Do you use a mirror on your handlebar or helmet, and if so, which one?
#26
Senior Member
Not a commuter and my traffic is very very sparse (saw more motor vehicle traffic on the blocked bike trail than I did on the road last week.) I've been using the Take-a-Look mirror mounted to my helmet visor since I started this year. Love it. I don't see a lot of traffic and it is easy to hear coming way before I see it in the mirror because traffic is usually coming down a hill or on the other side of the hill and I hear it a mile away, but it allows me to watch for it coming. I ride down the middle of the roads when on back country roads and the middle of the lane on the state roads to allow them to notice me before I move over to the right to let them by.
#28
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i think bike peddler one gives me a clearer area of vision. the one on the drops is convex and makes it a little hard to judge how far they are behind me. Plus it is easier for my eyes to focus on the bike peddler. I do have to say that I get used to looking in the mirror behind me and do it walking down the street even when I am not riding.
#30
Fossil
This model has worked for me for the past 4 years. There may be better/more expensive items out there, but I have no problems with this.
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#31
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I think I'm better off with a mirror commuting in the city. When traffic is a general roar you can't expect to just use your ears. Mine velcros to the brake lever. That's one of the few options for me since I have bar end shifters.
I HATE helmet mirrors. I can't get any perspective on distance or anything with one of those. I know they work for some people.
I HATE helmet mirrors. I can't get any perspective on distance or anything with one of those. I know they work for some people.
#34
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Started using helmet mounted mirrors in 1989. Can't ride a bike safely in traffic without one. Nor a car, motorcycle, truck, etc.
Last edited by JoeyBike; 06-13-14 at 02:23 PM.
#35
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I've been using a helmet mirror for years. Overall, it works okay. But it is not ideal. I like that I don't have to move it from bike to bike. But, I ride only drop-bar bikes. So I cannot position it so that it is simultaneously within my field of view and has a clear view rearward over my shoulder when in riding position. I have to consciously raise my head every time I want to look back. Also, it is really easy to bump it out of position when carrying, donning, or doffing my helmet. So I frequently have to fiddle with it at the start of a ride.
A bar-end mirror is out of the question on my commuter bike, as I use bar-end shifters.
What I really want is a Google Glass type device wirelessly hooked to a rearview camera, all for under $100.
A bar-end mirror is out of the question on my commuter bike, as I use bar-end shifters.
What I really want is a Google Glass type device wirelessly hooked to a rearview camera, all for under $100.
#36
aka Phil Jungels
You can move those stalks around on the Myrricle. Point the first one from the bar straight ahead, and then adjust using the others. Mine only sticks out 3 1/4" from the end of the bar, and I could even move it closer. With a little fine tuning, it could be less than the width of the mirror itself.
This mirror never vibrates, never moves, and offers an excellent view of what is going on behind you.
For visibility, this I the best money I ever spent.
This mirror never vibrates, never moves, and offers an excellent view of what is going on behind you.
For visibility, this I the best money I ever spent.
#37
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I use a helmet mirror now, and have used bar end mirrors in the past, but I still always do a head turn before moving into a lane.
#38
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I run MirrCycles with the middle extension removed to keep them tucked in tight and on my trekking bars I run motorcycle bar end mirrors that fold in when not in use. By removing the bar inserts they'll clamp directly on the OD of the bars and tuck inside the outer end of the trekking bars when folded in.
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#40
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I use a Mountain Mirrycle clamped under the brake hood using a light mount. I put it there because I was using barend shifters but it turned out to be the best viewing position as well.
#41
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Me, too. Just ordered another Mirrycle for my wintertime Trek. This mirror is a well made $20 bargain.
i don't mind the fact that this mirror sticks out a bit. The visibility and the stability are well worth a few inches of extra width.
i don't mind the fact that this mirror sticks out a bit. The visibility and the stability are well worth a few inches of extra width.
#42
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Your creative mount looks like a winner for a Mirrycle mirror on a road bike. Please provide more info about the light mount you used.
#43
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I use the exact helmet mirror that ClarkinHawaii posted, and would never ride again without it. I tried bar mounted mirrors, but you can't quickly point them in the direction you want, without actually turning your bars, and the objects in the big convex mirrors are too far away from your eyes when you're sitting straight up and navigating an intersection. Helmet mirrors allow you to quickly scan the entire area behind you, using a mirror that is inches from your eye by turning you head 2 inches Max., so your eyes can stay forward.
#44
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I too have always thought Google Glass would be a great rear view mirror for cyclists, especially if software can be written to predict a crash course of a rear approaching cars, and alert you to brace for impact, or make an evasive maneuver.
#46
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I've used various different eyeglass/helmet mirrors, and the Take-A-Look is the best, by far. I am very hard on these things, and the Take-A-Look is so much more durable than the others. It's also highly adjustable. It's easy to adjust it any which way, and it's easy to put on and take off.
It takes some practice to use this type of mirror, but at this point, I can make lane changes much faster without looking than I ever could. Don't do this until you're very sure you've acquired the skill. I once cut off a car, and it was a close call.
It takes some practice to use this type of mirror, but at this point, I can make lane changes much faster without looking than I ever could. Don't do this until you're very sure you've acquired the skill. I once cut off a car, and it was a close call.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
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Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#47
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Another vote for the Take-A-Look.
When I first put it on, my optical cortex went crazy trying to figure out how to focus to see in the thing, and I also had a hard time finding the right mirror-position plus up-and-left head movement so that I wasn't always just staring at my shoulder. Now with practice I can even see behind me to the right even though the mirror is mounted on the left side of my helmet. I still always turn my head for a final check before I cross lanes or anything, but it is very helpful to be able to more easily check the rearward situation frequently in advance of making a move.
I lost my first one because it came off my helmet during a roadside mech stop. When I went back to look for it it was gone. And it was occasionally falling off. I've read some people use superglue to keep it on, but my solution is to secure the attachment with a sturdy twistie -- a plastic-sheathed one with thick wire inside, not the more common kind with thinner wire and paper coating.
When I first put it on, my optical cortex went crazy trying to figure out how to focus to see in the thing, and I also had a hard time finding the right mirror-position plus up-and-left head movement so that I wasn't always just staring at my shoulder. Now with practice I can even see behind me to the right even though the mirror is mounted on the left side of my helmet. I still always turn my head for a final check before I cross lanes or anything, but it is very helpful to be able to more easily check the rearward situation frequently in advance of making a move.
I lost my first one because it came off my helmet during a roadside mech stop. When I went back to look for it it was gone. And it was occasionally falling off. I've read some people use superglue to keep it on, but my solution is to secure the attachment with a sturdy twistie -- a plastic-sheathed one with thick wire inside, not the more common kind with thinner wire and paper coating.
#48
Senior Member
I have a honking huge and sturdy flat (not convex) handlebar mirror, but I wish I'd gone with a helmet or eyeglasses mounted mirror. Still, it works well for me.
#50
Senior Member
I use both a handlebar mounted convex mirror and a take-a-look mirror. The take-a-look is mounted on my glasses and I use it to watch vehicles overtaking on my right (left in the US). The handlebar mirror is for those rare occasions I have to look the other way when changing lanes.
I ride a recumbent so need mirrors to check both sides. For regular cycling the take-a-look is brilliant.
I ride a recumbent so need mirrors to check both sides. For regular cycling the take-a-look is brilliant.