Rear view mirror, do you use one?

[al-onestare]

Well I am always aware of what is coming behind me, and that's the way I like it, to me it's a big advantage, and yes, electric cars are virtually silent and it enables me to pull over well in advance and allow vehicles to pass rather than suddenly realise I have a car right behind me getting frustrated

Enables you to pull over. Just how far into the road do you ride?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Enables you to pull over. Just how far into the road do you ride?

Save your energy Al

 

[CassidyAce]

Yes but its a rear view mirror !!!!! you are riding AWAY from the approaching vehicle hence you subtract the figure !!!!!

Well... You're not really riding away from the approaching vehicle because the approaching vehicle is catching up with you. It's all relative. And that's why you're not entirely wrong but @Guinessisgoodforyou is not either. If you're cycling at 15 MPH and a car approaches from behind at 30 MPH then, obviously, the closing speed is 15 MPH, but if the car is approaching from the front, the closing speed is 45 MPH. If, instead of cycling, you were driving at 30 MPH, the figures are 0 MPH and 60 MPH respectively. Because the closing speed of oncoming (i.e. from the front) traffic, etc. is so much faster when travelling at 30 MPH, it's that much more risky to turn your head around to look behind, and that's why rear view mirrors are so much more important for cars than bicycles.

Aside from that, although I feel no need to have rear view mirrors on my bikes at present, if they give some riders a bit more confidence to cycle instead of driving, I certainly don't have any objections to them.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Well... You're not really riding away from the approaching vehicle because the approaching vehicle is catching up with you. It's all relative. And that's why you're not entirely wrong but @Guinessisgoodforyou is not either. If you're cycling at 15 MPH and a car approaches from behind at 30 MPH then, obviously, the closing speed is 15 MPH, but if the car is approaching from the front, the closing speed is 45 MPH. If, instead of cycling, you were driving at 30 MPH, the figures are 0 MPH and 60 MPH respectively. Because the closing speed of oncoming (i.e. from the front) traffic, etc. is so much faster when travelling at 30 MPH, it's that much more risky to turn your head around to look behind, and that's why rear view mirrors are so much more important for cars than bicycles.

Aside from that, although I feel no need to have rear view mirrors on my bikes at present, if they give some riders a bit more confidence to cycle instead of driving, I certainly don't have any objections to them.

I was only referring to the closing speed of the traffic in front, hence the diagram.

 

[CassidyAce]

I was only referring to the closing speed of the traffic in front, hence the diagram.

Yes. And @Mangizmo was only talking about closing speed of traffic from behind, i.e. at cross-purposes.

 

[Mangizmo]

Well... You're not really riding away from the approaching vehicle because the approaching vehicle is catching up with you. It's all relative. And that's why you're not entirely wrong but @Guinessisgoodforyou is not either. If you're cycling at 15 MPH and a car approaches from behind at 30 MPH then, obviously, the closing speed is 15 MPH, but if the car is approaching from the front, the closing speed is 45 MPH. If, instead of cycling, you were driving at 30 MPH, the figures are 0 MPH and 60 MPH respectively. Because the closing speed of oncoming (i.e. from the front) traffic, etc. is so much faster when travelling at 30 MPH, it's that much more risky to turn your head around to look behind, and that's why rear view mirrors are so much more important for cars than bicycles.

errrr does anybody really need this to be explained ?,

 

[CassidyAce]

errrr does anybody really need this to be explained ?,

To judge by the debate you were having, yes. In fact, you said that you didn't understand this: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/rear-view-mirror-do-you-use-one.462044/post-3400812

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Mangizmo the man that could start an argument in an empty room

 

[Mangizmo]

Enables you to pull over. Just how far into the road do you ride?

We were talking earlier about single track country lanes where a vehicle can hardly pass you, its great to know well in advance that they are approaching from behind, I prefer to know well in advance, if others arent bothered fine

 

[rwm1962]

Pity you can't mount that huge bell on the right side - bit of polish & it might make a decent mirror.