Advocacy & Safety - Do you use a rear view mirror?

Recently, I installed a rear view mirror on my road bike and have been very pleased with the ability to know what's going on behind me, cars and other cyclists. I think it is much safer than going without. I don't see a lot of people using mirrors and wonder why. Is there a perceived increased drag or is it the geek factor, or the "I'm not a serious cyclist" factor?

I won't ride without one again.

What do you think?

Bob

I have been using a mirror for a long time now. Since it's easier to see behind you, you will look behind more often, a plus I think. Mine is mounted on the helmet and I can rotate my head a little and sweep a wide area behind me.

Just yesterday, I saw a guy using a very small (about 1/2" round) mirror that mounts on the outer, lower edge of sunglasses or regular glasses that is invisible to someone looking at you from a little distance.

However, when I intend to make a turn, I always physically look back as added insurance.

knotty

I think they are invaluable.

Absolutely use a mirror in traffic. I prefer the Take-a-Look glasses mounted.

Recently, I installed a rear view mirror on my road bike and have been very pleased with the ability to know what's going on behind me, cars and other cyclists. I think it is much safer than going without. I don't see a lot of people using mirrors and wonder why. Is there a perceived increased drag or is it the geek factor, or the "I'm not a serious cyclist" factor?

I won't ride without one again.

What do you think?

Bob

Yes there is a percentage of cyclists who consider it geekish, but I think it is more the fact that some cyclists are mimimalists. They can achieve the same effect by simply turning their head.

I persoanally have a clip on mirror that attaches to my glasses. I don't always use it, and it's no big deal because I can listen for traffic, and look behind me before chaning lanes. The advantage of the mirror is that you can see what's coming long before you can hear it and signal well in advance before moving. I use a clip-on type because I feel the ones that attach to your bike get banged up a bit every time you lay your bike down. There is a new type of mirror that is built right into the bar ends, which makes it quite compact and not prone to damage when laying the bike down.

Without a mirror, looking back at traffic is a skill that does not take that long to master; However, it does take a little bit of planning. Select a clear section of road in front of you, center yourself on the bike so you don't drift left while looking, memorize the road just ahead of you, look around your shoulder, visually take in the whole road and return to regular riding position. The whole process takes maybe 1/2 second. A little practice and any new cyclist can do it too.

So mirrors have an advantage, but are not essential.

Yes, I like the "Take A Look" brand that fits on eyeglasses. It's very adjustable and stable--I used it to tour in a former British Commonwealth country a few years ago and it can be completely inverted for use on the right-hand side of one's specs.

No. I have a fully functioning neck and ears.

A second good use for a mirror is being able to see that other bike creeping up on you to ride your wheel and you can start to pull away.....LOL

Nope, I just do the check neck swivel

See the mirror usage poll (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=222243) thread.

No. I have a fully functioning neck and ears.

As do I and many others. The mirror enhances and compliments the neck and ears.

I find the best reason to have a mirror is to know when to look back as well as when not to. Looking back can send unintended messages to other drivers.

Al

I never ride without mine. I normally use a mirror mounted to my riding glasses. I also have I can use for my helmet, but usually just stick with the eyeglass one since it seems a little less shaky. I would really hate to ride without one, especially in areas with quite a bit of traffic. Even when cars are few and far between the mirror lets you know how close someone is when passing you, and would give you the opportunity to bail if it came down to it. I consider the mirror to be a more important safety item than a helmet.

I've used one for 20+ years. Helmet-mounted. It's better than relying on your ears or looking behind you, but unless a person has tried it they won't believe it, I think.

If you check the survey, most who don't use a mirror haven't tried one.

Trying to remember way, way back to my first, I think I was hesitant because it just seemed like too much money to pay for what it was. Now, I wouldn't be without one. Inflation makes it still a bit much for someone who doesn't know, I think. If they were 2 or 3 bucks more people might give it a shot. At $15-ish, people are going to pit it against a pizza or a couple of six packs and go with something they know they'll like. . .

I've had a mirror for quite a while on my other bikes. When I got my first road bike this year, I felt paranoid for the first couple rides since I didn't yet have a mirror on it.

If all I did with it was transport it to the park/trail and then ride, I wouldn't feel like I needed a mirror. But, since I get to the park/trail by hustling through downtown DC, I just have to have one.

I'll try helmet- or glasses-mounted mirrors at some point.

I'm such a clutz. I'm sure a mirror wouldn't last a week in my commuting gear. If it was attatched to my helmet I'd break it the first time I went to wipe sweat off my forhead or at the latest when I got my destination and dropped my helmet while taking it off because my hands don't always do what I tell them to. If it was a handle bar mount it would be toast before I even got going, at least twice a week my bike falls down while I'm gearing up.

In short, if someone were to give me one, I'd use it until it broke, but I have better things to throw away my money on, like beer. So I ride slow, listen carefully, check twice at least before any turn or merge, and if worst comes to worst I stop on the right hand side and wait for traffic to clear to do my left turn or what have you.

I don't use a mirror. No reason, really; I just never have and have never had a problem. To me, it's a solution looking for a problem.

If I had to give reasons:

1) It is hard for me to use handlebar mirrors because I use toric contact lenses and I don't have good detail vision all the time, particularly if my eyes are dry and I am trying to see detail on a small, vibrating object.

2) I don't like objects sitting in front of my face which obstruct my vision. Also, the contacts make it hard to focus on detailed objects at the edge of my eye swivel (for lack of a better word). The last time I tried a glasses/helmet mounted mirror, I got eye strain almost immediately and only saw my shoulder/backpack. I stopped and took it off after a few blocks because it was getting dangerous with the mirror being less than useless as it was not only not giving me information to the rear, but it was actively preventing me from recieving information from the rear due to distraction and obstructing my vision when I turned my head.

I don't use a mirror. No reason, really; I just never have and have never had a problem. To me, it's a solution looking for a problem.

If I had to give reasons:

1) It is hard for me to use handlebar mirrors because I use toric contact lenses and I don't have good detail vision all the time, particularly if my eyes are dry and I am trying to see detail on a small, vibrating object.



Can you use a mirror mounted on your car? Does your vision permit that use?

I have found my commute bike handlebar mirror to be quite handy, very similar to a motorcycle mirror. (I used to ride a motorcycle). I don't try to pick out details, I just look for objects... if there is something there, then it hardly pays to turn my head, but if I spot an opening (the absence of something) then I turn my head and confirm the situation before "movement."

I miss that mirror when I ride my road bike... but only briefly... as I tend to look for quieter roads when I am out on my "sportsbike..." with it, I am out to move fast and exercise hard, and dealing with traffic interferes with that goal (especially slowing and judging... doing the "trust but verify" issues of motorists). So different bikes for different rides.

But honestly, in the hustle and bustle of heavy commute traffic, that mirror is very handy.

Can you use a mirror mounted on your car? Does your vision permit that use?

I have found my commute bike handlebar mirror to be quite handy, very similar to a motorcycle mirror. (I used to ride a motorcycle). I don't try to pick out details, I just look for objects... if there is something there, then it hardly pays to turn my head, but if I spot an opening (the absence of something) then I turn my head and confirm the situation before "movement."

I miss that mirror when I ride my road bike... but only briefly... as I tend to look for quieter roads when I am out on my "sportsbike..." with it, I am out to move fast and exercise hard, and dealing with traffic interferes with that goal (especially slowing and judging... doing the "trust but verify" issues of motorists). So different bikes for different rides.

But honestly, in the hustle and bustle of heavy commute traffic, that mirror is very handy.

Mirrors on a car are very different. They are much larger and they don't vibrate. I also don't tend to use them much for things that you'd use a bike mirror for, like changing lanes. I use them to see behind me, as there is no other way and my ears are compromised. I still turn my head to change lanes and find gaps.

I have found that there is no way to verify: "trust but verify" is a catchy phrase, but it's an oxymoron. If you trust, then verification is unnecessary, and if you verify then you don't trust. I trust they won't hit me if given half a chance, as every road user must do. I change lanes when I see a gap, and create a gap if I must. Just like in a car. And I do it in a way which doesn't disturb the trust between drivers on the road.

In straight line travel, I use my ears to tell me if a car is approaching. It's nice to know, but not really necessary. If I need to know details, then I turn my head.

Mirrors on a car are very different. They are much larger and they don't vibrate. I also don't tend to use them much for things that you'd use a bike mirror for, like changing lanes. I use them to see behind me, as there is no other way and my ears are compromised. I still turn my head to change lanes and find gaps.

I have found that there is no way to verify: "trust but verify" is a catchy phrase, but it's an oxymoron. If you trust, then verification is unnecessary, and if you verify then you don't trust. I trust they won't hit me if given half a chance, as every road user must do. I change lanes when I see a gap, and create a gap if I must. Just like in a car. And I do it in a way which doesn't disturb the trust between drivers on the road.

In straight line travel, I use my ears to tell me if a car is approaching. It's nice to know, but not really necessary. If I need to know details, then I turn my head.

pssst... I tend to agree with you RE trust but verify... I have been hit twice by motorists I "verified."

Ears don't do justice on a crowded road... the sound of too many cars makes it too hard to discern one from another, especially on a multilaned road.

Oh well, the mirror works for me... just thought I would share it.

What's interesting about the mirror survey (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=222243) results is that out of 233 respondents, only 16 (less than 7%) say they have tried a mirror and not found it useful.

25% have not tried one at all.

A whopping 60% (139) of all 233 respondents report it to be VERY useful. If you remove the 57 who have never tried a mirror, you're left with 233 - 57 who have, or 176. 139 out of 176 is 78%. That means 78% of those who have tried a mirror found it be very useful. 78%! That's amazing. Another 23, that's 9% of the total or 13% of those who have tried a mirror, report it to be "moderately useful".

That means 87% of those who have tried a mirror have found it to be at least moderately useful, but the vast majority have found it to be very useful.


Again, only 16 (less than 7%) say they have tried a mirror and not found it useful.

pssst... I tend to agree with you RE trust but verify... I have been hit twice by motorists I "verified."

Oh, please, all "trust but verify" means is don't blindly trust anyone. It's an attitude and responsibility thing. If you choose to trust someone it's on you if they prove to not be trustworthy with respect to the way you are trusting them. In other words, be very careful with whom you trust, when and how much. If you can't verify effectively, then don't put yourself in a position where you don't have any outs.

I went out the door the other day without the mirror and was scared after traveling 4 blocks. I didn't realize how much trust I used put on traffic behind me to make sure they would leave me enough room. Without a mirror, you have to ignore the danger of getting hit from behind.

Needless to day, I felt very uncomfortable relying on upcoming traffic to respect my postion. Especially cars that you know were appraching very fast and not really knowing where they stood with me was too much to take. I went right back home and got my Take A Look Mirror.

I would rather ride without a helmet then leave my Take A Look Mirror home.

What's interesting about the mirror survey (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=222243) results is that out of 233 respondents, only 16 (less than 7%) say they have tried a mirror and not found it useful.

25% have not tried one at all.

A whopping 60% (139) of all 233 respondents report it to be VERY useful. If you remove the 57 who have never tried a mirror, you're left with 233 - 57 who have, or 176. 139 out of 176 is 78%. That means 78% of those who have tried a mirror found it be very useful. 78%! That's amazing. Another 23, that's 9% of the total or 13% of those who have tried a mirror, report it to be "moderately useful".

That means 87% of those who have tried a mirror have found it to be at least moderately useful, but the vast majority have found it to be very useful.


Again, only 16 (less than 7%) say they have tried a mirror and not found it useful.


I think the numbers would a lot higher if people would switch to the Take A Look mirror. About four years ago, I was in the 7% who tried mirrors and not found them useful. That was until I tried this product and it changed my mind totally.

I tried a lot of mirrors and most were either ineffective, moderately useful or not useful at all! The Take A Look made me a beliver.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071003/ap_on_bi_ge/hybrids_blind

Bicycles are quieter than hybrids when traveling at the same speeds.
Al

Bicycles are quieter than hybrids when traveling at the same speeds.
Al

Hybrids don't have bells, though. ;)

Id ride without a helmet..not a mirror.

Im going do like the helmet police and
ask "wheres the mirror ?" to all the people
who pass me tomorrow.

I think the numbers would a lot higher if people would switch to the Take A Look mirror. About four years ago, I was in the 7% who tried mirrors and not found them useful. That was until I tried this product and it changed my mind totally.

I tried a lot of mirrors and most were either ineffective, moderately useful or not useful at all! The Take A Look made me a beliver.
Huh. I use a Take A Look myself. That was the first and only mirror I ever tried.

As far as the numbers being a "lot" higher, I don't see how that could be, given how low 7% already is.
But perhaps the numbers would be a bit higher if those in the 7% tried the Take A Looks.

Hybrids don't have bells, though. ;)

They have horns. For either a bell or horn to be effective the driver has to use it. No (or so few as to be none) bicycle has a constant noisemaker, at least an intentional one.

I do think that all motor vehicles should have a secondary 'polite' noisemaker that can be used to give friendly signal to those outside the vehicle, such as a light bell sound. But it should be user activated, either momentary or constant mode.

Al

old peugoet and renault cars had 'city horns' that where just
as you described.
I thought of hanging a small brass bell from an art supply
store from my BB or therabouts.

A mirror allows a cyclist to quickly gather information on rearward activity. Under certain conditions I find myself making mirror checks mere seconds apart. There is no way someone can turn their head to look back this often without compromising safety and looking like a nut. Having the ability to gather more information in a shorter period is a good thing.

I use a bar mounted mirror regularly. It is a bit of a nuisance sometimes, and can be easily damaged by tipping over the bike or banging it on something. I like it well enough to put up with the minor inconvenience. I have a Take-a-Look glasses/helmet mirror which I wish I could use as successfully as the other posters, but all I could see was my eyeball, my knee, or the sky, so I gave up on it. Maybe I should try it again, since it works so well for others.

I LOVE my mirror. I would not think of driving a car without a mirror so why would I ride a bike without one. I check it when I hear traffic coming up behind and I can keep an eye on them easily without having to crane my head. This way I can glance down quickly and make sure they are going to clear me without a problem. I would have never considered getting a mirror when I was growing up in Holland, but there the biggest risk was getting cliped by a Moped. Mopeds tend to make lots of noise so you can hear them coming up from behind. American roads tend to put you right in the thick of traffic with drivers that feel that you don't need to be given any room. Therefore I realy appreciate keeping an eye on the drivers behind me. As far as car noise goes, I think the arguement is rediculous. Most of a modern day car comes from the tires, not the engine (unless you are accelerating hard). If you have a Town Car or Lexis LS430 with a very lower revving V-8 or, the car makes no more noise than a hybrid. When I ride my bike and I get to some stop sigs that are at intersections with lots of trees I can usually hear the car tires from about 100 yards or more away. In heavy urban traffic if you were to be blind either type of vehicle would be nearly impossible to hear.

Happy riding,
André

I use a helmet-mounted, can't imagine riding without anymore. Positioned optimally, it blocks view of nothing at ground level. It might possibly obscure a falling meteorite quartering in, but that's an acceptable risk.

And I can't believe no one's yet acknowledged another virtue of mirrors: discreet second looks at attractive walkers/joggers. Over-the-shoulder gawking is gauche. ;)

See the mirror usage poll thread.

This is interesting. Before making this post I was sure there would already have been a discussion on it so I did a search for "mirror" and "rear-view mirrors" and neither showed up. I apologize if the topic has been covered before. I think it's interesting.

While on my lunchtime ride today I saw about a dozen other riders and none had a rear-view mirror. I'm wondering if the results of this poll are a bit skewed. What do you think?

I see that the helmet or glasses mounted mirrors are favored by a lot. I am hesitant to use one because I have heard from people how careful they have to be when putting the helmet down. It seems they break easily.

Bob

I have a Third Eye helmet mirror mounted with velcro. I have grown dependent on it, but generally still turn to look before changing lanes.

Agree with those who value the mirror for second glances at good looking walkers and joggers. Also agree with poster who said the mirror is handy for gradualy pulling away from cyclists coming from behind.

So much fear.

Fair enough.

Do you have any fear when a car traveling at 35 mph or more comes racing at full speed behind you? I never felt comfortable with this but now I do! Being able to see what the motorist is doing behind me eliminated most of the fear in cycling.

As an added benefit, I get honked a LOT less then before. I'll let the traffic get past if need be if I see the cars backing up. But you only determine this if you have a mirror.

I installed a mirror a couple weeks ago and like having it on the bike. It allows me to see things I might not see or hear without constantly looking back. Probably more useful in not getting surprised or startled by something unexpectedly as much as anything else. I wouldn't use it alone for taking a lane or making a turn without looking behind me also but it gives an idea of what is back there and whether I need to even bother looking back.

This is interesting. Before making this post I was sure there would already have been a discussion on it so I did a search for "mirror" and "rear-view mirrors" and neither showed up. I apologize if the topic has been covered before. I think it's interesting.

While on my lunchtime ride today I saw about a dozen other riders and none had a rear-view mirror. I'm wondering if the results of this poll are a bit skewed. What do you think?

I see that the helmet or glasses mounted mirrors are favored by a lot. I am hesitant to use one because I have heard from people how careful they have to be when putting the helmet down. It seems they break easily.

Bob
I think the poll results are representative of the members of this forum.
They are obviously not representative of the cycling population at large.
I believe this is because this forum attracts primarily those cyclists who tend to be safety conscious (perceptions of safety, and how that is related to cycling advocacy/popularity, as well as actual safety).

Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if cyclist mirror sales were higher today than they were 5 years ago. They're still not very popular, but they seem to be not quite as rare as they used to be.

For forty years I rode without a mirror. Bought a Third Eye on a whim (was looking for a toy in a bike shop while out on a ride). Now, I would not feel dressed if riding without one. Sure, I can turn my head, but, as others have mentioned, having a mirror allows me to keep a more constant eye to my rear without compromising my view forward.

I challenge those who proudly proclaim that they can still turns their heads to see if they can match someone with a mirror in checking to the rear while still keeping one eye on the road ahead.

It's fine with me if you ride without a mirror, but, if you are riding in a really big city or need to make frequent lane changes, the mirror is very handy to have. I ride in some very close, bumper to bumper traffic on some very narrow roads. It is much easier to see to the rear in that situation when you have a mirror. I probably would just keep my eyes on the road in those close situations rather than risk looking back and having some slow moving car move into my lane and cut me off from the front.

Each to his/her own, however. Let's not make any laws.

Caruso

I have one and use it all the time.

And I can't believe no one's yet acknowledged another virtue of mirrors: discreet second looks at attractive walkers/joggers. Over-the-shoulder gawking is gauche. ;)

It just occurred to me that that's an advantage of a helmet- or glasses-mounted mirror. Both of my barend mirrors vibrate too much to get a good look (believe me, I've tried ;) ).

Hi. I ride in Toronto and I use a helmet-mounted mirror.
It is absolutely one of the most useful gear for urban cyclists.

Its benefits:

1) Allows me to decide if I need to signal before changing lanes.
If there are no cars/cyclists behind me, then I don't have to signal. There are many potholes on the roads in Toronto. I almost lost my balance signaling while riding on rough roads. It is useful to see if signaling is necessary so that I can keep both hands for steering.

2) See cars sneaking up behind me so that I wouldn't be surprised.
Without a mirror, I would turn my head every time a car passes me. Now I can see them slow down behind me, lane change and then passes me. This also applies to cyclists. If I see a cyclist behind me, I would have to signal to stop in case the cyclist behind me decides to ignore stop signs/traffic light.

3) See gaps in the adjacent lanes so that I can time my signal and make a safe lane change.
Otherwise, I would have to turn my head frequently to look for gaps. This is useful in when you want to change to the left-turn lanes in heavy traffic.

It took me a while to learn how to angle the mirror for maximum visibility and focus on it. But after a few rides, it becomes 2nd nature.
If you drive a car, you should know how useful mirrors are for a car. And likewise, there are equally useful for a bike. But like the car mirrors, there are blind spots that you have to turn your head to check.

I take the lane often and as a result get honked at by cars often too. Having a mirror allows me to see if the honk was due to impatient driver or a warning that something is wrong with my bike.

I wouldn't drive a car on the road without a rear view mirror.
And I wouldn't ride a bike on the road without a rear view mirror.
But off-road...hmm

I think the logic works like this:
If you are moving faster than traffic, you don't need a mirror.
If the traffic is moving faster than you, you would need a mirror.

I just realized why the "ogling view" isn't too great in my bar end mirrors. They are fish eye type! No wonder the girls don't look as nice as they did going away as they did when I met them! :(

I am very pleased with my mirror, but motorcycle riding has taught me to rely on it less (looking over your shoulder is easier on a MC than on a bicycle). The mirrors on my MC are crap, so I never used 'em much to begin with. It is still very useful to be able to see what's behind you while still keeping your vision (at least mostly) on the road ahead. The Mountain Mirrycle bar-end mirror I use has performed extremely well and has never come close to breaking, despite colliding with things once in a while. If I had the mechanical ability I'd just get my MC mirrors switched to bar-end Moutain Mirrycles.

I just added a second mirror on the other end of my handlebar. I have to do a couple of off-side merges on my commute and find it useful.

I didn't use a mirror for many years, and got on fine without one. Shoulder checking is really sufficient to cover the most hazardous situations eg. merging across lanes, and is still essential even with a mirror. I use it more as a preliminary check before a proper shoulder check for merging - same as I do in my car. I find mirrors useful, but not essential - even in heavy traffic.

I've used one for 20+ years. Helmet-mounted. It's better than relying on your ears or looking behind you, but unless a person has tried it they won't believe it, I think.

If you check the survey, most who don't use a mirror haven't tried one.

Trying to remember way, way back to my first, I think I was hesitant because it just seemed like too much money to pay for what it was. Now, I wouldn't be without one. Inflation makes it still a bit much for someone who doesn't know, I think. If they were 2 or 3 bucks more people might give it a shot. At $15-ish, people are going to pit it against a pizza or a couple of six packs and go with something they know they'll like. . .

Haven't had mine for as long, but that pretty much sums up my feelings. The other place I find it to be very nice is on group rides. I recently did the Civil War and Seagull metric centuries and at points on both rides I had another bike off my left hip. I had no way of knowing they were there since they didn't say anything, and if I hadn't had the mirror I probably would have crashed a few times when I needed to drift left to avoid road debris.