UKC

Cars I can cope with but the antics of the 'Tour de Finance' peloton that seems to collect in my slipstream on the way home is making me seriously think about fitting a mirror.

Anybody tried using mirrors, or is it better to go out in a blaze of glory surrounded by twisted aluminium and mangled carbon fibre?

In reply to AndyC: If you're worried about looking uncool, get these

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NPGMHM/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

You'll be stylish and safe, you can also pretend to be a spy.

In reply to AndyC:

Never used one until recently, just crossed Spain on a heavy/wobbly MTB and the mirror was indespensible, great safety aid.

The bar mounted compass was a godsend as well but one step at a time eh!

In reply to AndyC: I'm confused what problem it would be solving. Do you not check behind you before making any change of line? Are other cyclists trying to cycle through you?

In reply to Liam M:

99% of the time I know what's going on behind me, but sometimes you can't afford half a second to look back because you're doing 45 kph about 5 m from the car in front.

But an example from this afternoon - straight, flat, two lane road, I'm at the head of about 6 cyclists, approaching a long queue of stationary traffic at about 35 kph. Moved out close to the centre of the road and timed my pull out to overtake the queue with the passing of the last oncoming car. As I was crossing the centre line I found the guy behind had moved up so he was level with my pedal, leaving me almost nowhere to go. I didn't know he'd suddenly changed position because I was concentrating on the traffic ahead and I had assumed too much common sense in the folk behind.

If I'd had a mirror I might have seen what he was up to.

In reply to AndyC:

Never tried a cycle mirror, but I agree with you re the cr@ppy tour de commuters that goes everywhere. I cycle 17 miles each way on my commute from west london into the city and apart from the odd car door from a mum dropping her kids off the real threat is other cyclists. For some reason it seems to be the slow ones who jump lights, push to the front at a junction when everyone has stopped, swerve randomly etc.

In reply to AndyC: if you were changing possition in the road you should always look behind .

In reply to AndyC:

It sounds like you need to better indicate your intentions and maybe manoever a bit earlier to allow yourself the time to do a shoulder check, it could just as easily be a motor cyclist or the silent killer (prius running all electric).

However, if they are half wheeling you, give them some grief for it.

In reply to tim000:

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I had safely moved into a position in the centre of the road where it was obvious where I was going to have to go next - down the outside of the line of cars or pile into the back of the queue. The guy behind seemed to assume I was planning the latter. If I hadn't made a final split-second check behind I would have taken him out.

In reply to AndyC:

Do you use arm signals?

In reply to AndyC: I wouldn't bother, I've removed them from my car, now I just expect everybody to be a mindreader and know what I'm going to do without me signalling my intentions or even having a casual glance over my shoulder.

In reply to AndyC:

No mirrors
See Rule #66
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

In reply to cousin nick:

Yeah! It was reading precisely that rule that prompted the question in the first place. But I give up on this thread, apart from one or two people (thanks Batcloud!) who bothered to read and answer the actual question, the rest is just the usual UKC wind-up.

For the record: yes - I use arm signals, yes - I always look behind before changing position, yes - I stop at red lights and pedestrian crossings, yes - I even give way to traffic on roundabouts.

NB: People who can't hear a Prius or a motorbike coming up behind probably shouldn't be on the road.

In reply to AndyC:
Nothing uncool about the mirrors on this bike

http://www.keeleyhire.co.uk/images/items/full/1933.jpg

In reply to AndyC:


!! Who needs protection from whom?!

In reply to AndyC:
sometimes you can't afford half a second to look back because you're doing 45 kph about 5 m from the car in front.


Hmm. Now I can think of another solution

In reply to AndyC:

So why did you say you didn't then?

In reply to AndyC:


the ones i have seen have been bugger all use and if anything a liability since you might try using it rather than checking over shoulder.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Because I apparently confused the issue by making a generalisation and then citing a specific event in the same post. In the latter a potential accident was avoided because I did a final look round and found a cyclist where I was definitely not expecting to see one.

In reply to dissonance:

Thanks! That's the kind of feedback I was after!

In reply to AndyC:

Hey now, I gave you the stylish option.

In reply to tspoon1981:

That's true! A pair of those and that chopper bike and all my cycling problems would definitely be solved!

In reply to AndyC: Treat yourself

http://ridelow.co.uk/

In reply to AndyC:
You could 'phone a friend' and try out this solution to your problem:

http://tukortandem.uw.hu/_tukortandem/tukortandema091.jpg

In reply to AndyC:
You could also try this nifty and cool solution. This is what it looks like when in use:
http://0.tqn.com/d/bicycling/1/0/m/3/-/-/cycleaware_mirror.jpg

This is what the same device looks like when folded away:
http://www.zetaminor.com/images/dvd_review_images/carry_on/carry_again_char...

In reply to AndyC: Only just seen this thread. I used to have one & it was occassionally useful (especially for seeing something arriving behind) but had a limited field of vision so you still needed to look behind to be sure.

When that bike was stolen I never bothered to buy one for the 'new' bike (actually a hastily assembled bike based mostly on stuff lying around plus a few bought bits & pieces) or any bike I've owned since

In reply to AndyC: I used to use a mirror when commuting along a busy A road, it was a mirricycle similar to this http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=mirrycle+mirror&rls=com.micr...

and it was the dogs danglies. You could just keep an eye on what was going on behind, then quick head turn to look behind, signal and manouver. My current commute is off-road, so I don't use one now, but if went back to busy road commuting I'd get another mirror straight away.

In reply to AndyC:

Thanks everybody for the fableeous suggestions, a lot of good information there.

I'm heading out to play in the Friday afternoon traffic now... this may be my last post. Just remember - what you can't see, can't hurt you... or something like that.

In reply to AndyC: I use one of these -

Halfords Bike Eye Bike Mirror (UKC won't let me link)

Both absolutely useless and a great piece of kit.

Due to its location and size it just doesn't provide rapid/enough visibility to be usable intercity.

However, it's very subtle due to its location so you don't lose too many cool points and great for keeping track of riding partners bringing up the rear when on country roads. Unfortunately the girl friend is a bit slower than me (thank god i'm stronger than her at, at least one of our sports)so I used to find myself getting really far out in front and having to slow down so she could catch up, slightly frustrating cycle. With this little beauty I can see how far back she is and maintain a pace that suits her.