How often do you look around you?

Belv

I couldn't think of categories to go in a poll (does anyone actually measure how often they do it?!), so just enter your own experiences.

Personally, if i am cycling along a road with no obvious danger points then i wouldn't look behind very often, preferring to let my ears alert me to potential risks approaching from behind.

CJ Bill

I scan the side roads I'm coming up to constantly. Only look behind when I'm taking a right.

BentMikey

I didn't look behind me enough until I went on a CTUK course. I also didn't look long enough or early enough, particularly on the fixed. On the bent it's lots easier as I have mirrors because you can't really turn your head to look behind. The better vision on the 'bent is negated a little because drivers don't see you looking them in the eye, though.

Now I often look behind, and most definitely before any potential conflict points such as pinch points, junctions, etc. It really makes a big difference to how drivers treat you and how much space they give. Plus signaling and moving out earlier also reduces the rate of conflicts. And before this I thought I was one of the more assertive riders on the road!!

tardington

Reasonalby often?

Bentmikey is pretty much right about when you should look, I reckon.

You can hear most traffic, but I still like to look. And to check for other bikes behind me before I scratch my ass or fart or something embarrassing...

jefferee

I don't tend to look behind unless I'm about to turn or change lane position. Otherwise, the presence of cars behind me is not going to make me change my position (I generally leave them as much room as I safely can), so it's not really information I need.

In an emergency situation like somebody pulling out from a side street right in front, though, perhaps it would be nice to know ahead of time if I have room to swing out... :oops:

FatBlokeFromFelixstowe

I found that I do a lot more since taking my motorcycle test. I find this especially helpful at pinch points and potential left hook points.

CJ Bill

I shall bear all of this in mind....

homercles

I look around quite a lot I'd say, certainly at the 'conflict points' as mentioned by Mikey and generally just to keep my wits about me. I would say that relative to most cyclists I see riding along my anticipation seems to be better too.

I am pretty slack at signalling sometimes though: need to work on my habits there. A lot of the time I rely on the fact that I've made eye contact with a driver etc and assume it's clear what I'm doing. Might come a cropper on that one day :oops:

Belv

Eye contact = good
Eye contact + signal = better

I remember learning on my motorbike test: "never assume a driver has seen you until you see the whites of his eyes... then he'll pull out in front of you". In other words, even when you and he/she both know you're there and what you are going to do, still assume they are about to try and hit you.

snooks

I look behind when I think/"feel" someone or something is there...Seeing my frame light from behind, shadows on the road or just the sound from a car or bike...AND I also look before I perform a maneuver...Mirror Signal Bindspot Maneuver as my driving instructor taught me...although on my bike it's Blindspot Signal Maneuver cos I don't have mirrors 8)

A strange thing happened the night before last, I'd just pulled off the chelsea embankment to do the traffic free cut to kings road (Lots Road), and I could have swarn there was a bike behind me, checked my offside blind spot, nothing...kept cycling past the parked cars and I was convinced there was someone there, checked blind spot again, still nothing, saw shadows on the ground that looked like mine but I was sure there was someone else behind me....checked my blindspot for the thrid time and eased off the pace slightly...and then caught sight of someone behind me and slighly closer to the parked cars near/in the door zone. Funny thing was, I knew he was there before I saw him...And I couldn't of heard them because I was too busy huffing like an asthmatic rhinoceros. Once I knew he was there I made an early signal approaching the round about at the end of the road so they were in no doubt which way I was going...I don't like falling off, it hurts!

As for signalling, I was following (not drafting, they were ahead of me) a bike the other night and it would have been nice to have a bit of warning before they slamed on their anchors and pulled left...Didn't add any padding to my shorts, but I still had to hit the brakes and because a car was going by at the time I couldn't pull wide to avoid them. But we all forget occasionally and no skin was lost, just would have been nice to know what their intentions were
.

Hairy Jock

I look round when ever I see anything which might cause me to change speed or direction, I also look as far down the road as I can to anticipate any potential hazards. Far to many people seen to travel with a fixed stare looking on more than 100m ahead, that may OK if you are walking but at any speed above that it becomes increasingly dangerous.

Belv

(To answer my own question) 32!

I counted my looks behind last night and it was 32 times in a fraction over 5 miles. Considering the amount of time i was on the cycle paths and the (very unusual) half-mile long line of stationary traffic that i could undertake, this was probably below average.

BentMikey

That's a pretty good idea actually counting them!

Belv

It was quite an interesting exercise.

I noticed that:
1) I don't usually look (but should) when approaching central bollards or traffic islands.
2) I tend to look at least twice before manouvres - once to check for approaching traffic (more if there is something there) and then a lifesaver before the final move.
3) There are some points on the route where i look behind for no obvious reason. Weird one, that.[/list]

secretsam

In a word: Often

Eye contact gets another vote: check, check again, signal, move, assuming all the time the other road users are total m0rons... :twisted:

hamboman

I had a nasty experience once - had a quick look behind me, and as I did the porche in front of me that had just cut me up on a roundabout braked abruptly. Calipers aren't that great stoppers!

WeirdNeville

As I cycle in central london being "all around aware" is essential.

I've also improved a lot since doing an advanced driving course. They reckon an advanced driver checks his/her mirrors about every 3 seconds on average. I would say this is overkill on a bike, your ears give a much better idea of surrounding traffic.

However, like in a car I:
Shoulder check when:
Entering a new road,
Approaching a hazard,
Change in road position
Change in speed.

If you're worried about running into the back of vehicles when shoulder checking, you're cycling too close to them! Back off!

markyboy2005

I look around now much more often than I used to.

My commute takes me through the centre of the city where there is a perma-noise and beeping of horns. Over here the horn is used prmanantly, not really in an angry "get out of the way" or "what the f%^k are you doing" kind of way, more of a "look out I'm coming through" kind of way.

The rules of the road here are generally a loose guideline in most people's eys. At major junctions you will see - 10-12 police who are there to stop traffic when the lights go red etc as without them it becomes the rule of force where might is right and the rules get broken.

I was discussing with one of the company drivers about why no-one was stopping at a Pelican crossing in one of the other cities where we work. He explained it is Lorry, Bus, Car, Moped, pedestrian who have right of way in that order.
It is very frustrating, as you will see people waiting to cross at a green man and no-one stops, they just thunder through (unless there is a cop there).I asked him where cyclists fit into that and he just said "don't cycle here!"

Having said all of that it seems to work somehow.......I actually in some ways feel safer here as the chaos on the streets has created a type of driver who is used to the unusual and has mopeds cutting him up on both sides constantly, so they use their mirrors alot and are always aware of what is going on around them. Plus, due to volume of traffic and all of the above, the speed is never great....

So to get back on track - I look over my shoulders (both of them before every manouvre) much more than I used to - I can't rely on my ears or any other senses to help me, so they Eyes are all I have.

jedster

Before every manouvre or potential manouvre, e.g.,

junction ahead - might need to move towards the middle of the road
parked car - going to need to move clear of the door zone
turning right at the next roundabout, will need to change lanes soon
slower moving cyclist ahead
vehicle "lurking in suspicious manner" ahead (hazards on, wheels turned into road, obvious that driver is in seat)

I too often check twice - first is just a situation check and a signal "I'm likely to be manouvering soon", second is the lifesaver.

I also do it whenever I feel that traffic has moved up close behind me, three purposes to this:
1) reminds them that I'm here and am actually a person - funny how often a shoulder check results in a driver backing off or giving me more space, particularly if I combine it with an old-fashioned look...
2) signals to them that I know they are there - "yes I see you, I'll factor that in" - I think this buys you some time to find a safe place to let them past. If you don't acknowledge them I think they are more likely to squeeze past
3) checks for danger signals about the driver (spotty adolescent in a chavved up Nova? distracted mum and an army of kids in a people carrier? frustrated wannabe rally driver in a scooby? white van man?)

Cheers,
J