Do you use a mirror?

[docnjoj]

On a tadpole trike you have an additional option for mounting mirrors. Here in the middle I have a rear view camera in addition to the two mirrors. Magicshine also mounted lower down on the mast.
otherDoc

 

[dodjob]

I don't use a mirror, I put me straight on my bike, turn my head an look if someone come... And I remember nearly every time this sentence "it's really harder to kill someone when looking in his eyes"

 

[Sacman]

I use a helmet mounted mirror too... especially if I'm riding in the streets.
I feel vulnerable and exposed without it.
I HAVE to KNOW what the cars are doing as they come up to me from behind.

 

[auraslip]

It's my understanding that brakes are reversed on American bikes because they got sued when people used their stronger right hands to send themselves over the bars. I hate this country some times.

 

[dodjob]

It's my understanding that brakes are reversed on American bikes because they got sued when people used their stronger right hands to send themselves over the bars. I hate this country some times.

ah ah never heard about this ^^ here in EU are the brakes also reversed... reverse them again is actually the first thing I do when i buy/mount a bike I'm a motor-biker and that's the way it HAS to be
Gruß,
H.

 

[shock]

Bicycle brakes are arranged for hand signalling. Rear on curbside. Front on signalling hand side.

Have never had problems changing between motorcycle, bicycle and atv brakes. Due to clutches things will not be the same, period. The brain is amazingly adaptive.

My brain adapted by making all my vehicles brake the same way I suppose it more of a personal preference thing..

 

[999zip999]

NeilP we did put the steering wheel on the correct side. Who has the best handle bar mirrior ?

 

[TonyReynolds]

I have a bar end mirror on the left. Wouldn't ride without one. It becomes especially important if you're wearing any kind of an enclosed helmet that limits your peripheral vision.

 

[cor]

Been riding bicycles for 42 years without mirror. Recently bought an EV Global (Lee Iacocca) and that came with a good mirror - slightly wider angle of view than the mirror width due to it being a little spherical. Perfect. When I get on one of my other bikes I miss that sense of constantly knowing what is behind you and I need to turn my head a lot more.

 

[dogman dan]

Mirror or no mirror, you simply must eyball those cars overtaking you. Lucky me, I can still choose routes that don't make a mirror mandatory. We are a city, but some good bike paths exist, as well as some lower traffic paralell routes. Other places don't have that luxury.

If I ever get well enough for a really long tour, I'll be adding a mirror since crosscountry riding leaves you no alternate routes to ride without so many cars.

 

[cor]

I mostly commute by bike (have two BMW 5-series, but like it better to ride than drive) so I do between 22 and 30 miles a day (35-50 kms) mostly just me pedaling but I like it whan I can open a throttle to help me up a nasty overpass, especially if it is a freeway interchange like I have at least one of in my commute and cars are whizzing by left and right. I am OK riding in traffic - I often see that drivers have more difficulty in judging how to deal with that strange vehicle on two wheels who dares to share the lane with them...
Anyway, I like the mirror giving me constant "eyes in the back of my head" without requiring me to turn my head every moment.
Of course, before I move across a lane, I will look over my shoulder as I might miss a vehicle from the limited viewing angle of the mirror. Also, it has been engrained in me from riding all those years and 100,000+ miles without mirror. It is the same actions that I do when driving, so I understand it when educators say that in order to ride safely, you must "drive" your bike, behave like any other vehicle on the road.

 

[ddk]

I've been riding bikes for over 50 years.
That said I never used mirrors until I lived in a hilly location, as I could safely turn my head slightly to see what's behind me
However
Flying down a hill over 30mph I'm not so keen turning my head in the slightest, so I started using mirrors
My latest acquisition has two mirrors!

 

[ddk]

I'm currently contemplating installing a rear-view camera and a 7" monitor on this trike to augment the mirrors
haven't decided yet but I already have the parts installed where I no longer need that feature

 

[cor]

Flying down a hill over 30mph I'm not so keen turning my head in the slightest, so I started using mirrors

I understand that, I was quite happy that the EVG has a mirror during my experiment to climb the Santa Cruz mountains, especially during parts of the descent where I reached up to 50 MPH - the bike felt solid even at that speed and I just needed to make sure no car was trying to pass me if I wanted to lean into a left turn (lay the bike flat) although there were a couple turns where I *needed* to brake to slow down quite a bit. There it helped that the EVG has a brake light, this signaled to the cars behind me what I was doing. Since most of the descent was either going full speed or braking for a sharper turn, almost no cars passed me on the entire 6 miles down and the ones that did often accelerated hard to make it past me before the next turn, since I was already over the speed limit on the straights. *never* have I gone so fast on a bicycle. It was slightly scary and very cold even though it was a sunny day - I wore no jacket as I expected a warm day and did not want to melt on my way up doing the pedal-assist thing.
I still looked back over my shoulder a couple times before "taking the lane" to make a less sharp left turn.

 

[cor]

Bicycle brakes are arranged for hand signalling. Rear on curbside. Front on signalling hand side.

My EVG bike has stock brakes and front brake is right as I am used to - I have always ridden European bikes until 8 years ago. I think I would swap cables if front would be on the left brake handle or see if my brain picks up on using more front brake on the other handle automatically. (On a two wheeler, you always have to do manual proportioning between front and rear and to get best stopping power, front has to brake much harder. Only on a car there is a proportioning valve and ABS that will do this automatically when you stomp your foot down on the service brake pedal.)

 

[docnjoj]

I'm currently contemplating installing a rear-view camera and a 7" monitor on this trike to augment the mirrors
haven't decided yet but I already have the parts installed where I no longer need that feature

I have one on my tadpole but in bright sunlight the screen is useless. On cloudy or overcast days it is really helpful, but you still need mirrors.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

blah blah blah... rear-view camera and a 7" monitor...

I have one on my tadpole but in bright sunlight the screen is useless. On cloudy or overcast days it is really helpful, but you still need mirrors.
otherDoc

I know how that works! :lol: (or, how it doesn't work)
I have one on my motorhome. It's a nice feature used in conjunction with the side mirrors (that also have 2 concave surfaces for seeing the blind spots)
Good for spotting rear vehicles from a distance

As I'm still considering constructing a 'roof' of sorts over my trike I might be able to mount the monitor in shaded location.
That, or enclosing the monitor in a hood, like what was used on older o-scopes
(haha- I does sometimes think the strangest things)

anyways mirrors rocks

 

[docnjoj]

I made a duct tape hood for my rear vie screen but it really doesn't help that much. Also sunglasses tend to make the view even dimmer. I forgot mine one day and wow! I could really see the screen. Unfortunately the glare from the sun made me not see much else!
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

Is that the 'rear view camera kit' sold in various big box stores?
if you made the hood deeper it might help..
My old Lavoie scopes' hood is (was) about 10" deep
I no longer have the scope but it made a great space heater! (1000 watts of tube heaters!)

ol' dem good ol'days
weren't so gud a-after all.

traveling faster than a normal bicycle one should consider the use of mirrors for their own safety
...shouldn't be an option for a part that costs a few bucks

 

[docnjoj]

I got it online for about 50 bucks. Yes I am planning to deepen the hood (with more duct tape) I don't know how much deeper I can make it, maybe another few inches. Down here in LA (lower Alabama) the sun is quite bright.
otherDoc

 

[docnjoj]

I got it online for about 50 bucks. Yes I am planning to deepen the hood (with more duct tape) I don't know how much deeper I can make it, maybe another few inches. Down here in LA (lower Alabama) the sun is quite bright.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

LOL get 'creative' with a manila folder, scissors and duct tape (most of my hoods were made in this fashion)

dunno why I kept thinking Louisiana when you mentioned LA
Lived in Biloxi for a few years... but I like where I'm at much more so. NWPC
'cause it's like, cool man
like, all the time... can't ride the trike without at least one jacket, a hoody and gloves all year round!