rear view helmet mirrors

are world class racers wearing rear view mirrors?
if not why?
watching the tour de georgia, seems many were wasting energy and speed
looking backward

wrote:
are world class racers wearing rear view mirrors?
if not why?
watching the tour de georgia, seems many were wasting energy and speed
looking backward

they'd look too dorky...like I do.

also, maybe they're not "aero"?

Are world class racers wearing rear view mirrors, and if not why
not? Watching the Tour de Georgia, seems many were wasting energy
and speed looking backward.

In California you'll fail the driving test if you don't look back when
changing lanes. The reason is that even with three mirrors in the
car, there is still a blind spot that can best be viewed by looking
back. The same goes for bicycling. The primary reason for rearview
mirrors in bicycling is to allay the fears of paranoids, not to see
whether it is safe to move into a lane for a left turn or the like.

I doubt that a racer would risk crashing a fellow racer by relying on
a rear view mirror, one attached to the head one way or another, while
making a maneuver in a pack. Beyond that, the information gained by
skewing one eye to look into that mirror is like trying to read this
screen with ones head facing 45° to one side.

Jobst Brandt

In California you'll fail the driving test if you don't look back when
changing lanes. The reason is that even with three mirrors in the
car, there is still a blind spot that can best be viewed by looking
back. The same goes for bicycling. The primary reason for rearview
mirrors in bicycling is to allay the fears of paranoids, not to see
whether it is safe to move into a lane for a left turn or the like.

I doubt that a racer would risk crashing a fellow racer by relying on
a rear view mirror, one attached to the head one way or another, while
making a maneuver in a pack. Beyond that, the information gained by
skewing one eye to look into that mirror is like trying to read this
screen with ones head facing 45° to one side.

Jobst Brandt
--------------

Being an endurance rider (doing rides 200+ miles), I've noticed most, not
all of us, endurance riders use mirros of some sort. I use a mirror on the
end of my handlebar. They are no substitue for looking back when changing
lanes in traffic, but they do have other purposes. One is the ability to
ride in the road, instead of being crunched on the side (my definition of
paranoid), because I can quickly scan traffic flow, and it really can save
your tires. I use what I hear as my main indicator of what's happening
behind me, but sometimes wind can take that radar away, and then I go back
to the mirror. I notice I can make moves earlier, and you can use the road
more efficiently. When you're doing more than 200 miles, you don't want to
waste energy doing the racers neck twitch, when a simple glance into the
mirror tells you the story. I did try the helmet mirror, and did find it
took my eyes off what was in front, which is more important, but I really
didn't give it that much time to figure it out. So the handlebar end
mirror, isn't any more distracting than using the side mirror in a truck.
But it probably hurts on aerodynamics, which is usually a minor problem in
endurance rides.

the mirror turns 360 on the stalk's ball joint.
if you turn the mirror to the down toward's the road position
then rotate the mirror 90 degrees up and in toward your nose
and then adjust the stalk's swing in or out away from the nose/face
you should see rearward without twitching your eyes.

On Apr 22, 9:39 pm, " wrote:
are world class racers wearing rear view mirrors?
if not why?
watching the tour de georgia, seems many were wasting energy and speed
looking backward

FWIW, I see a group of club riders around here every now and again
that all have oval mirrors hanging from the tops of their drops. They
always ride in a nice neat peloton and are very cordial fellows. I saw
the mirror once when trawling the internet, but neglected to bookmark
it. Seemed like a smart and not too fugly design.

On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 03:30:19 +0000, jobst.brandt wrote:

The primary reason for rearview
mirrors in bicycling is to allay the fears of paranoids, not to see
whether it is safe to move into a lane for a left turn or the like.

I doubt that a racer would risk crashing a fellow racer by relying on
a rear view mirror, one attached to the head one way or another, while
making a maneuver in a pack. Beyond that, the information gained by
skewing one eye to look into that mirror is like trying to read this
screen with ones head facing 45° to one side.

Mr Brandt. I usually respect your opinion but I think that you have no
understanding of what you are talking about in this case. Auto blindspots
are the result of the posts and pillars of the cage and body of the
vehicle; not an issue on any bike I have ridden.

Not being any sort of wonder optically both glasses and helmet mounted
mirrors easily provide me as much rear view information with a slight head
turn as does wrenching my neck to each side.

would I depend on a mirror in a peloton? No distances are too fine. For
general trail and traffic they are great tools.

Bran

On 23 Apr 2007 03:30:19 GMT, wrote:

In California you'll fail the driving test if you don't look back when
changing lanes. The reason is that even with three mirrors in the
car, there is still a blind spot that can best be viewed by looking
back.

It's possible to set up your mirrors so there is no blind spot, if you
use all three. Set the side mirrors of your car very wide, so much so
that you can't see the sides of the car, and have to tilt your head
toward the side (left or right) if you want' to see the side of the
car.

--
JT
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In article ,
says...

changing lanes. The reason is that even with three mirrors in the
car, there is still a blind spot that can best be viewed by looking
back.

Actually, properly adjusted side mirrors should eliminate blind spots.
That's what side mirrors are for. It works like this:

--When a trailing vehicle is fully in your rearview mirror, it is safe
to change lanes

--As the vehicle begins to pass you (or you begin to pass it), it will
begin to leave the field of your rearview mirror. If your side mirrors
are properly adjusted, it will begin to come into view in the side
mirror. When the vehicle is partially or completely out of view of the
rear view mirror, it is UNSAFE to change lanes.

--As the passing vehicle continues to overtake you, it will begin to
leave the view of the side mirror, if it is properly adjusted, and
become visible to your peripheral vision.

Yes, it does work and anyone who thinks about it should realize that
head checks don't work well for things like windowless vans or vehicles
that sit high like SUV's. The best way to make and test these
adjustments are on multi-lane roads where it is easy to overtake other
vehicles and observe as they are overtaking you. It is much safer than
craning one's neck to an awkward position and not looking where you are
going.

On Apr 22, 10:39 pm, " wrote:
are world class racers wearing rear view mirrors?
if not why?
watching the tour de georgia, seems many were wasting energy and speed
looking backward

Exactly what I wondered for years. As a Third-Eye user (on the
helmet), the mirror takes no more than a split second to see if there
are any cars coming, plus I can see what's going on with the riders
behind without looking back or underneath the armpit etc. I used it
once to accelerate to the fine point of making the guy leaching behind
really suffer but still keep him in tow. (Of course, I was suffering
too, but it was entertaining to watch, nevertheless).

In a race, one would think that the ability to see (nearly) everything
behind while also seeing in front would be an advantage - either when
attacking or defending. I suspect racers don't use it because they
haven't tried it.

Mr. Brandt is wrong on this as it does not cause a crash, at least the
helmet mirror I use, as much as looking at the top left of your
computer screen for a split second would make you lose your typing
(unless you type with three fingers). And paranoid? Usually not, but
when you keep hearing of cyclists getting killed by cars, I appreciate
seeing the passing car/truck not veering into me. The appropriate
analogy for Mr. Brandt would be like driving a car with NO mirrors.
Sure you could, but why? Mirrors just make it easier and safer, that's
all.