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@bitrunner
This was one very interesting subject I could observe after cycling in Germany (bells are the 'norm') and Scotland (haha, look at him, he's got a bell!).
In Germany, it is mandatory (required by law, but never heard of it being enforced) to have a bell mounted, and it is also popular to use it to warn/let others know you're there. That is so common that most of all sorts of road participants will know you're on a bike approaching you. So they'll either freeze or make space for you.
Though that being common, it still takes time to figure out how to use it accordingly without annoying and/or creating havoc - which does happen and can be very frustrating for anyone.
Scotland on the other hand, very few cyclists know about the idea of having such a thing mounted. Even worse, using one still proved to be useless. So few would figure out the source came from a cyclist, then they still didn't get your intention..
I guess ringing bells works best if its meaning is generally understood by most users of the road.
What a lengthy post.
Dunno if it'll bust the myth.
I like my bell.