Originally Posted by naane
You can get a helmet(/glasses)-mounted mirror like "Take-a-Look" and get comfortable using it. It will greatly increase your awareness of what's happening behind you without having to turn around all the time.
Mirrors can be great -- although I always have a hell of a hard time keeping them adjusted right -- but they're not a substitute for checking over your shoulder before a turn or late change. Turning your head gives you a better field of vision than any mirror can, and helps you communicate more clearly with drivers. (Actually, that last point is one reason why I also like to have a mirror...it lets me keep track of what's going on behind me,
without accidentally giving the impression that I'm about to move left when I'm not.)
Fatdogvinn, it's been a week or so since your first post to this topic, so you may already have gotten the hang of looking over your shoulder while continuing to ride a straight line...if not, you may want to practice that skill specifically sometime when you've got the road to yourself. The key is to relax your upper body as much as possible; if your muscles are tense, then when you turn your head it will pull your shoulders and torso with it, and you'll steer left. With a little practice, you'll get to the point where you can turn your head left or right, look for a half second or so, then turn forward again, without deviating from your path by more than a couple inches. (I'm probably the least flexible human being ever born, so if I can learn to do this, anyone can!)
- Paul