jgjulio

Soon I will have my new road bike (Specialized Sequoia). I am wanting to add a mirror to my handle bar.
On my hybrid with flat bars I ran into the problem of being too wide for my first mirror (Cateye) and ended up buying and using the Mirrycle mirror that sticks out further to the side.

For the road bike coming I am looking at these:

https://www.amazon.com/Sprintech-Road...ef=pd_sbs_sg_1

Has anyone had any experience with this mirror, and/or can you give suggestions for a mirror for a wide rider.
Thanks.

Crast

Consider a helmet mirror instead of handlebar mirrors. You won't have to worry about seeing past your body, it's easier to get the angle right, and you can turn your head to change your view.

My experience with handlebar mirrors when I was younger and non-clyde was that while they did let me see past me, I had to constantly adjust it based on where I was sitting on the bike to get a view. Also, you have more chances of having the mirror smashed when you're locked to a bike rack, when you put your bike down, and just generally riding around in the city.

cyclezealot

agree with Crast.. Get a Take a Look style mirror. With less effort you see more of the road behind you.

flip18436572

I bought the mirror that goes on the end of the bars. It works great, and unless I am not paying attention I see everything I need to see. It was cheap at the LBS. I didn't want something on my helmet.

jaxgtr

I used one of these on my CAAD9. It is small and aerodynamic, it does give me some visibility behind me, but it is not ideal and I would not recommend them. Your bars have to be at the perfect angle to be able to adjust the mirror to were your can get some good visibility out of it, but I eventually pulled it out and put my buzz kill back in and figured I could just turn my head and look to see what was behind me.

wayne pattee

Just bought my second "take a look" mirror. I wear glasses so I use the glasses mount one. My first one lasted about 8 years and it was the plastic one. This time I got the metal one.
I have a bar end mirror on my hybrid but I like the take a look for the road bike.

jgjulio

I don't wear glasses (contacts). Can you attach a "take a look" mirror on a helmet?
If not which helmet mirror do you guys recommend.

gotls1

If your helmet has a visor, you can mount the Take-A-Look on it. That's what I do, and I lurve it sooooooo much.

neilfein

+1 for a helmet mirror. I'm finally getting used to mine, and it's nice to be able to keep the bars clean. It does take a few seconds of fiddling with it at the beginning of the ride, though.

evblazer

I use a pair of those (left/right which each are tapered differently) that I got from biketiresdirect.com on my road bike sometimes in addition to sometimes without a take a look mirror.
Problems:
I keep knocking them out of alignment sometimes even when I stand to climb and get a little sloppy.
I have to pivot them out because I have to pivot them out
New issues is going to potentially be I can't see behind me when I have a pannier*
Only really good for one position
Positives:
They give a really good field of vision especially with two. I can just glimpse down and see behind me even when the road vears to the right.
I can't forget them or drop them
Easy to adjust

I did find that I could only use them in the drop or on the hoods easily not both which is why I sometimes took the take a look also which I could never get to work for me in the drops so they complimented eachother well.

I also use a pair on my xtracycle cargo carrier. I find them handy to look down and check the load on each side of the bike and make sure nothing is getting loose or shifting.

*I've may yet go with a trunk rack. I tried to hold off putting a rack/bag on my merlin and I hate to do it but I'm a commuter and the merlin is going to be my backup/change of pace commuter bike.

Mr. Beanz

I'm shocked that 9 out of 10 riders with mirrors jump out of their bikeshorts when I say 'onyerleft' when I pass! I always use a calm voice in order to prevent scaring someone off the road. While approaching, I look in their mirrors and seems that 90% that have them don't use them.

Few riders do 'use' them but I wonder why some even bother. Maybe they look cool?

evblazer

I have two mirrors on my recumbent that give me a complete view at all times of the road behind me. During daytime hours I have been suprised by a couple riders because they are completely and total unexpected. I guess I'm like a car the site of a bicycle in a mirror just does not compute and it gets filtered out. At night they stand out because I'm wondering if they are a car with one lite out or a motorcycle so I pay attention more.
I got a litle better closer to the end of summer but coming up I am going to have at least another 5 months of not seeing any bicycles on the road to forget they exist again.

cyccommute 

It's probably because they are watching for cars. Situational blindness rears its ugly head yet again.

Cool? Nothing is more Fredly then a mirror.

Third Eye attaches better to a helmet than the Take-a-look

bakerjw

Guess I'm 1 of the 10. I always keep track of my 6.
+1 on the helmet mirror.

b_young

I guess I am just too Fred. I use the cateye you seem to be trying to get away from. It sticks out, but I can see a lot more with it. I never could get the angle right or my head turned right or something with the helmet mounted mirrors and do not like them. I have a 2 mile stretch of my commute that has no shoulder and 55+ traffic. Sometimes I think I will run into something because I am looking at my mirror more than where I am going.

cyccommute 

I wasn't saying there is anything wrong with being Fredly. It's just that the cool kids will look down on your mirror as being...well...Fredly I.e, not cool.

b_young

Whoa wait being Fredly is NOT cool. When did that happen?

jgjulio

Thanks for the replys. I will be trying a helmet mirror. Also b young I am not trying to get away from the Cateye I just could not see well around my shoulder when I had it on my flat bar bike.

I don't mind being Fred - My son who is a road biker (lean and strong) already laughs at all the stuff I have on my bike - bell, lights, mirrors etc. he says my bike looks like Batman's utility belt.

bcc

And look how many times that saved Batman's ass

b_young

Not to get off subject but I actually have a garage door opener on my bike. Its the number one comment I receive on my bike. Its the mark of a true commuter. Embrace your Fredness.



I have since added a second headlight, trekking bars and a cell phone holder.

Wogster

Well gee, I would rather have a mirror and SEE the soccer mom in the SUV, yapping on the cell phone not paying attention to the road, and be able to get out of the way, then to end up on a metal table downtown with a tag on my toe......

BTW the term "cool" used in this context hasn't been cool since disco, an era thankfully long gone, although it was replaced with punk, not a big improvement, IMHO...... Speaking of the end of an era Frank Kerr (better known as Frankie Venom) died the other day, the lead singer of Teenage Head, (known as Teenage Heads in the US, because the censors in the US thought the name was dirty), I remember when "the Head" was a fresh young band that played at my high school circa 1977 (before they got famous, a few years later). Frankie died of throat cancer, he was 52....

billydonn

Disco isn't cool anymore?

wandalynn

where's the d@ng cupholder!?!?!

Wogster

Uh no, funny thing is, I have a couple of ABBA songs on my music player, actually one is playing on the computer right now. However I have moved on, for the most part. Then again there is stuff that was new releases a couple of years ago on the same music player, so go figure..... I need to find a Linux compatible music site, and get some newer stuff again.....

You know your music isn't cool anymore, when teenagers have never heard of the bands you like....

cyccommute 

We use it all the time at work. But then I work with a whole bunch of social awkward eggheads. We don't get out much