Yet Another Mirror Thread
 

I'm getting ready to set up a new bike for commuting. It will be a "road" bike with dropped handlebars. I am looking for advise regarding a decent workable solution for a rear-view mirror.

Let me just say that I am a big old guy - 6'1", 245 lbs, 54" around the chest, 38" waist, with 24" wide shoulders. Also I've never developed the flexibility to look over my shoulder while riding a straight line. Just to give a clear impression of what I'm dealing with, here's a pic - as you can see, I'm not endowed with the typical roadie physique:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...T/DSCN0462.jpg

Currently, for riding around on my LHT, I use an eyeglass-mounted mirror, but I'm not entirely happy with it, as when I'm riding in the drops my shoulder blocks my view. I think that I might be better served with a handlebar-mounted mirror - perhaps either a bar-end mirror or one mounted on a flexible stalk. (My "commuter" bike will not have bar-end shifters as does my LHT.)

Looking for something reasonable durable, and vibration free. Obviously, too, it has to see around my bulk :). I was intrigued by a pic on the commuter bike pic thread, owned by FreddyV (Freddy, Hope you don't mind that I copied your pic.) - looks like a good solution.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...dyV_Mirror.jpg

What works good for you guys? Any suggestions?

http://www.amazon.com/Mirrycle-Road-...3037345&sr=8-2 ?

I know the bar-end mountain bike version works well.

Handlebar mount and vibration free can't really be used in the same sentence. If you want vibration free, stick with the glasses mount or get a helmet mount. Both offer a flexibility that handlebar mount mirrors can't offer. You can turn your head to sweep behind you. With a handlebar mount you are more limited.

That said, the Mirriycle aren't too bad for a handlebar mounted mirror.

Helmet mounted is what works for me even on my road bike with a 4" seat to bar-top drop. A lot comes down to proper adjustment and practice.

Here is a helmet mounted mirror that I use and like a lot.
Made by an old feller, out of recycled bike spokes and other reused stuff. It wedges onto the helmet and adjusts depending upon the angle.
I like the "Take a Look" mirror too... but at night or on dim winter days when I don't wear sunglasses, it's not useable.
we carry them with a bunch of unique graphics as shown

https://www.signmeup.com/Upload/File...-withlabel.jpg

I use a Sprintech drop bar mirror, but it wouldn't work for you since you have bar-end shifters, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't willing to look over their shoulder when necessary anyway. The Mountain Mirrycle is fantastic for flat bars, and I expect the STI version would be just as good for drops for anyone willing to accept that level of eyesore and willing to stick something into a $200+ shifter but I don't think it will work with your brake levers. (FWIW, I think the aforementioned mirrors are as close to vibrartion free as anyone needs.)

So, I think that leaves you with helmet/glasses mounted mirrors. I don't really have much to offer here. I used one for a few months, and it was nice, but I broke it in a crash and have been using bar mounted mirrors ever since.

Let me add that looking over your shoulder is a very valuable skill, and I'm confident you could pick it up with a little practice in a safe area.

I think looking over the shoulder is out - having a roof come down around your ears, even if you are wearing a firefighter helmet, is not conducive to maintaining great flexibility.

Gotta go with mirrors, then.

The bike I'm going to use as a commuter has drop bars, but is not equipped with bar-end shifters. So far either the bar-end mirror like this one http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=2176, or the MTB mirror here http://www.amazon.com/Mirrycle-MTB-M...bxgy_sg_text_b may be my best bet.

It just occurred to me to wonder if it would be possible to use something like the Minoura SpaceGrip to use a Mountain Mirrycle Mirror with drop bars. Has anyone tried that?

Ah, I should have read your original post more carefully. Sorry about that.

So, in that case, let me say a little more about the Sprintech mirror. It's pretty stable, but it doesn't give you a clear picture of things in anything less than ideal lighting/contrast conditions. For instance, dark-colored cars with their headlights off tend to disappear in the road on overcast days until they're fairly close. Cars with their lights on, on the other hand, are generally easy to detect in most conditions. I don't think I would trust my life to this mirror in terms of whether or not it is safe to change lanes, but it does give me reliable hints as to what's coming up behind me.

The other problem I have with this mirror is that when I'm riding in the drops, my view of the mirror is blocked by my arm unless I consciously stick my elbow way out. It's not insurmountable, but it's inconvenient.

I think if I were in your position, I would want a mirror with a bigger surface area.

In the category of "things that you can't actually buy right now", I think this looks like the coolest thing ever -
http://www.bikerumor.com/2010/10/12/...ling-computer/
Cerevellum Unveils Awesome Rear View Video Camera Cycling Computer

http://www.bikerumor.com/wp-content/...n2-600x565.jpg

More Details:
http://www.bikerumor.com/2010/10/12/...ling-computer/

Unfortunately it's apparently in the "We're trying to get funding for it" stage, and it costs at least $250, and you'd have to recharge the battery on it.

Still...I've never been really happy with any bicycle mirrors I've tried. Even car mirrors seemed to small until my latest cars which has some sizeable mirrors on it. Not sure I'd be happy with anything smaller than a mirror of that size, being that on my bike I'm in the same conditions I'm in in my car.

But if the lcd was viewable in direct sunlight, the display was big enough, and the camera was a decent resolution, this would be awesome. I'd feel a hell of a lot safer biking on the road.

I use the mirrycle MTB mirror on my hybrid drop bar bike. I just put it in the bar end and adjust it so I can see behind me - the mirror in this position doesn't actually add any width to the bike. It is very useful to see what is behind me :D - not so much in the rain though! Pretty stable, and nice and cheap.

I also have the STI mirrycle on my road bike - haven't tried it out yet though.

If you want I can post a pic of my current setup.

Daven

why didnt they add turn signals to that thing?

I'm not really sure what your point is.

This is the mirror I have on my LHT tpelle. I attached mine under the brake hoods so it doesn't interfere with my grip on the bars. You do have to cinch it down tight so it might start cutting into the bar tape. I simply wrapped a piece of an old inter tube around it to counter that problem.

This is the mirror though that I really want to take a look at.

This German D+D mirror is good as commercial mirrors go.

I like the looks of the second mirror linked to in exile's post above, if I were to use a bar mounted mirror as a primary mirror.

I know you prefer to not where glasses-mounted mirrors. I was the same way. I used to ride with bar mounted mirrors. I do a lot of distance riding and commuting and I did not like the fixed position of these mirrors.

At the suggestion of a fellow randoneur, I opted to try a Take A Look mirror. At first I found the mirror hanging out in front of me vision to be slightly nauseating. But I did like the fact that there were no vibrations and that I could scan the road behind me eliminating blind spots. I stuck with it and soon became adapted to using it. Now I don't even think about it. It is just there.

When out for a walk or jog, I do find myself looking for the mirror to see what is behind me. Maybe I should just have one permanently attached to my glasses at all times. :D

I actually use a Take A Look as my primary mirror. I say it that way because, I have mirrors that are incorporated into my bar mounted turn signals.
My Take A Look mirror is mounted on my Tourlite helmet visor.

I bought one of those German mirrors and took it back. It's entirely made of plastic, including the reflective surface, and it's so convex anything farther behind you than about 20 feet appears too small. I use a Mirrycle MTB mirror adapted for use with my butterfly style bars. It's convex too but not so much, the mirror is glass and the vibration is tolerable. It works for me!
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...bikemirror.jpg

I believe it is the same mirror 2_i linked in his post. However it does look a little different from one picture to another. Here is a link to the Youtube review.

I use this one, and I love it, won't leave for my commute without it.

This is the only mirror I use and I have tried them all and always come back to this one.:)
http://www.cycleaware.com/index.php?...rhr5djb85dvfh0

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I don't see how this lets you see behind you, lol...

You guys realize that when you post a link and absolutely no other description of the product, your comment almost always becomes absolutely useless within 3 months right? Because I'm trying to be helpful, I always post the name or title of the actual mirror, because then when someone comes across the thread tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, they have a shot of finding it. Rather than looking through a long thread of links that no longer work... (it's happened to me again and again and again... :-( ).

Point taken PaulRivers.

In my posts I was speaking about the Sunlite 3" round bicycle mirror that I have, and the D+D Oberlauda mirror.

I bought a Third Eye eyeglass mirror and hated it. Even the small diameter plug on my Mirrycle won't fit into the Truvativ bars on my Raleigh Coupe Tandem. For awhile I used the velcro attached Blackburn mirrors for mountain bikes but I upgraded to Ergon grips. Enter the helmet mirror from Efficient Velo Tools (www.biketoolmaker.com) one look and I knew I could get used to this mirror. It has got to be 2" in diameter at least. You'd think it would cramp your forward view but it really doesn't. I am horrified whenever I point someone to these mirrors and they come back and tell me what they cost now. I didn't pay anywhere near that. If you live near a Bike Gallery I believe you can get them for less. BTW I did not use the supplied zip ties but went to a hobby shop and got some stick on velcro for the helmet and mirror. Very secure and it allowed me to put the mirror in a much better location on the helmet down where the helmet ribs would have been too thick for even longer zip ties.

H