August West

I'm so used to using my Take A Look mirror I'd be totally lost without it. It would be like driving a car without mirrors. In fact I have 2. One mounted to my sunglasses and the other to my non tinted glasses I use for cloudy days. The area I ride in is wide open and I can generally see vehicles coming from a long ways away so it is very seldom I have one sneak up on me. That being said I also run a Varia 510. The two kind of compliment each other for me with the Varia being superior in areas with a lot of curves and hills that don't have long sight lines. And the Take A Look mirrors are dirt cheap which is something not very common in this sport.

Random11

I'm also 70 and use a bar end mirror. It works well for me. It also looks like it belongs on the bike, more or less. Vanity getting the better of me, I don't think I could put a big round mirror on my bike, but I'd be very uncomfortable riding the roads I do without the mirror.

400E

A brand of helmet-mounted mirror I haven't seen discussed is from Monkey Mirrors. That's what I've been using the last couple years. Very tough and stays put.

I wouldn't feel comfortable riding without a mirror. I want to know who's coming up to pass me on the MUP! I get passed a lot.

KJK

What he said!

spelger

just found this...maybe it will fit the bill for you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088DFKVB9...dDbGljaz10cnVl

-scott

Russ Roth

When I used a mirror this is the one I liked to use it, stopped when I was in college after I passed a really hot looking coed and spent too long looking in the mirror at her ass after passing her; ran into the back of a parked car. Had a couple more similar near misses, I don't look the way I used to so it'd probably be safe now but I'm not taking any chances.

hedonist222

bar mirror
$5

sits on a cross pivot joint - so can turn it almost 360 degrees

Danhedonia

I have never used a mirror, and am curious to hear from people as to what benefits they get looking behind them? (Not saying I don't turn and look sometimes, I do). I just figure that all I'd get from it is seeing the truck actually hit me, vs. a quick and peaceful end? How does what you see change what you're doing?

But its me 

In today’s distracted driving environment, I find the mirror helps to give me time for defensive maneuvers. Bit like driving a car and watching the traffic around me for the same behavior. Also useful for those of us that ride at pokey speeds, to see who is passing me on the MUP. Pretty much back to my second line, in that I find a mirror as useful as when I begrudgingly drive the car. Without mirrors in the car, I would not be as safe.

Sy Reene

Left turns?

msdumo

You got it. My routine bike ride has 2 left turns across a highway. I would probably be not here without mirrors.

ropetwitch

Good suggestion!

Flip Flop Rider

there are no cons really

joesch

+1 ; One optimization that I add to some helmet attached eye mirrors that have too much vibration is a dampener at the conection so I can get a more clear view.

BobbyG

I kludge-mounted a mirror in this position on my winter bike which I converted to drop bars last year. I use a take-a-look glasses mounted mirror, but all the bikes get bar mirrors also, and this position is really good. I will look for the one you have.

joesch

Some think them uncool or for older riders. Safety is better than cool looks! Why dont any racers use them?

friday1970

I have a "Life On" helmet mounted mirror bought from Amazon.
It's a helmet mounted mirror that uses double sided tape. Well, the tape came unglued on a humid night. However, I use velcro tape to securely mount the mirror to my helmet. No vibrations, and only a slight look to the left to see traffic behind me.
I'm so used to this mirror, I never feel safe without it anymore.

I-Like-To-Bike

Probably for the same reason that they do not ride in bike lanes or stay as far right as practicable. Racers are usually not riding in unrestricted traffic with motor vehicles driven by the general public.

Rides4Beer

+1, best piece of gear I've bought, won't ride without it. The only time I look behind me is to double check when turning left.

Phil_gretz

This is it in ten words. Especially when riding the fine line between being in the single directional lane of traffic and being in the parked car door zone. The mirror tells me when the risks of drifting left are going up.

hedonist222

When I hear a car approaching, I'll take a look to make sure they're driving right.

If driving erratically, the mirror affords me enough time to pull them over and punch them - repeatedly.


It's similar to these two

https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-95293-S...1043884&sr=8-8

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0859...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

himespau 

These are what I use. They stay put pretty well, but, if you take them in and out too much, they tend to loosen up inside the joint and bounce around a lot.

jadocs

I used to use what is called "Italian Road Bike Mirror". It provided the best non-vibration field of view of all the mirrors I have tried (including helmet and glasses mounted mirrors). It also was never knocked off axis and always stayed in the right place. The only drawback is it's set it based on your position on the bike. There is no pivot. As great as the FOV was, I always looked behind me prior to taking any lanes and/or hearing any vehicles behind me...much like the mirrors in a car...you always look over your shoulder before committing to a maneuver. Having said all of that, I stopped using a mirror because it became redundant. I'm not advocating not using a mirror at all. I'm just giving my perspective on using one and my decision to just look over my shoulder.

cyccommute 

3M Double sided molding tape. It sticks on for years in every condition I’ve ever thrown at it including subzero temperatures, 105°F heat, and torrential downpours. I don’t have to deal with humidity that often but I have ridden in humid conditions and it’s still stuck in place.

AlmostTrick

It allows me to more easily and accurately monitor overtaking traffic so I can ride in what I feel is a safer manner.

I like to default to a position in the lane. Cleaner pavement, better sight lines. If someone approaches from behind, and it is safe and reasonable to share the lane, I can then drift right. If it is not safe to share the lane for any of a multitude of reasons, I'm already in it! No need to negotiate a merge or encourage a squeeze. I just hold my line and continue to monitor and verify that the driver is taking me into account... without having to continuously turn my head and look away from my direction of travel.

I'd rather not be surprised by unsafe overtaking, and frankly cannot remember a time that it has happened to me.

Also, left turns and lane changes are much easier to plan and facilitate with a mirror.

By monitoring behind in real time in the manner that only use of a proper mirror allows, I can also mitigate dangerous situations by adjusting my speed and position prior to any possible conflict situations, making things easier and safer for everyone.

No matter how one prefers to ride, I’d say it’s still going to be safer having this “driver verification” information available to you at split second notice.