About Ding Your Bell
Ding Your Bell (.org) is a Chicago-based organization whose goal is to promote a sense of community among bicyclists by encouraging the practice of ringing a bicycle bell in greeting to other bicyclists passed en route.
Ding Your Bell was conceived in the early summer of 2007.
The concept that signalling to other cyclists can build community has been repeated many times. Waving to other riders is a long-standing practice among motorcycle riders. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation undertook the promotion of their “Waving Wednesdays” in 2007 as a day to wave to other cyclists. An individual Chicago bicycle community activist independently promoted Tuesdays as “Two Honk Tuesdays”, encouraging cyclists to “honk twice at other cyclists”.
Ding Your Bell institutionalizes this practice by distributing branded bicycle bells along with a printed copy of our manifesto. This distribution is done at explaining how “dinging your bell” builds positive community among cyclists. The bells that Ding Your Bell distributes are branded with the Ding Your Bell logo providing a visual reminder to "ding your bell" to other cyclists. Bells are distributed through various channels at nominal cost (often with installation included) to speed distribution.
A secondary goal of Ding Your Bell is the creation and maintenance of this website to solicit donations of cash and other resources.
Ding Your Bell has raised money for the purchase and distribution of bicycle bells through small donations from individuals who see the value in Ding Your Bell's mission. (Please see our support page for information on how you can help.) Ding Your Bell is also supported by Break The Gridlock which provides financial management and technical assistance.
The Ding Your Bell project would like to thank the folks who chipped in to help us get our idea off the ground.
Thanks to Todd Gee for the initial idea.
Thanks to the guys at Kunesh Design, esp. Ben and Brendan, for the work on a new logo and the visuals.
Thanks to thestevenlane, for other graphical help.
Thanks to Josh/Sandy for some fine Photoshoppin