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rear view mirror...am I the only one...
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...that uses one of these on a regular basis. It's a simple little clip-on to the helmet visor. The only time I don't wear it is during a race. I know exactly where the cars are when wearing it.

In our roadie group of over twenty regulars I'm the only one that wears a rear view mirror. Consequently, I'm the first one to always to yell "car back" to the rest of the group to give warning. I've also noticed that triathletes training solo never seem to be wearing rear view mirrors.

IMO, a rear view mirror is every bit as important as a helmet as a safety precaution. You wouldn't drive a car or motorcycle without one, so why different on a bike? Just wondering what other people think.
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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When I ride, either solo or in a group, I tend to ride as far to the right as possible. This does not necessarily protect me or make me safer.

After 10+ years of riding on 3 continents, I can almost feel cars behind me. I am always listening and looking over my shoulder.

The only problems I have ever had with cars is when they have turned left in front of me and give me no option but to hit them.

Craig
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I usually train solo, and I don't wear one. For me, it's too distracting. I don't like having the thing clipped to my helmet and sticking out. It distracts me from the road ahead.

That being said, I agree that it may be a good safety device for many people (especially when training on the roads), and for those who have never tried one, I'd recommend at least trying one out to see if it helps. However, if you're trying to be conscientious cyclist while training, and you obey both the bicycle traffic laws and "rules" of the road (e.g., stay to the right, use hand signals, etc.), you're probably going to be as safe as you can be, with or without the mirror.


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Steve Perkins
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [craigwsullivan] [ In reply to ]
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"I tend to ride as far to the right as possible"

My experience has been that if I hug the right cars tend to not move much as they pass. If I ride out further it forces cars to pullover more when they pass.

The nice thing about the rear view mirror is that I am much more likely to see what the cars are going to do.
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I am with you on 'taking the lane' when riding. I'd rather force the car/driver to move over than to let them think that they don't have to do anything. Also, with all the glass, gravel, and other crap on the side of the road, I'd rather ride where it's safe. I also like having more space to maneuver.
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I tried one, but it must have been crappy, because I could never get it into a position where I could see anything behind me. I might try another one this fall, because I get buzzed by cars who don't think they need to move over quite frequently. Any suggestions?

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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [jmorrissey] [ In reply to ]
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I've never used the helmet kind but I've tried to use the one that connects to the bars. I found that I always heard the car long before I noticed it in that tiny mirror. I would be surprised if you would have enough reaction time to move from a car that was going to hit you by the time you saw it in the mirror anyway.
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [Tom H] [ In reply to ]
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"I found that I always heard the car long before I noticed it in that tiny mirror."

I don't know the make, but the visor clip-on mirror that I have is very effective. I can see the cars WAY before I can hear them.
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
"I found that I always heard the car long before I noticed it in that tiny mirror."

I don't know the make, but the visor clip-on mirror that I have is very effective. I can see the cars WAY before I can hear them.


You raise an excellent point. I used one years ago, but my "cool factor" overrode the "geek factor" in my younger days. I'm a permanent geek now, so I think I'm going to go buy one. Thanks for the reminder. They are a fantastic safety device once you've got one that works and you get used to using it.

What I liked best about the mirror isn't so much being able to see every car coming -- but rather to do that quick little check before I reach for a bottle or adjust my crotch or move out into the lane to avoid a pothole.

I have a hunch they'd also be good in a race so I don't get caught drafting Slowman. ;-)
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No, I use one [ In reply to ]
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I've found it to be very useful, right up until I bought my tri bike. When I'm down on the aeros I just can't get a decent view. Admittedly, I don't ride it in town, I have my mtb for that.

So, I guess I wear it on the mtb but not the tri bike.

J.
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I use a Road Gear model that attaches to my brake handle. Excellent view in any biking position. Wouldn't leave home without it. I've accepted any loss in aerodynamics in exchange for better presence of what is behind me. And, you can see the draft marshals coming from a mile away (Ok, that part is supposed to be a little humor).
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Re: rear view mirror...am I the only one... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I use a helmet mirror all the time. For safety it's no more uncool than a helmet. It's just adds sensory knowledge in addition to the "sense" of a car behind you. What the heck, why not use it in a race? The loss of a millisecond in aerodynamics is worth it in knowing when someone is trying to catch up or pass - and it helps eliminate drafting problems. In road racing or training, it lets you use the road more fully, especially on down hills, if you know a car is approaching from way back there.

Some people have trouble getting the mirror in the right position, it makes them cross eyed or something, or it get knocked out of whack in transition - you just have work at it a little and get used to it.
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