Road Bike, Cycling Forums banner

Bike mirror use and non use

13K views 92 replies 49 participants last post by  mmlee 
I use a homemade sunglass mount mirror. Works pretty well.

Maybe I just ride too fast, because with wind noise in my ears, I can't hear sh!t behind me. Cars are already passing me before I hear them.
If there is traffic in both directions, you don't know if you're hearing the car that just went in the opposite direction or if there is one behind you.
You can't hear if there are multiple cars behind you. They all sound the same.
 
Here's my latest one that I made last week for my new glasses. It's 3.5" long total, the glass is not quite 1.5cm square and it sits about 3mm from my sunglasses lens. It's so perfectly made for the glasses that it will go on that it will never need adjusting after I dial it in by bending the arm (two sets of needle nose pliers needed on a shake-down ride up & down the street).
I'd love to see a pic of yours mounted on the glasses.

This is essentially what I do, custom fit to the glasses frame. I did the spoke/bottle cap design and can adjust the side to side angle.
 
Here we go. The preload bend is very important and is, along with the exact fit of the wire to the arm, instrumental in the tightness of the fit which prevents it ever coming out of adjustment. As the mirror is so small, a tiny bit of movement would alter the view greatly.
Thanks. That's essentially what mine looks like. I bent the rear "hook" into a loop. So if it gets bumped, it can't fall off the glasses. I'll have to post pics of mine tonight.

I like how your glasses have the red rubber on the arm. I'm sure that helps keep it secure as well. I have thought about putting a small piece of heat shrink on mine.
It helps having arms with some shape and size as too. I had a pair of glasses with basically thin round arms. There was no way to keep the mirror from spinning.
 
Do those of you using mirrors when you ride your bike also use them when you walk the shopping mall?
I don't walk in shopping malls so I wouldn't now. But I'd imagine it's pretty easy to hear cars behind you in the mall. No?
Why is it that every kid from the age of 2 can seem to navigate his bicycle in traffic without a mirror; but overweight, middle-aged guys wearing pro team jerseys have an imaginary safety-inspired need for mirrors?
That's weird because I've never seen a kid the age of 2... or 12.... or 16 ride the speeds I ride. Or on the roads I ride. YMMV but I stay away from neighborhoods and cul-de-sacs.
But then I'm not overweight, don't wear team jerseys, or have an imaginary need for mirrors.
 
I keep seeing the argument that a mirror increases safety, yet nothing to back up this claim.

It leads me to believe that a mirror only increases the perception of safety.

Please prove me wrong with stories of how you were riding along and saw, in your mirror, an out of control car coming at you. Describe how you then took evasive action, much sooner than if you had to turn your head to see the car, and were saved from severe injury. I'm not saying these stories don't exist, I just haven't seen them.

Produce these stories and quiet the critics.
lol anecdotal stories will change your mind? :rolleyes:
If so, then anecdotal stories of cyclists killed while riding will convince you that riding a bike is too dangerous and you should quit.

If you actually read the posts... there are many other reasons than an "out of control car" to use a mirror.
 
I don't use a mirror and never have. I don't know if I could ever trust a mirror enough to cross into a lane or make a turn exclusively with one,
I haven't seen a single person advocate that. On the contrary several people said you need to still look back as well when using a mirror. Just like when driving a car.

Turning your head does make the body and the bike swerve at times, even to the most seasoned veteran.
Hmmm swerving sounds quite dangerous. Esepcially if you're riding in a group and someone is crossing your tire.
 
Here's a story, and it has happened to me many times. I'm riding on a road with a narrow lane and little shoulder, so I'm riding in the middle of the lane to discourage overtaking motorists from passing too close for safety. I'm checking the mirror frequently, so I know if a car is coming up behind. On a blind spot (curve or hill), a car begins to attempt a pass, but I can see that there's oncoming traffic in the other lane. I put out my left arm, palm facing back, and move even further left in the lane. The overtaking car understands the "don't pass now" signal and stays behind me. As soon as there's a safe spot for the pass, I move over a little and signal them to come around. Often, I get a "thank you" wave from the driver. If they still try to pass too close for comfort, having the mirror allows me to move over at the opportune moment to create more space (if you move right too soon, some drivers will follow you over.)
This is an excellent point! Mirrors are great for lane control. You can take control of the lane way before you'd ever hear a car. If you can hear the car, it's likely too late to take control of the lane.

Many of the roads I ride on have no shoulder. It's white line then usually a ditch. So I tend to ride well into the lane. If I see a car behind in the distance, and it's safe ahead, I'll move closer to the white line to give them more room to pass. Because inevitably if I ride farther in the lane drivers get p!ssed and buzz me with their mirrors.
Whereas if there's a blind corner, or a car ahead, I'll keep the lane so they don't attempt to pass me.

YMMV. I don't try to persuade experienced riders that they should use a mirror, but I do get annoyed when people discourage new riders from even trying them, when they base their arguments on false premises.
What's really disturbing is the number of people who've never used a mirror, yet insist they're pointless.
Ironically, there's not a whole lot saying they've tried them but find them pointless and would never use one.
 
Why wouldn't you be riding as far to the right as possible, consistent with safety, to start with? :confused:
Umm no that is completely contrary to safety and contrary to the law.
Door zones, gravel, potholes, glass, no shoulders.. Oh My!

Generally there are bicycle-specific statutes requiring us to ride as close to the right as practicable. “Practicable” means that, if the law in your area requires it, you must ride as far to the right as can reasonably be accomplished under the conditions. It does not mean that you must ride as far to the right as possible, although police will often interpret it that way. “As far as possible” may not be reasonable, because it may not be safe, whereas “as far as practicable” means essentially “as far as is safe.”

In the Uniform Vehicle Code (a suggested standard for states; actual state laws may vary), cyclists are required to ride “as close as practicable” to the right if they are riding “at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing.” So if a cyclist can keep up with traffic, then he or she can legally ride in any lane. If a group of cyclists are the only vehicles on the road, then they are setting the speed of traffic. But for common courtesy and good public relations, they should ride as close to the right as is safe when cars would like to pass.

There are exceptions to this rule—for example, when the cyclist is passing another cyclist or preparing to make a left turn. And the code elaborates on hazards that make riding to the right less feasible, such as “fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard-width lanes.” Also, on a one-way road with two or more lanes, a cyclist may choose instead to ride as close to the left as practicable.

So who decides how close to the edge is safe? You do, although your decision needs to be reasonable. For example, near parked cars, you determine how close to the “door zone,” the area where doors would be a hazard if suddenly opened, you can safely ride. You determine if broken glass or a narrow lane poses a threat that justifies riding farther to the left. You are not required to ride to the right and weave at the last moment to avoid hazards; that would be unsafe. Instead, choose a road position that allows you to ride a straight, predictable line, as close to the right as is safe.

What happens if a police officer decides that your road position is not legal? Because the officer’s determination is as subjective as yours, a court will need to make a judgment. State laws vary, but one thing is clear—you have the right to the road, and with that comes the right to make reasonable decisions about your safety.
Where You Belong | Road Rights | Bicycling.com
According to the PA bicycle drivers manual.
Bicycle Information, Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver's Manual - Chapter 2: Where to Ride on the Road
WHERE IS THE ROAD EDGE?

Normally, slower traffic keeps to the right, and faster traffic passes on the left. Since your bicycle is usually slower than other traffic, you usually ride near the right edge of the road. But how far to the right?

Generally, the usable width of the road begins where you can ride without increased danger of falls, jolts or blowouts. A road may have a gravel shoulder, its edge may be covered with sand or trash or the pavement may be broken. Don't ride there. Closer to the center, there's better pavement, which is swept clean of sand and debris by the passing cars. The right side of the road begins here.
 
I think the non-users should keep silent so as not to expose their ignorance. If they have a few decades of mirror use (ok I'll settle for a few years) and have a list of negatives then I'll listen.
A few years? You've been using a mirror too long and a little out of touch. :p
I just got around to making my first one 2 months ago (after wanting to for a long time). It took me all of 2-3 rides to appreciate its benefits.

Beer Bottle cap mirror looks cool. But it could slow a person down from increase wind resistance j/k. If you turned the Beer Bottle Cap around and stared at the Beer Cap itself, it could motivate me to go faster due to the euphoric nature and Pavlov effect for brew and getting home quicker. LOL
It's a great conversation piece. So far everytime I've worn it I've been asked about it.
I have noticed my ave speed has reduced about 0.002%. It's an acceptable loss. But my legs are getting stronger.
No need to turn it around. You still know its a beer cap. :D Always motivation to drink another.

On a side note... the mirror is held in by velcro, and the cap is held on by the spoke nipple. So it's easy to change out caps with the beer of the season. :thumbsup: (or beer of the week... YMMV)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top