I use the “Take A Look”. I find them to be very useful. This way, I don’t have to look away from what’s ahead of me to see what my ears are (or aren’t) telling me what’s coming up behind me. In China this is very helpful as traffic doesn’t work the way your western models tell it should.
Battery powered scooters are really popular here, as is salmon riding, and pedestrian walking in the bike lane, cars parked in the bike lane, cars driving against traffic in the bike lane, bicyclists riding against traffic in the bike lane.
I got used to riding with an eyeglass mirror after buying one of Chuck Harris’s handmade mirrors on a TOSRV back around 1975 or 1976. I find them useful not so much for motorized traffic but to help orient yourself and watch out for other riders in a congested group ride like TOSRV or RAGBRAI.
I have a mirror on each bike. I originally put one on for keeping an eye on my sons behind me when they were young sidewalk riders, but I found it so useful in traffic that I don’t want to be without it. I have minor hearing problems, and not the most mobile neck.
The Mirrors are AWESOME if you are controlling the lane and doing stuff like making left turns from multi-lane roads.
I have a regular route that requires a left turn on a 6-lane road with a 55 mph speed limit. The mirrors make this stress free. I can check for room, signal, and control each lane in sequence.
I agree I find mine is awesome. I commute to work 26-28 miles round trip. I start to work a 500 am There are a couple places I need to transition one 55 mph road from the bike lane to go straight through the intersection. Knowing what is behind me and keeping an eye out in front me for what my headlights show is stress free.
Again I would walk away from Mr. Moon and get Joe to help me. I would also tip Joe.
I can hear traffic behind me and figure I have no control over passing drivers other than behaving predictably and confidently taking up my space on the right side of the road @ 3 feet from parked cars so that drivers know what I am up to. It would be different if I could not turn my head to plan for for lane changes but as long as I have the flexibility I feel no need for mirrors as there is enough to do paying attention to what’s in front. This approach has served me well in >45 years of adult urban cyclocommuting.
I use bottle caps and mirror blanks from the craft store to make rear view mirrors (plural) for my full-face helmet. I had a huge tumor removed from my neck a couple years back and I still have problems turning my head.
I used to use a clip-on mirror that mounted to my glasses but got tired of knocking it out of alignment all the time by accident when I reached my hand up. I changed to ones that mount on the ends of my drop bars and love them. They are not a substitute for shoulder checking – mirrors can only tell you “no,” they cannot tell you “yes.” If you wouldn’t drive a car in traffic without mirrors, why would you ride a bike without them?
I’ve gone back and forth, but after progressive lenses, looking over or under or sideways is way too warped, and a simple mirror now makes me feel more confident, even as I confirm my total lack of cool, and my excess of Fred.
I remember seeing bar-end mirrors on a chapette’s touring bike and thinking they were a canny idea, although since I use bar end shifters on my toured I wouldn’t be able to use them.
I’m tempted to get the Italian Road Mirror from AVT (it’s a drop bar mirror). I’m almost fully blind of my left eye so even when I turn my head all that I can I STILL don’t see the cars coming behind me (unless the headlights are on, I can clearly distinguish those).
I have a zefal mirror that goes on the end of my handle bars and it saved me from an inattentive drive. Riding home from work, on a 4 lane stretch of road I noticed one of the approaching cars was coming up behind me and not moving over or slowing down at all. I moved as far to the right as I could, basically into the gutter, and instead of the driver running straight over me only knocked me down with the side of his car and his mirror. Hearing a car coming behind doesn’t tell me if they’re moving over, and I don’t want to turn around every single time a car passes, I would be looking behind me for 13km.
Yeah, buddy, you’ve got ears. And your head and eyes can rotate.
I use the “Take A Look”. I find them to be very useful. This way, I don’t have to look away from what’s ahead of me to see what my ears are (or aren’t) telling me what’s coming up behind me. In China this is very helpful as traffic doesn’t work the way your western models tell it should.
Battery powered scooters are really popular here, as is salmon riding, and pedestrian walking in the bike lane, cars parked in the bike lane, cars driving against traffic in the bike lane, bicyclists riding against traffic in the bike lane.
To prevent my mirror from getting knocked off my helmet’s visor, I use a small loop of a zip tie to keep it in place.
I got used to riding with an eyeglass mirror after buying one of Chuck Harris’s handmade mirrors on a TOSRV back around 1975 or 1976. I find them useful not so much for motorized traffic but to help orient yourself and watch out for other riders in a congested group ride like TOSRV or RAGBRAI.
-“BB”-
Virtually essential on recumbents – not so easy to turn your head to look back. And for anyone whose neck doesn’t twist too easily…
I second that for recumbents. I don’t remember if Stu has a mirror on his helmet.
Ride on the left. You can see traffic coming and passing close is way less stressful. Switch back to the right for the descents though.
Will, are you advocating salmoning?? i can’t think of a better way to get hit.
Or do you mean riding on the left side of your lane?
I have a mirror on each bike. I originally put one on for keeping an eye on my sons behind me when they were young sidewalk riders, but I found it so useful in traffic that I don’t want to be without it. I have minor hearing problems, and not the most mobile neck.
The Mirrors are AWESOME if you are controlling the lane and doing stuff like making left turns from multi-lane roads.
I have a regular route that requires a left turn on a 6-lane road with a 55 mph speed limit. The mirrors make this stress free. I can check for room, signal, and control each lane in sequence.
Surprisingly, I never get harassed doing that.
I agree I find mine is awesome. I commute to work 26-28 miles round trip. I start to work a 500 am There are a couple places I need to transition one 55 mph road from the bike lane to go straight through the intersection. Knowing what is behind me and keeping an eye out in front me for what my headlights show is stress free.
Again I would walk away from Mr. Moon and get Joe to help me. I would also tip Joe.
Joe would NEVER sell a mirror to a customer. 🙂
I can hear traffic behind me and figure I have no control over passing drivers other than behaving predictably and confidently taking up my space on the right side of the road @ 3 feet from parked cars so that drivers know what I am up to. It would be different if I could not turn my head to plan for for lane changes but as long as I have the flexibility I feel no need for mirrors as there is enough to do paying attention to what’s in front. This approach has served me well in >45 years of adult urban cyclocommuting.
Makes sense ! still I like my mirror as a added caution.
But saying ” If I am going to get hit I done want see it coming ” snork snork
But you got love Moon you do
OK, can someone explain what salmon riding is?
salmon riding going the wrong way of traffic
I use bottle caps and mirror blanks from the craft store to make rear view mirrors (plural) for my full-face helmet. I had a huge tumor removed from my neck a couple years back and I still have problems turning my head.
I used to use a clip-on mirror that mounted to my glasses but got tired of knocking it out of alignment all the time by accident when I reached my hand up. I changed to ones that mount on the ends of my drop bars and love them. They are not a substitute for shoulder checking – mirrors can only tell you “no,” they cannot tell you “yes.” If you wouldn’t drive a car in traffic without mirrors, why would you ride a bike without them?
“If you wouldn’t drive a car in traffic without mirrors, why would you ride a bike without them?”
Cars are big and go fast and you change lanes a lot and there are pillars and stuff in the way of the view and you can’t hear cars behind you.
Bikes are different. Plus a mirror would spoil the lines of my bike 🙂
I’ve gone back and forth, but after progressive lenses, looking over or under or sideways is way too warped, and a simple mirror now makes me feel more confident, even as I confirm my total lack of cool, and my excess of Fred.
I remember seeing bar-end mirrors on a chapette’s touring bike and thinking they were a canny idea, although since I use bar end shifters on my toured I wouldn’t be able to use them.
I’m tempted to get the Italian Road Mirror from AVT (it’s a drop bar mirror). I’m almost fully blind of my left eye so even when I turn my head all that I can I STILL don’t see the cars coming behind me (unless the headlights are on, I can clearly distinguish those).
What stops me from getting it? Looking too Fred 🙁
I have a zefal mirror that goes on the end of my handle bars and it saved me from an inattentive drive. Riding home from work, on a 4 lane stretch of road I noticed one of the approaching cars was coming up behind me and not moving over or slowing down at all. I moved as far to the right as I could, basically into the gutter, and instead of the driver running straight over me only knocked me down with the side of his car and his mirror. Hearing a car coming behind doesn’t tell me if they’re moving over, and I don’t want to turn around every single time a car passes, I would be looking behind me for 13km.
With the increased popularity of electric cars, you are unlikely to hear them over other traffic. Mirrors make sense.
I make mirrors using used bottle caps (1,000 options available) and sell them on Etsy at https://etsy.com/shop/ReBcycle if anyone’s interested.