As a street photographer, I try to see things others overlook — and lately my attention has been caught by Toronto’s bicycle bells.

Oddly, though I’d noticed for a while how spectacular and unique so many in the city are, it was a while before it occurred to me to snap one or two of them. Suddenly I had 10 snaps, then 20, then more than 50 and, before I knew it, unique bicycle bells had become part of my street photo quests.

True, cyclists, who tackle the roads through a greener mode of transportation, tend to personalize their “ride” in several ways. There are different colours and wheels. Cyclists add unique baskets and carriers, milk crates with bungee cords, wicker baskets, polished chrome baskets wrapped with elaborate plastic flowers from the dollar store. Riders buy special bicycle seats, fasten figurines to the handlebars, and yes I have even seen bicycle cup holders. After all, what is a commute without one’s latte, even while pedalling? You may have noticed some bicycles that have a special bracket configuration to securely hold one’s smartphone. Texting and cycling, I’ve watched it happen.

However, the most common personal touch is the bicycle bell — a way in which many riders say: “This is my bike.”

I don’t meet many of the bicycle owners. I instead see their bikes as they are locked up on the street, to a bike stand, a street sign or a railing that boasts the notice, “Do Not Lock Bicycles Here.” I am left to imagine who the owner might be, and I assume the big black muddied mountain bike with the skull etchings on the bell would have a totally different owner than the immaculate bright yellow bike with a bell of colourful polka dots.

Who knows? They all have one thing in common, they ride their bikes.

Once in a while I do meet the cyclist and I ask if I can photograph their bell. Then I hear a story: “We bought this in Paris on our honeymoon. It is hand-painted.” Another told me that he bought his bell in Amsterdam (yes, it is the Dutch windmill scene bell) and explained that his bell “makes a sound more like a quick series of small clangs as opposed to a ring.”

On the bells, many foods are covered — slice of orange, slice of watermelon, red bell pepper, doughnut, hamburger and, one of my faves, the taco bell. Sports are well represented as are floral patterns. I’ve only seen the one pterodactyl. “It’s been in our family for years, it’s prehistoric,” the rider laughed.

One bell has the words “dring dring” written on it. Speaking of a rusty, old chrome bell, a man solemnly told me, “it was my Dad’s bell, he biked everywhere and I inherited it from him.”

Just when I think I’ve seen them all I find a new one, although after collecting 128 pictures so far over about the past two and a half years different ones are tougher to spot. I guess I could go to a cycling store or find more online, but that was never what this picture project was about.

This is about the bike bells working on the street, year round, ring, ding, dring, clang or whatever, making riders safer and being a signature of their bike and their bike alone.

When you hear a bike bell, ask not for whom the bell tolls. Likely it tolls for thee, and thee is you. Hearing them is one thing, seeing them all is something else.

This collection is my tribute to those on bikes. Thanks for trying to make a difference, and adding a little art in the process.

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