Why pros not using mirror

[novetan]

This mirror gadget is aero and I'd thought is aesthetically pleasing and lightwt.

Why aren't Tour Pros use mirror instead of constantly turning their heads to look back? I know this gadget may seems amateurish but when you are cruising it gives you a fairly good idea of the peleton position or someone else behind you. I know when comes to the final cat and mouse game, nothing beats real eye contact.

Or is it totally forbidden?

 

[numbnuts]

I know this gadget may seems amateurish

 

[ianrauk]

aesthetically pleasing

Each to their own and all that.

 

[potsy]

They probably would if it had a Sky logo on it

 

[shouldbeinbed]

 

[vickster]

I guess because they spend a very long time training how to ride in the peloton...and they won't want to add anything unnecessary to the bike

Also don't they have their team telling them what's going on?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

You'd still need to turn your head around to look behind/at the side of you with that mirror anyway. So it's pretty unnecessary

 

[martint235]

This mirror gadget is aero and I'd thought is aesthetically pleasing and lightwt.

Why aren't Tour Pros use mirror instead of constantly turning their heads to look back? I know this gadget may seems amateurish but when you are cruising it gives you a fairly good idea of the peleton position or someone else behind you. I know when comes to the final cat and mouse game, nothing beats real eye contact.

Or is it totally forbidden?

As someone who uses mirrors like this, you do know that's on the wrong side don't you? They come in pairs usually and that's the left hand side one.

HTH

 

[shouldbeinbed]

same reason they don't use mudguards when its raining?

weight weenies, unnecessary extra bit to go wrong or fly about in a crash, I know from personal experience of that very mirror on roadies that they are very good once set and secured but pernickety to set right and need a bit of tape ono to keep in the right place, I guess in a in a gang of 150 riders all jostling for position on a narrow road and overlapping one another as they do, they'd be rendered useless and out of position very quickly, they also add length to the drops which could add the the possibility of interlocked bars causing a crash. If you had a mechanical and needed to switch bikes, you'd be limited in having one with your own preferred mirror set up along with gears, other minor perfection adjustments etc

Also in a pro peloton you are the most important thing on the road and amongst likeminded professionals. Mirrors are generally for watching what is coming up behind you that isn't on a bike, likely doesn't understand what you are doing or why you are doing it by bike and generally is far more absorbed in listening to the Archers or getting past you before that traffic island or is 0.357 seconds late and has decided your life is expendable in making up that chasm of time.


I'm a huge fan of mirrors BTW, have them on all my bikes, like that vary one for road bars and advocate for them whenever they come up on here but they're not a pro peloton device.

you've also got it on the wrong side, the little cutout should go inside so that your knee doesn't obscure the vision

 

[Joffey]

Maybe they should install indicators and brake lights whilst they are on...

 

[martint235]

You'd still need to turn your head around to look behind/at the side of you with that mirror anyway. So it's pretty unnecessary

They can give you a rough idea of what's going on behind you when looking back may take that fraction of a second too long. Anyone who has encountered a lane changer on a busy dual carriageway when you're on the centre line will know what I mean.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

haha - TMN to @martint235

& @PhilDawson8270 as an experienced user of this type of drop bar mirror for a lot of years, I have no such problems with it, are you a disappointed customer or just assuming?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

& @PhilDawson8270 as an experienced user of this type of drop bar mirror for a lot of years, I have no such problems with it, are you a disappointed customer or just assuming?

If you assume that the whole side of you is clear before pulling out, based only on observations made with a rearward facing mirror. You will eventually come a cropper.

 

[biking_fox]

What's the vibration like on a bar mounted mirror? As it's not on a stem it has to be better than the useless commuting ones, but I imagine there's still a fair bit of shake and blur.

 

[martint235]

What's the vibration like on a bar mounted mirror? As it's not on a stem it has to be better than the useless commuting ones, but I imagine there's still a fair bit of shake and blur.

I don't notice any vibration on it but I only use it for short glances and it's not to recognise what colour helmet a motorcyclist is wearing etc it's to think "oh motorbike"