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Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

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Old 01-20-10 | 03:41 PM
  #26  
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From: Buffalo NY

Bikes: Gerry Fisher Nirvana, LeMond Buenos Aires

Originally Posted by tsl
I had similar difficulties with glasses-mounted mirrors. I then tried the Mirrycle Road Mirror for STI and loved it from the very first ride. I have them on all my bikes now.

I have the old version that got recalled. Its good to see they came out with an improved version. I should call them and see if I can get the new one. I kept the recalled mirrir as it was SO much better than the Blackburn mirror. The Blackburn mirror vibrated horribly and also didn't stay put at all. I have the STI version on the road bike and mountain version on the hybird commuter. Excellent mirrors. I only use one on the left side... I don't get cars get to the right side of me if I can help it so I don't need a right side mirror. Being able to see the traffic behind you with a very quick glance is super helpful when riding in traffic. I can frequently see traffic before I can hear it.

Happy riding,
André
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Old 01-20-10 | 04:02 PM
  #27  
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From: "The Last Best Place"

Bikes: 2005 Trek Pilot 5.0, 2001 Specialized Sirrus Pro, Kona Lava Dome, Raleigh hardtail converted to commuter, 87 Takara steel road bike, 2008 Trek Soho

A point not made so far, a mirror allows one to ride safely with music!

Oops, hope I didn't start something.
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Old 01-20-10 | 05:40 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by genec
Here's the real question... anybody use more than one mirror?

I think ILTB has posted a pic of his commuter in the past with a couple mirrors on it... anyone else?
There was a thread with this query a few months ago IIRC. I have used two eyeglass mounted mirrors in the past until I lost one and never resumed the practice. The advantages were:

-better rear vision when riding on the left side of the road on a one way street, or in the middle of a wide street, e.g. Kenmore Square for those who know it.

-better rear vision when negotiating a rotary which are abundant around Boston

-when riding with the sun directly behind, usually one of the mirrors will not be in direct sunlight
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Old 01-20-10 | 06:49 PM
  #29  
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From: Des Moines

Bikes: 1974 Huffy 3 speed

To the OP: you need to adjust the mirror while you ride. Every other attempt at adjusting my glasses-mounted Look mirrors usually end up with me seeing my beautiful physog and not the traffic behind me.
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Old 01-20-10 | 06:56 PM
  #30  
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Joined: Dec 2007
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From: East Jabip

Bikes: Jamis Commuter 3.0

Another happy Mirrycle mirror rider here! It's steady and clear!

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Old 01-20-10 | 07:29 PM
  #31  
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From: Western Chicagoland
Originally Posted by ItsJustMe
I think people who have handlebar mounted mirrors must ride on glass-smooth roads. Even on the paved roads here I could never see much in a handlebar-mounted mirror, they vibrate like hell. On the gravel that makes up almost half my route, they're utterly useless.

Also, even when they're steady, I can't see that much. And I find it UN natural compared to driving a car - on a car I don't expect to have to look almost straight DOWN to look in my mirror - the helmet mounted mirror is directly to the left, just like in my car.

Well, my suburban Chicago roads are anything but smooth, especially ITTET. I think that the trick to mirror use is to glance at the image, but not try to study it for detail. I glance at my Mirrycle road mirror (sti mounted) and I know exactly what is behind me. A glance tells me how many cars behind me, what color they are, how big/what kind of vehicle they are, how far they are, and about how fast they are going. Perhaps my brain just fills in the rest and gives the illusion of detail. But the only time this doesn't work is crossing railroad tracks, then the image is uselsess. Solution = look at the mirror before I hit the tracks. If I try to identify the driver's face, license plate, sometimes vehicle manufacturer badge, I can't see squat. But the mirror otherwise works GREAT! In fact, I think it works better than looking over my shoulder for all areas except for the area right behind me and up close. So a look over the shoulder is best when contemplating a move in the kill zone. But for objects further away, things that would be in the periphery of an over the shoulder glance, viewing with my more central vision via the mirror works way better for me.

edit: my experience reminds me of the astronomer's dilemma/phenomenon. When looking through a telescope at a maginified image, more detail can be discerned by not looking directly at the object of interest, but slightly off of it (ie: not your peripheral vision, not dead center either). Try to see the detail and it evaporates, try not to look directly at it and the detail pops out.

Last edited by Hot Potato; 01-20-10 at 07:36 PM.
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Old 01-21-10 | 06:26 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by gerv
To the OP: you need to adjust the mirror while you ride. Every other attempt at adjusting my glasses-mounted Look mirrors usually end up with me seeing my beautiful physog and not the traffic behind me.
Yeah, that is what I've been doing, and is what I meant when I said I felt the mirror was making less safe because I was constantly fiddling with it. My problem with adjusting while riding is that the mirror itself is so small and the roads are so bumpy that I honestly can't tell what it is I am looking at most of the time unless it is the sky. Need to get someone to follow behind me on a side street with a car or something.
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Old 01-22-10 | 04:11 PM
  #33  
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From: Hailey ID

Bikes: Trek Elite 9.8

I appreciate those here, and cyclists elsewhere, who have put their faith in the MessengerMirror. Its a compact and effective glasses-mount mirror with a low price tag.

THANKS!!

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Old 01-22-10 | 06:41 PM
  #34  
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The Sprintech is a great mirror. I use them on my drop bar bikes. The Mirrycle is very good too and you can get spare parts.
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Old 01-22-10 | 08:42 PM
  #35  
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Joined: Apr 2008
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From: NE OK

Bikes: '06 Kona Smoke

Mt. Mirracycle owner. My main beef with it was/is trying to make it play nice with bar ends.
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Old 01-22-10 | 09:38 PM
  #36  
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Joined: Mar 2009
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From: East Bay Area

Bikes: '09 Trek 7.5 FX, '90 Trek Antelope 830, '07 Dahon Mariner

I like my Mountain Mirrycle. I have never had a problem seeing what I needed to with it, the only problem seems to be with the in-the-handelbar wedges. They have crumbled on mine and I don't think I can remove and reinstall it again without it falling apart. I've emailed the company about this. I also used a Third Eye eyeglass mirror. It was OK but the mounting tabs broke making it useless. Also, I was always having to adjust it and take it on and off my glasses, it seems. I tried on a Take A Look mirror at the store and it bothered me due to contacting my temple where it clipped on my glasses. It seems that helmet mount mirrors would always be getting knocked out of alignment when you take off your helmet and put it down somewhere. Not everyone can focus on those small mirrors either. I'd buy another $12 Mirrycle before I'd go the head mounted mirror route again.
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Old 01-23-10 | 08:18 PM
  #37  
Jerry the Spinner
 
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From: Queens , New York City

Bikes: Montague with Currie 450W kit, IZIP Twist and Go

Originally Posted by genec
Here's the real question... anybody use more than one mirror?

I think ILTB has posted a pic of his commuter in the past with a couple mirrors on it... anyone else?
I bike 14 miles each way in New Tork City and have two mirrors on my bike. I am using the Mirrcycle Mountin Bike Mirror. For me being in city traffic I think they are a life saver.

https://www.rei.com/product/723518
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