According to Australia-based Knog, bike bells generally look and sound a bit ugly – but what if they were streamlined to fit the existing profile of a handlebar and sounded like an angel playing a glockenspiel?

That’s a big “what if” – but if their recent success on Kickstarter is any indication, thousands of bell-ringing cyclists also agree wholeheartedly to the tune of over $500K.

The company’s “Oi” bike bell – which resembles more of a ring than a bell – is the result of marrying form and function into a streamlined solution for the handlebars of modern day cyclists. To arrive at their final design, the company exhaustively prototyped different widths, depths, materials, curvature, actuators and springs to an object that felt sleek on the handlebar while satisfying its function as an alerting device.

What if it wasn’t a dome? What if it didn’t protrude from your handlebar like a blister?

Says Knog:

“We tested numerous prototypes to get the perfect pitch, length of ring, and volume. With a spring-loaded actuator built into the mount, the strike of the bell is firm and fast, allowing a good balance of volume and longevity of sound. Our bell actually has several pitch tones – one core and several supportive higher tones to ensure it’s unmistakable and safely heard. To compare it to a musical instrument, where some bells play a single note, Oi plays a chord.”

To top it off, the bell comes in five distinctive aluminum finishes to satisfy even the most design-sensitive cyclists including brushed, brass-plated, copper-plated, and black. Their top of the range model for weight-sensitive riders is made from titanium.

As is the case with some of the best Kickstarter projects in recent years, the designers and engineers behind the Oi have many years of experience with manufacturing – so those interested in ponying up the $26 for this sleek bike accessory should expect to have it in their hands as early as this summer.

Get yours over at Kickstarter – campaign ends 3/29.