Does anyone have any tips on how to do this safely?

There are a couple spots where I need to go from the right shoulder of the road, to a bike route on the left shoulder. If I turn my head far enough back to see behind me, I usually end up on the dirt or in too far in the road.

TIA,
Steve
St. George, UT
Lightspeed Siena

Practice, practice, practice. Usually, you end up moving at little to the left when you turn your head to the left. If you pracitce doing this often, you can limit the amount that you move, to a few inches.

Does anyone have any tips on how to do this safely?

There are a couple spots where I need to go from the right shoulder of the road, to a bike route on the left shoulder. If I turn my head far enough back to see behind me, I usually end up on the dirt or in too far in the road.

TIA,
Steve
St. George, UT
Lightspeed Siena

Steve,

The best advice I ever got regarding this way to keep my right arm straight, locked out, and firm. This would be whilst looking over your left shoulder.

HTH,
Sean

tri resting your chin against the frount of your your shoulder.

Thanks guys!

Tomorrow I'll practice with my right arm locked and my chin on my left shoulder:-)

Steve

Thanks guys!

Tomorrow I'll practice with my right arm locked and my chin on my left shoulder:-)

Steve

Its just like driving, the arm lock and others is good advise, a quick glance to your six o clock, just like driving.

Does anyone have any tips on how to do this safely?

There are a couple spots where I need to go from the right shoulder of the road, to a bike route on the left shoulder. If I turn my head far enough back to see behind me, I usually end up on the dirt or in too far in the road.

TIA,
Steve
St. George, UT
Lightspeed Siena

As the poster above said - just like driving.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TAKE-a-LOOK-the-Best-Clip-On-Bicycle-Bike-Mirror-NEW_W0QQitemZ7192946635QQcategoryZ42319QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

TF

Does anyone have any tips on how to do this safely?

There are a couple spots where I need to go from the right shoulder of the road, to a bike route on the left shoulder. If I turn my head far enough back to see behind me, I usually end up on the dirt or in too far in the road.

TIA,
Steve
St. George, UT
Lightspeed Siena

Agree with the other posters. I also use an "Italian Road Mirror" found on eBay. These things are great for taking a quick look but I always double check with a head turn.

TH

Watch the pros looking backwards.

To look over your left shoulder without riding into the next lane, take your left hand off the bars and 'throw' it behind you, as if you were trying to point back down the road. It sounds daft, it looks dafter, but it works.

I just got back from a hour and a half ride (trying to break my butt into the saddle). I did much better with my arm locked and chin to shoulder. I'll try throwing my arm out too.

I may get the mirrors, but I don't see to many people with them, so I figure they must not work too well. I'll see if I can find someone who has a pair and ask them.

Steve

The Italian mirror goes into the bar end and is very small and unobtrusive. You won't know it is there unless you know what to look for. Still the mirror is only an aid in knowing what is behind you. The skill of looking back is essential to develop and the tips here are good ones. When you know you are making a maneuver that requires knowledge of what is behind you, is when you don't want to depend on anything other than looking over your shoulder, but for general riding I depend on my ears to tell me what is going on around me, and this is why that as much as I love music I will never ride a bicycle with an I-pod or anything that detracts from my ability to hear.

I just got back from a hour and a half ride (trying to break my butt into the saddle). I did much better with my arm locked and chin to shoulder. I'll try throwing my arm out too.

I may get the mirrors, but I don't see to many people with them, so I figure they must not work too well. I'll see if I can find someone who has a pair and ask them.

Steve
The reason mirrors are not used on the roads is 100% macho/vanity. The glasses/helmet mirror I referenced above works - you will know what is behind you at all times. Bar mount mirrors are like your side mirror on your car; good for changing lanes (I still look over my shoulder) but not for being aware. - TF

Watch the pros looking backwards.

To look over your left shoulder without riding into the next lane, take your left hand off the bars and 'throw' it behind you, as if you were trying to point back down the road. It sounds daft, it looks dafter, but it works.

Yeah--if I want to just get an impression of what's going on behind, I just do a quick head check, maybe two, then think about what I saw.

If I really want to SEE what's back there, I let go of the bar with my left hand (usually) and turn my whole upper body and look. Works well for me, because it tends to take the weight off my remaining hand, so I don't make accidental steering inputs.

Bar mount mirrors are like your side mirror on your car; good for changing lanes (I still look over my shoulder) but not for being aware. - TF

Huh? Come on, you'll have to explain this one. Why does the helmet/glasses mount make you more aware?


TH

if you're still freaked out after practicing a while, try looking over your RIGHT shoulder. Your natural inclination will be to turn slightly to the right AWAY from traffic.

Huh? Come on, you'll have to explain this one. Why does the helmet/glasses mount make you more aware?


TH
With a bar mount mirror I look when I need to change lanes, etc. In other words so that I don't move into the path of something else.

With the helmet mirror I look every few seconds and am aware at all times of what is behind me. I know when I'm in trouble even when it's not my fault.

TF

I prefer to look over my RIGHT shoulder. You need to twist your head less to see what's in the right lane.

Assuming that I am going to look over my left shoulder...the trick for me has always been to drop my left shoulder and tuck my elbow in towards my left side. That starts the proper set up for me to look over my shoulder while still holding my line. That works with either shoulder. With practice it is easy to form that move into muscle memory and habit.

You can also drop that shoulder and swivel your trunk all the way back while putting your hand on the hip that is now facing behind you. You can do this same trunk swivel and extend your arm back like you are pointing. Both work with practice and will give you are really good sustained look at the road behind you. Just make sure that you know what is in front of you when you do it because the trunk swivel approach takes a little more time to execute, i.e. this approach is better on a straight than a curve.

The only other thing that I would mention is to never replace the look behind you with a look into a mirror only. You'll regret it if you live.

Welcome to the club! Hope this helps. ;)

The reason you don't see more mirrors isn't because they don't work, it's because they don't look cool. At certain levels, among cyclists of a certain age and one particular gender, this is very much a fashion-driven sport--how else can you explain the number of organ-donors-in-waiting you see wearing black tights and jackets at dusk?
Being sufficiently aged that I don't give a rat's butt about how I look, I started using them five or six years ago, and it's made a big difference. Most effective has been a Rhode Gear mirror with a bracket that Velcros to the brake hoods, but I ride on the hoods a lot and it was uncomfortable. Bar-end mirrors also work pretty well, but I have barcon shifters on two bikes so there's noplace to put them. The one that rubber-bands to the top tube was a complete bust; I couldn't see anything but my crotch. Now I'm using one I got from Rivendell, mounted on a (very cleverly) bent spoke that hooks to the temple of my glasses. It takes some getting used to, and I'm forever leaving it at Starbuck's, but it works fine.

Yeah--if I want to just get an impression of what's going on behind, I just do a quick head check, maybe two, then think about what I saw.

If I really want to SEE what's back there, I let go of the bar with my left hand (usually) and turn my whole upper body and look. Works well for me, because it tends to take the weight off my remaining hand, so I don't make accidental steering inputs.
Yep, this is totally what I do. You'll be surprised how much easier it is to SEE what's behind you when you move your entire torso. As far as riding straight goes, it comes witha little practice. Don't sweat it.

Watch the pros looking backwards.

To look over your left shoulder without riding into the next lane, take your left hand off the bars and 'throw' it behind you, as if you were trying to point back down the road. It sounds daft, it looks dafter, but it works.

Yes, grab behind the saddle with your left arm and look back. Hold the bike straight, right hand near the stem on the top of the bars. Practice.

If you're in a lower position, look under your left elbow.

The reason you don't see more mirrors isn't because they don't work, it's because they don't look cool. At certain levels, among cyclists of a certain age and one particular gender, this is very much a fashion-driven sport--how else can you explain the number of organ-donors-in-waiting you see wearing black tights and jackets at dusk?
Being sufficiently aged that I don't give a rat's butt about how I look, I started using them five or six years ago, and it's made a big difference. Most effective has been a Rhode Gear mirror with a bracket that Velcros to the brake hoods, but I ride on the hoods a lot and it was uncomfortable. Bar-end mirrors also work pretty well, but I have barcon shifters on two bikes so there's noplace to put them. The one that rubber-bands to the top tube was a complete bust; I couldn't see anything but my crotch. Now I'm using one I got from Rivendell, mounted on a (very cleverly) bent spoke that hooks to the temple of my glasses. It takes some getting used to, and I'm forever leaving it at Starbuck's, but it works fine.

I'll admit it's a fashion statement, but here's another reason: I gave up on them fairly quickly so maybe it takes practice, but I always felt like it was just quicker to turn and look for cars rather than trying to focus on a mirror and get oriented. I also noticed that my ancient father no longer uses his helmet mirror either and he isn't worried about looking cool. That might be a bifocal issue though, I'm not sure. Regardless, when making a major move, you still need to actually look behind you to double check for traffic. Looking takes practice, especially the first time you hop on a crit-oriented road bike, but really, it becomes second nature with practice.

I can see how it might be nice to have a mirror (if you are accustomed to using one) to see what's coming up behind you as you are just riding along. However, cyclists also have the advantage of using their ears to keep tabs on traffic that drivers don't. You can tell a lot about how fast vehicles are coming, whether they are slowing down, and when riding closer to the speed of traffic, you can even tell how far they are moving over to pass you. Obviously sound has can be decieving at times, but I don't think people give their ears enough credit.

Old ladies have parked themselves on top of cyclists on rare occasions, but most cycling safety websites claim that most accidents happen from the front, not the rear. That's been my experience too -most of the time it's people seriously misjudging your speed when pulling out onto the road in front of you, making a right hand lane change into your space(scary but not usually lethal and you can use your fists on side panels before getting squeezed into the gutter), or failing to look carefully before turning left in front of you from the oncoming lane. The latter accidents kill cyclists all the time.

Sorry if I got off on a tanget after a simple "looking behind" question, but if you ride in a busy area, use a front light in even slightly low light conditions and start practicing your prediction skills (and stop staring in the mirror behind you!). Position your bike so that the most immediate threats to your safety can always see you and stay out of blind spots - this can be hard since once drivers pass you, they figure you're long gone. Wearing a rear taillight would be my third priority - the more visibly obnoxious you are the better. Bright clothing is nice too and most team kits are fairly bright, so you don't have to look like grandpa with his lime green vest if you don't want to (no offense intended). Unfortunately most tights, arm warmers, and helmets are darker colors. The last thing you can do is pray or make sacrifices to whoever floats your boat, and realize that even if you do get hit, at least you were out riding.

"However, cyclists also have the advantage of using their ears to keep tabs on traffic that drivers don't. You can tell a lot about how fast vehicles are coming, whether they are slowing down, and when riding closer to the speed of traffic, you can even tell how far they are moving over to pass you. Obviously sound has can be decieving at times, but I don't think people give their ears enough credit."

I ride with a lot of different kinds of cyclists. I can sit behind those 'riding with their ears' with my mirror and watch them react. They are all clueless. Maybe blissful in their ignorance, but clueless. - TF

I recently removed my helmet-mounted mirror, after years of never riding without it, just to see how well I like riding mirror-less -- but that's not the point of this post.

Even if you DO use a mirror, you still need to develop your backwards-looking skills. Why? To signal to motorists that you're aware they're there. When I first started using a mirror, I completely stopped looking back over my shoulder ... and for many days was utterly mystified why a car would come up behind me and just sit there, crowding my back wheel, when there was ample opportunity to go around. I would invariably eventually twist around to give the driver a "What the hell are you waiting for?!?" glare, and they'd immediately go around. And suddenly it hit me: thanks to my mirror, I knew they were there, but the drivers didn't know I knew they were there.

We all know, usually all too well, that many motorists literally don't know how to act when they encounter a cyclist on "their" roads. But most of them aren't really out to get us; they just want to get on down the road like anyone else. Once I figured out that a quick backwards glance to make eye contact with the driver was all it tooks to signal, "I know you're there ... do what you need to do ... I'm not going to make any unexpected moves" -- all was well.

Even though I've decided to try riding sans mirror with a while, I agree wholeheartedly with Turbo Turtle's comments that the nicest thing about a mirror is that it allows you to relax and enjoy the ride when there's nothing at all back there. Without a mirror, you're either always looking or you're always wondering. With a mirror, you always know.

Exactly! It sure makes it a lot easier to enjoy the ride, especially during a commute where there is a lot of traffic noise to begin with, so you can't always trust your ears.

Huh? Come on, you'll have to explain this one. Why does the helmet/glasses mount make you more aware?


TH

Simple... with a quick glance you can see what is behind you long before you can hear it and you don't have to lose sight of what's in front of you. Always be aware of your surroundings. A helmet/glasses mirror may look "uncool" but IMHO, its an added safety feature. I never ride without one.

I just got back from a hour and a half ride (trying to break my butt into the saddle). I did much better with my arm locked and chin to shoulder. I'll try throwing my arm out too.

I may get the mirrors, but I don't see to many people with them, so I figure they must not work too well. I'll see if I can find someone who has a pair and ask them.

Steve

Get a mirror. I've used the Take a Look and the CycleAware Reflex. Both work great. I think the reason you might not see a lot of people using them is because of the coolness factor. Personally I don't give one whit about whether a mirror makes me any less "cool". There are plenty of really fast riders in my club that use them. Being aware of what is going on behind you trumps any perceived lack of coolness.

Yes, grab behind the saddle with your left arm and look back. Hold the bike straight, right hand near the stem on the top of the bars. Practice.

If you're in a lower position, look under your left elbow.

I do something similar, only rather than grabbing the saddle, I put my left hand on my thigh, then look back.

I do something similar, only rather than grabbing the saddle, I put my left hand on my thigh, then look back.


Watch that... my be perceived as "posing".


Nite-all!

Good info....Thanks!

I'll look into the mirrors, I've been married 20+ years, I don't care if I look cool:-)

I'll also integrate the different tips, to see what works best for me.

Steve
St.George, UT
'04 Litespeed Siena, Ultegra 9 speed, Rolf Vigors

I started using a mirror regularly just this year after sharing a 45 mi charity ride on narrow 2-lane rural highways with a VERY experienced (60+ yr old) roadie. He insisted on riding back to keep track of cars with his mirror, and berated me for not having one. 'Said he felt naked riding without one (WTF???). Anyway, I have to admit it was a much more enjoyable ride when you are not surprised by overtaking traffic. He claimed that a properly adjusted mirror lets you constantly see what's behind without turning your head (at least not as much). A poorly adjusted mirror makes you twist your neck into uncomfortable positions to try to see behind. Experiment with your mirror to get the best view. Living in a busy suburban area, I now find a good mirror required equipment.

Cars are like sharks- it's the one you DON'T see that kills you.

I have a riding bud who has one of those spoke mirrors like Cory's and he will spot cars back long before I can see them in my Italian road mirror. I tend to feel a little guilty when I'm on his wheel and he's warning me.

With a bar mount mirror I look when I need to change lanes, etc. In other words so that I don't move into the path of something else.

With the helmet mirror I look every few seconds and am aware at all times of what is behind me. I know when I'm in trouble even when it's not my fault.

TF
I've seen this debated so often. . . . None of the arguments against cyclists using a mirror of some kind makes sense, any more than it would be for car drivers. And for both, you need to check with a backward glance as well. Cyclists need to listen for oncoming traffic also--which is why I get nervous when i see a cyclist using an iPod.

Mirrors are an excellent adjunct to the Mark 1 Human Eye. You might consider getting one of the small parabolic mirrors from an auto supply store and glueing it to your glove (Actually, they are self stick). Then you simply raise your hand and see what is behind you. Since you can move your hand, you effectively have a larger field of view than with the small mirrors - but they work too.

But I always glance behind to. Have had several cars come up on me that I did not hear until they were going past - its usually windy here.

Sinclair