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Frame mounted mirrors

Old 06-24-06, 10:53 AM
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Frame mounted mirrors

Looking for a mirror and cant find much info on the frame mount designs.
This mirror looks tight. Has anyone used it?

https://www.bike-eye.co.uk/new/product.shtml



Or the Delta:

https://www.bti-usa.com/item.asp?item...arch=&showSec=
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Old 06-24-06, 11:19 AM
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Interesting concept. However, to me, it would only be of value for the
"nose on the stem, head down" rider IF they were also thin.
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Old 06-24-06, 12:17 PM
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I usually depend on my mirror to keep an eye on someone overtaking me, either bicycle or car. These would seem to have minimal effectiveness for watching someone as they are approaching and overtaking... But I must say, of the two the Delta looks more interesting to me, it depends on how good the view is to the left rear.
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Old 06-24-06, 02:48 PM
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I might give the bike-eye a shot. I think it would give a better left rear view.
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Old 06-24-06, 03:30 PM
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These seem kinda interesting

https://www.cbike.com/cycle_rearview_mirror.htm
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Old 06-24-06, 07:18 PM
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unfortunately i think there is simply no substitute for a hemet mounted mirror. Have you considered one? Sure they look pretty dorky, but functionaly there is nothing that works as well. The mirror sits so close to your eye that you can see EVERYTHING behind you when have it adjusted correctly. I can see directly behind me, all the way to my side. there is absolutely no blind spot. the moment a passing car leaves my mirror, my perifrial (sorry for the spelling ) vision sees them. I can take a lane, or turn or whatever 100% using my mirror... although i still do take a quick glance most of the time...

IMHO, any other kind of mirror is a safety hazard in itself. Beacause you will not be able to see everything, it could give you a FALSE sence of security... and one day that may catch up to you.


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Old 06-24-06, 08:23 PM
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My only issue with those, having not actually tried them, is since they sit so close to the frame that I'm not sure they would give you a good view of the road. I'd be afraid the only view I would get would be that of my leg moving, which I'm pretty sure wouldn't help much in watching for traffic. But like I said, I've never used one so they might work better than I would expect, but I'd rather have a mirror placed further from the frame so I could see beyond my own body/bike.
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Old 06-24-06, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by AllenG


oh, those do look nice. I want to use it on my night commute home when I am on a 55 mph highway. There are only a few cars that pass me on this 5 mile stretch but as the cars approach from the rear I would like to temporarily move onto the gravel shoulder.
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Old 06-25-06, 08:49 AM
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Originally Posted by mcavana
unfortunately i think there is simply no substitute for a hemet mounted mirror. Have you considered one?
Just in case the one time I tried I didn't give it enough time... That was well over 20 years ago

My vision is somewhat impaired in my left eye, and I have little more than peripheral vision. Has anyone used a helmet mounted mirror with similar issues?

My right eye is fine, is the angle of vision to the rear good enough that riding on the right side of the lane I could effectively use it on the right side of the helmet?

By the way, in my opinion, whether in a car or on a bike, one should NEVER trust their mirror so much that they don't glane to the side before moving over or turning... even a helmet mirror.

Also, once in a while when I am in a small car, I find myself having to shift my head to see everything in front of me ecause the rear view mirror obstructs part of my view. How is this with a helmet mounted mirror?

Also, is the vertical field of vision good enough to work well whether on the flats or in the drops?

Sitting here "experimenting" with a CD in place of a mirror, I think I might try them again. I could probably see well enough to know there is a car there, just not well enough to read the license plate or tell the model...

Is it pretty easy to get the mounting point right?
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Old 06-25-06, 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by jaghouse
Looking for a mirror and cant find much info on the frame mount designs.
This mirror looks tight. Has anyone used it?
Use whatever works for you.

I'm a helmet mirror fan. It is always lined up. I can swing my head to the left to really look behind and as I'm doing it I can see in the mirror what is on my right. Also in a turn I can keep my eyes on the road but move my head to keep track of what is behind.

Also I have five bikes and two helmets so a helmet mirror costs less .

Handlebar and frame mounts can be a pain to ride behind in a tour when the sun is at the angle that hits the mirror and is in the riders eyes who is behind.

If you like the mirror and you use it doesn’t matter if it is frame, handlebar, helmet, or eyeglass mounted.

Cheers,
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Old 06-25-06, 09:17 AM
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I've used the Delta.

It gives a between the legs, under the seat view.

It works after a fashion to give you an idea of what's behind you.

The biggest weakness is that it goes out of alignment very easily, that and; you have to give it your attention in order to interpret what it is you are seeing as the POV is odd.

Overall, it's not very practical.

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Old 06-25-06, 10:36 AM
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I second Mcavana on the helmet mirror. People may laugh, but it is easy to align the way you want it, and you can tilt your head to see almost anything behind you. After a short while it becomes second nature.

I've had handlebar mounted mirrors, they tend to vibrate out of position, often steal a hand position from me, and cannot be adjusted on the fly like helmet mirrors.

For those with vision trouble they can be mounted on the right side and used to scan traffic just fine. I did a tour of Ireland, riding on the left side of the road with my mirror mounted on the left side of my helmet, and still was able to use my mirror without difficulty. So it should work vice versa.

Helmet mirrors DO create a blind spot in the forward view, and one has to get used to moving one's head a bit to make up for this. Bothers me less than having to constantly adjust a handlebar mirror.
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Old 06-25-06, 11:35 AM
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Originally Posted by AllenG
I actually have this mirror. My take on it: it works very well, but you will ALWAYS knock it out of alignment and it sticks out WAY to far from the bar end; realistically, can only put left foot down or you'll hit it with your knee starting with your right foot down. Do the benefits outweigh the negatives? Well, I wouldn't buy them again (them, since you get a right side as well, great waste of money there! I guess, unless you race with them on) FWIW.

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Old 06-26-06, 01:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Overkll
I actually have this mirror. My take on it: it works very well, but you will ALWAYS knock it out of alignment and it sticks out WAY to far from the bar end; realistically, can only put left foot down or you'll hit it with your knee starting with your right foot down.
I have this mirror as well. I put my right foot down at stops and don't ever hit the mirror w/ my left knee. However, it does tend to get bumped while transporting or leaning the bike. Not a big deal, as it takes just a second to readjust.

The view is mediocre. It's not wide enough or large enough to use it as a true "rear view" mirror. But it's enough to be effective as an "awareness" tool. I don't think it should be a substitue for an over-the-shoulder check when moving left, but rather, it helps you to know WHEN to look over the shoulder. I find this very helpful, actually and prevents those car-in-your-blind-spot suprises.

The other problem w/ it is it's low location. You have to take your eyes pretty far from the road for a look. I would think this would be the same for the frame mounted type.

Because I ride w/ a pannier on my left, it obstructs about 1/4 of my view. Doesn't really bother me.

Even w/ the drawbacks, I think it's a great mirror. It's very low-profile, so you won't lose too many style points. It's very adjustable (ball joint), easy to install, and fairly durable. I have the mirror on my commuter and miss it when I'm on my speedy bike. There's a similar version of this mirror being sold on eBay - DON'T GET THIS ONE, as it is NOT ADJUSTABLE.

I've never used a frame-mount mirror, but from the photos, it looks like it would be less-effective than the road bar-end mirror. The picture shows the rider having to look between his leg and the frame. This means you have to stop pedaling, and bend the knee outward - not good if you ride a fixed gear and/or have knees-in pedal stroke or just want to keep pedaling. And it seems a rack, pannier, or even wide seat stays or tires would obstruct view.
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Old 06-26-06, 08:07 AM
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Same thing for me, gets bumped out of alignment regularly and the view is blocked by the pannier. Although, I usually only use the right side just for this reason. As far as hitting it with the knee, that may be due to my frame size and geometry (Trek Pilot, 52cm). I have found that I hit it starting off with my knee at the 9-10 o'clock crank position. Granted, I haven't had it on all that long either.

Overall, it is good for a 'heads up' and especially useful at nighttime. It's like driving, check mirror, shoulder check, change lanes. Mirror is just the first step, if it's the only step you take, good luck

FWIW

Kerry
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Old 06-26-06, 08:19 AM
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Originally Posted by jwbnyc
I've used the Delta.

It gives a between the legs, under the seat view.

It works after a fashion to give you an idea of what's behind you.

The biggest weakness is that it goes out of alignment very easily, that and; you have to give it your attention in order to interpret what it is you are seeing as the POV is odd.

Overall, it's not very practical.

Hmmmmm......Shall we say plain damn dangerous is more correct??

Safety is paramount on a bike and anything that fails to function at 110% has no place on a bike.

This mirror is full on "nots".
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Old 06-26-06, 08:47 AM
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Also have the weak left eye problem. I use two mirrors. A helmet mirror to give me a rough idea of distance. Things are fuzzy, but I can guage distance and a bar mirror. Advantage is it has wide angle so no one sneaks up on you. Disadvantage, it is wide angle and so distance is very difficult to guage.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ance&n=3375251
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Old 06-26-06, 09:13 AM
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That's why I don't use it.

It takes too much attention to use.

It seemed like it might be promising, though.

Didn't pan out.

Originally Posted by Tightwad
Hmmmmm......Shall we say plain damn dangerous is more correct??

Safety is paramount on a bike and anything that fails to function at 110% has no place on a bike.

This mirror is full on "nots".
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Old 06-26-06, 10:32 PM
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Well I just ordered both. I bet the trunk/rack will get in the way with the bike eye. If neither work I will try helmet mount. The Blackburn handlebar mirror I have now is a useless vibrating POS.
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Old 06-26-06, 11:39 PM
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Originally Posted by jaghouse
Well I just ordered both. I bet the trunk/rack will get in the way with the bike eye. If neither work I will try helmet mount. The Blackburn handlebar mirror I have now is a useless vibrating POS.
Check out the Zefal Cyclop mirror. It's a standard bar mounted mirror that doesn't viberate. Really, it doesn't viberate, even over rough roads. My wife and I use them on all of our bikes. They are cheap too.

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