Timber Mountain Bike Bell (Black) (Bolt-On)

To be fair, I have only owned this bell for about 24 hours. The mounting instructions on the bell package are minimal and direct you to a website that starts with the message: "We're working on this page now..." but does provide some information on how to mount the bell. I purchased the "bolt on" version of this bell. I took the time to attempt to mount the bell in various configurations, and utilized other websites to see how others might have mounted the bell. As far as mounting under the brake lever and shifter, the bell protrudes into the rider knee area and poses an injury risk. So I moved the bell to in front of the handle bar, but the brake tubing and shifter cable rest against the bell and deaden the sound of the bell. I attempted to mount the bell on the handle bar stem and found that the stem was too large for the bell bracket. I eventually managed to mount the bell in from and not touching the cables or tubes so that the bell can freely ring. I did a few street circles to test the fit of the bell before a ride.
Now the test ride. I completed a short 14 mile MTB ride that involved climbs and descents on dirt single track trails, dirt/gravel fire roads, and even a brief closed asphalt access road. In that time I passed many trail users. It should be noted that my usual bike rides have been on multi-user trails, and with the pandemic these trails have become very popular with all types of users. I found that like the bell packaging materials state, the trails should be shared. As a cyclist, I usually close on other trail users quickly and must use caution and slow until I can safely get their attention and pass. This bell was operating during my test ride. I found that about 40% of other trail users were alerted to my presence, whether by the bell or just that some other item caught their attention. Those trail users using electronic devices (earbuds, headphones, backpack audio devices, etc.) and those engaged in phone conversations or group conversations did not hear me, with the bell ringing, approach. Whether I was going up or down a hill the results were the same. I even tried to use a 2 mile rolling downhill fire road, where speeds can get rather fast when the trail is wide open, and the results were the same. Even on a flat ride, distracted trail users did not hear the bell, and I had to call out to get their attention.
In short, I suppose that this bell can be useful under the right circumstances and may make for a safe ride. For cyclists, I would recommend that you ride as if you do not have a bell and use caution. The use of this bell is not an opportunity to ignore the potential risks of a collision.