Bicycle Helmet Side Mirror For the Careful Rider

At the beginning of summer, I entered a new phase of my bicycle experience:  I went on a few group rides with seasoned cyclists.  Of course, I took my private bike mechanic along, too.  The Magnificent Husband.  Thinking about riding with such veterans was intimidating, but between the inclusive attitude of the group and the supervision by my husband, I was semi-comfortable.  And I learned some things.

As I watched how they interacted with each other and the traffic, I gained confidence for biking on the road.  Not confidence to be cocky, but the confidence that comes from knowing better what to do in situations.  I got a better sense of:

• when to get out of the way of traffic
• how to cross busy streets
• how to ride next to other riders, for both my advantage and their ability
• how to watch the roadway better to avoid tire destruction

Many of the cyclists had some sort of mirror to help them see traffic coming up from behind.  Some of the mirrors were on the handle bars.  Others were on the glasses.  I asked around, particularly getting the advice of Adam Haynes, the owner of Rolling H Cycles here in Nampa.  Then, I purchased a mirror that slides up onto the ear piece of my sunglasses.

I didn’t use it right away, because I didn’t want to make any changes a few days before my triathlon this year.   Then, I didn’t do any biking around Nampa, other than on my spinning bike at home, for a few weeks after the event, due to injuries and special anniversary trips.  But, finally, yesterday, I tried the new mirror on the road.

It was a little distracting at first, trying to see if I could see behind me, but not forgetting to look in front (yikes!)  You would think that it would be second nature, after using mirrors all these years in a car.   Those mirrors don’t move with your head, though.  Still, by the second half of the ride, I was glancing into the mirror easily while still focusing on what was in front of me.

The mirror angle is very easy to adjust, responding to a light touch.  I did it a couple of times while riding, but only when I was absolutely sure the bike was on an even keel and I was going relatively slowly, something I am very careful of ever since the incident in Taipei in October of 2008.  I think the mirror will be a definite advantage for my future rides.