Any one use a wrist mirror for road riding ? Just bought one, after a recent incident with a Range Rover driver with blacked out windows.
Unicycling along a road about half a metre from the kerb, I hear a car behind me slow down. The range rover slowley pulls up along side me, real slow for about 10 meters, then veers straight in front of me. I had to do an emergency dismount and it was close, I was just dusting myself off, and wondering wtf just happened. The range rover, reapears and it’s just gone around the block, stops, driver get out, asks me what my problem is, and then threatens to beat me up. Never seen the man before, my only crime was riding a unicycle along a queit road. Never the less still a deliberate attempt to knock me off, perhaps, he thought is was funny.
So a wrist mirror it is, I wanna see whats going on behind me, vehicle wise,when I am on the road. It only takes one assehole, and I have already met him.
Although I generally try to avoid road riding, and stick to off road muni, inevitabley I have do some road work.
Yet to give it test, but its wide angle, so should give a good enough view. Cheap off amazon.
I think I will also get one. Can you send me the link?
I know others have mirrors attached to their helmet or maybe glasses, but often I don’t wear a helmet and I don’t want my glasses to have something hanging on it that can pull them off when UPD’ing. For my road rides, I mostly choose cycle paths, so as not to deal with cars, but sometimes there are those groups of speed bikers that overtake or someone ringing their bell, then it is nice to know what ur dealing with.
You should consider a camera of some kind. I don’t tend to ride on roads with a unicycle but even with I bike, riding perfectly legally, I have been cut up by all sorts of morons over the years.
I now usual run with a Garmin Varia radar on my bikes (it is really useful on narrow country roads), I didn’t get one with a camera but maybe should have, I was considering one of their new lights which incorporate a front facing camera though.
Andy: I have problems with inconsiderate drivers. Especially those with fragile masculinity that feel the need to threaten unicyclists.
Glad you didn’t have any additional issues. I tried a mirror mounted on my glasses when I first started and it wasn’t of help to me for seeing behing me. I’m with DrD - a helmet cam may be an option. You can get video of your rides and share it with the interwebs. You could have used it as evidence if you recorded the license and the mans childs face.
I have no water currently in the 36" UW, but I’ve had a very good training session today. At the moment I am superfocused on keeping my balance with hands and arms flying everywhere. But Im certain at some point I can relax more and like @Syoten ride a marathon (ok not quite). Today I had multiple lengths of about 150 metres.
Beside the UW, I’ve been riding on my 32" about 15km rides. In such cases it is nice to see what peeps are behind you. With a wrist mirror it is just that I need to keep a hand in the air, while I generally have both hands on the seat (no handle bar on the 32 at the mo).
I know ur laughing at the water tire, but I know you are just jealous
@IvenBach@DrD thanks for the camera advice, personnally I dont do enough road work to warrant it. At most , I might do quarter / half a mile on the road, then switch to off road. For me road riding is only a means to reach my off road destinstion and get back home.
Thank you though, if I did distance or touring probaley a good idea.
I put a mirror on my helmet. I found it much better than a wrist mirror, since the wrist mirror requires you to position your arm to see anything. Since I use my arm that isn’t holding onto the saddle to balance, those two are at odds. With a helmet mirror it doesn’t affect my balance. Although making sure it’s far enough from your eye is crucial, otherwise you just see a double-image in your vision. This is the one I went with:
I’m definitely not the one who can ride a marathon on a 36" UW—I even don’t have one. But I borrowed one long ago and could only ride a short distance.
But surely you can ride with both hands on the seat as well. At the very first you need both hands for balance and soon after it is nicer with 1 hand in the air and one on the seat and then eventually you can have your hands anywhere. The handle bars I like most, and yes then you need to hold up your arm to look through a mirror.
And sure when going off-road it is always nicer to have 1 arm in the air for balance, but there it is not important what is behind you as you mostly ride alone anyways. Mirrors are more for when riding on the road with other traffic. I just got a message my wristmirror comes tonight. So then I won’t be all talk anymore
For road riding I keep my hands on the handlebars 95% of the time. The occasions I really need to be able to see a car passing (i.e. the shoulder narrows, potholes crop up etc.) is when I need to put my arm out and dial in my balance. If I’m simultaneously trying to balance perfectly in a potentially dangerous situation AND trying to position my arm to see behind me, I create a conflict of motion.
With the helmet mirror, it just takes a quick turn of my neck and/or glance, meanwhile I can focus on my arm positioning, torso, and pedal control.
It looks goofy, I know, to wear a helmet mirror but I feel so much better with it on and not having to twist my head around to see (which usually leads me to pedal into traffic - NOT ideal! ).
you shouldn’t worry about looking goofy. you ride unicycle. Everybody already looks at you. Anything that is not every day is considered goofy. Humans are dumb that way.
Can you attach the mirror to just any helmet? And in such a way it doesn’t start hanging, but is easily adjustable and stays put.
Yep! The one I linked it easily adjustable, comes with multiple lengths, an interchangeable convex and flat mirror, and has a reflective backing. It’s perfect, IMO.
I do have several sizes of UW. I’ve ridden them for a while before, and I could probably only ride 100 meters or so without dismounting. However, I found my feet arch aching after a short distance, and I hate the tire rubbing my legs. So I decided to practice more on a standard unicycle wheel without the frame to build better side-to-side balance before I return to these UWs(except the 10" one that never rubs my legs). However, the unicycle wheel is much harder than any UW of any size. I can only ride it 11 revolutions at most after quite some practice, and still can’t make turns.
@Setonix just been out for a wrist mirror test run. I found it pretty easy to use, no problems getting a good view behind when I wanted a look. It took a minute or two, to get the angle right. I could get a clear, stable veiw, riding either one handed or at slower speeds, when both hands where needed.
It did not flap, vibrate or move place, so for me, a winner. Dead easy to use, does the job, for me anyway. Rode for an hour, no upds caused by looking at the mirror. Easy, cheap, effective and seems well made How did you get on ? How did the “on the move” spot picking go
not a bad price, seems really solid and a good veiw behind.
).