Trek Bicycles, known for their innovation and craftsmanship, has introduced the Trek BellBeats – the world’s first mass-produced digital bicycle bell.

 

Our mission – was to create a brand-aligned auditory landscape, harmonizing cycling’s heritage with digital audio innovation. 

 

Our Task – was to develop  a spectrum of distinct sonic personalities – a gentle “polite” tone, a commanding “urgent” signal, and a continuous “ambient” trail chime – each rigorously tested for overall performance, clarity and localizabilitly. In addition, we produced all UI audio for the BellBeats app as well as the sonic signature Start-up and Power-down idents. 

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Research & Development Phase – We began with a conceptual approach – designing sounds that were effective, pleasing, and aligned with Trek’s brand. The goal was to create bell tones that echoed traditional designs but were digitally enhanced for modern use. In collaboration with Professor Judy Edworthy, we conducted in-depth R&D, analysing cycling environments to identify optimal frequency ranges for real-world usability and localisation.

 

We also worked with Harman Kardon to ensure all sounds matched the hardware’s frequency and loudness profiles. Working closely with Trek, we developed a conceptual brief merging their heritage with a forward-thinking sonic identity. The ident was crafted from custom recordings of bike components and bells, blended with tonal elements like piano and synths. These same materials were adapted into UI sounds – snappy, responsive cues that carried Trek’s sonic DNA across all interactions.

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Deliverables – The sound suite was divided into three use-case categories:

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• Polite – Resembles a classic bike bell; gentle and non-intrusive

• Urgent – Designed to cut through noise; ideal for warning in hazardous situations

• Ambient – Continuous tone inspired by trail bells; created using granular synthesis

 

Each category was shaped using processing techniques—pitch, speed, and harmony – to convey different levels of urgency. We built five sound banks:

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• Heritage – Traditional bells, modern processing

• Velo – Recordings of bike parts, creating hybrid tonalities

• Organic – Warm, wooden instruments mimicking bell tones

• Wave – Synthesised, sharp digital tones

• Novelty – Whistles, horns, and playful sounds by request from Trek

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Testing Phase – A core focus of the BellBeats project was real-world testing to ensure the bell performed reliably across varied environments. In collaboration with Professor Judy Edworthy, we conducted extensive field tests in urban, rural, and trail settings – evaluating localisability, directionality, and audibility under both static and dynamic conditions. These insights guided iterative refinements to attack, pitch, frequency, and duration to optimise clarity and recognisability. Lab-based evaluations further validated our findings. The resulting data shaped the final bell designs, ensuring optimal performance across different speaker configurations, volumes, and riding scenarios.

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Conclusion – BellBeats demonstrated how sound design, branding, and user experience can converge in a smart, functional product. Our goal was to create a digital bell that prioritized safety while expressing Trek’s forward-thinking identity. By blending vintage recordings with modern textures, we built an intuitive, emotionally resonant sound suite designed for clarity and usability in real-world settings. Positive user feedback affirms the bell’s success – praised for its reliability, effectiveness, and adaptability across polite, urgent, and ambient modes, making it a versatile tool for today’s cyclists.

 

For us at Makewaves audio, BellBeats reflects our core belief: that audio is more than just sound – it’s a vital part of how people connect to the products they use.

 

We’re proud to have played a role in Trek’s journey to redefine the future of cycling, one ring at a time!​​​

 

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