Sure, that's why I carry a hand-held mirror in my car rather than rely on the stationary mirrors the short-sighted manufacturer provided, so I can get a fuller view of what's behind me.

Sheldon Brown's recommendation got me into using helmet mirrors for the last 4 years, and I find it instinctively easy to monitor rear view and front view simultaneously. However I find that in aerodynamic/racer type riding positions the shoulder comes into view so I have to raise the head to see better. I have never used any other types of mirrors.

I had a Take-a-Look for awhile but never got comfortable using it and had trouble adjusting it and keeping it adjusted. Switched to the little Italian mirror for one bike and the German mirror Rivendell sells for another and haven't looked back since :eek:.

cars have more than one mirror last I checked. 3 to be exact...plus blind spots you must account for...you actually know how to drive? The hand held mirror example was to make a point that you are a bit too slow to grasp. :rolleyes:

Answer the question, which is more effective, a mirror that moves or one that is stationary? As it relates to bicycles, not cars.

I have a mountain mirrycle on my Felt X City. It took a while to get it adjusted correctly, and to get used to using it, but not too long. Now I love it. I'd like to try a helmet mounted mirror sometime, but for now this one works really well for me. Especially since I don't always wear my helmet.

Oh, I understood the point. I was just having some fun. Obviously a moving mirror is provides a more complete rear view than a stationary mirror. I haven't actually been disputing that. I'm just suggesting that there are reasons to choose something other than a moving mirror. I'm also suggesting that turning to look at what's behind me gives a more accurate view than swiveling my head around while looking at a mirror out of the corner of my eye.

Reviewing the objections I raised in my first post on this thread (#24):

1. Moving my head while looking at the helmet mirror takes my attention away from the forward view
2. I find it difficult to pick up the area of interest with a quick glance
3. A helmet mounted mirror requires speicifc concentration to use effectively (arguably a repeat of #1).
4. A helmet mounted mirror puts a metal or plastic stick in the vicinity of the rider's eye.

This last one is significant, in my opinion. I mentioned that I once had a helmet mounted mirror. My first three objections were immediately obvious, but I didn't stop using it until it broke off in a crash. I wasn't injured by the broken mirror beyond a red mark on my nose, but I don't like the though of it.

In any event, the only thing I said about range of view is that to get the full range of view you have to move your head, which I believe is what you've been saying.

Review the points in bold. :)

Schwinnsta, is the mirror above convex? Can you get such an overview of the rear as below? I am standing parallel to the road seen behind in the mirror.

Attachment 130706

I doubt I could get converted to a helmet mirror, for a number of reasons, but it is worthwhile periodically checking.

I use both a helmet mounted mirror and a convex bar end mirror.

Contrary to daredevil's claims, helmet/eyeglass mirrors do have a blind spot that is hard to check by twisting your head. With a left eye mirror, it is hard to see a cyclist that is riding close to your right rear quarter, and a right head check is well advised before turning right or moving right.

A helmet/eyeglass mirror is also a problem if you commute east about sunrise and west about sunset. It is hard to see anything when the sun is shining right in your eyes. Thus the bar mounted mirror.

Another advantage of the convex bar mounted mirror is that it is easier to tell just how close a motorist will pass you when deciding if you need to bail off the road, to avoid being hit.

I do depend on the helmet/eyeglass mirror most of the time, but daredevil should chill on his rant.

I doubt I could get converted to a helmet mirror, for a number of reasons, but it is worthwhile periodically checking.[/QUOTE]
The mirror is flat so the view is actual and not distorted. It has a view like you have shown.

It's very well made, quick to adjust and holds its position while riding.

It takes a while to get used to a helmet mounted mirror but once I did I liked it a lot more than handle mount mirrors. Both types have pros and cons. You get more "views" with a helmet mount.

I like this one much more than the "take a look" or ones that attach to the helmet with a wire frame. The only downside to mine is you need to have a visor on your helmet to mount it to but my Bell Citi has a visor and I clip it on. When I park and lock the bike I lock the helmet to the bike and take the mirror off and put it in my pocket. It adjusts fast when I put it back on.

The cycleaware plastic is very soft, rubbery plastic over a flexible wire coating. I think if you intentionally jabbed it in someone's face or even eye, it would just bruise.

I think the take-a-look would go straight through your skull and into your brain if you hit it just right. It certainly cost me some stitches when I wrecked a couple of years ago.

Two Mirrycles on my 'bent handlebar. Haven't decided if I will add a helmet-mounted one yet or not.

Your bogus requirement for "Total Awareness" of all visual traffic noise sounds as if it was ripped out of the Rule book of the anti-music player zealots who insist that cycling safety requires unimpeded "Total Awareness" of all aural traffic noise. Neither Xray vision nor looking backwards around curves is a requirement for safe cycling.

If you paid attention you'd know I listen to music. Can't hear a thing.

and bogus my a** buddy...if one of these logging trucks were to surprise you on this 50 mph shoulderless, curvy, mountain road, you'd shake like a little school girl.
How is not knowing what these trucks are doing the entire time they are overtaking you being safe exactly?

Besides, my primary point all along has been that head mounted mirrors are more efficient than stationary ones. You gonna argue that??? I'm sure there's plenty of situations where your cute bar mirror would do fine...probably even the conditions you ride in.

Prefer Mirrycle mountain mirror on my commuting bike -

"More Efficient"? measured by what - Grams?
I read that you use an mp3 player, so what? It only makes your Total Awareness baloney that much sillier, since you recognize that there is no need to make a fuss about hearing "cagers":rolleyes: at the farthest distance possible.

How many of those logging trucks are overtaking you while they are still on curves somewhere behind you out of sight of a handlebar mounted mirror?

I use a Pro Third Eye helmet mounted mirror. It works pretty good.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ing/mirror.gif

Grams? Yet another rider who cannot understand the concept of pointing a mirror where you need and want to see as opposed to the restrictive view of the stationary mount. At least I have you thinking about the concept though. ;)

Thank you...but you know that being able to see as good as possible is simply nonsense, right? Who needs that crap anyway? :lol:

I don't ride "your roads," Jack. That is why I stated that my mirror works fine on the roads I ride on. Others have stated similar views. You seem unable to grasp that your special needs are not universally applicable to intelligent cyclists.

This is my Commuting Road, Tuff Guy. And yes I do take a lane on this 55mph road because there is no alternative as the unimproved shoulder is unfit for riding due to the use of river rock. But I don't worry about vehicles that are out of sight over the horizon or somewhere out of line of sight.

Care to try again and explain how you measured the "efficiency" of various types of mirrors? Or is that restricted data? The "restrictions" of handlebar mirrors are all in your restricted mind set. I use a mirror to keep track of traffic behind me, not traffic so far back around a curve as to be of no immediate concern. Handlebar mirror works fine, as previously stated.

Sorry, in retrospect I was being a bit rough so I edited most of my last after you posted this. Suffice to say, I said earlier your mirror probably works fine for your circumstances, didn't I? So I agree with you on that point. Will you agree with me, that in my circumstances your mirror would be inadequate?

And I like that bike path you get to ride on.

I realize the OP requested a bar-mounted mirror. I tried one of those and just couldn't get the knack of it.

I know you didn't post those photos to support my argument. I certainly wouldn't want to pull you into this mess.

The way I looked at the OP, we had a noob that wanted to learn about mirrors. As the thread progressed, he in fact seemed to be sold on a head mounted mirror.

I am in agreement with you 100%.

Most often there is no one type of cycling equipment, accessory, or technique that will be the best or "ultimate" for everyone. The cycling population is made up of different people, with different cycling priorities, riding in different cycling environments. Sometimes in our enthusiasm for a favorite cycling object we forget that.

Winter cycling has made me re-fall in love with my take-a-look mirror. There are many a times I'm using my full faculties just trying to keep the bike upright. Using the take a look I can scan for an opening for a lane change without taking much needed attention away from the rutted, semi packed snow laden road ahead.

The only major problem is at around -25 or so ice forms on my eyelashes reducing my ability to see the mirror. Have to thaw them out every stoplight or so.

How do you thaw them out at the stop light?

Which brings up a question - is it possible to use a helmet or eye glass mounted mirror while wearing a hoodie in extreme cold weather? Does it get fogged up from the body vapors escaping from around the hood.

I used a helmet mounted mirror (third eye pro) for 7 months this year, and rode thousands of miles with it. I decided to take it off. I felt safer with it, but I enjoy riding more without a helmet mirror. I didn't like how it was always in my vision. I was riding mostly suburb roads at the time, but for the rest of this year I've been riding mostly urban roads (without a mirror). I just got an STI mounted Mirrcycle mirror for my commuter bike, and I'm going to try using that on my new commute (16 miles round trip, suburbs). So far, it is not nearly as useful as the helmet mounted mirror, that gave me total 360 vision, but it is a lot less annoying for me.

The problem with a glasses mounted mirror in the cold is that the glasses themselves fog up easily. I fortunately do not have to wear glasses so in those conditions I use the helmet mirror. I do prefer the glasses mounted Take-A-Look mirror however and use it on sunglasses or clear glasses when possible. I've tried the product Cat Crap btw that is supposed to prevent fogging. It's appropriately named, doesn't work worth a crap.

As far as the hoodie question, are you wearing the hoodie with the helmet over the top of it? If so, that would probably work OK. Otherwise your hood is going to block your view. I wear a regular ole balaclava under my helmet and it's good to whatever temp you want.

Happy New Year ILTB! Don't you just love the dynamics of this place? :lol:

Thanks for the responsive and informative answer.

Helmet wear is not a concern of mine. I normally wear a baseball type cap. In colder weather I wear a hoodie over it. In single digit temps, I'll wear a knit cap instead of the baseball cap. These headgear combos are compatible with the headphones I wear for listening to audio books while commuting, staying warm and/or keeping sun/rain/snop off my glasses. I stop so seldom on my 12 mile commute that eyeglas fogging is not normally a problem. I have experienced fogging of my handlebar mirror from the vapors escaping from my mittens, but only once at -15°F.

I've read the whole thread. OP stated "handlebar mirror" yet the conversation went all over the map, which is good - at least we're talking about mirrors - which I believe to be an important cycling safety tool.

I like "head-mounted" mirrors yet wasn't satisfied with the available options. Here's a version for eye/sunglasses (not a new design) that I came up with. Posted here for others to pattern or follow signature link.

http://www.messengermirror.com/mmfullview.jpg