work4bike

That is a good point and if anyone asks me about using a mirror I always point this out. Mirrors are like any other tool; in the right hands very useful. However, in the wrong hands can be very dangerous.

One must train themselves to not be distracted by what's in the mirror when it's not totally clear; objects really are closer than they appear and sometimes one can get distracted trying to figure out what the hell they're looking at.

BTW, to everyone, I really don't care if you ride with or without a mirror just curious if the preachers gave it a thought. Just wanted to emphasize that

Bekologist

trooth dat.

alicestrong

Mirrors are pretty dorky, but I use them. Take-a-Look=most dorky, best wide angle view. Coolest looking the Messenger mirror advertised here at BF. I call it my "hipster mirror" and it lives on my vintage Raybans...Third Eye is a good compromise between the two...

Once you get used to a mirror, it's hard to ride without it.

bluefoxicy

I'm no good with one hand or with staying straight when not looking; I tend not to scenery-watch when I'm driving a car for that reason. I mean I'll sing and learn languages, but my visual focus is on the road.

The roads I ride are pretty horrible, but my handlebar mirror seems fine. I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Mirrycle-MTB-M...dp/B0009R96YK/

sudo bike

That's what it really comes down to, I think. I don't like riding without my mirror, but I'm not going to pass on a ride because I don't have it.

sudo bike

I think we're talking about their merits as safety devices, not forcing people to use them.

Hippiebrian

I know, but there are other reasons not to use them than just vanity...it always bugs me when people claim the "cool" excuse is the only one we use when we choose not to use mirrors, helmets, etc. It just stinks of nannism to me.

rydabent

Since I ride a LWB bent, I have and mirror and use it.

Looigi

Such as?

chipcom 

you probably think this thread is about you...

noisebeam

Mirrors let one be more assertive and take opportunities that would be missed without one. I believe my mirror lets me get places faster.

Also just as when cruising down the interstate in left lane in a motor vehicle while passing dispersed string of slower vehicles, I check rear view mirror to see if a faster car is approaching from rear so I can merge into gap in right lane to let the faster drivers pass. I do exactly the same cycling.

Hippiebrian

Well, I'm a bit walleyed and when I try to focus on something as small as a bike mirror gives me double vision.

Like I said, I can turn my head and get a better view when I need to see back there.

I think it's dangerous to become dependent on a mirror, if you need to see behind you turn your head so you can actually see something, not just what is reflected in that little mirror.

It gets very distracting, causing people to take their eyes off the road (not everyone, I know!) when their attention may be better spent ahead.

It is just one more thing that the non-riding public looks at that makes bicycling look ay more dangerous than it actually is, never mind more difficult than it really has to be.

Is that enough?

sudo bike

Fair enough.

This one I disagree with. The mirror isn't a video camera that's translating an image to you - what you see in the mirror IS what is behind you. There's nothing wrong with trusting what you see in your mirror; it's just like having an eye on the back of your head. The reason drivers turn for a look isn't because they don't trust what they see in their mirror - it's to check the blind spot.

This is true inasmuch that tools can be misused. As chip mentioned, if you're using it as a crutch it's probably not a Good Thing.

Pfh. And using any other road vehicle is dangerous because they all require mirrors.

I don't think it really effects people's feelings either way (aside from thinking it looks dorky), but if anything I would think it legitimizes it as a vehicle.

Unreqistered

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocrisy
https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypocrisy

Looigi

??? You use the mirror with one eye and you don't focus on it. It focus on what your looking at in the distance. Being walleyed is irrelevant.
??? Using a mirror may be habit forming, but it's not addictive. You can always ride without like anybody else who rides without.
??? The view in the mirror is the road. So looking in the mirror doesnt take your eyes off the road, it permits you to see other portions of the road that would be more difficult to see without the mirror.
??? Mirrors make cycling look more dangerous? Do they do the same for cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc.??

Sorry, but your points or totally ludicrous.

Hippiebrian

I'm not trying to convince you, just giving the reasons I don't use one. It has nothing to do with vanity, which is what you accused everyone of. That's all. I, unlike apparantly you, have no plans on changing anyone's opinions of using mirrors, just letting them know there are reasons not to use them.

Have a nice day.

crhilton

Only if you have a misplaced sense of vanity, apparently. So you'd have to pick that up at the store first.

noisebeam

I use a mirror half the time. Everytime when I commute, errands, pull the trailer. But my other fast rec riding with other cyclists is mirror-less (as are the solo parts to/from). I like both. The mirror helps me better interact and fit in flow with other traffic when I am riding solo, while head turning, etc. works better for a group of cyclists.

No mirror is one less thing to hassle with - that is the only benefit I consider. In many years though I have had no or minimal hassle (just tightening the velcro strap once every few months when I don't do it right the first time, or wiping the surface clean every once in a while to get off grime)

The mirror has taught me a lot about how traffic interacts w/me compared to before I had one and just looked back when I most needed to. That learning applies when I don't have a mirror as well.

Camilo

For those who toss out the tired "vanity" or "not cool" thing:

How about as a reason not to use mirrors: I don't believe they help me ride safely or effectively at all. I've never felt unsafe or hindered by riding without one, but what do I know, I've only been riding on highways and in city traffic since, er, 1972. Therefore I don't use them. I could care less how they look or make me look.

cellery

I have never had trouble identifying a vehicle(s) from behind via shoulder checking. It's a basic bike handling skill that every cyclist should learn and be competent at. If a mirror works better for you then by all means go for it, but I've never been want for one. Also, as long as we're not riding during the drunken hours of the day, and are riding defensively, read-end cyclist collisions are woefully rare indeed.

Pscyclepath

You use rear view mirrors when driving your car or truck, so why not when you're driving your bike?

Being alert to the traffic conditions around you is one of the Three Big Deals (these being Visible, Predictable, and Alert) of safe riding/safe driving. Mirrors can help you do that.

I teach traffic/vehicular cycling, and one of the things we do before letting students out on the streets is cover scanning behind you (without the mirror). I'll usually bring along an extra mirror or two to let students try them out; 2 out of 3 really like them, those who don't typically have the same hang-up I used to have: I didn't like the idea of having that piece of glass stuck up in front of my eyes. Once I tried riding with the mirror (I use the "Take-a-Look" model), I was hooked, and feel uncomfortable riding without it.

noisebeam

The great benefit of a mirror for me is that it helps me know exactly when to turn head to look back, signal or adjust roadway position or speed and I can get that input quicker and without sending any unwanted signals to other drivers.

I save the turning and looking back for when it is needed for maximum visual input and/or it helps communication with other drivers. A mirror lets me know when for best effect.

chipcom 

heck with this namby pamby hand holding, lets go to WAR over mirrors!
MMMMMMM I love the smell of whoda****ares in the evening.

Wino Ryder

See some of you are getting a bit 'snarky' over a damn mirror. But thats okay cuz I'm in it for the entertainment anyway!


Outside of that,....I rode with a mirror fer years and liked it. For those of you who've never used one you should try it out. I used one of those 'Third Eye' type mirrors modified to attach to the 'inside' of my helmet instead of the outside. Worked out real good. Allowed me to feel safer when riding on highways because I was always aware of what was behind me and still keep a straight line. Without the mirror I always felt 'cringed' or 'dreaded', wondering if some big truck pulling a mobile home was going to overtake me.

Been several years since I used one, but this thread makes me want to start using them again.

beezaur

The way I use my mirror is to monitor the road behind me. Vastly easier than turning and looking constantly. It's extremely useful for things like timing left-hand turns, where over-the-shoulder glances don't tell me much about how fast the car behind is approaching. I can't always hear cars coming up from behind, e.g., riding into a headwind.

However there are lots of problems with mirrors. I've never gotten a glasses-mounted mirror to work. I don't spend a lot of time upright and end up looking at my shoulder. Vibration drastically reduces the effectiveness of my handlebar-mounted mirror on my road bike. The mountain bike is much better. Condensation and rain have given me problems too.

I guess I look at a mirror as an extremely useful feature. I don't see it as a necessity, but I don't feel as safe without one.