Fifty Plus (50+) - Mirrors anyone...

OK ...thought they were geeky but they are extremely useful. I don't do much highway riding as I have access to extensive trail system in Denver but went on road ride a couple weeks ago and REALLY like the idea of seeing what's coming up behind you.

Any advice or general guidelines about helmet mirrors?

JTB

Any advice or general guidelines about helmet mirrors?


They may look geeky, but they work well for me. I got the type that sticks inside your helmet. I carved a bit out of the inside of the helmet to recess the mounting pad, and glued it in good with some epoxy. Just make sure it's in the right place before you start doing this.

Take-a-Look....the best of the geeky Freddish mirrors that attach to your glasses/helmet...

I've had two kinds of glasses-mounted and one helmet-mounted mirror and they just didn't work for me for several reasons: can only see when head is held in a particular position; too easy to knock out of adjustment; too close to focus my eyes on; a bit distracting out there at the edge of my vision. What I'm now using, but don't have a picture right now or remember the brand name, is a small, streamlined, convex mirror that plugs directly into the end of the drops. It gives me all the view I need without sticking out to the side or anything like that, no vibration issues that I've seen, and stays positioned pretty well. I think it's a pretty slick product.

On my MTB-style bike, it was easier to find a bar-mounted mirror since there are more options out there.

I bought my first ever mirror from these folks. It fits in the end of the bar, is made of glass and is made in Italy. I can attest to it's effectiveness and it is definitely "stealth." This is a great product, IMHO.

www.AspireVeloTech.com

You don't indicate what kind of "trail system" you are riding -- but if it is other than smooth terrain (i.e., paved MUP), a helmet-mounted mirror will be frustrating to use due to constant vibration.

Any advice or general guidelines about helmet mirrors?

JTB

I've used helmet mounted, glasses mounted and bar-end mounted. I prefer the glasses mounted for several reasons.

The helmet mounted was always getting bumped even when the helmet wasn't on my head. If you have more than one helmet (which I do) it means buying a mirror for each one. The bar-end mounted always needed adjustment from road vibration and I often had to move the handle bar to get a clear view of the road behind me. The glasses mounted can be easily moved from one pair of glasses to another. It took me a couple weeks to become accustomed to the glasses mounted mirror but once I did I'll never switch to anything else. I use the Third Eye brand.

I just tried the Tiger Eye by Flipz. For me it's useless. Either my head and body are in the way or the mirror is so far to the side that I can't focus through it.

I have a large convex mirror that I made for my 10 speed decades ago. I may try to adapt it to my recumbent. For my other bikes, I'm comfortable looking back and maintaining a straight line.

On one helmet, I got the Third Eye and Blackburn on the other. Both mirrors are helmet mounted and I can't ride without a mirror. Tried the glass mounted and I can't get used to it. Also had the handlebar mounted but again can't get used to it due to the fact when you turn the handlebar, you lose sight of what's behind you. It's nice to see what's coming behind you with a mirror. I feel safer as you could take evasive action if the car behind start riding the shoulder or too close for comfort.

Didn't mean to confuse with the trail comment. I need this for riding roads. Thanks for the advice. Looks like I need to go start checking them out. Interesting how what's great for one isn't for the next person. I didn't know about a lot of these options as I had just seen a friend's helmet mounted one.

Glasses or helmet mounted proves useful on highly curvy roads. I can get a panoramic sweep behind me, which I do often on our mountain roads. See what kind of thing is coming up from behind. If it is a semi on a micro road, I'll bail out somewhere safe right away.

Third Eye Pro- great! The adhesive gets a little loose in the garage heat, so I drilled two small holes thru the base and helmet, and used zip ties to secure it. 4th year and going strong. I don't understand how anyone who rides on roads with cars could ride without one.

What I'm now using, but don't have a picture right now or remember the brand name, is a small, streamlined, convex mirror that plugs directly into the end of the drops.

I seem to be using what DougG is described - it is a great mirror - have tried others but they doin't work for me - this one is perfect.

http://www.aspirevelotech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AVT&Product_Code=RBM_1001&gclid=CLO6u72ShY4CFSgRGgodW0ezEQ

After a thousand miles with a mirror and three thousand without, I gave the Take A Look eyeglass mirror a try, and even tho there's some hassle keeping it in the right spot, I love it. I'm already hooked after a week or two.

After a thousand miles with a mirror and three thousand without, I gave the Take A Look eyeglass mirror a try, and even tho there's some hassle keeping it in the right spot, I love it. I'm already hooked after a week or two.

+1

Since it's very difficult to turn around and look behind you on a recumbent, a mirror is more important. The Take A Look mirror on my sunglasses stays adjusted and works extremely well.

After trying many mirrors, I have been using the Take a Look, glasses mount for years. I have found that it has the least amount of vibration, the largest viewing area[because it is so close to your eye] , easily adjusted and has a short learning curve on getting used to it. I never go for a ride without mine.

I use a Take A Look type mirror on my glasses, and a handlebar mirror on the left side of my handlebar on my 'bent. I might get another mirror for the right side.

the bar end mirrors are great, the italian ones mentioned above. Mine are distributed under the 'sprintech' label. I like them so much i have them on every drop bar bike I own. the hold position very well, i even use them on a cross bike (though hitting intense washboard dirt road at speed can make them go out of adjustment - heck, that makes ME go out of adjustment).

Just bought a plug in the end of handlebar mirror, the Mirrycle, which works great. Vibration seems nil or barely noticeable. Great field of vision, very adjustable. Suits my bike to a tee.

I have three bikes - a mountain bike and a two road bikes. My main road bike has bar-end shifters, so that kind of limits my choice in bar-mounted mirrors. I bought a Take-A-Look mirror, and originally mounted it to the visor of my mountain bike helmet. I was unable to get it adjusted to geve me a comfortable view. I then tried mounting it on my glasses, and find that it works great there.

+1 for the Take-A-Look.

The timing of this thread is great for me, since I installed a CyclAware Reflex mirror on my Giro Xen helmet on Saturday and tried it out Sunday morning and again on this morning's commute to work. After about a marathon's worth of distance, I now know how to adjust it and how to use it properly, and I am delighted, having had very poor results in years past with two different eyeglass-mounted systems. I do sometimes have to dip my left shoulder a bit for a good view, and sun coming from behind can be a slight problem, but overall the thing works very well for me. I did have to cut a large notch in the left side of my visor, but that was easily accomplished.

I've used a Take A Look mounted on the visor of my helmet for several years. Before that, a variety of glasses- and helmet-mounted mirrors. Can't ride safely in traffic without a mirror. Period.

Another +1 for the Take-A-Look...

Take-a-Look....the best of the geeky Freddish mirrors that attach to your glasses/helmet...
+ 1

I've had Third Eye visor mounts for about 3 years, also had a helmet mount and have a glasses mount. I use them all the time!, even when in mountain bike races ( I can see the fast guys coming up behind me, lets me give them some room to pass)

A helmet/visor/glasses mount can be used to see cars coming on approach ramps - you just turn your head to the left and you can see behind your right side - handlebar mounts can't do that!!

I am so accustomed to mine that sometimes when I'm walking I catch myself looking up and to the left to see what's behind me!!:D

+ N for the Take-a-Look.

I have used an eyeglass mirror since 1972. In fact, I am still using the same mirror, now some 35 years old. I feel blind without it. It is somewhat smaller than the currently available eyeglass mounted mirrors, but I get plenty of field of view and it does not vibrate. Although I mostly ride on paved trails these days, it is nice to be aware that a "racer boy (or girl)" is about to pass me as if I am standing still.

Pete

The Take a Look mirror has more than the position shown in the pics above. All I see is my shoulder when I use it in the normal position on my road bike, but the mirror can be rotated so it is above the support arm.

I'm planning on giving these a try: Sprintech Bar-End Mirrors, tho' I'd probably only mount one on the left side.
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/productdetail.asp?p=SPRBM

I use a MirrorCycle bar end unit. Adjusts easily for watching my daughter (in a trailer, or on a trail-a-bike), or for watching for cars when on public roads.

+1 for "Third Eye" by Cateye.
I have used the same one now for 15 years and always use if for my road bike. I have mounted it on several helmets during that time using double-sided foam tape.

+1 on the sprintech

OK, it's natural to use a left-side mirror where everyone drives on the right side of the road, and vice-versa, but has anyone considered supplementing this with a mirror on the other side, specifically for those nasty high speed far-side merge scenarios in which cars enter your road between you and the curb?

How about a TV camera with servo motors to control the aim? Or maybe several cameras and a bank of monitors wrapping around the handlebars so you can keep up with everything going on behind you?

too close to focus my eyes on;


This was my problem too. With or without my glasses the helmet mount didn't work for me. There were a few occasions when it even gave me motion sickness. I tried one out for about a month, and then added one to my handle bar. while it tended to wobble from time to time it was never as bad as the helmet mount.

I've used several different mirrors. Never used a bar end. I am now using a velco-mounted helmet mirror by Third Eye and love it.

Nice thread; I see some options that I didn't know about before.

After having a mirror that Velcro'ed onto my MTB's grips, I got one that screwed into the bar end on my hybrid. I may try an eyeglass mirror next time.

Any mirror is better than no mirror, IMO. I can even tell when someone's drafting me (happened the other day riding up from Mt. Vernon).