oilfreeandhappy

For years I rode without a mirror. I received one as a gift, and now I don't like to ride without them. Do you use a mirror? If so, where is it mounted?

DavidLee

No mirror here but I may look into getting one. I would like to see what others have to say regarding mirrors.

Cycliste

Selected "other" for eye-glasses mounted mirror. I was like you and did not like rear view mirrors, tried a few and found them useless or badly designed. Last year, I bought a Take-A-Look and cannot ride without it now.

Mirrors are not complete substitute for scanning, it is still safer to check because of blind spots, scanning also indicate your intention. Mirrors are also great to check if the pace-line you're pulling is still there or if you need to slow down a little

Here is a great article on rear view mirrors from a local cycling club: Looking Backwards.

MMACH 5

My commuter has a bar end mounted mirror. It is designed to go out horizontally, but I can get a better view while on my aerobars by angling it up a little.

My shopper has comfort bars, so I put on the long-neck, Quadrophenia-looking mirrors, (both sides).

I have a home made mirror that uses an alligator clip to attach to the visor on my helmet. I use it on the aforementioned bikes as well as my cruiser and MTB.

Olebiker

I tried several mirrors before settling on the same one. I recommend it to everyone.

Kabloink

How wide of a view do you have with the helmet/eyeglass mounted mirrors?

HiYoSilver

Bad poll, no multiple choice.

I use a helmet mirror and a handlebar mirror on the drops canted inward, like about a 30degree angle from vertical. The handlebar mirror is wide angle and shows all the dead spots. The helmet mirror shows distance. I don't like the helmet mirror as it is too frustrating to adjust. I'm going to try an eyeglass mirror later and see if that is better.

Definitely feel better riding with mirror than without. I usually know when someone is going to come close or give me lots of room.

Mentor58

+! on the "Take-A-View" mirror. It's large enough that I get a very practical field of view, as opposed to the small round ones that, for me, seem to be a lot more picky about positioning. The TAV model is rectangular, seems to have more adjustability for positions, and is crystal clear. A quick left-right of the head (not more than a couple of inches each way) gives me curb-to-curb coverage. I've got mine mounted on my glasses for now, may move it to the helmet in the future.

Steve W.

powers2b

I have found the eyeglass mirror to be the most stable and convenient.
I ride about 250 mi/week in the summer, both socially in urban areas and on club rides.

Enjoy

Cycliste

Don't be mistaken by the size of the mirror (the one I use is 1.5" x 1"), because it is 3 to 4 inches from your left eye, it gives you a much wider angle view than a much larger mirror fitted on your handlebar or fork. Much wider than the view you get from a car rear view mirror for the same reason. + you can eliminate dead spots with a slight head turn, something a bar mirror does not allow.

At first, it takes a little adjustment, both for position and use. It took me a few days to exercise my eyes to change focus (something to think about for people with vision problems) but it works great now. I have it in a position that allows me to see something's coming without even looking in the mirror, kinda in the corner of my eye.

Another thing I had to deal with at the beginning: the mirror was on my line of vision when I turned my head to scan back, that is also something I was able to correct by bending the mirror's arm and placing the mirror a little lower. (arm is purposely bendable but remains rigid enough to prevent vibrations).

huhenio

Eyeglass mirror ... mounted on my clear lab glasses. I look like the Keith Carradaine on "Revenge of the Nerds"

ceridwen

I use a third eye handlebar end mirror. Works well, no problems with vibration like I had with my old mirror. I don't like to ride without one now, which is good since it's not coming off too easy.

Does make me feel like a bit of a geek when I see my bike in the rack and it's the only one with a mirror though heh.

MillCreek

I am now in my late 40's, and all of us start getting more farsighted at that age. In my youth, I used a mirror that mounted on my eyeglass frame without a problem. In middle age, the change in focus distance did create problems in switching from the road to trying to focus on the glass/helmet mounted mirror. I think this may be a function of my glasses, which are now progressives. Trying to tilt my head to find the 'sweet spot' that brought the mirror and reflection in focus simply took too long. Those mirrors also seemed more susceptible to vibration.

So on my MTB, I use a Blackburn mountain mirror that clamps around the end of the bar, and on my road bike, I use a Blackburn road mirror that clamps around my brake hoods. All the mirrors are mounted on the left side. I also have a severe hearing loss, and between that and the wind blowing past my ears, I cannot reliably hear traffic coming up behind me. So for me, the mirrors are essential for safety.

Stubacca

I selected 'other' for eyeglass mounted mirror. I also use the Take-a-look mirror, both the regular size and the compact size. They're both good.

I don't use them all the time... mostly just for commuting. I like having it, but it's no substitute for looking over your shoulder. Mostly it just lets me just keep a lazy eye on what might be coming up behind me on some of the busy stretches.

beatle bailey

.only people without a brain ride without a mirror, since I ride on the highways, I want to know who and what is coming up behind me.....?

SoonerBent

I like the helmet mounted type. That way I can look in different places behind me if I want or need to. The glasses mount would do the same but I've never tried them.
SB

Retro Grouch 

Me too.

R900

I really like my bar end mirror:



John

MarkS

++1 Take-a-look

Better range than 3rd eye, and more durable. Doesn't mount to wire-rims very well, but they include a little tab to let you connect to your helmet. I don't understand the far-sighted comments. I've got the presbyopia thing going too -- but when you look at the mirror your focus shouldn't be on the mirror but on the objects that the mirror is reflecting. Of course, I've had pretty much a lifetime of having to deal with optical devices

I had tried some handlebar mirrors before this, but the road vibration made them useless. Perhaps more expensive ones actually work.

Nobody would dream of driving a motor vehicle without mirrors. In drivers training they teach you to scan your rearl-view mirror every few seconds. If this is true for vehicles in which the consequences of not seeing the traffic are fairly minor, how much more for bicyclists? With the mirror, I can scan behind me every few seconds. If I did the same by looking back, biking would be a pain in the neck -- literally. And with our road conditions, I need to keep my main focus on the road ahead.

Bolo Grubb

another vote for the Take-a-look mirror

here and there

Take-a-look is great. I have mine mounted on my helmet visor. If for some reason I don't use the visor, I mount it on my glasses.

landstander

I use a CycleAware Reflex mirror, which I like much better than the bar-mounted models. I didn't seriously consider the kind which attach to glasses frames, since I don't always wear my sunglasses when riding.

Nachoman

Everytime I read one of these threads, I tell myself, "I gotta mount that darn mirror". This time I'm going to.

SSP

+1 for the Take-a-Look. There is no better mirror.

wsexson

Take a Look is just awesome. It is what I use when I ride my roadie. I am mostly riding my commuter these days, and I use a Blackburn mirror that straps to the hood.