Fifty Plus (50+) - I love my "Take a Look" mirror!

No surprises when this baby is strapped on. Will never ride without it!

Some like them - I prefer the Italian road bike mirror

look for chuck harris mirrors chuck makes all mirror by hand he pedals to grind them
he's in his 80's how long he will continue is the only question
i'm still using the one i bought from him in the late 80's /early 90's featuring the elroy sparta tunnel

he's not on web as far as i know
Chuck Harris
Ultra-light Touring Shop
P.O. Box 363
Gambier, OH 43022
740-427-3404

In 1980, I bought a couple of helmet mirrors that I still use. I haven't seen any like them for sale anymore. Instead of convoluted wire bent in various ways to attach to the helmet as the "take a look" and the chuck harris types, mine has a simple spring-loaded clip. It's easy to attach and adjust. In over 30 years of use it has stood the test of time. I always wear it. When I bought it, as I remember, it was designed by a medical doctor.

I love the take a look too. I've tried several but the take a look is my favorite.

Take a Look here too I love mine. Never though a person could see so much from such a tiny mirror. Dorky? indeed but who cares

I got a similar model that is round and a bit smaller. I've only been using it for two weeks and I'm amazed at how much I've come to rely upon it.

Take a Look here too I love mine. Never though a person could see so much from such a tiny mirror. Dorky? indeed but who cares
Me too. You want to hear dorky? I wear left and right:


...My own preference is to use both left and right Take-a-Look mirrors. The additional right-hand mirror is useful when:
-riding on the left side of a one-way street
-down the middle of a multilane road
-in a rotary
-when coming out of a curve to the right
-when a bright sun is behind you because at least one of the mirrors will be out of direct sunlight.

I got the idea from a cycling companion who wore his mirror on the right only.

Take-a-look is good. I get so used to it that on occasion when I'm walking or hiking I find myself glancing toward where the mirror would be to check out what's behind me.

Two is a bit much. Wearing one, a small rotation of the head permits scanning a wide range to either side behind you.

The only problem I have with mine is that the temple of my eyeglasses is completely round in cross-section, so the whole mirror wants to rotate around it, especially every time I hit a bump in the road. I need some glasses with a more rectangular shape to the temple for it to stay put. Maybe I'll take the mirror with me the next time I have to get glasses - maybe later this summer.

Take-a-look is good. I get so used to it that on occasion when I'm walking or hiking I find myself glancing toward where the mirror would be to check out what's behind me.

Two is a bit much. Wearing one, a small rotation of the head permits scanning a wide range to either side behind you.
Maybe I don't need the right and left handlebar mirrors too (just kidding).

I wear two mirrors just in city traffic on the crazy roads of Boston. For me the main advantage of an eyeglass mounted mirror is that I can glance rearward quickly to check for cars, yet still keep my head pointed forward in the direction of travel when encountering a sudden obstruction, e.g. pothole, car door opening, etc. The split second of time saved, while still maintaining forward vision and control too, may be vital. Having the right hand mirror is thus useful in the situations described above.

Jim's Law of the Road is: "No matter how well-paved and lightly traveled the road, a vehicle will likely pass you on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right."

BTW, I also have on occasions while walking looked up for the mirror, though I don't wear one for that activity. One time I was standing in my cycling attire including mirror in front of a "bad boy" radio talk show host who was doing an outdoor remote broadcast. During a commercial break, he was leering at a couple of ladies standing behind me. I caught his attention and pointed at my rearview Take-a-Look mirror. :innocent:

I'm another Take-A-Look fan.

The only problem I have with mine is that the temple of my eyeglasses is completely round in cross-section, so the whole mirror wants to rotate around it, especially every time I hit a bump in the road. I need some glasses with a more rectangular shape to the temple for it to stay put. Maybe I'll take the mirror with me the next time I have to get glasses - maybe later this summer.


I just got of couple of the Take-A-Look helmet mounts. Will report back on how well they work.

(Regarding Take-a-Look) ... never ride without it!

Agree, but with with caveat.

I LIKE the acreage and quality of the glass.

What I don't like is the springy-ness of the wire. Unless your cycling surface is baby-butt-smooth, you get a jittery view. Recently, they started adding a rubber sleeve to dampen the jitters...not enough. I run a little bead of GOOP down the wire before using them.

The only problem I have with mine is that the temple of my eyeglasses is completely round in cross-section, so the whole mirror wants to rotate around it, especially every time I hit a bump in the road. I need some glasses with a more rectangular shape to the temple for it to stay put. Maybe I'll take the mirror with me the next time I have to get glasses - maybe later this summer.
I mounted mine to the visor of my helmet with two tie straps... works good.

In the 1970s I experimented unsuccessfully with an eyeglass-mounted mirror. About 5 years ago I bought a CyclAware helmet-mount mirror, and now I hate to ride without it. I had to carve a section out of the visor's side piece, and I had to replace the original foam mounting pad w/ double-sided sticky tape, but I have been otherwise delighted w/ the product.

Like so many recent converts, I am now an obnoxious mirror evangelist.

Some like them - I prefer the Italian road bike mirror

Same here. I have tried but could never adjust to a helmet or eyeglass mounted mirror.

My TAL mirror is alright. I mount it to my sunglasses but I still have to cock my head up and to the left a bit to see traffic behind. I might try one of those handlebar end mirrors.

IMO the take a look is the best mirror of it's type, it's just that I could never get used to it. I still prefer a bar mounted mirror.

My TAL mirror is alright. I mount it to my sunglasses but I still have to cock my head up and to the left a bit to see traffic behind. I might try one of those handlebar end mirrors.

Italian bike mirror is what I use.

J.

This thread need pictures...

All of the bicycling mirror advocates here convinced me of the advantages to using a mirror. I ended up buying the Safe Zone bicycle helmet mirror--see the listing on Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/446w6z8 .

Unfortunately, my current helmet--a Bell Triumph--is so old that I cannot attach the mirror to it (not enough closely spaced vents). Therefore I have placed an order for a new helmet--a Bell Array--so I can start using the mirror.

Have been using helmet- and glasses mounted mirrors since at least 1981.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z284/JanMM/janmm.jpg

Using a TAL for at least a couple of years and it's my favorite. Mounted on the visor of the helmet and secured with a couple of zip ties - before the zip ties it occasionally fell off but, somehow, I was always able to find it.

Some like them - I prefer the Italian road bike mirror

That's what I use. Love them.

Some like them - I prefer the Italian road bike mirror

Agreed

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab143/jatodon/photo2.jpg

That's what I use. Love them.
Can you adjust the Italian mirror on the fly? When you move from the hoods to the drops is the image still "good"?

Can you adjust the Italian mirror on the fly? When you move from the hoods to the drops is the image still "good"?

In a minor way yes although that is not the intent. Set them up before you wrap the bars then only minor adjustments are done afterwards. They are slightly convex and glass so the field of vision is actually quite large with a very clear image.

I'm another Italian road bike mirror fan --- although they aren't highly adjustable, they provide a fantastically clear image from all riding positions.

Sometimes you have to move your head around a bit to see one side or the other, but that's what you have to do with a helmet mirror too.

J.

I'm another Italian road bike mirror fan --- although they aren't highly adjustable, they provide a fantastically clear image from all riding positions.

Nice quality/image 'cause the mirror is glass.

This thread need pictures...
http://www.messengermirror.com/mmfullview.jpg
I was unhappy with the design and size of the TAL, so I made my own eyeglass-mount mirror. Image posted here for you to pattern or follow my signature link.

I always suspected that helmet/eyeglass mounted mirrors might create a blind spot in front, but discounted it as highly unlikely. Besides, most of us have two eyes, so even if something is blocked from view to one eye the other should pick it up. However, I recently had someone nearly ride right into me because I was blocked from his view by his mirror. He corrected course in response to my shouting just before I had to ride off into the ditch. I guess using a mirror takes a bit of practice for some folks.

I always suspected that helmet/eyeglass mounted mirrors might create a blind spot in front, but discounted it as highly unlikely. Besides, most of us have two eyes, so even if something is blocked from view to one eye the other should pick it up. However, I recently had someone nearly ride right into me because I was blocked from his view by his mirror. He corrected course in response to my shouting just before I had to ride off into the ditch. I guess using a mirror takes a bit of practice for some folks.

Evidently not everyone is up to visual multi-tasking.

I bought the Safety Zone helmet bicycling mirror about a month ago. It has proven so helpful that I've decided I will never ride on a road again without a mirror. See a photo of this mirror on Amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/6jozdqv . It is pricey, but worth it. It is much larger than many mirrors of this type, and it has a glass surface which privides an outstanding image.

If I'm looking behind me, then I'm not looking in front of me....

Some like them - I prefer the Italian road bike mirror

+1

The only way I feel really safe.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dXDZmgVew5A/SdAimQ916FI/AAAAAAAAExE/LTaq45dxybE/s400/sideways-bike-1.jpg

look for chuck harris mirrors chuck makes all mirror by hand he pedals to grind them
he's in his 80's how long he will continue is the only question
i'm still using the one i bought from him in the late 80's /early 90's featuring the elroy sparta tunnel

he's not on web as far as i know
Chuck Harris
Ultra-light Touring Shop
P.O. Box 363
Gambier, OH 43022
740-427-3404

I have one of his mirrors and love it:)

He was at GOBA this year and had a different vehicle for hauling his wares. I miss his little Bug he previously drove.

Ok, I like the idea of mirrors since we ride on the road, and your supposed to ride with traffic. Is the helmet/eyeglass mirror, (Take a look) better than a bicycle mirror? If your handlebars are jiggling from road bumps, ect,, would a handlebar mirror be harder to see with? Also couldn't you move your head slightly to widen the view behind you with the others? Just trying to get opinions is all...

Thanks

I've got my Take a look mirror strapped on to my helmet and it works great. When I first got into cycling about 3 months ago I started with one of those mirrors that mounts onto the handle bars. Vision was very limited and I found myself getting surprised quite often by passing vehicles. With the Take a look I can get a panoramic view by turning my head slightly. No surprises when I have this mirror in play.

I tried both eye glass and helmet mount mirrors and just couldn't get them adjusted to where I could see clearly with my bifocals. I have a road bike mirror that mounts under my STI shifter hood. Not exactly a fashion statement for road bikes, but it does the job.

http://www.messengermirror.com/mmfullview.jpg
I was unhappy with the design and size of the TAL, so I made my own eyeglass-mount mirror. Image posted here for you to pattern or follow my signature link.

I have one of these, and I have to say I'm impressed by how well it works. Much easier to install than the Take A Look.

I bought the Safety Zone helmet bicycling mirror about a month ago. It has proven so helpful that I've decided I will never ride on a road again without a mirror. See a photo of this mirror on Amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/6jozdqv . It is pricey, but worth it. It is much larger than many mirrors of this type, and it has a glass surface which privides an outstanding image.

I have TAL now, but my coworker has one of these Safety Zone's and just looking at it is enough to sell me,
its WAY beefier looking and more easily adjustable. As you say, may cost a bit more but at my next upgrade
point I'm switching. I'd advise anyone just about to get a helmet-mount mirror to look carefully at this.

You've got to be kidding! That thing is enormous.

J.

My TAL mirror is alright. I mount it to my sunglasses but I still have to cock my head up and to the left a bit to see traffic behind. I might try one of those handlebar end mirrors.

This is an adjustment issue, the mirror itself can be tilted on the arm, there is another advantage to these mirrors though, by moving your head slightly you can change the view, without taking a hand off the bars. I have the helmet mounted version, although I regularly ride two different bikes, I use the same helmet, so I use one mirror, which is on the left, if I need to see directly behind, I turn my head slightly (there she is :love:). The problem with glasses mounted is that you will either forget to attach the mirror:notamused:, or forget to take it off, and look stupid in public :rolleyes:.

This is an adjustment issue, the mirror itself can be tilted on the arm, there is another advantage to these mirrors though, by moving your head slightly you can change the view, without taking a hand off the bars. I have the helmet mounted version, although I regularly ride two different bikes, I use the same helmet, so I use one mirror, which is on the left, if I need to see directly behind, I turn my head slightly (there she is :love:). The problem with glasses mounted is that you will either forget to attach the mirror:notamused:, or forget to take it off, and look stupid in public :rolleyes:.

When I first bought the TAL I tried mounting them on a pair of sunglasses I had, but there's a problem I had you
didn't mention... they slip down my nose when I get hot and that throws off the view :) I finally decided to mount
them on the helmet and that has been working better.

I have the take a look mirror, just now getting use to it. Finding if I turn my head a bit I can see a good view behind me. I think my problem is I want to st it up like the rear view mirror in the car.
BillMc

I use the Sprintech handlebar mirror, as the take-a-look won't fit on my sunglasses. Started using the Sprintech about three weeks ago, after returning from a multi-day tour and realizing how much I needed a mirror. The Sprintech rocks!

I have TAL now, but my coworker has one of these Safety Zone's and just looking at it is enough to sell me,
its WAY beefier looking and more easily adjustable. As you say, may cost a bit more but at my next upgrade
point I'm switching. I'd advise anyone just about to get a helmet-mount mirror to look carefully at this.

I've been using this exceedingly unattractive mirror for about three months now. I feel like part of the Borg collective. But it is a fabulous mirror, especially for those of us riding with bifocals. There is plenty of mirror real estate to always have a good look. It adjust easily even when you are riding. Money well spent.

I decided to take another look (pun intended) at helmet mirrors again. Not so much for my road riding, but for when I'm commuting in the city. I'd tried the TAL but didn't like it so much.

Then I came on this:

http://www.hubbubcustom.com/store/proddetail.asp?prod=helmir

The hubbub mirror. I like it a lot better than the TAL mirror.

The question I have is that when I helmet mount a mirror I seem to get a fair bit of shake. Is this the experience of others?

J.