Hello All,
https://www.bicycling.com/...ors-popular-cyclists
"I was a professional bike racer for 10 years before I retired at the end of 2017, so I’ve done my share of long training rides. I’d been noticing that more and more drivers are paying attention to their phones instead of the road. And it feels like it’s getting worse. I’ve had side mirrors hit me, I’ve had cars slam the brakes right in front of me.
My wife and I are expecting our first kid this March, so my priorities are shifting and I feel less inclined to take risks. Last year I stayed with a family in Austin, Texas, to train. The dad is in his 50s and rides with a mirror on his helmet.
Mirrors of any kind are not something you find in the bike-racing crowd. It’s not “pro.” In professional cycling, it’s like, your bar tape is white, your shoes are white, you have to have shaved legs.
But it was a revelation to ride with someone who knew that a car was about to pass without having to crane his neck to look—we could anticipate traffic with almost no effort, and it felt much safer. Suddenly, I was curious: Could I rock a mirror?
I added three options to my Amazon cart…and let them sit for two weeks. Part of me wasn’t ready to publicly display my apprehension of riding on open roads. And part of me still wanted to preserve my vanity. But practicality finally won out, and I clicked “buy.” (Get the Peddler’s Take a Look Mirror Soladay wears for $13 at Amazon.)"
"The first mirror I tried was a bar-end design that fit into my handlebar’s drop, but I didn’t like that I had to take my eyes off the road completely to use it. So I switched to a sunglass-mounted model. On my first ride, I saw the benefits immediately: With a quick glance to my left, I could see approaching vehicles.
Cars that previously went unheard and passed too close were now on my radar. If there was not much of a shoulder to ride on and I needed to protect my space, I could slowly drift out and gauge how drivers were reacting to me. I could see whether they were slowing down, if they were moving over. I was always looking out for the driver who made no adjustment. Now that I could create enough room between myself and the shoulder, I had a space to move into when they got closer."
Cheers, Neal
+1 mph Faster
https://www.bicycling.com/...ors-popular-cyclists
"I was a professional bike racer for 10 years before I retired at the end of 2017, so I’ve done my share of long training rides. I’d been noticing that more and more drivers are paying attention to their phones instead of the road. And it feels like it’s getting worse. I’ve had side mirrors hit me, I’ve had cars slam the brakes right in front of me.
My wife and I are expecting our first kid this March, so my priorities are shifting and I feel less inclined to take risks. Last year I stayed with a family in Austin, Texas, to train. The dad is in his 50s and rides with a mirror on his helmet.
Mirrors of any kind are not something you find in the bike-racing crowd. It’s not “pro.” In professional cycling, it’s like, your bar tape is white, your shoes are white, you have to have shaved legs.
But it was a revelation to ride with someone who knew that a car was about to pass without having to crane his neck to look—we could anticipate traffic with almost no effort, and it felt much safer. Suddenly, I was curious: Could I rock a mirror?
I added three options to my Amazon cart…and let them sit for two weeks. Part of me wasn’t ready to publicly display my apprehension of riding on open roads. And part of me still wanted to preserve my vanity. But practicality finally won out, and I clicked “buy.” (Get the Peddler’s Take a Look Mirror Soladay wears for $13 at Amazon.)"
"The first mirror I tried was a bar-end design that fit into my handlebar’s drop, but I didn’t like that I had to take my eyes off the road completely to use it. So I switched to a sunglass-mounted model. On my first ride, I saw the benefits immediately: With a quick glance to my left, I could see approaching vehicles.
Cars that previously went unheard and passed too close were now on my radar. If there was not much of a shoulder to ride on and I needed to protect my space, I could slowly drift out and gauge how drivers were reacting to me. I could see whether they were slowing down, if they were moving over. I was always looking out for the driver who made no adjustment. Now that I could create enough room between myself and the shoulder, I had a space to move into when they got closer."
Cheers, Neal
+1 mph Faster
