kjc9640

I got such good advise from everyone about bar tape for my daughters bike that I thought I would go to the well again and ask about a rear view mirror for her bike. It is a road bike with drop bars and bar end shifters. She does not care for a helmet mounted or eyeglasses mounted mirror so I guess the options are pretty limited. What would you suggest?

Thanks for the help.

cyclinfool

Ouch - bar end shifters puts my favorite mirror out since it sits right at the bar end

stapfam

That mirror is the one I am looking for on my bike. I have a larger one fitted in the same place but it keeps moving- I spend more time adjusting it than using it. But Have to admit that this is down to me. Everytime I restart on the bike- I seem to have dislodged it.

Can't use a helmet mirror either- but I know this one works- but not with bar end shifters.

Dellphinus

Cant help with those constraints. BTW, I was convinced I didn't like glasses mounted mirrors too. Until I rode a few times with one. If she's tried it for several rides, so be it. If she's not tried it, might be worth a shot.

kjc9640

Dellphinus, I use a helmet mounted mirror and love it. The daughter and I have discussed this and she has agreed to give it another try for a longer period of time than she gave it before. I am just hoping that some one has seen an option that I have not been able to find on my own. Like I mentioned the options are pretty limited.

George

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/ptleg..._mirror/pp.htm

Retro Grouch 

Me too. I've used a Take-a-Look eyeglass mirror for several years. It does take some getting used to. What I really like about it is that I can focus it's range of field by moving my head. I also think there's less vibration issues with an eyeglass mounted mirror.

kjc9640

Both of you are spot on. This is the best mirror that I have ever used and I have spent a lot of money on mirrors. I have mine clipped to my helmet visor. I would like to try the same type of mirror that is made by Chuck Harris from Ohio. I have seen some of them and they appear to be very nice.

cyclinfool

Stapfam,
I have that mirror on both road bikes, been using it for 3 years. The good thing about it is there is no adjustment, but that means you have to set it right when you put it on. In reality you can adjust it a little but once you have it where you want it it stay put - even when the bike gets knocked around a bit. The mirror is small but the optics are very good. When I get my daughters road bike she will get one for her bars.

rschleicher

I have a small mirror that mounts onto the side temple of my sunglasses. I can't recall the brand - but it was some sort of small company, perhaps a one-person operation. It has a mirror that is roughly 1" by 1.5", and the mirror angle can be adjusted in both the x and y directions. But once you get it adjusted, it stays in place.

I would say it takes one or two rides to get used to moving your head slightly to "aim" the mirror. But once you get used to doing this, it works far better than something that is fixed to your bike.

My other mirror "rule" is to never totally rely on it. If I see a car in the mirror then I know I can't turn left, or otherwise move out into the roadway. But if it looks clear in the mirror, I still "double check" with a look over my shoulder.

I also find it helpful in knowing if a faster rider is coming up behind me, so that I give a bit more room.

Later add: It turns out my mirror is a "Take A Look" mirror.

DnvrFox

I used to use a mirror - I still have a brand new one unopened - but gave it up. I found it too distracting. I was always looking in the eyeglass-wand-mounted mirror, and didn't enjoy the ride as much.

I just look back over my shoulder, but, then I don't ride much on roads.

CACycling

If you aren't dealing with traffic it isn't nearly as helpfull. For me, I find that looking back will freak out drivers now and then (they assume my looking back means I will be darting out in front of them) so they take evasive action (usually slowing down). Much easier to keep an eye on the mirror till there is a break in traffic then do a quick head check and zip across. When I'm trying to get into a left turn lane and have to cross 3 lanes of 50 MPH traffic to get there, I need all the advantage I can get.

I use Third Eye the helmet mounted mirrors. Tried the eyeglass mounted ones but they caused the temple on my glasses to bend inward and put pressure above my ear (I usually wear nylon frames and they aren't very stiff). Now I just Goop the mirror onto the helmet and it's there when I need it.

ddez

Ive started using a mirror as im getting deaf,cant hear fast cyclists coming up on me from behind. Got a Take A Look mirror and haven't looked back. Sorry cant believe i said that.

BillK

I love my Bike Eye. I tried a few helmet/sunglasses-based rear view mirrors but found them too small and hard to use (vibration). The Bike Eye attaches to your frame next to your head tube (either right or left side). It's relatively inexpensive, is very adjustable and easy to use (i.e., large and little/no vibration).

kjc9640

Good suggestion, we jusy might give this one a try. Thanks

BluesDawg

https://www.trivillage.com/blaref0200.html

I don't like the way this kind feels, but they are an option that works for bikes with bar end shifters (they mount on the hoods).
My own choice is no mirror.

jdon

I like the Italian bar end mirrors as well but if her bike has Shimano shifters, this might work. https://www.mirrycle.com/road_mirror.php

George

I probably should add, that I use to ride with the Take A Look mirror, but now I don't use a mirror. It's a pain in the neck, for me anyhow. If I'm riding with my wife or a small group of riders I wear one to keep and eye on them, but for the most part, I don't wear one.

bikeideas

I opted for an eyeglass-mount mirror but found available brands too big, too costly. I made my own.



Copy the design, or follow my signature link.

BigBlueToe

I've tried lots of mirrors. The Take-a-look that fits on sunglasses didn't work for me. All I could see was the side of my fat head! The little one that fits on the bar end was acceptable but not good. It's too convex, making it hard to judge distances; too small; and I don't like looking down so far to check out my mirror. I tried the German mirror from Rivendell. I like how solidly it mounts, but, again, it's too convex.

My favorite type of mirror for non-sti brakes is one that fits on the brake hood. I've got an old one that has a piece of thick sheet metal bent around that goes over the hood. That's my favorite but you can't get them anymore. Blackburn has a model out now that's acceptable, except not real solid, so it shakes and vibrates a lot. On my sti bike I have a Mirrycycle that fits nicely. It's almost perfect, except I can't tighten it enough so that the mirror doesn't change position when I hit a bump. I'm going to try some blue Loctite.

cyclinfool

When I went through my mirror testing phase I too found helmet mirrors too distracting and since my glasses sometimes slide down my nose - eye glass models made that worse. I then tried the bar mount mirrors, they wobbled and when I went over rough roads they sometimes needed to be reset. Then there was the inevitable flat to fix - the mirror was in the way when I flipped the bike over. That's why I ended up with the bar end mirror that did not protrude - it is like it is not even there - except when you need it. However - given that's not an option here I would think the Bike eye would be my next choice, although not sure I would like having to adjust your leg position to use the mirror.

akohekohe

I never liked those eye glass mounted mirrors with the three prongs for this and other reasons. My solution is to clip off prongs and use small zip ties to hold the mirror to the glasses temple instead. To remove simply slip the zip ties off the mirror and then slip them off the temple. Works very well and is quite stable.

CACycling

Looks like a good solution. For me, the helmet mounted ones work fine. I have numerous pairs of glasses (various tints for diferrent light conditions) but only 2 helmets (road and commuting/MTB) so having one glued to each helmet is easier.

Fat Tire

I have tried Mirrycle, and the pentagonal one by pyramid/SunLlite and generally despise the acrylic/plastic ones, I prefer glass far and away over plastic. If I'm going to have two, one that is flat not distorted for more apparent distance, makes good sense. Third Eye makes a bar mounted mirror, too, but it goes in the handlebar end. no one in bicycling has standardized mirrors, as on Motorcycles? In fact I went looking on Amazon for mirror mounts, for handle bars, there seem to be plenty, but there were NONE with actual photos of what you get. Why in hell is that, exactly?

No one wants to know what they are buying for $37 each? But it's better than motorcycles, there are some motorcycles that vibrate constantly to such an extent that mirrors of any sort are unusable, except momentarily, as you accelerate, but at least there are glass mirrors. I saw last night mirrors by Electra, for $17, that look like very nice mirrors (as mirrors go) glass, sufficiently long stem that you do not end up looking at your elbow or shoulder, as you ride, depending on the mount.

Got no advice, but as soon as you find a good choice tell me, so I can order them before Amazon raises their prices. (It always seems to me that after I add something to my wish list they raise the price on it while I research it, until I find out enough bad stuff that they have priced it too high, and when you want to remove it they want you to explain why. Idiots! And "you priced it out of all utility to me" is not a choice in their list of problems, either.