Ding Ding: Spur Cycle Black Bell

Growing up I learned a lot of great things from my Dad. First, everything you need will be provided to you, anything you want... you'll figure out a way to earn it.  The second great lesson was that anything worth doing, is worth doing right. 

Riding with a bell on your bike when you live in the city is not just a good idea but it's also the law. The quality of bells out there ranges across a full spectrum from worthless to magnificent and I've probably tried, lost, and broken them all.... until now. 

Bells and helmets are where everyone tries to go cheap. The crux is that when things are about to go badly, you can't right a wrong decision and you've got what you've got. The average bell costs only a few bucks, a decent bell costs about twice that. So what is so special about bell that costs nearly 5x that? Everything. So again, anything worth doing is worth doing right.

The first time I saw the Spur Cycle bell was in a post on The Radavist blog. It looked beautiful and seemed to sell out immediately and the reviews were all positive. After losing another $10 bell when the band snapped I'd had enough. Local retailer Bikes On Wheels received some of the Spur Cycle bells so I headed over. 

Spur Cycles black bell

Let me say it's a bell, a really well crafted, solid, beautiful little bell. It is incredibly simple in it's design and stature. It comes with two different size bands to mount to varying handle bar sizes. Installation takes only a few seconds with an allen key. Simple as it should be.

The bell is constructed of stainless steel and brass with a black DLC finish (also available in raw finish) and weighs a mere 45grams.

But how well does it work? Flawlessly. For a bell so small its sound is mighty impressive. It's loud, clear, and rings for a good length of time. In fact I usually touch the bell with my finger to stop the ringing. The size is perfect, it nearly disappears out of sight. When you do spot it, it seems to compliment the bike rather than look like a gaudy addition.

The solid and simple construction with a very secure fastening means that this bell will last a lifetime. Yes it costs more but it works, it's not going anywhere, and will very likely be the last bell I have to ever buy! 

If you're going to buy a bell, buy one bell and get on with it.