Knog Oi Luxe Bike Bell Review

By Brandon Bilyeu

Hot!

• Metal construction, no plastic bits
• Good looks and blends in on the handlebar
• Nice, clean sound
• Compatible with shifter and brake lines

Not!

• Could be louder
• Only fits round bars

Cost: $45

Colors: Black, Silver, Brass

How obtained: review sample from company

RBR Sponsor: no

Available: online and retail

Website: Knog Oi Luxe

Knog Oi Luxe

Back in 2017, Sheri reviewed the Knog Oi Classic bike bell and came away quite impressed.  The Oi Luxe is a more refined and ‘premium’ version of the Oi bike bell but shares the same bell design.  Where the Oi Classic used plastic for the base and hammer, the Oi Luxe uses all metal parts including a stainless-steel hammer with brass dinger.  The metal parts improve durability while also making for a better bell strike with more consistent sound.

Where I live it is a legal requirement to have a functional bell on your bike and you can be fined if caught without a bell.  Most of my bikes have $5 generic bells from the bike shop that work fine, but I don’t like how they look, especially on my otherwise clean looking road bike cockpit.  The Oi bell blends right in and looks like the clamping portion of an out-front computer mount.  The color options help the bell match your bar color to help with the disappearing act.  Below is an image of my handlebar setup with the Black Oi Luxe nicely hiding next to the stem.

Mounting is simple, though a round bar is required, which could prove problematic with many of today’s aero handlebars.  Two sizes are available to match different bar standards (22mm and 23.8-31.8mm), with shims included to ensure a perfect the fit.  A single screw releases the bottom of the bell so it can slide over the handlebar.  There are also cutouts in the clamp so that your cables are also held in place, but these cutouts did not align well with my cables.  I routed the cables external to the clamp, which works fine if the cables are only touching the clamp and not the bell.  Then simply tighten the single screw and you are good to go.

I found that a light flick of the hammer worked best.  Pushing the hammer all the way down before release resulted in double strikes that deadened the sound.  I found the tone very pleasant and assume that it comes across as nice, non-aggressive alert to the intended audience.

Knog lists a volume of about 80 decibels, and I found the Oi adequately loud in most circumstances.  I will say that some of my $5 bells are a little louder, but both the Oi and $5 bells are not loud enough to be heard in all situations.  Loud highway traffic, pedestrians listening to loud music in headphones, and wind noise for other cyclists can make any bell inaudible.  If you are in a situation where you need to alert another person of your presence, a bell is a great option, but you should always be prepared for non-reaction or an unexpected reaction.

Bottom Line

If you abhor the idea of a bell on your beloved road bike, but are required to have one, this is the bell for you as it disappears on the handlebar.  Bell haters aside, this is also a good-looking bell that works well and should last a very long time.

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Brandon Bilyeu is an avid recreational roadie who lives in Regensburg, Germany. He’s a year-round bike commuter and is a mechanical design engineer by trade. Click to read Brandon’s full bio.