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Originally Posted by alan s
(Post 15449652)
I tried a helmet mounted mirror once, and it only distracted me. There is nothing a mirror would do to make me feel safer
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Count me as one of the mirror fans.
I tried a glasses mounted mirror about 30 yrs ago. But I found it distracting. I also seemed to have a hard time interpreting what I saw when I was actually trying to look in it. But I'm very uncomfortable riding without a handlebar mirror. I use two, in fact. Whether in a car or on a bike, I'm fond of thinking that NO ONE comes up on me without my knowing it. And it's very nearly true. |
Originally Posted by daredevil
(Post 15448608)
The idiotic comments regarding mirrors and why people do not use them when sharing the road never ceases to amaze me. There is not a single good reason not to wear one. Any comment against it can easily be disregarded as nonsense.
Lastly, any mirror is better than none at all but if you truly want to be efficient with your vision, it needs to be head mounted. |
Originally Posted by zacster
(Post 15447914)
In NYC I don't need a mirror. I just assume there is someone right behind me as there always is. Don't make stupid moves, if you are unsure about what is behind you don't pull out. There's already enough visual stimulation on our streets in front and to the side of us. The instant I look behind will be the same instant that pedestrian steps right into my path.
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Originally Posted by zacster
(Post 15449915)
The very last thing I need while riding in NYC is another distraction. .
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I don't ride with mirrors and have never tried it either..... Maybe one day.. Who knows? For some reason I think that they'll be a distraction for me.
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Originally Posted by daredevil
(Post 15449943)
I don't give a rip if ur in timbuktu. You're more aware with a mirror and there exists a new exciting thing called peripheral vision that actually let's you see front and back simultaneously. Thing is, you need one of these devices for it to work.
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Originally Posted by daredevil
(Post 15448608)
The idiotic comments regarding mirrors and why people do not use them when sharing the road never ceases to amaze me. There is not a single good reason not to wear one. Any comment against it can easily be disregarded as nonsense.
Lastly, any mirror is better than none at all but if you truly want to be efficient with your vision, it needs to be head mounted. A mirror may work for you, but I, like others find them distracting. You can try and insist that's wrong, but the fact remains. As for head mounted mirrors, that only really works for those that wear helmets, and even then they are still distracting. Not to mention I could never feel safe with glass that close to my eye. I KNOW you'll disagree, but for me it's true and that's all that matters. |
Originally Posted by alan s
(Post 15449652)
I tried a helmet mounted mirror once, and it only distracted me. There is nothing a mirror would do to make me feel safer or actually be safer. Not like a car is going to do anything different, and I already have 360 degree awareness.
LOL I wonder if they make prescription mirrors for glasses. |
Originally Posted by zacster
(Post 15449988)
On a bike you still can see what's on the periphery of yourself even without looking directly at it. I can also HEAR what's coming at me, with 2 exceptions.
2) In a car you are sitting in a chair and changing your balance, turning etc. won't affect your steering - on a bike it takes some conscious effort and concentration to keep a straight line when turning around. 3) Hearing can be deceptive, as you've said. So mirrors do come in handy. There are, however, 2 reasons I DON'T use them: 1) One more thing on a bike that can attract thieves - I make it plain, simple and as ugly as can bee. 2) Cars in my country always drive as if they'll run you over, swerving to go past you in the last second. So having mirror always had me scared and stressed - better not to see. Especially since most of the time in places I commute, there's a 20 cm high road side barrier - so no place to run. |
Yes, what is up with these roads with no shoulder and a steep curb, anyway? I absolutely despise those things.
As for turning where you're looking, I have a bad tendency to do that in both my car driving and my bicycle riding. I blame power steering sensitivity for the former. So if I looked over my shoulder to see incoming traffic, I'd be steering INTO said traffic as I look, or overcompensating and hitting those despicable curbs instead. :trainwreck: :injured: |
I use a mirror all the time, for road cycling, not for commuting. I never did see the need until I was helping a slower rider into a headwind, and had no good way to monitor the gap between us. Nearly all of the riders in randonneuring use one as well.
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Originally Posted by merkong
(Post 15443043)
I have a buddy who is an old roadie and still trains as though he was racing. That's cool and all. He likes the big rides and does them often. Years ago, I purchased a mirror, the one that attaches to the bow of your glasses. He was like, "those ain't cool man..." Needless to say I never wore it. Recently, I came across it and have done a few rides while wearing it. I like it. I ride on the road and can't believe how easy it is to glance back versus the constant headturn. I still am prone to firsthand looks (non-mirror image) when maneuvering right hand turn lanes and a few other crucial and potentially dangerous situations. I like the mirror. Am I not cool anymore? Anyone else (I've seen a few in the profile pictures) wear a mirror or maybe, gasp, have one mounted on their steed? Safety first, convenience second, coolness third.
If your mirror works for you... it is perfect for you... that is all that really counts. |
Originally Posted by daredevil
(Post 15449901)
If you can't even recognize the potential benefits, I'm afraid that only proves you don't know how to use one.
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Originally Posted by alan s
(Post 15451165)
Let's see .... the mirror attaches to your helmet, glasses or handlebars, and you look at it to see behind you?
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Originally Posted by harshbarj
(Post 15450016)
So what your saying is if someone disagree with you they HAVE to be wrong? Wow, what an ego!
A mirror may work for you, but I, like others find them distracting. You can try and insist that's wrong, but the fact remains. As for head mounted mirrors, that only really works for those that wear helmets, and even then they are still distracting. Not to mention I could never feel safe with glass that close to my eye. I KNOW you'll disagree, but for me it's true and that's all that matters. This has nothing to do with anybody's ego and everything to do with common sense. If you are distracted paying attention to all the traffic around you, you do not belong on the road with vehicles. |
Originally Posted by zacster
(Post 15449988)
Actually, you don't. That's what peripheral vision is, the ability to detect what's around you WITHOUT a device.
btw, mirrors are in car for visual efficiency, not because of blind spots. And head checks are necessary because of blind spots, not a problem with a head mounted mirror, there are no blind spots. Mirrors are used in the same way for ALL vehicles that share the road. Those that know how to use them are not a burden on traffic while those that don't often are. |
The nonsense I spoke of:
I don't wear glasses so I can't use a glasses mounted mirror. I get distracted with too much visual information. The mirror blocks my vision. I'm more concerned being injured by the mirror than a car. All I need is my hearing to keep me safe. Mirrors are necessary in cars because they are different than bikes. The same benefits that mirrors provide in a car don't work for a bike or are not applicable to a bike. There's plenty more to come I'm sure. :) |
I'd say it's time to stop feeding the troll. Perhaps a mod can lock the thread?
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I have a real question about mirrors, since I am just starting to commute.
I have a MTB handlebar set with bar ends on. Will this mirror: http://www.amazon.com/Blackburn-2041...n+multi+mirror slide into the hole at the end of them? I'm assuming I'll just swivel the mirror on that pivot so that it sits to the side (because the hole on the bar end obviously faces inward). thanks! |
Originally Posted by harshbarj
(Post 15452083)
I'd say it's time to stop feeding the troll. Perhaps a mod can lock the thread?
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If you're referring to me as the troll, I'm sorry, that is not my intent. One of the biggest, if not the biggest keys to staying safe while sharing the road in any vehicle, is 360 degree visual awareness all the time. Active eyes, not an active body spinning like a top.
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Originally Posted by harshbarj
(Post 15452083)
I'd say it's time to stop feeding the troll. Perhaps a mod can lock the thread?
I find this thread to be most interesting as I'm thinking about getting a mirror. If you are offended by the different opinions that are being expressed, why don't you just stop reading instead of calling for censorship? :rolleyes: |
I cycled daily to work and/or school for 15 years without a mirror and felt safe enough. Then I tried a helmet mounted mirror when i was 29 (1988) and have not been without it since.
I find it more a matter of convienence in a city with streets full of potholes and other debris. But it is not a safety cure-all as mirrors do have their limitations. I would feel less comfortable without a mirror while cycling. |
Originally Posted by JoeyBike
(Post 15454219)
I find it more a matter of convienence i
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