents trail vibration from setting the bell in motion, while a quick flick brings Knog into its 9-second song (the first three of which are most notable).

Best For: Road and urban riding as the mechanism is susceptible to damage in MTB escapades

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Horntones Bike Tones: Sweet tweets

The CEO’s son staked out the booth at InterBike, anxious to demonstrate his inspired product idea, circa 2012. Now about 16-years old, his brainchild takes the company’s original, an MP3 car horn, and puts it on handlebars with uncommon flair. At only about $20, the sound-and-color combinations get attention with a quick push of a button. Testers liked the durable cone that amplifies the sound while pushing it forward where it counts. A quick visit to their site musters the full range of bike horn options, all of which attach quickly and securely to any handlebar style. After numerous cycles, the sample horns kept their crisp sound with no slowing down in sight. Life is short. Time to laugh – and keep clear of serious problems on road or path.

Best For: Recreational riding, commuting and cruising confidently

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