Mirror Helmets

"Kenny" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I stll don't wear a helmet but I was thinking of buying one now after some nutter in a Porsche
got a bit too close for comfort. Has anyone tried one of the new Reevu helmets with the built
in mirror.

I've got one and it's a good idea but the design has problems.

For the mirror to work properly the front has to be positioned just above your brow line (so that
you can see it). If the helmet is tilted back on your head at all you won't be able to see the
mirror at all. Unfortunately there is quite a substantial peak at the front so if the helmet is in
the correct position to see the mirror everything that is more than a bit above my eyeline is
blocked. I have a hybid bike so I sit up quite straight generally, I do lean forwards some times
though and when I do the helmet blocks my line of sight noticeably. I have a long downhill on the
way home from work and since I am tilted forwards by geography on this I find the helmet blocks my
forward vision substantially. If it is a choice between seeing out the front or the back (which
unfortunately it seems to be) I choose the front, so I wear the helmet tilted back a bit making the
mirror useless. Basically I spent €110 on a helmet when a €10 one from Aldi probably would have done
the job just as well.

Before I bought this I read of other potential problems with it. One was that the sun behind you
would blind you through the mirror - I never found this to be a problem. Another was that your hair
would block the light path in the helmet - I don't think so since there are pads which press your
hair down, perhaps particularly unruly hair might stick up between the pads. Ventilation was raised
as an issue - it seems fine, the airflow is sufficient. Finally the usefulness on a road bike where
you are leaning forward a lot and a recumbent where you are leaning back meaning that the mirror is
pointing at the wrong place - based on my experience with an upright bike I'd say this would be a
major problem.

Eric.

Kenny said:

I stll don't wear a helmet but I was thinking of buying one now after some nutter in a Porsche
got a bit too close for comfort. Has anyone tried one of the new Reevu helmets with the built
in mirror.

I've heard that another problem with them is that, because they are attached to your head, they can
be very disorientating as the view moves with your head movements making it difficult to percieve
exactly what you are looking at. A handlebar mounted mirror doesn't have this problem as the
position of the mirror is more fixed in space.

I find it's easier and safer to turn my head and look behind. Not only do I get a better understand
of what's going on behind, but it also sends out a message to drivers that I am about to
manoooooover (sp?), in addition to a signal, of course.

Simonb

"Simonb" <sbennettatwiderworlddotcodotuk> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Kenny said:

I stll don't wear a helmet but I was thinking of buying one now after some nutter in a Porsche
got a bit too close for comfort. Has anyone tried one of the new Reevu helmets with the built in
mirror.

I've heard that another problem with them is that, because they are

attached

Quoted message said:

to your head, they can be very disorientating as the view moves with your head movements making it
difficult to percieve exactly what you are

looking

Quoted message said:

at. A handlebar mounted mirror doesn't have this problem as the position

of

Quoted message said:

the mirror is more fixed in space.

I find it's easier and safer to turn my head and look behind. Not only do

I

Quoted message said:

get a better understand of what's going on behind, but it also sends out a message to drivers that
I am about to manoooooover (sp?), in addition to a signal, of course.

Simonb

Yeah, I saw these recently and my main thought about potential problems would be that in time, I
could potentially become a little more lazy than I'm comfortable with....which in turn could
possibly lead to an accident due to my missing something by checking the mirror rather than over my
shoulder... Dave.

Dave said:

Yeah, I saw these recently and my main thought about potential problems would be that in time, I
could potentially become a little more lazy than I'm comfortable with....which in turn could
possibly lead to an accident due to my missing something by checking the mirror rather than over
my shoulder...

I think motor cyclists call these 'life savers' and they are trained to do them during CBT. I try
to do them all the time - and as you say, I HOPE it sends some signals to at least some drivers
who notice.

Simonb said:

I find it's easier and safer to turn my head and look behind. Not only do I get a better
understand of what's going on behind, but it also sends out a message to drivers that I am about
to manoooooover (sp?), in addition to a signal, of course.

All very true. But I do like a mirror, all the same. Though one must be aware that you can get a
"false negative", and *always* double check with a look over your shoulder, the nice thing about
mirrors is that a quick glance that tells you something is there won't be a "false positive": if you
see something in the mirror, it's there, and you're forearmed with that knowledge before you decide
how/when to make a manoeuvre and take time to look over your shoulder.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

In message <[email hidden]>, Simonb
<sbennettatwiderworlddotcodotuk@?.?.invalid> writes

Quoted message said:

Kenny said:

I stll don't wear a helmet but I was thinking of buying one now after some nutter in a Porsche
got a bit too close for comfort. Has anyone tried one of the new Reevu helmets with the built in
mirror.

I've heard that another problem with them is that, because they are attached to your head, they can
be very disorientating as the view moves with your head movements making it difficult to percieve
exactly what you are looking at.

Plenty of people use helmet mounted mirrors and don't find this problem , I think it's something you
soon adjust too. (though I don't like them myself.

Quoted message said:

A handlebar mounted mirror doesn't have this problem as the position of the mirror is more fixed
in space.

I find it's easier and safer to turn my head and look behind. Not only do I get a better understand
of what's going on behind, but it also sends out a message to drivers that I am about to
manoooooover (sp?), in addition to a signal, of course.

I feel prefer having a mirror. It means I can monitor what's going on behind me, so I don't have to
look behind so often. I feel exactly the opposite, I don't think that looking behind gives me a good
idea about what is going on compared to my mirror.

They have their limitations, as do mirrors on motorbikes and cars, it's just about using
them sensibly.
--
Chris French, Leeds

Simonb said:

I've heard that another problem with them is that, because they are attached to your head, they
can be very disorientating as the view moves with your head movements making it difficult to
percieve exactly what you are looking at.

I hesitate to dismiss out of hand this POV as Clearly Bollocks, but I've been using helmet and/or
glasses mounted mirrors - which also move with yer gulliver - for years, and have not found this to
be the case.

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================

"John Hearns" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think motor cyclists call these 'life savers' and they are trained to do them during CBT. I try
to do them all the time - and as you say, I HOPE it sends some signals to at least some drivers
who notice.

I find that when switching lanes i look behind TWO times a couple of seconds apart before switching
as this gives more information about the *velocity* of an approaching car, than just looking the
once. (Obviously if I see no cars at all the first time then the second look ain't required!)

Simonb said:

Kenny said:

I stll don't wear a helmet but I was thinking of buying one now after some nutter in a Porsche
got a bit too close for comfort. Has anyone tried one of the new Reevu helmets with the built in
mirror.

I've heard that another problem with them is that, because they are attached to your head, they
can be very disorientating as the view moves with your head movements making it difficult to
percieve exactly what you are looking at. A handlebar mounted mirror doesn't have this problem as
the position of the mirror is more fixed in space.

Using a helmet mounted mirror, I had this problem - partly because it got moved every time I took
the helmet off. I did get used to it after a week or so though. White lines on roads help in this.

Quoted message said:

I find it's easier and safer to turn my head and look behind. Not only do I get a better
understand of what's going on behind, but it also sends out a message to drivers that I am about
to manoooooover (sp?), in addition to a signal, of course.

I'd agree with this, but I think mirrors have a different place. On fast rural roads it can be
useful to keep an eye on what's coming up behind, even if you're not making a maneuver. People
who've forgotten they're pulling sticky-out things like caravans, or lorries that don't seem to be
pulling out. Time to take the center lane, or perhaps the hedge...

KW

"Adrian Boliston" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"John Hearns" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think motor cyclists call these 'life savers' and they are trained to do them during CBT. I
try to do them all the time - and as you say, I HOPE it sends some signals to at least some
drivers who notice.

I find that when switching lanes i look behind TWO times a couple of

seconds apart

Quoted message said:

before switching as this gives more information about the *velocity*

of an

Quoted message said:

approaching car, than just looking the once. (Obviously if I see no

cars at all

Quoted message said:

the first time then the second look ain't required!)

That is the way that 10-year olds are taught to do it in the current Safer Cycling course (what used
to be called Cycling Proficiency).

--
Mark South: Citizen of the World, Denizen of the Net "I wonder why so many Finnish traditions are
related with booze?"
- Juha Sakkinen