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HOw Do You Check The Traffic Behind You?

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HOw Do You Check The Traffic Behind You?

Old 01-08-14, 01:01 AM
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How Do You Check The Traffic Behind You?

Mirrors or other thing?
Or even you just turn around your head to check out?
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Old 01-08-14, 01:03 AM
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twist my head around
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Old 01-08-14, 01:03 AM
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Mirror for me.





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Old 01-08-14, 01:43 AM
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I turn my head/torso. But if your gonna ride at a fairly fast speed your gonna want a mirror. Much safer
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Old 01-08-14, 02:04 AM
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Originally Posted by claystevens
Mirrors or other thing?
Or even you just turn around your head to check out?
Yes.
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Old 01-08-14, 02:29 AM
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Originally Posted by claystevens
Mirrors or other thing?
Or even you just turn around your head to check out?
Both.

I use a helmet mirror, and I also look back just to show motorists that I am aware of their presence. Even still, I can get caught off guard once and awhile. Rush hour traffic in Shanghai can be quite a test of your situational awareness ability.
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Old 01-08-14, 05:20 AM
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Guess I use my mirror to be aware of whats coming from behind.Small car,truck or fellow cyclist. Like SHBR above said its also good to turn your head a bit to let them know you know they are there,and sometimes just to check how far their bumper is from the bike! As you can see in the pic,my Trek handles bars are not the most ideal.
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Old 01-08-14, 05:33 AM
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How Do You Check the Traffic Behind You[
Originally Posted by claystevens
Mirrors or other thing?
Or even you just turn around your head to check out?
I use left and right hand mirrors:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
I use both left and right rearview mirrors, in my case Take-a-Look eyeglass mounted ones. I got the idea from a cycling companion who used only a right hand mirror. The additional right hand mirror affords a pretty good rearward view, but is particularly useful:
  1. Riding on the left-hand side of a one-way street
  2. Riding in the middle or left lanes of a two-way thoroughfare
  3. In a rotary
  4. On a curved road to the right
  5. When passing entrance/exit ramps from a freeway, with the right hand mirror, I can view the ramps to my right, and stay wide of them, while watching upcoming traffic on my left, all while almost continuously looking straight ahead
  6. When the sun is directly behind, usually one mirror can be positioned away from the glare of the sun
  7. When wearing a backpack, usually one mirror has a less-obstructed view over my shoulder.
My main argument for a mirror, particularly in the urban environment is summarized by Jim’s Law of the Road: “No matter how well paved or lightly-traveled the Road, a vehicle is likely to pass you on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right.”

One other situation where hearing is ineffective, even on rural roads, occurs when being passed by one car, and I'm never sure that another one is following the first. No problem with a mirror.
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Old 01-08-14, 07:04 AM
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Both- as has been stated before. Mirror to keep an eye out, and turning to make eye contact with drivers. If they acknowledge your presence, they are more likely to give you some running room.
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Old 01-08-14, 08:41 AM
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I ride bents, so I have a mirror. Also dont overlook that your sense of hearing will also tell you when there is traffic behind. That is why I never ride with earplugs with some music device.
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Old 01-08-14, 09:40 AM
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In my car, side view and review mirrors (and back-up camera in reverse). On motorcycle, with two handlebar mounted mirrors and a head check when necessary to clear blind spots. With a take-a-look glasses mounted mirror on the bike, which give greater FOV than car and motorcycle mirrors as well as is scan-able to eliminate blind spots. I can ride faster and meld more safely with traffic by using the mirror.
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Old 01-08-14, 10:00 AM
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I just started to use a helmet mirror. Works great, but still turn head and shoulders sometimes.
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Old 01-08-14, 12:43 PM
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I use a glasses-mounted mirror too, in warm weather. I think it's more important to riding safety than wearing a helmet.

I don't use the mirror in the winter tho because I have to wear goggles and there's nowhere to put it. And not having a rear-view mirror drives me nuts.... but I've tried the bar-end things and they all vibrated too much to be useful IMO.
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Old 01-08-14, 01:13 PM
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Started using helmet- or glasses-mounted mirrors around 1980. Currently use a Take-A-Look mirror on the visor of my helmet.
Turning around to look is not an option in most circumstances riding recumbent bikes.
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Old 01-08-14, 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Doug5150
I use a glasses-mounted mirror too, in warm weather. I think it's more important to riding safety than wearing a helmet.

I don't use the mirror in the winter tho because I have to wear goggles and there's nowhere to put it. And not having a rear-view mirror drives me nuts.... but I've tried the bar-end things and they all vibrated too much to be useful IMO.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
…for eye protection is a pair of simple, wide, plastic industrial goggles that I suspend from my cycling cap using Velcro around the nosepiece. The glasses sit very comfortably on my face securely in place even though my ears are covered. The earpieces then provide a secure mount for my eyeglass-mounted Take-a-Look mirror. The goggles allow sufficient room for my prescription eyeglasses, and are widely ventilated to carry away the exhaled moisture preventing fogging. These have made winter cycling entirely possible because all other attempts to avoid dangerous fogging have been nowhere as successful….

Also in winter, my head and neck are so swathed in neck and face wear that turning around becomes more limited, and hearing is diminished, making the mirrors even more useful.
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Old 01-08-14, 02:29 PM
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hear then coming. its a small town , 1 highway east-west and a bridge across the river T's into it.

You note the pulses of traffic released by the traffic control lights turning Green.

to cross the street I am OK with stopping at the intersection

and walking at the crosswalk, using pedestrian button/ light..

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Old 01-08-14, 02:32 PM
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I wish I lived In a small town. 60 yrs of Los angels CA has worn me out.
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Old 01-08-14, 03:16 PM
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I turn my head.
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Old 01-08-14, 03:21 PM
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Take-A-Look mirror on my glasses. I can't imagine riding without it.
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Old 01-08-14, 03:34 PM
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Turn my head round to check tho have been known to concentrate too much on that and forget the traffic in front but usually a quick check then if I need to I make eye contact and signal, giving an extra thumbs up if the driver is very generous
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Old 01-08-14, 04:10 PM
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Man I must be a renagade,, I just twist my head around like that little girl in that movie,,, The Excorcist,,,,,
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Old 01-08-14, 04:50 PM
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Originally Posted by rydabent
...I have a mirror. Also don't overlook that your sense of hearing will also tell you when there is traffic behind. That is why I never ride with earplugs with some music device. emphasis added.
I ride on a 55mph State highway on my commute. No other options. Survival mode WILL kick in!!!
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Old 01-08-14, 05:08 PM
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Turn my head AND mirrors, I don't have the flexibility I did when I was younger so I rely heavily on the mirrors but not exclusively.

Trekking bars and motorcycle mirrors, quickly becoming my favorite dashboard configuration:

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Old 01-08-14, 06:22 PM
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Glasses-Mount Mirror and bar-end mirror just incase I forget my glasses mirror. But once you get used to using a mirror, you won't be able to ride without one.
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Old 01-08-14, 07:03 PM
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Helmet mounted Take A Look. FTW.
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