I was checking on a part with Jarrel one day, and he was looking through a special flyer from one of the wholesalers he brings in some of the more eclectic bike stuff from and they had some nice Japanese bike bells. He had brought in some large Crane (crane as in “tsuru”) brand brass bells previously, but they had a new small bell not unlike the small BBC bell resold on the USDM as the “Incredibell”. He said he would most likely be bringing some in, so I sat back to wait for them to arrive. About a week later, they were in!
The Osaka-made bell is solid brass and has a nice clear tone with a long sustain. It appears to be polished and clear-coated. The ringer is a tab mounted on a spring. When pulled back with the thumb and released, the spring momentarily drives the ringer to contact the bell, producing the tone. The ringer is supported on the sides by two ears so it can only move toward and away from the bell. The ringer support can be pivoted so it can be positioned appropriate to the mounting position of the bell. The base of the bell has a molded square flange that has the same dimensions as the mount on Cateye rear lights. An adjustable-band-style Cateye bracket is included to mount the bell to the handlebar or stem. For a more rigid mounting, you can track down the old style Cateye mount and the appropriately sized SP band.
I bought one last Thursday and mounted it on the left side, just inboard of the shifter. With the ringer turned toward the outside, it is positioned just above the upshift lever of my left M970 XTR shifter. I can alert those unaware off-road pedestrians to my presence without moving my hands from the grips! I’ve been without a bell since I switched to a carbon handlebar – my old JDM Cateye bell needs a metal handlebar in order to produce a satisfactory tone.
About $15 USD
Recommended
Update – the plastic ringer popped off and disappeared into the leaves on the trail on a recent ride, but luckily I was able to find it. When I got home, I put some epoxy in the socket and stuck it back on the spring and all is good. If you bought one of these, give your ringer a tug, and if it comes off, glue it in place so you don’t lose it – it is not available as a service part.
Slick bell! I’ve been searching for something like this for oversize 31.8 mm handlebars with no luck… Email back if you can help me find a way to buy one puhleeese and I would be grateful!
D.
Hey Derek, check with your local independent bicycle shop. These are available in the USA through BTI USA. Your local shop will be able to order them from this wholesaler. I’m not sure where you can get these online but try searching the larger online bike retaillers. If you’re in Hawaii, McCully Bicycle has them.
Thanks for the tip! Finally tracked some down by emailing someone on eBay selling the bigger Crane brass bell and he was able to order. Wish these were distributed more widely, maybe CatEye should pick up the line?
Derek, glad you found one! Don’t forget to check the black plastic ringer – if it pulls off the spring easily, glue it on with some epoxy or hot-melt glue. I almost lost mine on a trail ride.