Touring - Mike mirror

I'd like to know how many tourers use mirrors? I'm going on my first solo bike tour and I haven't noticed bike mirrors on any of the touring equipment lists I've seen. Strange...or not? Thanks

Wouldn't hit the pavement without my mirrycle (http://www.mirrycle.com/mountainmirrycle.htm)!

I use a Bike Peddler "Take a Look" mirror. It can be mounted to my glasses, sunglasses, or on the brim of a hat (I go helmet-less on occasion climbing long ascents). Primarily I use it as a helmet mount though.

A pretty thorough review of various mirror types can be found on the IceBike (http://www.icebike.com/Equipment/cyclingmirrors.htm) site.

I use a Bike Peddler "Take a Look" mirror. It can be mounted to my glasses, sunglasses, or on the brim of a hat (I go helmet-less on occasion climbing long ascents). Primarily I use it as a helmet mount though.

A pretty thorough review of various mirror types can be found on the IceBike (http://www.icebike.com/Equipment/cyclingmirrors.htm) site.

I used to use those... great lil' mirror.

But I'm spoiled to the nice big convex view of the myrracle. Plus, when I go into 7-11 for a refuel of gatorade, I don't have this mirror poking out of my face.

Wouldn't hit the pavement without my mirrycle (http://www.mirrycle.com/mountainmirrycle.htm)!

I have a mirrycle mirror as well. The field of vision is excellent and you can see cars coming from a long distance away. I clamp mine on the handlebar under the brake hood. A separate rubberized collar is required to do this. The collar interferes with the placement of my hand on the handlebar but the clear image I get more than compensates for this. I would not contemplate going on a tour without that mirror.

Jean

I have tried several mirrors, and all I know is that I benefit from having some kind of mirror on a bike. I even take a spare on my tours in case one breaks.

I use a Bike Peddler "Take a Look" mirror. It can be mounted to my glasses, sunglasses, or on the brim of a hat (I go helmet-less on occasion climbing long ascents). Primarily I use it as a helmet mount though.

A pretty thorough review of various mirror types can be found on the IceBike (http://www.icebike.com/Equipment/cyclingmirrors.htm) site.

I also use this mirror. The review on the referenced site is very informative. The author, who obviously has had broad experience in using many types of mirrors, states "...these are the finest bike mirrors I have run into. Impervious to the cold, all of the critical parts are metal." My experience would support this view. I went through my first year of road cycling without a mirror. Then when I decided to get one, I sought numerous opinions about which type -- handlebar-mounted or eyeglass/helmet-mounted. The opinions were equally numerous. So I tried the handle-bar mounted version first. After my very first ride I took it back to my LBS and exchanged it for the "Take a Look" mirror, and now I always "look back."

What I did not like about the handlebar version is 1) the prospect of buying a new one everytime my bike fell over (admittedly, due diligence could resolve this issue--but it does happen); 2) being convex, objects are closer than they appear, and dark vehicles tended to blend into the road--I could often hear vehicles approaching before I could actually see them; 3) vibration; 4) limited range of view--with my Take a Look mirror, I get full view around me, including over my right shoulder, with just a small turn of the head; this is handy when riding in a group. I have been using my original Take a Look mirror for 5 years now, and I expect the only reason I would have to replace it is theft or loss.

From a safety standpoint, now that I have been using a mirror, I cannot understand how anyone could venture out without a mirror anymore than going helmet-less. I have become so accustomed to it that even when I am walking down a road my eyes look for it when I hear something behind me. :)

I use an eyeglass mounted mirror too. The only drawback I've noticed is that it creates a blind spot when looking to the left. I tilt my head to the side to get the mirror out of the way at intersections to get around this. Not a big deal and the best mirror I've tried for me but just wanted to point that out.

I use the Bike Peddler one myself, and love it. Had used a smaller one with a little mirror like a dentist mirror, and had to do a lot of head movement to see things. Now a quick glance and I've got a good view back behind me, a quick movement and I've done a good full scan. The large size is a plus, won't ride with anything else now.

Steve W.

mirrycle - i'm actually thinking about putting one on each side of my in-progress new bike i'm putting together!

(i'm using campy sr brake levers, so the old 'mount on the lever' type will work - and i'm using barcons, so that rules out bar-end mirrors, otherwise the best location in my opinion).

After my first tour which used a standard Rhode brake hood mirror (the old aluminum type), I started using two mirrors. I had previously ruled out the helmet mirror because my left eye was a little long in focus but my right eye was good. So the helmet mirror was not going to work. Now that I have a mirror on both sides of my bike, I feel naked with only one mirror. To make a long story short, I owe my life to my mirror. The truckers (Idaho) would have run me over and never looked back. It was in the middle of nowhere and no one would be the wiser. But I digress. The new plastic Rhode mirrors are crap. Bell bought the Rhode mirror design and dropped the aluminum model that hooked over the brake hood. They did not have a right hand version. Their model used a thin aluminum bracket that vibrated somewhat, but not as much as the new crap plastic ones sold now. I rebuilt my own out of slightly thicker aluminum and make reverse ones that are right hand versions. So now I have a mirror that tends to not vibrate as much as the original design and one on both side of the bike. When you swing aroung a curve to the right, the left mirror aims across the street, but the right mirror picks up traffic coming around the curve behind you. Sounds complicated but you quickly get used to glancing at the appropriate mirror depending on which way you are swinging. Another benefit for the mirrors on the hoods is the fact that you don't have to drop your head to see the mirrors as you do for some of those mounted at the end of the drop handlebars. When traffic gets bad, you dont want to loose sight of the road in front of you to check out who or what is behind you.

I ride with the biggest bike club in RHode Island and believe it or not on a day with 200 plus riders, maybe a quarter of them do not have mirrors. I just dont understand.

While this URL is for another purpose you can see the twin mirrors mounted on one of my bikes.
http://www.krabach.info/bike_light/bike_prop.htm

Wouldn't hit the pavement without my mirrycle (http://www.mirrycle.com/mountainmirrycle.htm)!Im using the same one. Wouldnt dare to ride without one now. Even when Im walking on the street I feel stressed because I cannot glance and see what's behind me :)

One thing though, it is made out of a hard plastic which has begun to crack on mine. Im using one of those metal hose thightener belts to solve the problem.

I don't even ride about town w/o my mirror. My favorite is "Take a Look" style mirrors. You can concentrate on riding when you do not have to have your head bounce about looking back for cars.
I find whenever I turn my head about incessistantly, my bike bobs about also.