Is there a term for the sound of a bicycle bell?

A bicycle bell is a percussive signaling instrument mounted on a bicycle for warning pedestrians and other cyclists.

Wikipedia says that a bicycle bell produces a "ding-ding" sound, and so, since I'm not sure that "ding-ding" sound is the better choice currently in use, I wonder whether there is a single term with which one can more properly indicate this sound.

After some searches I focused my attention on "clang", "to make a loud metallic ringing sound", but I'm not sure it is the right term.

Thus, my question is, is there a term for the sound of a bicycle bell?

Solution 1:

you should say jingle

a tinkling or clinking sound, as of small bells or of small pieces of resonant metal repeatedly struck one against another.

JINGLE BELL PUKY G22 9913-22 MM

Another word as correctly suggested in the comment below (@PLL) and in the definition above is tinkle

to give forth or make a succession of short, light, ringing sounds, as a small bell.

63mm x 43mm x 54mm Black Bike Bicycle TINKLE BELL

Solution 2:

Thus, my question is, is there a term for the sound of a bicycle bell?

Yes. One that is simple and straight to the point is the word ring. There is a useful definition here http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/ring_3 This would be the best way to refer to the sound in general.

The other words mentioned are descriptions of particular sounds that particular bicycle bells make.

If you need to describe a particular sound that a bell makes, use one of those words. If you just need to mention the sound that a bell makes in general, without describing it, use the word ring.

Solution 3:

Clang is certainly not the word you're looking for. Clang has connotations of a much larger, deeper sound than a puny little bike bell.

If you don't like ding-ding to just go for ring.