To be fair, mirrors are only a tool for looking. Some people like them, some don’t, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the looking.
Most people don’t need a mirror to look behind sufficiently on an upright bike, but then most cyclists I see don’t seem to look enough. I do use mirrors on my recumbent, but not on my upright, and that’s mostly because it’s harder to look behind when you’re reclined.
I use mirrors on all three of my bikes (2 X commuter, road) and think they are great! When I first tried them I thought they were a bit daggy and pointless, but I’ve since become a convert. You might be able to (in theory) look over your shoulder whenever you want, but I find that in reality mirrors give you better all-around, ongoing awareness (it’s pretty easy to look down to the mirror), and they also enable you to check out the action behind you while still having your pheripheral vision on the road in front. If you do try one, go for one with three degrees of freedom, and a two way convex surface. Mine are Mirrcycles – they look daggy but are tough, have glass, and work brilliantly.
I feel blind without a mirror. My cheap trick is to buy convex stick-on mirrors from the auto store and glue hook velcro on the back. Trim a wine cork at 45º on one end and wrap it long-ways with the loop velcro, leaving an inch “tail” at the 45º end. Jam it in the bar end and you have a great, adjustable mirror that looks clean for less than $2.
The helmet comment is as stupid as the mirror comment. Neither will make you more safe.
Again, it’s easy for most people to look properly and often enough without a mirror. For those that like a mirror, that have flexibility problems, or ride recumbents, no worries, the mirror might be a nice tool to make their lives easier, but otherwise it’s not necessary.
The helmet comment is as stupid as the mirror comment??? Hmmmm… try bouncing your skull off the street once = Concrete 1 Head 0. No, a helmet does not guarantee your safety. It gives you a fighting chance and increases your odds.
Yes indeed it is. Just look anywhere in the Netherlands, millions of happy calm healthy cyclists, with not a helmet in sight. Safety doesn’t come from helmets, and helmets don’t protect you from serious head injuries.
For me a simple Take-A-Look mirror (mine is eyeglass mounted) works so much better than shoulder checks or bike-mounted mirrors that it’s like riding in a different and better world. Not only are conscious checks easy and instant but any changes in the normal view immediately call attention to themselves. The mirror works well enough that taking off without quickly elicits anxiety in a normally calm person.
Each of my helmets (x3) (sans the loaner) have a Take-A-Look. It took a while to get used to it, but once I did, I found that w/o it riding feels weird.
Since I have my head stuffed into the low branches of trees (while doing some road/trail side maintenance) so often, I found that tethering the mirrors was a great way to prevent them getting knocked off and damaged.
Helmet won’t make me more safe? Seriously, what kool-aid are you drinking? I had accident at speed while turning; bounced the left side of my head off an asphalt bike trail–the bounce is the only thing I remember for the next 1-2 minutes. Had I not been wearing a helmet, I wouldn’t have been able to ride after a few minutes. And I rode straight to the bike store for a brand-new helmet.
The point that Yehuda is making is very true. It does not really matter if you look behind or not: the point is, has the driver seen you? If they haven’t, and they’re bearing down on you, you’re dead anyway, regardless of whether you see them coming or not.
With my challenged vision, looking over my shoulder on either the road bike or upright, while not difficult, is less than satisfying. Unless I could swivel my head another 15 or 20 degrees I find myself trying to make sense of the view out the side of my spectacles. It is very pretty if you are into impressionist art, but not very informative.
I’ve tried lots of mirrors including bar mount, helmet mount, and those that clip onto the temple of glasses. They all worked to varying degrees and with equally varying geek-factor. One problem shared by most of them is that they are easily hooked on things and either get knocked askew or off, sometimes fatally.
I’ve finally settled on a tiny mirror stuck to the inside of the left lens of my riding specs. Here’s the weird thing, perhaps because my eye isn’t stretching in its socket as it does when looking over my shoulder, I can see quite adequately in the mirror. It isn’t as though I could read the bottom line at the opto’s office, but I can check on other riders and easily identify approaching vehicles. Rather than being geeky, it has a kewlness factor that’s bolstered by the clip-on shades. The only time it shows is when I remove the shades at the coffee shop, where it also comes in handy for pulling minor pranks.
I’ve tried two different models, one is on a thin flat base with a swivel stalk and the other uses a wedge-shaped base with a very limited swivel. If you can get the wedgie in just-the-right position it works vey well, since the mirror is a skosh bigger and sits farther from the eyelashes. However, the angle is different for drop bars vs. upright and there might not be enough wiggle-room. The stalk type is much more adjustable, but also gets knocked out of kilter easily, so it has to be readjusted pretty much every time I change glasses. They both work better than anything else I’ve tried.
Good point. I’m always debating lead (where I am in control of traffic) or rear (where I can watch the group and call out good or bad behavior). A mirror would be good.
I’m with yehuda here. WHY should I care for traffic behind me? And if I know “There is a car behind me” what would that change? I son’t look in any mirrors while driving, either. (Except for changin lanes and turns, obviously)
A mirror allows me to see an approaching drivers behavior (has his course changed since he has come into range?- ie has he seen me?). Looking over the shoulder I could not do this for any kind of length. I can move my eyes much quicker than my head but perhaps theres a lot more gifted people out here. On the highway the mirror allows me to see cars approaching a long ways away and so I can use the lane if the shoulder is bad. I still turn my head for a full visual before switching lanes but the mirror helps me find approaching spaces in traffic before I need to make my move. Anyway, I’m one of the folks that swears by mirrors. But perhaps that’s because I spend a lot of time on busy streets and highways and not closed courses like a lot of racers. Just curious, do those of you who hate mirrors who also drive cars go for the head twist as opposed to the mirror? What’s the difference and why all the hate?
I’m with yehuda on this one. shoulder checking is all I need. I tried a mirror, all it ever showed was me and a tiny strip of road either under my armpit or past my shoulder. They’re just not designed for biking upright. Then it busted when my bike fell over because it’s too heavy for it’s kickstand.
Eyeglass mirrors, whether hooking on the temple or sticking on the lens, permit you to scan large areas with minimal head movement. I have learned to ride pretty long distances with my head turned (because of my build I’ve NEVER been able to see anything under my armpit). However, as mentioned before, the view with my head turned is nowhere as informative as the view in my little spot mirror. OTOH, I was raised in and did most of my riding and driving in a fairly busy metropolitan environment, so my preference is to always know everythign that is happening around, approaching, and ahead of me.
Mirrors might be nice for the cyclist to be able to see behind them, but turning one’s head to give The Look seems to me a better way to alert drivers that you’re attentive. They can’t see an eye flicker from behind. They could (possibly) see you stand up in the pedals and turn your body to stare into their soulless vehicle. And they might give you a little more room if you swerve just a bit with that look, accidentally or purposefully.
I think mirrors are great, for those who want them. But even with a mirror, The Look probably gives you a little more safety. Plus you can imagine it’s Jan Ullrich and you’re about to blast him away on the Alpe d’Huez. If you’re into that sort of thing…
Nobody yet mentioned the major disadvantages of mirrors – they have blind spots and they reduce that look-interaction with motorists that is so important to our safety when negotiating in traffic.
Does one have to state the obvious? It’s not either-or!
I use a helmet mounted mirror that pivots so I can adjust it if I’m on the drops or sitting more upright. The mirror allows me to keep eyes forward and quickly check what’s behind me. Occasionally, I use the mirror to scan behind with a slight twist of my head from side to side. If I see a car approaching from behind, then I prepare for the encounter, and part of that preparation may include a shoulder look. I also look over my shoulder when I’m making a lane change, just as I do when I’m driving. Yep, I’m multi-modal and I employ an integrated visual acquisition strategy. (i.e. I use the best option available to me.)
Until Joe & Yehuda start selling DIY kits for installing eyes-in-the-back-of-your-head, I’ll use a mirror *and* shoulder looks.
Totally – it’s most emphatically NOT an either-or proposition, but another case of using the best tool for the moment/situation. Keep a running idea of what’s happening behind you w/ minimal interruption to forward scanning of the street/road ahead, then head-check when comes time to make a move: a) to confirm that you are clear to go and b) to actively “communicate” your coming move to people behind you.
Remember that a mirror can tell you “NO” (if you spot something in it) but NEVER “YES” (even if it seems clear, you still need to confirm w/ a shoulder check.)
Upon reflection, perhaps a mirror would be a idea….
To be fair, mirrors are only a tool for looking. Some people like them, some don’t, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the looking.
Most people don’t need a mirror to look behind sufficiently on an upright bike, but then most cyclists I see don’t seem to look enough. I do use mirrors on my recumbent, but not on my upright, and that’s mostly because it’s harder to look behind when you’re reclined.
I use mirrors on all three of my bikes (2 X commuter, road) and think they are great! When I first tried them I thought they were a bit daggy and pointless, but I’ve since become a convert. You might be able to (in theory) look over your shoulder whenever you want, but I find that in reality mirrors give you better all-around, ongoing awareness (it’s pretty easy to look down to the mirror), and they also enable you to check out the action behind you while still having your pheripheral vision on the road in front. If you do try one, go for one with three degrees of freedom, and a two way convex surface. Mine are Mirrcycles – they look daggy but are tough, have glass, and work brilliantly.
Started commuting with a mirror. Then I got a new “pretty” road bike. Couldn’t spoil the looks with a mirror
I feel blind without a mirror. My cheap trick is to buy convex stick-on mirrors from the auto store and glue hook velcro on the back. Trim a wine cork at 45º on one end and wrap it long-ways with the loop velcro, leaving an inch “tail” at the 45º end. Jam it in the bar end and you have a great, adjustable mirror that looks clean for less than $2.
Why would he use a mirror when he doesn’t even wear a helmet? Hard headed, Death wish, or Stubborn? His epitaph will read -”Never saw it coming”.
The helmet comment is as stupid as the mirror comment. Neither will make you more safe.
Again, it’s easy for most people to look properly and often enough without a mirror. For those that like a mirror, that have flexibility problems, or ride recumbents, no worries, the mirror might be a nice tool to make their lives easier, but otherwise it’s not necessary.
The helmet comment is as stupid as the mirror comment??? Hmmmm… try bouncing your skull off the street once = Concrete 1 Head 0.
No, a helmet does not guarantee your safety. It gives you a fighting chance and increases your odds.
Yes indeed it is. Just look anywhere in the Netherlands, millions of happy calm healthy cyclists, with not a helmet in sight. Safety doesn’t come from helmets, and helmets don’t protect you from serious head injuries.
For me a simple Take-A-Look mirror (mine is eyeglass mounted) works so much better than shoulder checks or bike-mounted mirrors that it’s like riding in a different and better world. Not only are conscious checks easy and instant but any changes in the normal view immediately call attention to themselves. The mirror works well enough that taking off without quickly elicits anxiety in a normally calm person.
Each of my helmets (x3) (sans the loaner) have a Take-A-Look. It took a while to get used to it, but once I did, I found that w/o it riding feels weird.
Since I have my head stuffed into the low branches of trees (while doing some road/trail side maintenance) so often, I found that tethering the mirrors was a great way to prevent them getting knocked off and damaged.
I sometimes miss having my Take-a-Look mirror when I’m just walking around!
Hey, even if you don’t agree, be nice about it.
That was worth repeating! Thank you!
Helmet won’t make me more safe? Seriously, what kool-aid are you drinking? I had accident at speed while turning; bounced the left side of my head off an asphalt bike trail–the bounce is the only thing I remember for the next 1-2 minutes. Had I not been wearing a helmet, I wouldn’t have been able to ride after a few minutes. And I rode straight to the bike store for a brand-new helmet.
The point that Yehuda is making is very true. It does not really matter if you look behind or not: the point is, has the driver seen you? If they haven’t, and they’re bearing down on you, you’re dead anyway, regardless of whether you see them coming or not.
@Guest: Then why not ride with your eyes closed?
I use the mirror that clips on my glasses. It works great for me both on my flat bar commuter and drop bar road bike. YMMV.
Rode past a woman this morning with a mirror on her glasses. I thought it was a scouter for measuring my powerlevel, ala Dragonball Z http://dragonball.neoseeker.com/w/i/dragonball/thumb/c/ca/Bardockscouter.jpg/250px-Bardockscouter.jpg
It’s OVER 900 (watts)!
With my challenged vision, looking over my shoulder on either the road bike or upright, while not difficult, is less than satisfying. Unless I could swivel my head another 15 or 20 degrees I find myself trying to make sense of the view out the side of my spectacles. It is very pretty if you are into impressionist art, but not very informative.
I’ve tried lots of mirrors including bar mount, helmet mount, and those that clip onto the temple of glasses. They all worked to varying degrees and with equally varying geek-factor. One problem shared by most of them is that they are easily hooked on things and either get knocked askew or off, sometimes fatally.
I’ve finally settled on a tiny mirror stuck to the inside of the left lens of my riding specs. Here’s the weird thing, perhaps because my eye isn’t stretching in its socket as it does when looking over my shoulder, I can see quite adequately in the mirror. It isn’t as though I could read the bottom line at the opto’s office, but I can check on other riders and easily identify approaching vehicles. Rather than being geeky, it has a kewlness factor that’s bolstered by the clip-on shades. The only time it shows is when I remove the shades at the coffee shop, where it also comes in handy for pulling minor pranks.
I’ve tried two different models, one is on a thin flat base with a swivel stalk and the other uses a wedge-shaped base with a very limited swivel. If you can get the wedgie in just-the-right position it works vey well, since the mirror is a skosh bigger and sits farther from the eyelashes. However, the angle is different for drop bars vs. upright and there might not be enough wiggle-room. The stalk type is much more adjustable, but also gets knocked out of kilter easily, so it has to be readjusted pretty much every time I change glasses. They both work better than anything else I’ve tried.
If you’re doing something for which you need a mirror, you should, instead, be looking over your shoulder.
The head check also allows you to make eye contact with cars, and also makes you less ‘faceless’ and help to signal your intentions. I use them often.
I like a mirror especially for group cycling..if you’re the leader which I am you can track the rest of your riders.
Good point. I’m always debating lead (where I am in control of traffic) or rear (where I can watch the group and call out good or bad behavior). A mirror would be good.
I’m with yehuda here. WHY should I care for traffic behind me? And if I know “There is a car behind me” what would that change? I son’t look in any mirrors while driving, either. (Except for changin lanes and turns, obviously)
Mirrors? Helmets? Next thing you know, this lot will be advocating for brakes.
WNB… What? No Brakes? How about cup holders on handlebars…
A mirror allows me to see an approaching drivers behavior (has his course changed since he has come into range?- ie has he seen me?). Looking over the shoulder I could not do this for any kind of length. I can move my eyes much quicker than my head but perhaps theres a lot more gifted people out here. On the highway the mirror allows me to see cars approaching a long ways away and so I can use the lane if the shoulder is bad. I still turn my head for a full visual before switching lanes but the mirror helps me find approaching spaces in traffic before I need to make my move. Anyway, I’m one of the folks that swears by mirrors. But perhaps that’s because I spend a lot of time on busy streets and highways and not closed courses like a lot of racers. Just curious, do those of you who hate mirrors who also drive cars go for the head twist as opposed to the mirror? What’s the difference and why all the hate?
I’m with yehuda on this one. shoulder checking is all I need. I tried a mirror, all it ever showed was me and a tiny strip of road either under my armpit or past my shoulder. They’re just not designed for biking upright. Then it busted when my bike fell over because it’s too heavy for it’s kickstand.
Eyeglass mirrors, whether hooking on the temple or sticking on the lens, permit you to scan large areas with minimal head movement. I have learned to ride pretty long distances with my head turned (because of my build I’ve NEVER been able to see anything under my armpit). However, as mentioned before, the view with my head turned is nowhere as informative as the view in my little spot mirror. OTOH, I was raised in and did most of my riding and driving in a fairly busy metropolitan environment, so my preference is to always know everythign that is happening around, approaching, and ahead of me.
I see dead people…
To each their own, but I cannot personally get behind this one. I’m a mirror geek.
Mirrors might be nice for the cyclist to be able to see behind them, but turning one’s head to give The Look seems to me a better way to alert drivers that you’re attentive. They can’t see an eye flicker from behind. They could (possibly) see you stand up in the pedals and turn your body to stare into their soulless vehicle. And they might give you a little more room if you swerve just a bit with that look, accidentally or purposefully.
I think mirrors are great, for those who want them. But even with a mirror, The Look probably gives you a little more safety. Plus you can imagine it’s Jan Ullrich and you’re about to blast him away on the Alpe d’Huez. If you’re into that sort of thing…
Bikes aren’t like cars. They don’t have blind spots.
Mostly true, but they do if you don’t look behind and use mirrors. Then, like on my recumbent, you still need to check your blind spots.
Nobody yet mentioned the major disadvantages of mirrors – they have blind spots and they reduce that look-interaction with motorists that is so important to our safety when negotiating in traffic.
Does one have to state the obvious? It’s not either-or!
I use a helmet mounted mirror that pivots so I can adjust it if I’m on the drops or sitting more upright. The mirror allows me to keep eyes forward and quickly check what’s behind me. Occasionally, I use the mirror to scan behind with a slight twist of my head from side to side. If I see a car approaching from behind, then I prepare for the encounter, and part of that preparation may include a shoulder look. I also look over my shoulder when I’m making a lane change, just as I do when I’m driving. Yep, I’m multi-modal and I employ an integrated visual acquisition strategy. (i.e. I use the best option available to me.)
Until Joe & Yehuda start selling DIY kits for installing eyes-in-the-back-of-your-head, I’ll use a mirror *and* shoulder looks.
Cheers!
Totally – it’s most emphatically NOT an either-or proposition, but another case of using the best tool for the moment/situation. Keep a running idea of what’s happening behind you w/ minimal interruption to forward scanning of the street/road ahead, then head-check when comes time to make a move: a) to confirm that you are clear to go and b) to actively “communicate” your coming move to people behind you.
Remember that a mirror can tell you “NO” (if you spot something in it) but NEVER “YES” (even if it seems clear, you still need to confirm w/ a shoulder check.)