mstateglfr 

cycco has entered the chat. Fun.

- yes saying it's of little use is obviously my opinion. And yet, I use a device that tells me how many vehicles are behind me and their relative speed. It's of little value, yet I participate in knowing. Human condition is odd.
The point of saying it's of little value was to simply highlight that if you ride predictably and visibly, seeing what's behind you isn't critical. The OP politely pointed to a situation where it is of use and I agree with that.

- of course a mirror works for more than a few feet behind the rider. You are being obtuse.
When a car is 100' away, there is no reason to think an issue is impending. When a car is 50' away there is no reason to thing an issue is impending. Heck, even 20' away- same thing. If a car hasn't moved over when they are 20' away, that isn't exactly outnof the ordinary and therefore not much cause for concern.
It is only when a car is a few feet away that their not moving over would be a concern...and by then, it's too late.
So really, do you flip out and bail if a car hasn't moved over when they are 50' away? If not, why not? And if not, what distance away from you do you bail?

As for the cost of a Varia, yeah it it costs more than a plastic mirror.

Rick_D

This from the OP is a related issue, especially for city cycling.
Agree that being visible is on us, but distracted drivers are and will remain a threat.

tFUnK

I've tried this and wouldn't recommend it. I now ride with rear radar but I understand this may not be great for urban commuting.

wolfchild

Maybe unimportant to you, so speak for yourself....and yet here you are riding with a radar and saying it's unimportant what's coming behind you....Me personally I prefer a handlebar mirror.

Pratt

Bike #1 has bar end shifters, bike #2 has little bull horn (really more calf horn) ends.
I got a piece of microphone flex from a musical supply company called Sweetwater and round the end fitting off (the spring steel flex just laughed at my hacksaw, it tickled). Then I epoxied the end into a little block of wood and screwed (bike #1, or glued bike #2) a mirror to the wood. A hose clamp holds the flex to the handlebar.
I wanted the mirror to always be with the bike. A side benefit has been that the mirror is very robust and has survived falls and railroad baggage handlers without incident (now I've probably jinxed them).

cyccommute 

Inconsistent much? You, personally, need one but I (and other cyclists) don’t. You, personally, find value in them but I (and other cyclists) shouldn’t use a mirror because…reasons .

Of course I’m being obtuse but that’s the proper response to someone who seems to imply that a mirror is only useful for a few feet.

Um…huh? That applies to any method of looking behind you, whether it be a $5 mirror or a $400 radar unit or even the free method of looking behind you. You aren’t making sense nor a cogent point.

A plastic mirror that is just as effective without any of the down sides…like not being all that useful in city situations.

David_Harris

I don’t have those years of experience with it, but that same brand is what I use on my glasses and prescription sunglasses. It took a bit to get used to having it there, but now I get irritated that it isn’t there if I forget to put it on. Very useful and effective.

macattack71

I like my CycleAware helmet mount mirror. I check it when I hear a car getting close, and when I need to start changing lanes. Feel naked on a commute without it. I also use a flashing strobe taillight and a rear helmet light, along with flashing handlebar light. Can't be too careful out there.
CycleAware

SpedFast

Ditto

BTinNYC 

Your forks are bent!
The Hafny with the glare blocker was/is much better than the flimsy mirror it replaced, and I think it'll pass muster.

SoSmellyAir

I am surprised that none of them suggested OP to run 1x just to fit a bar end mirror.

jlaw

I have 3 of the Ortlieb Ultralight mirrors. It's convex, but is a good size and it mostly stays put.in bumpy conditions. Photo.

$30 - https://www.rei.com/product/188637/d...c=ds&gclsrc=ds

I also bought the Garmin Varia recently. Very effective and easy to use with the phone app. - no need for a bike-specific computer.

The Varia allows me to relax more and focus more of my attention forward. Definitely worth the $200. But, make sure you have a way to mount it, especially if you use an under-seat bag.

I modified an inexpensive Amazon Garmin mount (seat rail) to work as a fender mount - photos. The Varia works in the upside-down orientation (light at the bottom), but not sure if Garmin recommends this.

The mirror and the Garmin are a great combination.

SoSmellyAir

The mirror seems to be in the way of the left brake lever, at least when riding in the drops.

dedhed

I found most drop bar mounted mirrors didn't sit out far enough to see around my panniers when commuting. I didn't like the helmet/glasses as it blocked part of my front view here in the urban jungle of reckless drivers.

I ended up with this Axiom DLX strap on. Perfect - no, but good enough to tell what's coming. I can also spin it out of the way when it's parked in my garage to walk between the bike & car. First one I bought had bolts at the pivots, second they went to rivets which were crap. Drilled them out and replaced with SS bolts.

And yeah, we got snow today

dedhed

I don't know what world you live in, but I literally looked in my mirror more than ahead when I commuted. I could see blocks ahead to identify issues coming up but in my world of epidemic reckless driving behind was VERY important. And yes, I have in fact bailed into the grass over the curb. Hell here they'll run into a parked school bus so a bike is nothing. They even have a name for it "The Milwaukee Slide"

rollagain

I recommend an EVT Safe Zone mirror. Oddly, it forces me to wear my helmet, which I might not do otherwise, because there is literally no place at all to mount a mirror on my GreenSpeed Anura. I didn't get it for that, though; I got it when I started riding the Street-Strider--also with noplace to mount a mirror.

It's a little on the large side and slightly obtrusive, but not so much, and gives an excellent view to the rear. It's quite stable.

In the past I have used lighter-weight smaller mirrors that attach to the helmet with velcro, and the ones that mount on eyeglass frames, and they were all too flimsy and went out of adjustment easily. I do have handlebar mirrors on my more conventional bikes.

Daniel4

I like the Mirrycle. It's got the right convexity.

https://mirrycle.com/product/mirrycle-mirror/

keraba2

Another vote for the Take-a-look mirror. I put mine on my sunglasses. They may look flimsy but that metal is tough, it is trivial to put the mirror where you want it and it *stays* there.

mstateglfr 

You and cycco seem to think I am trying to speak for everyone. I am not. I have not claimed or implied that I am speaking for everyone.

As for my use of a Varia radar, I cited the main way in which I find it useful. That use case makes it worthwhile to me.
On roads, I will sometimes glance back as I see cars are approaching on my head unit, but I also trust that I am safe due to being visible and predictable.

mstateglfr 

I cited my main reason for using a Varia. I will repeat it in a different way- I find value in it because I am not doing the 2 things I have mentioned in this thread which are best to do.
When riding on geavel roads, I am continually moving around to select the best line. As a result, I am not riding predictably. There is sometimes dust which reduces visibility. Furthermore, wind and surface noise makes it difficult to hear what's behind me.

All that adds up to make the radar helpful. If I rode on pavement only and rode predictably with good visibility, I likely wouldn't have the Varia.

cyccommute 

I think you are talking about the old Rhode Gear Take-a-Look mirror. Blackburn has a similar design. I think Blackburn bought the design from Rhode Gear.

mstateglfr 

That fender mount is really creative. Cool work.
As long as the Varia is vertical and perpendicular to the road, it will work regardless of if it's right side up or upside down.

cyccommute 

Oh, really? Is this not you?

Although I’ve never heard of it but you seem to be using the royal “you”. If you had said “Knowing what is coming behind me is of little value,” I don’t think anyone would have a problem with that. But you are implying that the rest of us don’t need mirrors. To go on and say that you use something that looks back the same way a mirror does while tell the rest of us we don’t need the same thing smacks of “do what I say, not what I do”. While I can’t speak directly for everyone else, I’m reasonable certain that those of us who use mirrors (or even radar) do so for reasons that we find…what’s that work again…oh, yeah…value.

Do you really not understand what the objections to your arguments are? Do you not see the hypocrisy in your statements?


I’ve ridden tens of thousands of dirt roads long before gravel was a thing. I’ve worn a mirror on my glasses or, later, on a helmet for every ride I’ve done…pavement, mountain, or dirt…since the 80s. I also ride predictably every where I ride. I know a few things about wind and surface noise and dust. I also know things about riding in traffic. I will continue to use a mirror in all those situations for the very same reasons you do…even if you say otherwise.

mstateglfr 

Oh sweetie, stop with this.
All of it is my opinion and I am not speaking for everyone else. When I say 'knowing what's coming behind you is of little value', that is clearly my opinion.

If you couldn't realize it was my opinion, that's a you issue. You have already said you have been intentionally obtuse in how you read my comments here. Not much reason to continue if you aren't willing to bring your intelligence to the discussion ND instead want to be obtuse and try to play 'gotcha'.

RCMoeur 

The ones I have use circular mirrors, not the oval. I've used several of the oval mirrors, and the ball joint tends to not stay in place and then eventually fail in fatigue after several years, unlike the simple hinges typically used for circular mirrors.

Of course, Rhode Gear and Blackburn are just sub-brands of Bell Sports these days, so it's not surprising they're sharing branding.