Bean27

Do any of you use those little rear view mirrors on your helmets? I don't currently have one, but it looks like it would be a benefit. After two neck surgeries, my neck isn't very flexible, so I have some trouble craning my neck around to look for traffic behind me. I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations on this, both testimonies and specific types to consider.

Thanks very much.

andrelam

I've never used the small mirrors that attach either to the helmet or glasses as they kind of scare me. If that side of my head hits something, I don't want there to be any chance that the mirror could come loose and poke my eye out. I don't know if the concern is valid or not, but it just scares me.

I DO however LOVE my mirror that attaches to the handlebar. I have the Mirrycle Mirror that attaches to the handlebar end, you can see it at: https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=2722 These mirrors are readily available at most local stores. I can now see traffic coming up behind me without having to crane my head over my shoulders every few seconds. Just like in a car, I can look down frequently and quickly see what it happening behind me without having to take my eyes of the road in front of me for very long. Personally I will never ride in traffic again without a descent mirror. I paid about $14 locally for the mirror. If I do end up crashing on the side with the mirror, at least it is no where near my eyes or face to I don't care if it shatters. I've been using the mirror since May or so and have been commuting on my bike just about every day since then. So far the unit is holding up just fine and it not bothered by rain or snow.

Happy riding,
André

RussB

I tried the helmet mout mirrors, not for me. It wasn't stable enough. Also couldn't get used to it. focusing on one eye. I need to know what's behind me at a glance. I do like the mirror I got at nashbar. It fits right in the end of my drops.
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ety%20Products

chipcom 

Take-a-Look mirror on the glasses - can't beat it.

Portis

Yep: https://www.cycleaware.com/

JoeyBike

I have used helmet mounted mirrors for 20 years.

Take-A-Look is the brand I like the best. It clips to my helmet visor or a pair of eyeglasses with larger temples. I only use it on my visor, that way I can take my helmet off and not look like a geek 24-7.

https://www.icebike.org/Equipment/cyclingmirrors.htm

Scroll down just a bit to see the Take-A-Look brand.

Those little mirrors are personal and not for everyone. I like them better than bar-mounts because I can scan all behind me with a slight turn of my head. You don't want to turn your bars while riding - like having a mirror on your steering wheel in a car. They are convex usually i.e. objects are closer than they appear. And the first time your bike falls over....

I do not like the plastic helmet mounted mirrors. They break too easy. I have the same Take-A-Look for over a decade.

They are cheap: 12 - 15 bucks. Give it a try and don't be afraid to figit for a week or two before you give up. You should see a little bit of your left ear if adjusted correctly.

Shoot me a PM if you have any more questions. I may lose track of this string.

-Joey

blue steal

I've been using the take a look for quite a few years now. It has held up quite well. I have it clipped onto a set of glasses that I use for riding. They are a very good product.

Bean27

Wow! Lots of good suggestions. Since I don't have straight or drop bars (I've got a Townie 21), I'm not sure the bar end mirror would work - it would seem that my arm would hit it while riding. I should have mentioned the bike brand when I first posted this. Good point on trying to keep the mirror away from your eyes in case of crashing, but I wear sunglasses while riding, so hopefully they will protect in that case.

The Take-A-Look looks very interesting. I think that's the first thing I'm going to try. Since I wear glasses, it looks like it can mount on either the helmet visor or on the glasses.

Thanks to all for your help. I really appreciate it.

John.BC

Not fond of mirrors...use my ears and assume traffic...

RonH

I've been using the CycleAware Reflex mirror for a few years. I have one on my commuter helmet and one on my road helmet.

zigzag3

We live in Texas too, and when I inquired at the LBS about mirrors they said that the adhesives for the helmet- and glasses-mounted mirrors often can't take the summer heat and come unstuck. We got the handlebar-mounted mirrors and are very pleased.

Bean27

Thanks for your input. Shoot, when it gets that hot, I'm probably not going to be riding anyway. I have ordered the Take-A-Look, so we will see if they are right. If not, I can always get a mirror for the handlebars.

rayfrady

Bean,

I have both the Take A Look that I use for my road bike, and a Mirrycle Mirror on my Hybrid. I much prefer the Take A Look. You get a much wider angle of view behind you. It took a day or two to get used to but now I can't hardly do without the Take A Look. I just snap it on the arm of my glasses and go.

Safe Riding,

Ray

jwbnyc

I've finally gotten the hang of the helmet/visor/glasses type after quite a few failed attempts with mirrors of different sorts.

My favorite at the moment is the Bell Metro visor mirror which doesn't seem to be all that popular. Works for me anyway.

The Take A Look is probably the best. It's certainly larger than most. I like being able to fold the mirror up out of the way and the smaller overall size of the Bell personally.

The best thing about mirrors of this type is that you can keep an eye out for cars substantially further back that may be closing at speeds considerably in excess of the speed limit, IOW the sort of drivers you might want to look out for.

They don't replace looking over your shoulder. They just give you another option.

The quality of viewing is down to how well your eyes work.

I can't really focus on anything too clearly. But, I can see well enough to have an idea of what is coming up from behind.

It is worth acclimating to them IMO.

I'm not comfortable with any mirror I have to look down at to use. That rules out any of the mirrors that attach to the bike in one way or another for me.

limeylew

This is ABSOLUTELY the best mirror I have ever used https://tinyurl.com/29houp
then scroll down to ' ViewPoint™ : The Adjustable Mini Spy Mirror

It carries a 1 year warranty but, the one I am currently using, is 8 years old.

scottbiker73

The Take A Look is a great mirror. Completely adjustable on glasses or helmet. Add-on for helmet costs $2.

AndrewP

I use the Tird Eye that clips to the glasses and love it. I would rather ride without the helmet than without the mirror. When making a lane change I still look behind me, to give a visual indication to cars behind that I am about to make a move. For looking behind, you dont need to twist your head around - it is easier to bend you head forward, as if you wanted to kiss the tip of your shoulder.

Bean27

I ordered the Take-A-Look mirror on Wednesday night from Niagara Cycle Works and it came in the mail on Saturday (unfortunately after I got back from my ride). But, it was great weather here in North Texas, so I got an opportunity on Sunday morning to put the mirror on my sunglasses and try it out. It takes a little to get used to, but I was real impressed with it. I could adjust it just where I needed it to see behind me with just a glance. It made me much more comfortable with riding on the streets.

Thanks to everyone for their inputs to this thread. I very much appreciate all the suggestions.

kf5nd

My teen son just started using the original helmet mirror I bought in 1978. It's made of steel wire, soldered to clips, and an unbreakable plastic mirror, so it's built to last. He loves it! He says it makes him feel much better being able to see cars behind him. I guess we're mirror-folk.

Chuck G

I like the Blackburn road and MTB mirrors. They velcro onto the brake hood (roadie) or handgrip (MTB).

sandkeyfred

Hi,THIS IS A TINY MIRROR THAT MOUNTS ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR SUNGLASSES. UPON RECEIVING THE MIRROR MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THIS TINY MIRROR WOULD DO WHAT THE COMPANY CLAIMED. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. AFTER EXPERIMENTING FOR A WHILE I FOUND THAT THE BEST WAY TO MOUNT THIS MIRROR TO MY SUNGLASSES WAS TO MOUNT THE HIGH SIDE OF THE MOUNTING BASE FACING RIGHT & TURNED SLIGHTLY COUNTER CLOCKWISE SO THAT THE HIGH SIDE IS FACING IN ABOUT THE 2 O'CLOCK POSITION. I MOUNTED IT ABOUT 1/2 WAY UP ON THE LEFT LENS & ABOUT 1/8" FROM THE EDGE OF THE SUNGLASS FRAME. THIS ENABLES ME TO CLEARLY SEE ANY TRAFFIC TO MY LEFT. IT'S A BIT TRICKY DEALING WITH THE SMALL STICKY PADS THAT COME WITH THE MIRROR. BY THE TIME THAT I FINALLY GOT IT POSITIONED EXACTLY WHERE I WANTED THE STICKY PAD WAS HARDLY HOLDING THE MIRROR TO THE LENS BECAUSE OF MY HANDLING IT. THERE WAS NO WAY THAT I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE LEAVING IT ATTACHED WITH THE FIRST PAD. IF THIS MIRROR FALLS OFF WHILE YOU ARE RIDING, IT WOULD BE LIKE FINDING A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK. IT IS SOOO TINY. THEY DO GIVE YOU A SPARE BUT I FOUND THAT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE MY OWN USING DOUBLE SIDED TAPE THAT WAS NOT TOO THICK & WITH A PAPER PUNCH I MADE AS MANY STICKY PADS AS I WANTED & THEY SEEM TO WORK JUST FINE. I FIND THAT IT IS AN EXCELLENT PRODUCT & I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE...cycleaware.com

dahoss2002

I like the blackburn mirror that attaches to your brake hoods.................The helmet and glasses mirrors give me headaches.

Big_e

I use Tiger Eye sunglasses mirror. The body is wire frame and made from a bicycle spoke. It's hard to bend but once you get it positioned the way you like it, it won't ever budge. It mounts to your glasses or helmet visor. It must be a small company, the package says they're made by disabled americans and I couldn't find a website for them. Only B&B Bicycle shop in Cedar Hill, Tx carries them in this area. The back of the mirror has a nice enameled flag of Texas which make it look really nice.
Ernest

Black Bud

You still want to know where the traffic is that's coming up behind you! Your ears won't tell you just how close that car really is (not enough distance between you and them in practice) and one little mistake can be fatal.

Now, mirrors for bikes do have their disadvantages: Helmet mirrors tend to be delicate, difficult to keep in adjustment and allow the rider to develop the BAD habit of looking up and away from where they should: In front and around them. Which is where everyone else tends to be (it's very unlikely your next road hazard will be aircraft).

Handlebar mirrors tend to be more robust, but can be a pain to fasten properly to the handlebar (almost all of them use "quick release" mountings) and then stay where one wants them to (the mounts may not clamp the grip firmly or even fit over the grip without a bit of "adjustment" from your friendly, local set of pliers ). They are also prone to distortion of the image from vibration (road shock--which one can learn to compensate for) and/or poor optics (which cannot be dealt with by the user), so choose carefully and be prepared to replace the mirror when necessary.

So it's easy to get that "view of what's coming from behind" for people who use bikes with "flat" bars or other bars that can accommodate the "mountain" style mirror.

However, if one owns a road bike and uses drop bars? Good luck finding a mirror that will work for you, although if one rides in the "heavy load touring" style (uses the drops but rarely), this is not an insurmountable problem. The biggest problem is finding one to fit: Mirrors designed for drop bars are not common, although Blackburn offers a good one that has a wide viewing angle and mounts easily to the hoods. The biggest problem with the Blackburn--if one runs brifters--is that the action of the brifter lever (for shifting purposes) can be impaired if the mirror is strapped on too tightly (the mounting strap is quite wide and can interfere with the mechanism).

RonH

Wikipedia says:
Capital letters were sometimes used for typographical emphasis in text made on a typewriter. However, long spans of text in all upper-case are harder to read because of the absence of the ascenders and descenders found in lower-case letters, which can aid recognition. With the advent of modern computer editing technology and the Internet, emphasis is usually indicated by use of a single word Capital, italic, or bold font, similar to what has long been common practice in print. When an acronym or initialism requires a string of upper-case letters, it is frequently set in small capitals, to avoid overemphasizing the word in mostly lower-case running text. In electronic communications, it is often considered very poor "netiquette" to type in all capitals, because it can be harder to read and because it is seen as tantamount to shouting. Indeed, this is the oft-used name for the practice.



Need I say more?