The bell tolls.

... a verbal form of contact with another road user is readily available to a cyclist.

A bell is really only a means of communication with a pedestrian (well, one without their music / phone / podcast going) - it is FA useless with a car unless the windows are down and the music / radio off. Personally, I usually slow down and, if the pedestrian doesn't twig, I ask if I can go past, and if all goes well, I thank the pedestrian. With a car, if I can't make eye contact, I ride defensively.

To require cyclists to have a bell is like requiring pedestrians to have some form of warning device, which the government won't be doing anytime soon.

The old law and the new law is pretty much BS.

Obviously I don't have one. But in the event of approaching a pedestrian on a shared use path, I just freewheel or pedal backwards to let my hub sound my imminent presence. If this doesn't get a reaction, then as @lach said, a simple verbal warning comes next. Once again, if no response, then they're plugged into so e music and a bell would have made SFA difference.
Btw, a very loud squealing front rotor almost caused a poor couple to have simultaneous heart attacks just recently on a trip away... Was rather embarrassed about that.

Meanwhile the rest of the world observes "the Australian experience" and stays well away from mandatory helmet laws because the adverse impact on community health and obesity levels is far worse the the head injuries saved...

It doesn't need to be a bell. It can be an "audible warning device" so theoretically your Hope hub may qualify, although I reckon you'd become a test case if you argued that to the copper.

I have a bell on the roadie. I broke the one on the Scalpel.

What I'd *really* like is an electronic device that screams "Fuck Off Duncan!" at >115db. I would rather enjoy demonstrating that to a policeman.

In lieu of that I have an Air Zound - great for traffic, but unfortunately just as good for giving little old ladies I say hello to on the shared path a heart attack. It sits in my box of stuff these days.

There's enough back alleys, side streets and stairs on the streets to even warrant stopping.

My mate Che and I rode into NSW from the ACT on our morning ride today, no bells and we were definitely riding dangerously, we even took our helmets off for a bit. Fortunately we were able to avoid the Cops, so the Revolution begins.

holy moly.

Its a bell. Just put it on. you're sounding like a bunch of old women's folk.

Not to mention how un-aero it is!

https://www.velogear.com.au/bicycle-accessories/...
who'd have thunk it?

I agree, how stupid is it you have to stop at red lights and pedestrian crossings and what's with not being able to talk on your mobile phone while riding, I can't see any issues with that, no holding onto a moving vehicle, the list goes on, yep bloody embarrassing for sure.

Its called my voice. Cheep as, doesn't cost me any extra weight either.

I've timed it. 6 seconds of green bike light every 2 minutes, and if there's no bike on the grid, nothing at all.

Discuss.

kent st is annoying (refused to trip for riders on either side of Bathurst st on Saturday morning), but king st is worse. Perfectly timed to go red just as each wave of bikes get up the hill each block, and at the end it's a unsafe, mid intersection merge. You might get lucky when you get a green bike light and the first car off the ranks is turning left, so they have a red light and run blocker for you, but in general I am far safer using my own judgement and going through it when I see a safe gap than waiting for a green light.
As for those claims that these changes don't affect you if you don't break the law, I had so many abusive moments whilst commuting from idiots revved up buy this I took the train home with my bike yesterday. it simply was not safe to ride a route I have done a couple of times a week for 3 years. It has had a massive effect on the entitlement complex of the small minded. This was an entirely predictable reaction, so what was the justification? Where is the evidence that cyclists running red lights are presenting as much a risk as cars? Why weren't car fines increased to match those of heavy vehicles? And you are more likely to get fined now for no bell than before as Duncan needs cyclists to be portrayed as demon spawn to get the support he needs. Hence he calls the police commissioner who obliges his political master.

totally agree with hawkeye. I found the same on Tuesday. Far more aggression on the road.

The media is 2 edged sword. On one hand, It may influence a retraction in some laws at a later time. On the other. The negative publicity is cause for concern. However I hope the aggression on the road will settle as people start forgetting about them (it already has). Only to be revived, when there is an attempt on fairness within the media to revoke some of those fines to make them fair.