szewczykm

Today a co-worker told me to be careful on my bike. He shared a story from late last week. On a road where I ride, a biker was struck from behind by a car. My friend saw it happen. The biker survived, but was in bad shape. "Bike hanging in a tree..."

The driver did stop. It was an older gentleman who said that he never saw the biker. It was 5:30 PM in the midwest, a good 3 1/2 hours before dark. The biker came to in the ditch, he didn't know what happened. He never saw it coming.

I'm always worried about this. I think need to get a rear view mirror. I don't know if that would have helped this particular biker. Maybe if he had seen the car coming, I don't know.

I find that when I need to drift to the center of the road, or I need to turn left, just looking over my left shoulder causes me to drift left.

I did some searches on the forums for "Rear view mirror" but I didn't find what I was looking for.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I ride a road bike, helmet, gloves, glasses - always.

Pamestique 

I have found a mirror helps (best is one that attaches to your handlebar) but you can't stare into it all the time and if a car drifts into you suddenly, the mirror is not going to help. I believe your fear is justified. In the 40+ years I have been riding, I have learned drivers are the most distracted between 3 - 6pm, when they are coming home from work, going to pick up the kids, going to a BUNCO game whatever. Drivers are busy looking at the radio, at their phone, talking to passengers. The elderly need no excuse, they are just scary.

So what does that mean? What to you. If riding during the week, after work, I try and limit my road riding to trails, paths and side streets where traffic is light. I try and maintain my line as straight as possible. If I need to turn or check traffic I pull over and stop. Better to be safe than sorry. Also ride with high visibility clothing on and if you can, ride in groups. 3 riders are easier to see than 1.

Not that this will happen, but if you haven't already, invest in a ROAD ID. A small light bracelet with all your medical and insurance information on it. I can tell you from experience, my ROAD ID was invaluable to me when I sustained a serious head injury and was unconcious for a hour.

And you can start mountain biking, like I do, during the week after work. I feel I am safer taking changes with a mountain lion than an elderly (or teen age) distracted driver on the road.

szewczykm

This is interesting. Very good point.

Mr. Cranky

I haven't used a bar-mounted mirror but I'm quite happy with my helmet-mounted mirror. I don't wear it every time I ride but I do wear it when commuting. I use the Take-A-Look mirror. It can be attached to glasses or a helmet visor.

Seattle Forrest

Without headphones, I can hear cars approaching. I don't need a mirror.

Most drivers aren't out to hit you. Most means 99.99999999999999999999999999 % of them. The old guy who hit the cyclist may really not have seen him, for a lot of reasons, and incompetence of some kind is probably one of those reasons. He may have been distracted, he might be on meds that he shouldn't be driving with, or any number of things, but it almost certainly wasn't intentional. Even people who wouldn't mind hurting a perfect stranger generally won't do it because there are consequences - getting sued, if not jail time.

When somebody comes up behind you, try not holding your line. Swerve to the left, out into the street, well before they reach you, and back to where you're riding. Hold your line while they pass. Chances are they'll decide you're a danger and give you more room.

Pamestique 

You are a brave man that's all I can say!!!

I don't use a mirror much anymore either. I have trained myself to listen for sounds and can always hear a car approaching long before my friends using mirrors see the car.

I am lucky; where I live we have some fairly wide bike lanes... that said on an evening ride I have watched motorists weave in and out of those lanes. Key is just awareness. As we know drivers are distracted; don't ride distracted... ears pricked; senses alert. I always think of myself as a horse concerned about pedators...

Bryan K

This has been on my mind too as I'm planning on commuting to work downtown soon. It seems like every other week I hear about a cyclist here in Seattle getting hit by a car and it's a scary thought. I don't ride with headphones, trying to be conscious of the color gear that I buy and having lighting on my bike even during the day.
My GF on the other hand is in Grad school in Nashville and doesn't think she needs lights on her bike since she only plans to ride during the day and wants a case to mount her iPhone to her bike so she can listen to her music. I cringed when I heard all of this......

Thanks for bringing up this topic, it helps me to keep safety on my bike in the for-front of my mind.

TrojanHorse

I prefer to get up and ride in the morning - hardly anybody up at 5 am and it's peaceful.

However, I am relegated to riding on roads during weekday afternoons / evenings and I prefer roads with a large shoulder area (even if it's not a bike path, something with plenty of room) and I have a blinker on the back and I have this eye-searingly bright yellow jersey. You know, that neon shade you can't miss even with your eyes closed.

Something like this might work for you - https://www.westernbikeworks.com/prod...ar-end-mirrors

Or this if you want to get all fancy n stuff

https://www.cerevellum.com/

CraigB

This is not uncommon. It takes some practice to continue to go in a straight line when you look back over your shoulder. Most riders tend to drift toward the side they're looking.

For years I used the "Take-a-Look" mirror on my glasses, until I got tired of trying to make it work on sunglasses that have more curved or otherwise odd-shaped temple pieces. Now I use the Cycleaware Reflex mirror that mounts to my helmet. It's easy to brush against it and knock the aim off, but just as easy to readjust it properly. They say that it can be easily removed from its mounting base if you need to take it off for some reason, but so far I haven't felt the need to. Both items can be seen here from Amazon.

tony_merlino

Mirrors never worked out for me very well - I'm always messing with them, and they turn out to be more disruptive (for me) than just turning around. I rely on my ears to hear cars coming up behind me, and that's getting flakier as I get older and my hearing deteriorates. But, as long as I don't wear headphones and remain mindful, I can hear the cars.

As far as looking back to move or turn left is concerned, it's worthwhile to practice holding your line while you're doing this. Don't count on just doing it when you have to - practice it as a skill you're trying to attain.

Leebo

I run a bar end mirror. Blinking and steady lights front and rear all the time. Day and night, it helps to be visible.

volosong

I've talked about this before, but maybe in the 50+ forum and not here. It is indeed an very important topic.

Back during this past Autumn, I had a "life changing" experience. I started doing three things, and that has changed drastically how other vehicles view me. Before that, I'd just ride. Responsibly, following traffic laws, etc. For most of my life, maybe only one out of ten cars would pass me at a safe, respectable distance. They would either slow down until it was safe to pass, or go halfway over into the oncoming lane to pass me. The other nine out of ten would "buzz" me and make no effort to give my any room.

Since I'm now in my early 60's and that is the age where most of us reflect back on our lives, how productive we've been, what we would have done differently, and ponder our own mortality ... I started getting uncomfortable with how closely cars would come to me, considering the speed differential. I might be going 15 mph, maybe 18 or 19 when going with the wind; while normal traffic flow in my area is posted 55, but people usually exceed that.

What I started doing is riding with a strobe tail light, a strobe headlight, and wear a chartreuse vest or jacket, depending on the temperature. For a strobe tail light, I run a Planet Bike Super Flash Turbo in random mode. Before that, I just used the normal Planet Bike Superflash light, also in random blinking mode. As soon as I get off my butt, I'm ordering something more powerful, not that I'm unhappy with the SuperFlash Turbo ... I just want something brighter still.

For a headlight, I use a MiNewt NiteRider 600, in strobe mode ... always during the daytime. It's kind of expensive, but to give you an example of how powerful it is, I had an oncoming motorcyclist cycle towerd me, pass me, turn around and come back up on me. He apologized saying that he realized I was "in the middle of a training session", but had to ask about my strobe light. He said he saw me from half a mile away and wanted to get one for his motorcycle. Now, that's visibility!

Finally, I started wearing a chartreuse colored vest or jacket, depending on how cold it is. You can see those things from the other side of the country. Okay, a slight exaggeration, but they are visible from quite a distance off. The only time I won't wear it is when I'm in a group ride. The "safety in numbers" thing.

The result of these three moves is that now, only about one out of ten automobiles will "buzz" me. The other nine will go at least half way into the oncoming traffic lanes or on many occasions, cross over completely into the other lane. There will always be that self-righteous idiot who doesn't think you belong on the same road he is on and will play a little game to see how close he can come to you without hitting you, but for the most part, I can sense that car drivers are a whole lot more respectful now that I try to be highly visible.

I'm a believer! It might be nerddish and Freddish, but I feel a lot more confident that I will survive to ride another day. The rides are also a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. The only downside is that my cool jersey graphics are hidden pretty well.

p.s. I also started just recently using bar-end mirrors. They are fine, I like them, but I don't rely on them to help me avoid an oncoming auto. They are too convex to get a real picture of what's happening behind me. They are good to tell where a fellow rider is, or for a quick look before changing my line; but for traffic avoidance ... worthless.

- - -

Recap for those who don't want to read all the above.

1.) strobe headlight

2.) strobe taillight

3.) chartreuse vest/jacket

Doohickie

fify.

Bottom line is that position of the mirror is a personal preference. I like helmet-mounted because I can easily scan behind me with a quick head movement and take everything in. It's actually better, in my opinion, than mirrors in a car. There have been a couple times I've "bailed out" to the side of the road when a vehicle approached from behind because I could see in my mirror that motorist was too late with a lane change for comfort. Most of the time, my mirror merely confirms that the motorist changed lanes with plenty of room to spare.

Seattle Forrest

Where to and from?

Doohickie

Actually, there is some truth to that. I don't so much do it to "scare" the driver, but at night I'll sometimes do a quick couple of swerves, not so much to change my path, but to sweep my headlight back and forth to make it more apparent to a driver approaching from behind that I am a moving object.

vesteroid

I am torn on this one. On the one hand we all know if we were in our car driving along, and some other car in front of us was doing 12 mph in the middle of the street, for 5 minutes, we would be screaming get out of the way.

Yet most of us seem to believe that its ok that we do that on our bikes..

When I am on my bike, I see both sides again. I try to stay near the right side, if not ride the line. I know when I do this, cars can usually go by me in the same lane even in oncoming traffic. On the other hand, I know doing that makes my escape to the right almost non existent, and sometimes cars are close enough to touch. Other days I tell myself I want to ride out 3 feet in the lane so if a car passes me, they have to go into the other lane. But then I remember my driving a car analogy.

Most often I really try and stay glued to the right, although sometimes it still scares me.

I may give the blinky light thing a try.

Doohickie

4.) lane position. Ride out in the lane, far enough that a car has to FULLY change lanes to pass you. Even having 1 in 10 cars buzz you is way too many. When you take an assertive lane position, it tells passing motorists that they need to make sure the next lane is clear before than can pass. When you hug the curb, you tell drivers that it's okay for them to pass you in the same lane, which leads to unsettlingly close passes.

Doohickie

You have a death wish. There is nothing wrong with being all the way to the right if there's enough room. If you don't feel safe, there is not enough room. Don't stay in the lane indefinitely if there is a place where there is enough room to pass; choose the best area for a car to pass you, then pull over. If it's tight, don't pull over.

mulveyr 

It's ridiculous to get mad at someone who is going at a speed appropriate for their vehicle and situation. Yes, people do, but it simply makes no sense. Yes, I'd be annoyed if a car was going 12MPH on a clear day and otherwise empty street, because that's not appropriate for the vehicle. But to get mad at a cyclist/farm tractor/Amish buggy? No way.

And it is OK that we do that on our bikes. We paid for the roads, we have the right to use them.

As for the OP - statistics show that being hit from behind on a bike is significantly less common than being hit from the front or side. And while of course you should ensure you're visible from all directions, the motorists behind you are much less likely to be the ones who cause you injury. My personal experience is that I'm much, much more likely to be right-hooked than anything else.

volosong

Sorry, can't agree. With anything less than a two-foot wide asphalt "lane" right of the fog line, I'll ride on the fog line or just left of it, (within a foot or so). It would be counter-productive to tick off a car driver by forcing him into the oncoming traffic lane, (especially if there is oncoming traffic). With the flashing lights and vest, I've experienced a whole different attitude from auto drivers. They really do give me more room than they need to in order to pass safely. A-holes will be a-holes, no matter where you ride. Some people are just butt-heads.

In my opinion, it is best to ride as far right as safely possible. The only time we should go into the middle of a lane is when making a left-hand turn, when descending at fairly high speeds, or to avoid debris or bad/broken/uneven pavement on the right edges of the roadway.

- - -

I should add that the type of riding environment I'm talking about is in the rural high desert here. The street pattern is laid out on the Roman grid pattern and there is either a two-way or four-way stop sign at an intersection. Then, it is a two-lane open road for another mile before hitting the next intersection. The area is very sparely settled. Outside the urban city center, the population density is probably on the order of five people per square mile. At the busiest times, maybe four or five cars will pass you and four or five coming the other way. On off times, you can ride for several miles before you'll encounter a car. In the city, there are either bike lanes or the roads are wide enough that car traffic is not a safety issue, (other than the right hook problem).

Seve

Try taking your left hand off the handlebar and putting it on your hip, then turn your head to have a quick look. Practice it a few times and for the most part you will lose the bike drift to the left.

For a mirror, these 2 are the best that I have come across.
D+D Oberlauda Ultra Light Bike Mirror
https://www.therandonneeshop.com/prod...ht_bike_mirror
The Italian Road Bike Mirror
https://www.aspirevelotech.com/Mercha...ry_Code=MIRROR

I use the Italian Road Bike mirror, it is unobtrusive, real glass and no vibration etc. It is ideal for a periodic look at what is behind you on the road.

volosong

Wish they weren't convex. I use Sprintech, basically the same thing, but push-in instead of going under your bar tape. Why can't somebody make one with a flat mirror?

fietsbob

I like the stick out like a sore thumb, neon colors..
I too listen for approaching traffic.

At night, I can see the reflective sign material light up by the headlights
of approaching vehicles .. as well as my own.

szewczykm

Can you send a link to a chartreuse vest/jacket you're describing?

Doing all of the "Be Seen" stuff really seems like a good idea. The driver said that he never saw the guy on the bike. Being lit up like Vegas may have gotten his attention and avoided the terrible accident.

EDIT:

Also, I looked up "For a headlight, I use a MiNewt NiteRider 600, in strobe mode" and there are a lot of complaints about the mount. How is yours mounted?

Seattle Forrest

I don't do it to frighten the driver, either. But when the road is narrow, or I'm worried about the door zone and don't have enough room to avoid it, or if the passes have all been too close on this road or whatever, the "safety wobble" tells the driver they need to give you more space. Obviously you want to stop wobbling before they start to overtake you.

It's a decent trick to have in the bag when you can't occupy a whole lane and force people to go around you.