Not much choice on this bridge unfortunately. It's a narrow sidewalk with railings on both sides. There are sidewalks on both sides of the bridge but for various reasons riders seem to go both directions on each sidewalk so you have to deal with passing cyclists and there isn't much room.

I don't mind the passing in either direction but some riders are more adept than others at holding a line. And for some bewildering reason some cyclists if they know you're about to pass start to wander all over the path. Others put a foot down and stop which is fine with me.

I was rather timid when I started back riding again, mainly because where I live has TONS of 2-lane roads as the connecting roads to go just about anywhere. When I started using a mirror it gave me a huge confidence boost because I'm able to see what is happening all around me at all times, without a bunch of head turning.

On 2 lane roads, it helps me stay aware of approaching traffic from the rear. That way I can communicate with those motorists that I know they are there, whether it's safe to pass, and then thank them for patiently waiting and/or changing lanes to pass (the number of close passes I get amounts to a couple PER MONTH).

Every now and then I go on a short ride without my helmet and mirror, and at those times I wish I had something on my glasses.

I was using a makeshift mirror before, but now I use the Hub-Bub Cycles mirror, hand made in Ohio. It's a really great mirror! Helmet Mirror | HubBub Custom Online

My mirror helps me do a better job of brushing my teeth while I ride to work.

Try looking back while avoiding pot holes during a busy urban commute as cars continue to push you more and more to the right near the curb. I like having the mirror option in these situations, at least I have some idea what I'm up against coming from behind when a quick glance is all I have.

A splintered C2 vertebrae from an accidents limits my neck movement to some rightward range of motion and very little leftward motion. I just installed the Mirrycle on my bike with upright bars - big improvement. I finally felt more confident in traffic. Without the mirror I wouldn't make left turns - I'd dismount and walk across intersections.

With drop bars years ago I preferred a mirror on an elastic strap on the back of my left hand for commutes in traffic. Easy to adjust the angle by varying hand tension. Tried glasses mount mirrors, didn't like them.

You can make your own mirrors with cheap adhesive mirrors from an auto supply store and some heavy duty Velcro. I plan to do this for the right side of my bike.

Thanks guys - some useful stuff here.

Worst posts so far
Nope, seriously

Um, because you can't cycle without them... oh right, we can't cycle without a mirror too. Gotcha - I see what you did there.

Yes, indeed.

I've been on a couple awesome long steep downhills where I try to get to my max speed. I would not be comfortable turning away from the road at 40+ mph to see behind me. In fact, even glancing away long enough to look in the mirror is pretty scary. But it beats being run down by some local yocal.

Like many others here I have neck issues, too many whiplashes have left my neck kinda stiff, a mirror keeps me from having to turn my neck painfully. I use a Miricycle mirror. I do however have mine mounted below my flat bars instead of above them so that it does not stick up and get knocked out of alignment too easily.

Use one or not, it's your decision. I prefer one. Just makes me feel safer, I can look in the mirror quicker than I can turn my head.

I resisted using a mirror for about forty years, until I started commuting to work. I was also tired of suffering bad back pain from turning my head on the bike so much. Then I invested eleven dollars in a Mountain Mirrycle (HATE that name) and I (literally) never turned back.

A mirror enables me to keep my eyes on what's behind me, not just 10-15% of the time, but more like 90% of the time. It has brought cycling even closer to driving, making the switch between the two a lot less of an adjustment.

Having a rear view mirror also lets me focus on maintaining a dead-straight path when I am riding a tight bike lane, whereas turning around would almost inevitably cause me to veer to the left, sometimes within dangerous distance of traffic.

Just a note to non mirror users. Practicing looking back while holding your line is crucial!

Anytime you're out on an empty road, get on the fog line and practice looking back a LOT, and make sure you stay on that fog line. Even after you've already got it down, if you're on a long empty stretch of road to it a bunch, just for practice. If you keep your head pretty low, practice looking back under your armpit, too. It can be a lot easier to look back like this riding into a stiff headwind.

When I started racing a little bit of CX a few years ago, I realized I didn't know how to look back on my right side! I just did it so rarely while out riding on my own I couldn't come close to holding a line while looking back on my right.

After a couple of rides out on the 22-mile mostly trafficless road near home, looking back on the right often, I had it down.

I only have 3.5 million miles driving big trucks, so don't really take anything that I have to say about blind spots into consideration, or give them any consideration.

I would think that a "blind spot", from a big truck driver with a bit of experience, would be something that you can't see in your mirrors. With modern trucks that is directly behind the trailer. Nothing more.

In a car....it's mostly limited by the attention of the driver. Nothing more.

I didn't ride with a mirror until I tried one. Now, I ride with two.

Use a mirror. Don't use a mirror. Wear a helmet, don't wear a helmet. Wear a jacket when temps dip into the 20's, or don't.

No matter to me.

Your ass.

Your decision.

And...........your waste of the forum bandwidth provided what, to who??

Maybe that should have been "whom".

Since the most intelligent posts of the evening seem to be just a smart-assed attempt to.........whoTF knows?

I ride lane center with plenty of wiggle room on either side of me, so riding an arrow straight line is of absolutely no use to me. I consider riding the fog line to be dangerous as hell.

^^^^EXACTLY!!!^^^^

Not to see what is about to nail your ass, that you can't do anything about anyway. But, to know there's "oncoming" as you get to a road hazard----signal in advance and you don't just swerve into them and ***** about getting hit from behind. I have had folks comment to me in the grocery store about my little left hand wave of thanks as they passed me. They were surprised that I knew that they were there.........no idea that bikes could have had mirrors. I know that they're there....I give a bit of a "thanks" when they move into the oncoming lane to pass. Usually, just a bit of a wave with the fingers, palm never leaves the bars.



BELIEVE IT OR NOT................MOST CAR DRIVERS WANT TO MISS YOU AS MUCH AS YOU WANT THEM TO MISS YOU.

They are not the enemy....they are decent, working folks with families. Just like you.

Yeah......they use carbon fuels to haul their fat asses around.....that doesn't make them evil.

Yeah some people seem to have this false notion that motorists are "out to get them" and other such nonsense. People are just people and want to get from A to B.

When I see a car approaching in my mirror, I like to do a quick head turn (not actually looking directly back at them) as a way of saying "yes I know you're there", and then I either hold my left hand out to signal for them to wait a moment, or I wave them on by if/when it's safe to pass. Works like a charm.

Georgia has a FRAP law, but provides bikes the freedom to move as required around hazards......"broken pavement" is the wording used. I generally just ride so that the shoulder, or fog line, is to the right of the front tire, I don't worry. I haven't had a problem yet to require any adjustments.

I kind of had the reverse experience of a lot of the other posters here. I first tried a mirror that clips to the eyeglasses, and I could never get it adjusted properly. In order to see what was behind me, I kept needing to bobble my head around to get the mirror lined up properly to see what was behind me. It all seemed to depend on what hand position I was using, and how tired I was of keeping my head up, and it always took a couple of seconds to get to see what I was trying to see.

I put a bar-end mirror on my current cycles - it is convex, so the field of view is pretty good, and I can see what is behind me with just a quick glance. Usually I only need to tweak it just a little bit when I first start out, and I am good to go.

Glad that works for you. Some in the thread have expressed how when they look back they swerve and they feared hitting potholes, so I thought I'd offer a tip. The 22-mile low-traffic road I practiced on has pretty safe fog-line riding amenities. I wasn't advocating for fog line as the ideal lane position. Once you've learned to look back without turning your bars or leaning, the fogline crutch is no longer needed. You can even ride a straight line on unmarked pavement.

If you ever ride around in Portland, OR, you may have to ride between trolley car rails. You don't wanna come off your line AT ALL on those.

Besides, riding in a straight line saves energy and presents a more predictable behaviour towards other road users.

I don't stubbornly adhere to any particular section of the road, anywhere from the center lane marking to the sidewalk is fair game depending on actual conditions and mood. I don't ever consider not being concerned with my line to be a wise decision no matter where I happen to be at the moment.

One of the biggest advantages of a mirror is that it allows maintaining rear situation awareness without compromising awareness of whats ahead.
Its just when one assumes there's nothing to worry about, or that they have everything under "control"..........BOOM.

That's a double edged sword,
No denying, doing something unpredictable is a bad idea, but being too "predictable" or "steady", especially if moving at or near the speed of traffic can cause others to filter one out of their radar. That's why drivers often hit what's directly in front of them, they just tune it out because from their perspective its a stationary object and we key in on movement.

Other things one should be able to do while riding a straight line:

- grab a water bottle
- shift gears
- snotrocket
- access jersey pockets.
- remove gloves/armwarmers/jacket

A mirror to watch the faces of those dropping off my wheel.

I got a helmet mounted mirror in 1980 and have used one ever since. The mirror occupies a small space in the upper left field of my vision, and I glance at it frequently while I ride. It has become second nature to me; I put no thought into this at all. On the rare occasions that I accidentally leave the house without my helmet, I confuse myself by glancing up at that part of the sky, and it often takes me a little while before I realize the mirror isn't there (and then I go back for it).

Yeah... I do that. But that's not why I have a mirror.

Well, I think you and I have different riding styles, which is fine; but why do you think riding the fog line is dangerous?

That's basically what I have the mirror for. I pretty much ride in a straight line, usually by myself, usually as close as practical to the edge of the pavement. Cars can get by me no problem. Before I move left to avoid obstacles, I want to know how much room I have.

The most important time for a mirror is when you encounter an unexpected gauntlet. Suppose as I approach a driver who's pulled over onto the narrow shoulder to talk on the phone, I see a car coming the other way; I gauge my own speed, I gauge the speed of the oncoming car, and I consider whether I'll pass the obstacle before or after the oncoming car. Now is not the time to look behind me; by this time I have to already know what's behind me. Maybe the road is all mine, and I can swerve safely. Or maybe it's a truck, and I'm going to have to hit the brakes and the ditch. Well, either way, I want to know my options as soon as possible.

My only complaint about my helmet-mounted mirror is that I can't see turn signals in it. I don't know why this is; either I don't glance at it long enough to notice the repetitive flashing light; or the mirror jiggles enough that all lights look like flashing lights; or (most likely) it's a combination of the two.

I would have to agree with this. A mirror does a lot for me and tells me the whole story but I do and can still hold a line when looking back if I need it. Only a few times that I ever do (seeing a long way in the distance back for example).