Mirrors
03-08-20, 04:44 PM
#26
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I use a Third Eye mirror and would never ride a bike without it. It is to me as important as a helmet. I have neck issues and little flexibility but even if I did not I would still want a mirror. Sometimes only looking back is what is needed but I never understood the Roadie thing against mirrors. Maybe that has gone away in recent years.
03-08-20, 04:50 PM
#27
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I added a Varia last month, works well especially when in the low traffic areas I ride. It gives an early enough warning that I can glance at my mirror and see the vehicle, usually just as it becomes visible.
My flat handlebar bike has a bar end mirror. I tried helmet and glasses mounted mirrors and could not get comfortable using them.
My flat handlebar bike has a bar end mirror. I tried helmet and glasses mounted mirrors and could not get comfortable using them.
03-08-20, 05:52 PM
#28
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I use a Third Eye mirror and would never ride a bike without it. It is to me as important as a helmet. I have neck issues and little flexibility but even if I did not I would still want a mirror. Sometimes only looking back is what is needed but I never understood the Roadie thing against mirrors. Maybe that has gone away in recent years.
Ben
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03-08-20, 06:46 PM
#29
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I tried a glasses mount mirror and couldn't get used to having it in the corner of my eye (must be me; I also turn off the compass in the mirror of my car!).
I have tried myriad bar end mirrors.
The Italian ones are too small for my old eyes, aside from the fact that you have to get them lined up just right when you wrap the bars.
I liked the Sprintech and Zefel Cyclops mirrors, but found that the mounts break.
I have come back to the Mirrycle; I use the one for flat bars but leave out one section of the mount. It has been very durable, is large enough that I can see what is coming from a useful distance, and can keep track of the people I am riding with on the rare occasions when I am ahead.
I have tried myriad bar end mirrors.
The Italian ones are too small for my old eyes, aside from the fact that you have to get them lined up just right when you wrap the bars.
I liked the Sprintech and Zefel Cyclops mirrors, but found that the mounts break.
I have come back to the Mirrycle; I use the one for flat bars but leave out one section of the mount. It has been very durable, is large enough that I can see what is coming from a useful distance, and can keep track of the people I am riding with on the rare occasions when I am ahead.
03-08-20, 08:44 PM
#30
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Have been using Take-a-Look mounted on helmet visor for several years. Have used helmet- or glasses-mounted mirrors for several decades.
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03-08-20, 11:19 PM
#31
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I like the Third Eye Foam helmet mirror. The shaft has an I beam cross section that reduces vibration.
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03-09-20, 03:53 AM
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That sounds attractive. I use the long-arm version of Take-A-Look, and I sometimes think about trying the short-arm version because I get some vibration some times that makes it hard to resolve at a distance whether that's a car or not.
03-09-20, 06:26 AM
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buy a helmet mounted mirror and and a bar mounted mirror. Use them and see which works best for you, or use both
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03-09-20, 07:01 AM
#34
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With my new helmet, I had to use two layers of velcro tape to put it in the best place, and even at that, the vibration is still well managed.
Here is how I mounted it. I dunno if you can see the I-beam construction there. It has two ball joints ... one at the mount and one at the mirror.
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03-09-20, 07:25 AM
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Thanks, nice picture. I see what you did there. You score at least a MacGuyver for the double layering, nice work.
Last edited by rseeker; 03-09-20 at 08:20 AM.
03-09-20, 11:24 AM
#36
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I use a take-a-look mirror on my road bike. It attaches to your glasses and is very effective. I don't ride without it...or at least not on the road.
https://takealookactive.com/
https://takealookactive.com/
03-09-20, 11:25 AM
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I use the clearviewmicromirror.com. It is a helmet mount with a small mirror on a very short stem. It took me 30 minutes to get it properly adjusted and comfortable using it. This is my first mirror so my learning curve was probably steeper than most rider's.The company is a small Mm and Pop, maybe even just Pop, but product support was very good. The web site is a little old school.
03-09-20, 11:46 AM
#38
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Cheers
03-09-20, 12:16 PM
#39
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I have used electrical tape to semi-secure to black visor but only sure attachment I have found is to drill holes in visor and use 1 or 2 small zip ties.
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03-09-20, 12:50 PM
#40
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Have not lost one while riding but did lose one recently in the process of driving from Indy to Gulf Shores, AL. May be in car somewhere well hidden. Local bike shop had a replacement for the lost mirror.
I have used electrical tape to semi-secure to black visor but only sure attachment I have found is to drill holes in visor and use 1 or 2 small zip ties.
I have used electrical tape to semi-secure to black visor but only sure attachment I have found is to drill holes in visor and use 1 or 2 small zip ties.
Cheers
03-09-20, 01:40 PM
#41
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For many years I used Take a look mirrors and similar helmet and glasses mounted mirrors. A few years ago I switched to the Italian bike mirror an all of my bikes and never regretted the switch. They are made out of glass and very clear and unobtrusive. Took a while to get used to bar mounted mirror after using a glass mounted mirror.
03-12-20, 05:40 AM
#42
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- I use one of those plastic discount cards from a grocery store and cut it to fit the recesses in the softer EPS foam inside the helmet. This will serve the same purpose as the earpieces on eyeglasses -- something for the three grabbers on the mirror stem to hold onto.
- Then I'll punch a hole in the plastic card. That's the zip ties to go through so nothing slips off.
- I use one zip tie to secure the mirror to the card, with the zip tie going through the punched hole.
- I use a second zip tie to secure the card (again, through a punched hole) to the helmet, on the inside, going through a vent.
- This leaves enough wiggle room to adjust the angle of the mirror stalk/stem up and down a bit. I'll snug up the zip tie to hold the tension so I don't have to keep adjusting the mirror.
It's simpler to make that it sounds. Takes only a few minutes.
For now I have one Take-A-Look attached to my Bell Formula MIPS. The second is loose so I mount it to whatever sunglasses or safety glasses I plan to wear. That's for use with my POC commuter helmet or my aero helmet. I wear the POC on my hybrid, which has bar-end shifters so there's no handy place to mount a mirror on the bike.
The aero helmet lacks vents for mounting, and a permanently attached mirror would defeat the purpose of an aero helmet. The aero helmet and jersey are usually good for an extra 1 mph on my workout routes, especially on windy days. But depending on traffic I may wear glasses with the mirror on days when I'm using the aero helmet. When I reach my usual workout routes with 2 to 6 mile time trial segments, I'll stick the mirror in my jersey pocket and just wear the sunglasses or use the aero helmet's magnet mounted visor. If my neck flexibility was better I wouldn't bother with this setup, but it helps me with navigating traffic until I reach my workout segments. There isn't much traffic there so I only need the bar-end mirror.
03-12-20, 08:05 AM
#43
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This is how I mounted the mirror to my visor. Drilled three holes and two zip ties. Used construction silicon to secure the visor to mitigate vibration.
Not for everybody but it works for me, Frank.
03-14-20, 05:51 AM
#44
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I too prefer an eyeglass mount for my Take-a-Look. Just a few minutes ago I posted:
For winter riding I wear goggles over my prescription eyeglasses, but not those with an elastic band that would not support my mirror:
"What mirror do you use?"...
On a more serious note, I recently had thought that I lost one of my Take-a-Look mirrors (I wear right and left; link).
On a more serious note, I recently had thought that I lost one of my Take-a-Look mirrors (I wear right and left; link).
"Jim's Famous Trick for Rear-view Mirror Goggles"
Now that spring is upon us, I am considering creating a "rear-view mirror" using (Jim's idea) a dental mirror and safety glasses purchased from Lowes.
Now that spring is upon us, I am considering creating a "rear-view mirror" using (Jim's idea) a dental mirror and safety glasses purchased from Lowes.
Hi @parkbrav et al,
Thanks for the nod and I did think that I was the Jim to whom the title referred. I have frequently posted about my goggles and mirror set up to diminish eyeglass fogging in the Winter
Thanks for the nod and I did think that I was the Jim to whom the title referred. I have frequently posted about my goggles and mirror set up to diminish eyeglass fogging in the Winter
I perennially post about my winter eyewear for my 14 mile year-round commute, from about 35° down to as low as 0°. I must wear my prescription eyeglasses, and fogging is one of the worst dangers of winter riding. I am entirely satisfied with my system
…for eye protection is a pair of simple, wide, plastic industrial goggles that I suspend from my cycling cap using Velcro around the nosepiece. The goggles sit very comfortably on my face securely in place even though my ears are covered. The earpieces then provide a rigid mount for my eyeglass-mounted Take-a-Look mirror.
The goggles allow sufficient room for my prescription eyeglasses, and are widely ventilated to carry away the exhaled moisture preventing fogging.
These goggles have made winter cycling entirely possible because all other attempts to avoid dangerous fogging have been nowhere as successful…
I realize now that my goggles and face mask are actually an integrated system of heating and ventilation that keeps my face warm and my vision unencumbered by fogging.
The windscreen of the goggles is so effective in keeping my eyes warm that my eyelids actually perspired because my central core body was so warm, and my eyes never got cold, even on those fast windswept downhill runs.
The goggles allow sufficient room for my prescription eyeglasses, and are widely ventilated to carry away the exhaled moisture preventing fogging.
These goggles have made winter cycling entirely possible because all other attempts to avoid dangerous fogging have been nowhere as successful…
I realize now that my goggles and face mask are actually an integrated system of heating and ventilation that keeps my face warm and my vision unencumbered by fogging.
The windscreen of the goggles is so effective in keeping my eyes warm that my eyelids actually perspired because my central core body was so warm, and my eyes never got cold, even on those fast windswept downhill runs.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-14-20 at 06:07 AM.
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03-15-20, 08:00 AM
#45
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I tried a glasses mount mirror and couldn't get used to having it in the corner of my eye (must be me; I also turn off the compass in the mirror of my car!).
I have tried myriad bar end mirrors.
The Italian ones are too small for my old eyes, aside from the fact that you have to get them lined up just right when you wrap the bars.
I liked the Sprintech and Zefel Cyclops mirrors, but found that the mounts break.
I have come back to the Mirrycle; I use the one for flat bars but leave out one section of the mount. It has been very durable, is large enough that I can see what is coming from a useful distance, and can keep track of the people I am riding with on the rare occasions when I am ahead.
I have tried myriad bar end mirrors.
The Italian ones are too small for my old eyes, aside from the fact that you have to get them lined up just right when you wrap the bars.
I liked the Sprintech and Zefel Cyclops mirrors, but found that the mounts break.
I have come back to the Mirrycle; I use the one for flat bars but leave out one section of the mount. It has been very durable, is large enough that I can see what is coming from a useful distance, and can keep track of the people I am riding with on the rare occasions when I am ahead.
Best regards
03-15-20, 06:51 PM
#46
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Awareness of what's behind
yet another +1 for 'tale-a-look' mirror
In addition, I find to Garmin Vario radar unit to be of assistance https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/601468 added benefit of being on sale at the moment
In addition, I find to Garmin Vario radar unit to be of assistance https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/601468 added benefit of being on sale at the moment
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03-23-20, 10:23 AM
#48
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I have tried both eyeglass and helmet mounted mirrors and both of them worked great. My preference was a helmet mounted mirror. As my mileage increased and I was doing longer and longer rides, I added clamp on aerobars on my road bike to help relieve some of the shoulder stiffness I was getting. As soon as I would get on the aerobars, those mirrors became useless. They're great if you always ride upright or in a fixed position as the adjustment doesn't vary much. Once I went aero, all I could see with my helmet mirror was tree tops and sky. To see what was behind me, I had to get back to the hoods.
At 73, my neck doesn't turn around like it used to so looking over my shoulder isn't an option. After trying several types of mirrors, the one I finally settled on was the CycleAware bar end mirror. It's adjusted so that I can easily see behind me while riding on the hoods or a quick look over my arm, while on the aerobars. However, for my last birthday, last October, the wife got me a Garmin Varia rear radar, just prior to my cross state ride. I now use it whenever I'm on any street and use my mirror primarily to see which lane a vehicle is in when on a multi-lane road. As nice as mirrors are, there's not a mirror on the market that notifies you of a vehicle(s) approaching 153 yards away. It's paired with my Wahoo Bolt and the LEDs on the computer help with visual notifications along with the audio notification you get when a vehicle is detected. My radar is like my American Express card; I don't leave home without it.
At 73, my neck doesn't turn around like it used to so looking over my shoulder isn't an option. After trying several types of mirrors, the one I finally settled on was the CycleAware bar end mirror. It's adjusted so that I can easily see behind me while riding on the hoods or a quick look over my arm, while on the aerobars. However, for my last birthday, last October, the wife got me a Garmin Varia rear radar, just prior to my cross state ride. I now use it whenever I'm on any street and use my mirror primarily to see which lane a vehicle is in when on a multi-lane road. As nice as mirrors are, there's not a mirror on the market that notifies you of a vehicle(s) approaching 153 yards away. It's paired with my Wahoo Bolt and the LEDs on the computer help with visual notifications along with the audio notification you get when a vehicle is detected. My radar is like my American Express card; I don't leave home without it.
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Last edited by John_V; 03-23-20 at 10:27 AM.
03-23-20, 07:48 PM
#49
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I have two I use.
Round plastic(Third Eye?) and Take-a-look
I prefer the Take-a-look. Bought it 35 years ago to use while rowing and then tried it for road riding.
The Third Eye is now In my boat bag but I never go out for a bike ride without the TAL attached to my glasses.
Round plastic(Third Eye?) and Take-a-look
I prefer the Take-a-look. Bought it 35 years ago to use while rowing and then tried it for road riding.
The Third Eye is now In my boat bag but I never go out for a bike ride without the TAL attached to my glasses.
03-23-20, 08:56 PM
#50
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I've tried several, & never got the hang of it.
Hard to see enough to be useful, & distracting. My son got me one that straps to your arm but maybe my eyesight is not good enough.
I do like being in a group with mirror-users- they call out the cars, and know when you are coming up.
Hard to see enough to be useful, & distracting. My son got me one that straps to your arm but maybe my eyesight is not good enough.
I do like being in a group with mirror-users- they call out the cars, and know when you are coming up.