Recreational & Family - Mirror suggestions?

Hi everyone,

I've got a Trek 820 MTB and I think I ought to get a mirror on it as my travels at times bring me on to roads with decent traffic, and our bike paths get pretty crowded when it's nice outside. I found the Cateye Bar End model which looked nice, but I'm not entierly sure how that would work on my bike as the grips are closed at the ends of the bars. I'm thinking something that attaches to the handel bars would make the most sense, but I'm looking for suggestions on style and even which models are good. I might head to my LBS and see what they've got too. If possible, I'd like to sy away from anything that will add too much width to the bike without being able to be easily moved out of the way. Some doorways I have to get through to get outside are somewhat narrow.

Thanks!
Tim

I just got bar-end Cat Eye mirrors (model BC-500G) for my wife's Trek 4100 and my own Specialized Expedition. We both love it. I just cut of the end of the handlebar grip with a knife, removed the plastic plug inside, inserted the mirror mount and tightened. Worked great, and we both love the mirror. This mirror is quite large and give a very good view of the rear. The minor vibrations on uneven roads doesn't bother me at all.

I have the Topeak Bar End Mirror (19.95 at Nashbar right now). It goes on the same way as samundsen described. The nice thing about it is when you don't want to use the mirror it just acts like a stem.

One piece of advice: don't forget to close them when you are stopping for a while- if your bike falls over, the mirror can (and has) snap off:-).

Mark

I'm thinking about mirrors also. My LBS has some really trick bar-end mirrors made by Topeak. I'm not sure if your bike is a MTB-type bike, so maybe these wouldn't apply, but these function as regular bar-ends that stick out forward from your bars and give you an alternate way to grip them. Each one then has a built-in mirror that you can fold out and tilt as needed. The big advantage is being able to fold the mirrors in totally out of sight or for clearance in tight spots. Go to www.topeak.com and you can get a better idea of what these are. My LBS wants $34.95 for them, but Nashbar has them right now for $19.95. I like supporting my LBS when practical, but that's a pretty big difference.

I have the Topeak Bar End Mirror (19.95 at Nashbar right now). It goes on the same way as samundsen described. The nice thing about it is when you don't want to use the mirror it just acts like a stem.

I didn't see your post when I entered mine. How well do they work as far as being a useful mirror goes? The area seems rather small. Are the mirrors convex to give you a wider field of view?

Mirror suggestions? ?suggestions Mirror

I use one in the link on all my bikes even on trails too I fold it out of the way ,, I have clipped plenty of car mirrors but have not broken one yet super tough or mabey lucky. :rolleyes: .http://www.mirrycle.com/mountainmirrycle.htm

I use a blackburn mirror that's helmet mounted.
It's really easy to adjust and doesn't require me to take my eyes off the road. Plus it doesn't vibrate and allows me to scan the road quickly by turning my head.

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/e4/75/pr-Bike_Parts_Accessories-Blackburn_Helmet_Mirror-resized200.jpg

For stability and the widest possible view..For me, The
'Take a Look' style mirrors that attachs to your sunglasses..What i like about those...Don't have to wiggle mirrors on the handlebars,if the angle is wrong..Just move your head a little. if attached to your helmet, just seems somewhat less stable a view.

Second the vote on the 'Take A Look' mirror! I attach mine to my eyeglass frame.
In over 30+ years of riding, this is one of the BEST mirror I've ever used.

I didn't see your post when I entered mine. How well do they work as far as being a useful mirror goes? The area seems rather small. Are the mirrors convex to give you a wider field of view?

I got a set of these for my wife who wanted something better than the clamp on mirror she had. While small in size, she says she loves them. They let her see behind on both sides which makes her feel more secure and therefore more comfortable on rides.

I use Third Eye bar end mirror (http://www.3rd-eye.com/(09).htm) on drop handle bar. I gave it a few modifications before it became really useful.

1) I put a rubber washer between two plastic parts where they can be tilted, otherwise it moves around a lot just by hitting a bump on the road.
2) I scraped off some of the plastic so that the mirror tilts more than it was originally designed to.

The mirror is slightly convexed for wider view so you get to see a lot of activity going on behind you. I like it much more than helmet mirror I used to use.

Try the bike-eye mirror it doesn't stick out, it fixes to the frame so no snaging when going through narrow gaps, have a look at www.bike-eye.com it will show you how it operates, it may be what your looking for!!!

I got a set of these for my wife who wanted something better than the clamp on mirror she had. While small in size, she says she loves them. They let her see behind on both sides which makes her feel more secure and therefore more comfortable on rides.

DougG - I would have to agree with jstream. The mirrors are pretty nice, especially being able to see both sides. I usually only use the street side mirror. One thing to remember though: always close them when leaving your bike, even for a minute! The first time I used them, at the end of the ride I walked over to talk to someone and a strong wind gust came and knocked my bike over. Broke the mirror part right off! Thankfully Nashabr ran a sale for them that week, so now I have a backup.

One other very important thing- make sure you adjust the bar end for the right mirror angle.