Looking behind you while riding.

[Tony T]

Is there some trick to looking back while riding?
I always drift to the left when I look over my left shoulder
(if I need to make a left, I have to stop, look behind, then turn)

[mgordon]

Keep an eye on the white lines on the road as a reference point so you're aware when you start to drift?

Use a mirror?

[dan682]

I read a suggestion on here a while ago to push your chin into your shoulder when you look behind you. It does seem to help.

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[eddief]

get one of these:

https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/bike-peddler-take-a-look-cyclist-mirror?v=00000ct&adl=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw2ZXMBRB2EiwA2HVD-CgIHttiip1KrccF5WewRRf3Y6aDK1_NzfmngdYAbxcOMUFCfqi gKRoCDrAQAvD_BwE

you'll never look back :).

[bikinchris]

Riders typically have one of two problems when scanning behind them over their shoulder. Either they pull with their left arm or push with their right arm.

If you pull with your left arm, simply let go of the bar on the left and put your hand on your hip or behind you as you look back.

If you push with the right, place your hand right up next the the stem and drop your right shoulder down so you can bend your right elbow as you look over your shoulder.

[bikinchris]

get one of these:

https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/bike-peddler-take-a-look-cyclist-mirror?v=00000ct&adl=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw2ZXMBRB2EiwA2HVD-CgIHttiip1KrccF5WewRRf3Y6aDK1_NzfmngdYAbxcOMUFCfqi gKRoCDrAQAvD_BwE

you'll never look back :).

Using mirrors is not a terrible idea, but it is a bad idea when you need to get drivers to cooperate with you. The first step in getting them to understand you want to move left is to turn around and look at them, then signal left.

So, I use a mirror to check more often and keep track of traffic, but I never use a mirror when I am negotiating with drivers of cars.

[ultraman6970]

I see those things here all the time, some gets nuts when you stay in their blind spot :D Noticed that many have the device but have them not set up right or they dont use it eventhought is there.

Faster and simpler just move the head over the shoulde and be well around of your surroundings.

[kmac]

lowering your chest down so your elbows are bent closer to 90 degrees seems to help as well. it allows you to look back without twisting the bars.

i think that any of these techniques take some time and practice to develop.

[Steve in SLO]

Agree with above, especially the advice to either release your handlebar or put your hands closest to stem as possible.
Old racers trick is to drop your head and look through your left armpit. It takes a bit of practice to understand things while looking upside down, but you don't tend to 'wander' as much as you look.

[regularguy412]

Riders typically have one of two problems when scanning behind them over their shoulder. Either they pull with their left arm or push with their right arm.

If you pull with your left arm, simply let go of the bar on the left and put your hand on your hip or behind you as you look back.

If you push with the right, place your hand right up next the the stem and drop your right shoulder down so you can bend your right elbow as you look overcome your shoulder.

^^This

My lower back doesn't really like to twist so I do both of the above at the same time. I almost always look over my left shoulder. If I'm looking over right, I swap hand positions. I also (usually) briefly stop pedaling and leave my left foot on top (right foot if looking over right). Learned this so long ago that I don't even have to think about it.


Mike in AR:beer:

[moobikes]

Depends on where you need to scan behind you and your riding position.

If you are able to or when it is safe to, letting go of your left hand is one way.

Generally, you're not going to want to turn your neck like if you are upright and walking. You need to lower your forehead a little, right ear facing the ground and peer over your arm.

Your riding glasses will affect what you can do and see. Eyeglasses and sunglasses that have thinner arms are generally better for looking behind you and at your vision's periphery.

[Hindmost]

In busier traffic situations I take a short look--is there anything immediately near me?; if clear, followed within seconds by a long look--what is further back there?; then plan accordingly.

One can also sit up, with one hand on the right top, turn and look. This helps with stability and broad vision and signals to others that you are about to do something.

These efforts like a lot of cycling technique requires one to continue to steer with the hips/legs while minimizing input from the arms.

[lhuerta]

.... buy some rollers and practice indoors. The rollers will train u to ID how ur body moves when gawking backwards

[john903]

I had to think about how i do this because it just becomes intuitive after awhile.
If in traffic while commuting I am like bikingchris. I sit up and put my left hand behind my while slightly twisting at the hip and shoulder while my right hand is on the top of the bars. I also stay relaxed and don't tense up. Try to be fluid and relaxed in your movements on the bike and you'll find you move around less as you turn change lanes or even holding your line. Oh and learn to ride rollers they really help for balance. I set my rollers up against a wall and do bumping drills, practice sitting up, and basically all the things you do while out on the road.
Have a great day.

[Tandem Rider]

Put your right hand partially over the stem, like when you are riding palms down on the top of the bars, your right thumb and maybe a finger or two ends up being on the left side of the bars, drop your left arm down to get your shoulder out of the way, turn just enough to be able to see and look. It's easier to do if you are carrying some speed. Practice it until you can do it without wobbling or drifting and then start doing it at slower speeds. Pretty soon it'll be second nature.

[shovelhd]

Shift the weight on your bars slighty on the right. Practice. Get one of these. (http://www.avt.bike/WebStore/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AVT&Product_Code=RBM-1001)

[carpediemracing]

Usually the rider turning left to look over their shoulder will pull their left shoulder back a bit, making you veer left a bit.

I know of 4 tricks to reduce shoulder input to steering.

1. Take your left hand off the bars (and usually this means putting the right hand next to the stem, to reduce steering input to the bars). This way you can pull your shoulder back with no effect. This is the best way to get a long look back.

2. Put your left hand on someone else's hip/shoulder/whatever. Again, this eliminates shoulder movement from causing any steering input. Again, right hand would be near stem to minimize steering input to bars.

3. Tuck chin to shoulder. This action sort of eliminates the backward shoulder movement, reducing steering input to the bars.

4. Look under your arm. May not work in certain situations but if you put your head down a bit you can see pretty far back, 50-100 feet or whatever. Handy if you're leaving an intersection or in heavy/slow traffic where cars aren't approaching you too quickly.

[tv_vt]

For just looking behind while riding, I swear by the Italian Bike Mirror, sold by Aspire Velotech. Realize there's more to the question posted, but throwing that out there for those who want to see what's coming up behind.

[maslow]

This is the B&M mirror I use on my touring bike.

https://store.biketouringnews.com/productimage.php?product_id=999

It's probably only a couple of inches in diameter but in typical German fashion, it just works. Not exactly 'pro' but when you've got luggage and camping equipment hanging off your bike it saves swerving off course over a cliff edge.


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[HenryA]

If I need a long look I stand on the pedals to do it. Stand on right leg, look over left shoulder. For a quick glance, the move your opposite hand to the inside area of the bars works well as does removing the same side hand altogether.

[sg8357]

Chuck Harris mirror, adjusted by the man himself.
Chuck was the Peter Weigle of bike mirrors and ultra range derailleurs.

Short version of adjusting, stick your finger in your left ear,
adjust mirror till finger bisects mirror. Side to side adjustment,
so you can barely see your head in the right edge of mirror. You now
can see forward and backward at the same time.

There is south western Ohio exception to "The Rules" against using a mirror.

[steamer]

I have an Italian RB Mirror on all of my drop bar bikes.

[Tony T]

If I need a long look I stand on the pedals to do it. Stand on right leg, look over left shoulder. For a quick glance, the move your opposite hand to the inside area of the bars works well as does removing the same side hand altogether.

Even when standing, I drift left.
I'm going to try the "let go of the bar on the left and put your hand on your hip or behind you as you look back" suggested by bikinchris (this reminded me that I read this suggestion in Bicycle Magazine (of all places) a long tine ago)

Riders typically have one of two problems when scanning behind them over their shoulder. Either they pull with their left arm or push with their right arm.

If you pull with your left arm, simply let go of the bar on the left and put your hand on your hip or behind you as you look back.

If you push with the right, place your hand right up next the the stem and drop your right shoulder down so you can bend your right elbow as you look overcome your shoulder.

[false_Aest]

Uhhh...you're a member of the Paceline so you need to buy this.

Does double duty b/c as a Paceliner you're required to be chased by an angry dog at least once a year (I gather this from the frequent "What to do about a loose dog" threads that pop up here).

Make sure your situation is sexy and defend yourself at the same time. Also check to makes sure you've dropped your buddies.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61A2Y-tk36L._SY606_.jpg

[rustychisel]

Riders typically have one of two problems when scanning behind them over their shoulder. Either they pull with their left arm or push with their right arm.

If you pull with your left arm, simply let go of the bar on the left and put your hand on your hip or behind you as you look back.

If you push with the right, place your hand right up next the the stem and drop your right shoulder down so you can bend your right elbow as you look overcome your shoulder.

Yeah, this. Great info.

Riding fixed gear you need to stabilise the motion by resting the hand on the hip (left, in the case of US roads).

[jmal]

I find that bending the elbow (more than in typical riding position) and dropping the shoulder of the side opposite of the direction you are turning your head works pretty well. For example, to look over your left shoulder, bend your right elbow/drop your right shoulder. This has the same effect as taking a hand off the bars and placing it on your hips, but you get to keep your hands on the bars.

[C. Matthews]

I find that bending the elbow (more than in typical riding position) and dropping the shoulder of the side opposite of the direction you are turning your head works pretty well. For example, to look over your left shoulder, bend your right elbow/drop your right shoulder. This has the same effect as taking a hand off the bars and placing it on your hips, but you get to keep your hands on the bars.

Thought of this thread during this morning's ride and came here to post the same thing!

[lhuerta]

I find that bending the elbow (more than in typical riding position) and dropping the shoulder of the side opposite of the direction you are turning your head works pretty well. For example, to look over your left shoulder, bend your right elbow/drop your right shoulder. This has the same effect as taking a hand off the bars and placing it on your hips, but you get to keep your hands on the bars.

....the opposite is true for me. If looking over left shoulder, I drop bend my elbow inward (toward my body a bit, which includes dropping shoulder a bit). I mostly find myself looking back by peering UNDER my arm, not over the shoulder. Either method, the most important point to remember is not to white knuckle your bars and to always have a slight bend at your elbows. If you have a death grip on bars and locked elbows any movement of shoulders or elbows is going to translate into pulling the bars. Again, this is where practicing on rollers comes in to the process....

[martl]

Is there some trick to looking back while riding?
I always drift to the left when I look over my left shoulder
(if I need to make a left, I have to stop, look behind, then turn)

Everyone does that by instinct. Can be countered by practicing it. In group rides, put a hand on your neighbors shoulder.

[zap]

Everyone does that by instinct. Can be countered by practicing it. In group rides, put a hand on your neighbors shoulder.

That won't work when pulling a paceline and you are about to pull off.

Everyone should ride rollers at somepoint. Practice looking back, taking a water bottle out of the cage and drinking, eating on the bike, taking arm warmers off, etc.

[eippo1]

I read a suggestion on here a while ago to push your chin into your shoulder when you look behind you. It does seem to help.

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This is how we learned to look back while racing. Any drift puts you into the rider next to you. Take a quick look at your line ahead and then look back and tuck your chin into your shoulder. Very little drift this way

The issue I found with looking underneath is that it takes a second for readjustment with looking forward, which is a bad idea in a pack. Probably fine if by yourself, though.

[Hindmost]

...Practice looking back, taking a water bottle out of the cage and drinking, eating on the bike, taking arm warmers off, etc.

Remember when you took your hands off the bar to...simply shift?

[zap]

Remember when you took your hands off the bar to...simply shift?

Yes, but that was soooooloooonnnnggggggo.

I used to do a few roller races (old school big wood rollers) at a bike shop that Larry Black owns in College Park MD. Larry is a master who could ride the rollers really fast and smooth as he was taking his jersey off.

[chiasticon]

.... buy some rollers and practice indoors. The rollers will train u to ID how ur body moves when gawking backwardsthis.

I wouldn't buy rollers specifically to be able to look back better, but better bike stability is certainly a benefit of them. if you need to ride indoors from time to time and you'd like to improve in that area, they're worth considering.

[martl]

That won't work when pulling a paceline and you are about to pull off.

Everyone should ride rollers at somepoint. Practice looking back, taking a water bottle out of the cage and drinking, eating on the bike, taking arm warmers off, etc.

Yep, was talking about a group ride two abreast. In a paceline though, one rotates so one has typically a good impression how the pack is holding together, so i see less of a need to look back.

[Bob Ross]

The issue I found with looking underneath is that it takes a second for readjustment with looking forward

I actually find the readjustment to looking forward to be a bigger problem than the initial looking backwards, even though I don't do the Look Under Your Armpit Upside-Down thing! i.e., I probably drift a little left when I look over my shoulder, but if I don't consciously focus on resetting my gaze directly in front of me when I turn back to face forward there's a moment of almost vertigo-like disorientation and that's when my bike handling turns to poo and my line gets totally wonky.

The cure -- to the extent that I've found one -- is to try to mentally "pre-see" what the road in front of me looks like before I actually turn back to facing forward; it's almost like "virtual spotting" (to borrow dancers' parlance).

The really funny thing is, back when I rode a hybrid with upright (flat) bars exclusively I never had any problems riding a straight line while looking backwards. But 10 or 11 years ago when I dove whole-hog into drop-bar road bikes it seems like I completely lost that skill...and I'm still working on it!

[zap]

Yep, was talking about a group ride two abreast. In a paceline though, one rotates so one has typically a good impression how the pack is holding together, so i see less of a need to look back.

Oh, you do want to look back just before you pull out. You don't want to pull out right when a vehicle is about to pass you. Some motorists don't give you much room. No, don't expect cyclists sucking wind behind you to shout car back.

[bironi]

I attempted to find some video on YouTube addressing this issue. I found nothing to educate riders with drop bars and a road bike. There may be an opportunity for hit-hungry posters. I'd hit that.:beer:

[Scuzzer]

I ride with multiple guys who expect me to look back and decide if we all can cross traffic to make a turn. I've routinely stressed that their lives are in their hands but they've gotten used to me making all the decisions.

I hate it.

[martl]

Oh, you do want to look back just before you pull out. You don't want to pull out right when a vehicle is about to pass you. Some motorists don't give you much room. No, don't expect cyclists sucking wind behind you to shout car back.

that for me is an ordinary "traffic-riding" back-check. these are IMO too short to cause a loss of course, for anyone i know with a minimum level of riding experience (such as my mum doing groceries)

The back-view where people swerve widely is the longer type, where you're seeking more information than "something there/not there"

[marciero]

As others have said, all these methods can be practiced and learned. The biggest issue for me is lack of twisting/turning flexibility in the neck. Looking underneath the armpit upside down is about the easiest for me in terms of flexibility. Is the least disruption in body position, especially when in the drops, so seems to work well in racing (back when I did that) or fast group situations. But for surveying traffic before a turn I just turn around using some mix of techniques described here. (Will have to try the chin-on-chest technique)
One variation of the taking-left-hand-off bar method is that you can slide your left thigh onto the saddle to turn your entire torso around. You have to stop pedaling of course but is good for a giving a complete view backward, and minimizes neck twisting. Good for talking to your stoker on a tandem if he/she/they does not freak out when your eyes are not directed forward, as mine does.

[simplemind]

I have an Italian RB Mirror on all of my drop bar bikes.

I just got one of these, do you have any advice on installation as it's a bit more complex that just sticking into the end of the tube!

[shovelhd]

I just got one of these, do you have any advice on installation as it's a bit more complex that just sticking into the end of the tube!

I put the bike on the trainer and focus it on an object behind me at the right height. Adjust the yaw so that i can see my left knee. Tape the two top fingers of the mirror mount to the bar using electrical tape. Recheck alignment. Tape over the mount radially. Recheck alignment. Tape bar with bar tape.

That should get you started. The rest you will have to figure out for yourself.

[Gummee]

I'll turn my head slightly so my ear is out of the airstream and listen.

Only if I hear something do I actually look behind me.

Most of my riding is solo on small country roads, so YMMV

M

[unterhausen]

I think the main thing to keep from drifting while looking over your shoulder is practice. Obviously, do it when there is nobody there.

Remember when you took your hands off the bar to...simply shift?

I still do that occasionally, then I laugh at myself because I got rid of my last DT shifted bike 5 years ago. Well, the bike on the trainer has DT shifters, but it's in erg mode so I only shift during ftp tests.

[MattTuck]

I miss having to look behind me on the bike. haha. it is 0 degrees right now. I'll let you know my preferred technique in march or april :):fight:

[Ralph]

One day while returning home after a hard ride....I almost turned left into a silent running Prius that was running silently beside me on electric power and it's quiet skinny tires.....so I bought a mirror....it mounts on my helmet....so I can use it with whatever bike I'm riding.

I won't leave my driveway without it. Don't care how "Fred" it looks. I want to see what's behind me.....or creeping silently up beside me.... without turning my head or body.

[notlance]

One day while returning home after a hard ride....I almost turned left into a silent running Prius that was running silently beside me on electric power and it's quiet skinny tires.....so I bought a mirror....it mounts on my helmet....so I can use it with whatever bike I'm riding.

I won't leave my driveway without it. Don't care how "Fred" it looks. I want to see what's behind me.....or creeping silently up beside me.... without turning my head or body.
Completely agree. I feel helmet mirrors are somewhat pooh-poohed here. No blind-spot if you gently rotate your head a few degrees plus I enjoy my rides much more scanning distance behind me to know what will be coming up soon, even if it's just to move over to allow a Sean Kelly to whiz by. I'd like to avoid twisting and contorting mainly to avoid pulls and strains - not as agile as I once was.

[oldpotatoe]

Completely agree. I feel helmet mirrors are somewhat pooh-poohed here. No blind-spot if you gently rotate your head a few degrees plus I enjoy my rides much more scanning distance behind me to know what will be coming up soon, even if it's just to move over to allow a Sean Kelly to whiz by. I'd like to avoid twisting and contorting mainly to avoid pulls and strains - not as agile as I once was.

Zombie thread...about 3 years?:eek:

[johnniecakes]

I have found I tend to drop my left elbow when I look back so if I lock my left elbow when looking back I track much straighter

[SoCalSteve]

Just get the Garmin radar thingy with a Garmin head unit and be done with it, works great!!!

[bikinchris]

Completely agree. I feel helmet mirrors are somewhat pooh-poohed here. No blind-spot if you gently rotate your head a few degrees plus I enjoy my rides much more scanning distance behind me to know what will be coming up soon, even if it's just to move over to allow a Sean Kelly to whiz by. I'd like to avoid twisting and contorting mainly to avoid pulls and strains - not as agile as I once was.

Some of the best criterium racers have used rear view mirrors. Riders don't even know you're looking at them.

[Gummee]

Remember when you took your hands off the bar to...simply shift?

I rode my Giordana w 6sp D/A the other day. There are things I miss about DT shifters and things I don't

AFA the OP: do you really need to see? or is hearing if there's something behind you sufficient? I've found over the years that a quick cock of the head to listen works as well or better than actually looking.

You can typically hear the car/truck tires well before they're on your 6

M

[j_b]

Zombie thread...about 3 years?:eek:

The thread title almost commands it: “look behind you...”