Indicating bike wing-mirrors - a Mercedes wing mirror for a bike

[Kookas]

I've had this idea for a while, and only recently got around to drawing it up. I consider this to be a bit of a life-saver - when you're making a right turn and some knob goes for the overtake, you'll see it coming.

If you want to get a rough idea of what's going on behind you, you could just stick a hand up and check (be as subtle as you want).

It's also better than a standard wing mirror on your bar-end or down tube in that you could move your hand around for a better view.

I wouldn't know where to start as far as actually making such a thing, but decided I'd see what you thought of this idea.

At the risk of turning this concept into an overengineered sort of Swiss Army knife, it could also come with a flashing amber light, powered by piezoelectrics or solar, and maybe even triggered by an accelerometer. That would make it expensive, but possibly a handy gadget.

 

[BSRU]

Sorry in my opinion it's never going to fly. I'm not going to take a hand of the bars just to see what is behind me.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

not something I would buy, it fixes a problem I don't have.
Your also not the first to have an idea such as that, at this point in time there are a number of similar projects on kick starter such as this.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattchalek/cyfy-wristview-mirror-a-wearable-wrist-mirror-for

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Here are production indicator gloves.
http://road.cc/content/news/74361-uk-company-launches-lumin8a-indicator-gloves-video

A mirror on a glove like you suggest has a number of challenges, if it is flexible it will distort the image, if it is rigid it will make the gloves stiff and uncomfortable. You also have to consider what happens if you fall off the bike which means the gloves would need suitable protection from being pierced by the mirror.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Am I the only one who thinks Kookas is pulling our legs?

I recall seeing a documentary film once about a suit made of a fabric that never got dirty or wore out.

Carry on...

 

[400bhp]

No

 

[semislickstick]

I want a hologram projector that projects the image of a HGV around me.
Now...if someone could come up with that...

 

[Boris Bajic]

There are rules and these are they:

1. Motorcycles may have a single mirror. It shall be (if fitted) a bar-end mirror fitted to the clip-on bar. No other variety shall be accepted.

2. Bicycles shall not have mirrors. They are wrong, precisely because they are wrong. Nothing that is wrong can be right.

3. Gloves shall not have mirrors. For reasons, see Rule 2.

4. Cars built since 1975 shall have two external mirrors, mounted either on the two front wings or the driver and passenger door.

5. All cars built since yore shall have a single internal mirror mounted above the windscreen or on the dash top.

6. cars build before 1975 may have one or two external mirrors, but not if they detract from the appearence of the vehicle.

7. Lorries, vans and similar shall have lots of mirrors but will at all times retain blind spots.

So it is written. There shall be no exceptions. To disagree (as ever) is to be wrong.

 

[Kookas]

I was mostly trying to gauge popularity of the idea out of curiosity, I had no interest in actually making this (just for the record) in part since it's not my field.

The idea was that the mirror would let you check behind without looking down at some tiny thing on the bar-end, and so you don't have to try to manoeuvre round a corner with one hand on the bars with your body at 90° whilst you do a shoulder-check.

As for safety in a crash, it's a Velcro strap, which will just come undone in a crash. For comfort, it only has one point of attachment on the hand (so it doesn't hold the glove rigid), and would have to be sized perfectly so as to not interfere with the movement of the hand yet still be quite large.

The other factor is that if someone comes too close and you strike them, and they try to argue criminal damage, you can claim your wing mirror hit them for being too close. Because in a way, it did.

 

[T4tomo]

There are rules and these are they:

1. Motorcycles may have a single mirror. It shall be (if fitted) a bar-end mirror fitted to the clip-on bar. No other variety shall be accepted.

2. Bicycles shall not have mirrors. They are wrong, precisely because they are wrong. Nothing that is wrong can be right.

3. Gloves shall not have mirrors. For reasons, see Rule 2.

4. Cars built since 1975 shall have two external mirrors, mounted either on the two front wings or the driver and passenger door.

5. All cars built since yore shall have a single internal mirror mounted above the windscreen or on the dash top.

6. cars build before 1975 may have one or two external mirrors, but not if they detract from the appearence of the vehicle.

7. Lorries, vans and similar shall have lots of mirrors but will at all times retain blind spots.

So it is written. There shall be no exceptions. To disagree (as ever) is to be wrong.

Vespas and Lambrettas ridden my Mods will have lots and lots of mirrors.

Im must have seen a worse idea than that suggested by the OP, but I'm struggling to think of it at the moment

 

[Amanda P]

I'm just picturing a user squinting at the back of his hand, trying to get the angle just right to see what's going on behind...




... as he rides smack into a brick wall or something stationary in front of him.

 

[Cyclopathic]

With cameras on bikes becoming so popular as well as these garmin type display things why has no one made the logical step of connecting a rear facing camera to a screen on the handle bars so that you can see behind comfortably and at whatever magnification suits. You could also add whatever effect you like to the picture to make it more dramatic/aestheitc/sepia/ whatever. Also it could be tuned to tv channels for long boring rides when you're not expecting anything to come up your rear.

 

[classic33]

With cameras on bikes becoming so popular as well as these garmin type display things why has no one made the logical step of connecting a rear facing camera to a screen on the handle bars so that you can see behind comfortably and at whatever magnification suits. You could also add whatever effect you like to the picture to make it more dramatic/aestheitc/sepia/ whatever. Also it could be tuned to tv channels for long boring rides when you're not expecting anything to come up your rear.

Tried it, rearwards facing camera with screen showing whats behind. Too distracting. Also there's the legal aspect to consider, not concentrating on whats on the road in front of you.

 

[Boris Bajic]

There's an iPhone App that allows you to see what's ahead of you when cycling by clicking on the App and holding the screen of the 'phone up in front of you as you ride.

It gives a full, panoramic view of the road ahead and can be filtered or adjusted for all light conditions. it can also compensate for the distortion produced by rain and poorly-adjusted car headlamps.

By using this App and simply rotating the head and upper body through 180 degrees, the same enhanced image can be obtained of everything (I mean EVERYTHING) behind your bicycle.

This being so, why bother with silvered glass on a stick?

Or indeed a glove?

 

[shouldbeinbed]

OP. am I missing something? Why would you need an occasional mirror in a frankly daft place in that you cannot use it as a mirror without losing 50% of your control and braking and which is useless as a rear view mirror when it is helpful to have constant rearward vision i.e. when ones arm is stuck out indicating, with the added potential to inadvertently direct blinding light into the face of a driver close behind you in sunny weather.

There are many many mirrors on the market, some of them are actually very good and being fixed onto the bike give both rearward vision and full control of the bars simultaneously & there is at least one already marketed that incorporates an indicator into the casing of the mirror.