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Reasons to use a wrist mirror


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I have taken the leap and ordered a 16X. I have upgraded my safety gear, because with great power comes great responsibility. I am considering the idea of making a wrist mirror and I would like to know exactly how it enhances your riding experience. Since I only have a V8 for now, I cannot go over 30kph. Is it more difficult to turn your head at higher speeds without making the wheel turn? Is it to keep your eyes on potholes without interruption? Or is it just a more convenient way to look behind you?

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8 minutes ago, Kryziss said:

I have taken the leap and ordered a 16X. I have upgraded my safety gear, because with great power comes great responsibility. I am considering the idea of making a wrist mirror and I would like to know exactly how it enhances your riding experience. Since I only have a V8 for now, I cannot go over 30kph. Is it more difficult to turn your head at higher speeds without making the wheel turn? Is it to keep your eyes on potholes without interruption? Or is it just a more convenient way to look behind you?

I use an inexpensive wrist mirror I bought on amazon, and I've found it super convenient for taking quick looks behind. 

I've got two helmets, a full face motocross style, and a 3/4 helmet with a big flip down face shield.  I've found with the 3/4 helmet, it is more difficult to turn my head and get a clean look behind me, and will never wear this helmet without the wrist mirror.  I've actually doubled back home, after realizing I forgot to put the mirror on.  With the motocross style helmet, my peripheral view is better, and I've found I don't need the mirror, but still like it on.

I've tried to use the mirror while riding backwards, and have yet to get comfortable trying that.  Simply tuning the head and looking for backward riding works better for me.

I wear it on my left wrist, which is where I'd think it's best suited, but I try to keep my arm somewhat tucked into my body when I reach up to look at the mirror - so it doesn't look like I'm signaling for a turn

 

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I bought one of these cheap wrist mirrors and wouldn't be without it :-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adjustable-Wrist-Type-Convex-Cycling-Rearview-Mirror-with-Plastic-Cotton-Armband/254505493179?hash=item3b41b5a2bb:g:4hAAAOSwfedePKzr

The glass is convex so it's not great for seeing cars in the far distance but it's ideal for a quick look before turning or altering road position.

For the price it's worth buying one and if it doesn't suit your needs you haven't lost a lot.

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13 hours ago, Ben Hatfield said:

I've tried to use the mirror while riding backwards, and have yet to get comfortable trying that.  Simply tuning the head and looking for backward riding works better for me.

I wear it on my left wrist, which is where I'd think it's best suited, but I try to keep my arm somewhat tucked into my body when I reach up to look at the mirror - so it doesn't look like I'm signaling for a turn

These are really interesting points I hadn't thought of. Thanks to everyone for the feedback and great buying options! :thumbup:

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I have a wrist mirror, I've had it a few weeks. Sometimes I remember that it's there, most of the time I still just turn my head and look backwards. It probably takes time to get used to it, but so far it's not on my "must have list". If you can turn your head without turning the EUC then that's just as quick and easy. YMMV.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/25/2020 at 6:19 PM, DjPanJan said:

This is the same one for those of us in the US on Amazon. I just ordered on. 

https://amzn.to/2YhVKjB

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/25/2020 at 11:18 PM, Gasmantle said:

I bought one of these cheap wrist mirrors and wouldn't be without it :-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adjustable-Wrist-Type-Convex-Cycling-Rearview-Mirror-with-Plastic-Cotton-Armband/254505493179?hash=item3b41b5a2bb:g:4hAAAOSwfedePKzr

The glass is convex so it's not great for seeing cars in the far distance but it's ideal for a quick look before turning or altering road position.

For the price it's worth buying one and if it doesn't suit your needs you haven't lost a lot.

Same here. Can't ride without it. Don't forget looking behind you takes a lot more time than just quickly glancing in your mirror. That is time not spent looking where you are going.

It has come to a point where I feel like something is missing when riding my bicycle, without mirrors :D 

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1 hour ago, ShanesPlanet said:

If you arent looking far enough ahead that glancing behind you while you travel 10' forward, is an issue...

2 seconds at 25mph = 73 feet or 22 meters for the rest of the world. 

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  • 1 month later...

Mirrors are not a replacement of head-turning. They complement it.

I have a small curved mirror mounted on my helmet (one of those additional parking mirrors glued to side mirrors on some cars, repurposed with the help of 3D print) that practically eliminates any blind spot on my left side. On one edge, I see directly behind me, on the other edge, it covers a bit of my peripheral vision. So if a car or something is taking over me and is close, I see it and I can focus on not swerving under it while avoiding a pothole or carving. That's for a passive awareness. 
 

But the "small curved" means that I see things just close around me (a car more than 15 m behind me is too small to be seen), so I still have a wrist mirror that's flat for a quick peeks further behind me. E.g. if I think I hear a car or to check how another EUC rider behind me is doing. But before making any lane change or turn, I always turn my head and look with my own eyes - mirrors will always have some limits and it's easier to overlook something in them.

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I'm not using a mirror, but I can certainly see the advantage of it. I don't feel I am able to do a good enough headturn to have a good view of what is going on behind me. I try to signal and slow down before a sharp turn, but still there is a bit of trust in that someone behind me sees/understands that I'm about to turn.

I've had one (thankfully undramatic) situation where a bicycle passed me very close in high speed on the side I was about to turn to. At the time I thought the person was an irresponsible idiot, but in hindsight I'm thinking people aren't used to EUCs and their behaviour in traffic. We can brake, turn and then accelerate much faster than say, a bicycle can. The bicycle woman probably somehow misread what I was going to do (thinking that me slowing down meant I was going to stop, for instance). A mirror would help in that kind of situation, but I don't know if it is a rare occurence yet. 

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5 minutes ago, Kai Drange said:

I'm not using a mirror, but I can certainly see the advantage of it. I don't feel I am able to do a good enough headturn to have a good view of what is going on behind me. I try to signal and slow down before a sharp turn, but still there is a bit of trust in that someone behind me sees/understands that I'm about to turn.

 

thing is, doing a full head turn will also make your body twist and when you do that the EUC will start to turn too

this is what i find anyway, not really mastered it yet!

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  • 7 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I’ve always had a mirror on my wrist. Even though as I’ve gotten better I can turn my head more to look behind you, there’s nothing easier than lifting your arm and glancing in the mirror! 
 

This is what I use...

B0290FE9-C1E2-4D5E-8077-9F97403672B9.thumb.jpeg.ce85660580fe47af1163383641a4235d.jpeg

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I have enough crap on my arm already so opted for the helmet mount. I do like it, it’s let’s me do a casual scan for overtaking cyclists who never ever announce themselves before they pass. If I see them early enough I speed up a little and maybe a little more to help them get in a little more cardio. Yes, I am thinking about their health.

The head/body turn isn’t quite as good for me seeing what’s farther behind due to wearing glasses, they require pretty good centering or focus isn’t there and that’s a long way to rotate. I shoulder check before course changes though, for that stuff distance vision  usually isn’t necessary.

I do find it quite disconcerting when a head turn reveals something unexpected is on my shoulder because I usually hear approaching cars... so the mirror is nice in that regard because it’s a little harder for the spandex crew to sneak up on me.

Edited by Tawpie
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On 8/10/2020 at 4:45 AM, Antec said:

thing is, doing a full head turn will also make your body twist and when you do that the EUC will start to turn too

this is what i find anyway, not really mastered it yet!

I'm still not a fan of mirrors. The head turn does take some practice tho. When riding with my wife, I head turn a lot. Im a flexible guy and notice that when I look over my left shoulder, I actually put my arms a little to the right and twist at the waist like a coil. Kinda like when you wanna pop the ole back.  I never noticed before, but i guess thats just how I keep centered to offset the weight of my big ole egg shaped head. I can deinitely see how a mirror has advantages. Biggest advantage of head turn is that its hard to forget to bring it.

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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I do use a helmet mirror and find it really useful.

I bought it for £1 at The Range Store in the UK. I mounted it on my full face helmet and can easily fold in when not needed.

It allows me to use when on roads so I do not have to head turn.

It is worth a try as it can be easily taken off as I used the screw hole that was for the visor that came with the helmet. 

https://www.therange.co.uk/search?q=bike mirror#sort=relevance&page=1&lpp=24

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/10/2020 at 4:01 AM, Antec said:

1. use wrist mirror to get a overall view of what's going on behind you

2. signal

3. look over shoulder to do final check

4. manoeuvre

5. ride on!

This is exactly the same procedure I was taught when learning to drive a car, roughly 3 decades ago.  Did you have the same driving instructor?  :-)
I can't think of a better habit than these steps.  I'll be putting a mirror on my wrist protectors.

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5 hours ago, tch_popeye said:

This is exactly the same procedure I was taught when learning to drive a car, roughly 3 decades ago.  Did you have the same driving instructor?  :-)
I can't think of a better habit than these steps.  I'll be putting a mirror on my wrist protectors.

I think this is world wide :)

The shoulder check is also called a "life saver" by bikers

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