Ring my bell

Would it be uncool to put a bicycle bell on a road bike?

Yesterday I went biking in Sedgwick Co. Park, my standard 10 mile route. Or the outside/inside loop as I like to call it. And I found the runners.

Normally when I ride through the park I encounter picnicking families and walkers, a few rollerbladers and one or four runners. But yesterday they were everywhere! It might have been something magical about 5:30pm or the great 80 degree weather but I must have passed 25 different runners on the inside loop. A high percentage of them were very fit men w/o shirts so it wasn't all bad.

I was feeling good on the bike yesterday and wanted to throw a little speed into the ride so first I had an imaginary race with a biker who was trailing behind me (I kicked his shorts, at least in my own head). The second time I decided to speed up it was in the middle of the runners, some coming at me, some I was passing, some on the left side of the path, some on the right. All the weaving, slowing down, speeding up, left me feeling like I had just reached level five in Frogger.

It also had me wondering in a crash between a cyclist (riding b/w 17 and 20mph) and a runner, who do you think would be hurt worse? (Hey, it's free space on the bike, I can think about whatever I want!) I would certainly fly farther, momentum equals mass times velocity, after all. But considering the runner would encounter my bike first, I think she or he would bear the brunt of a crash.

I don't really want to find out. So, a bell? It would be weird to hear a little bicycle "riiiiiing" and turn around to see some crazed road biker bearing down on you. I guess I'll just keep yelling. Or rather "announcing." I am very polite..."On your left!"