Bike Forums - Mirrors

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I hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but I'm curious if anyone uses this mirror: http://www.amazon.com/D-Oberlauda-Ul...I3HMPYDRPOZNHV http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=365485

I've got a new bike on order and would rather avoid cutting into it's lovely leather grips if I can avoid it. I do love my Mirrycle, though, so I won't be too upset if I have to do that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DowneasTTer (Post 16516231)

I used this one that attaches to my helmet. It's a little $$ but the VIEW!
[h=1]Safe Zone Bicycle Helmet Mirror[/h]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Actually there is a better solution out now if you want a helmet mirror which I would highly recommend as its more stable and has a wider field of view.

If you have even seen or heard of the mirrors Chuck Harris made before he passed away a company(Monkey Mirrors) now produces a much improved version that is much cheaper than the one linked on amazon and more adaptive plus they do custom artwork allowing for a little bit of custom flare. The mirror is automotive quality in both clarity and build. Ive found that with the mirror the field of view is large enough that a 5 degree head movement means I can see behind me and a 10 degree allows me to look in the other lane.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=365592 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=365593

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giant Doofus (Post 16518392)

I am also testing a bar mirror as well that they will be releasing soon that permits you to have a proper glass mirror the size of a mirrycle mirror but it clamps to any bar even over bar tape meaning you can use the same mirror on both your road bike and mountain bike in the same day without having to cut the grips.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaninar (Post 16516971)

I use mirrors in car, and on motorcycle often. Couldn't drive without them. On the bicycle: I took my mirror OFF. Why? Because it scared me. Cars drive as if they're going to hit me, then swerve in the last couple of meters. Normal driving habits in my city. Bicycle is too slow to do anything at that speed difference. Not enough time to even get off the road in time. So all mirror did was make me scared, uncomfortable. Not sure if I explained it right.

Interesting point. I like to use my ears to hear cars coming from behind, on windy days when that's not possible I simply pull over to the side of the road and observe traffic. A mirror might just create unneeded confusion.

I've been looking at this one that mounts on down tube.

I've heard no comments from anyone that I know to trust and don't want to pull the trigger until I do. If it works it looks like the only bike mirror that I've seen that I would use. I'm NOT going to put one on my sunglasses, I don't wear a helmet and don't really have anywhere on the bars on my commuter that one wouldn't be in the way.

I can't see having the time to do anything about a car hitting me from behind with a 40 mph+ closing speed and I've never wrecked glancing behind me to check traffic in a car, big truck, motorcycle at twice speed limit or a bike.

Even if I had a mirror I still believe that I would "check my blind spot".

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones (Post 16519789)

Even if I had a mirror I still believe that I would "check my blind spot".

Of course, but riding with a hood, for example, on a rainy day, I used to look at the situation in the mirror and when I saw it is clear, I had to do just one blind spot check. Without a mirror it is more complicated. However, in all the other situations, riding without a hood (99% of the time), having a mirror was too much of a scare for me - without much use. Plus it was one more gadget on the bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaninar (Post 16519941)

Of course.

We are in complete agreement on the blind spot thing, but I guarantee you that there are folks who claim...................

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones (Post 16519955)

We are in complete agreement on the blind spot thing, but I guarantee you that there are folks who claim...................

.......with a helmet- or glasses-mounted mirror, with just a slight swivel of the head, there is no blind spot.

I also like the Take A Look mirror. I think it's the best of its type. It takes a lot of practice at first.

I don't use it on every ride, because some rides are so short, I just want to get out of the door fast. Then when I don't have it, I miss it.

1. Yes, a cheap big convex mirror I got at Dick's Sporting Goods. It's mounted to my handlebar. (http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/pr...uctId=12749870)
2. I've never seen one mounted to an arm. It would take away the mirror while I was signaling left turns...so maybe not too practical.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones (Post 16519789)

… I'm NOT going to put one [mirror] on my sunglasses, I don't wear a helmet and don't really have anywhere on the bars on my commuter that one wouldn't be in the way.

I can't see having the time to do anything about a car hitting me from behind with a 40 mph+ closing speed and I've never wrecked glancing behind me to check traffic in a car, big truck, motorcycle at twice speed limit or a bike.

Even if I had a mirror I still believe that I would "check my blind spot".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaninar (Post 16519941)

Of course..

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones (Post 16519955)

We are in complete agreement on the blind spot thing, but I guarantee you that there are folks who claim...................

Hey. I resemble that remark! I recall replying to a similar opinion a few months ago, and when I found the thread, to my surprise, the exchange was then with gregjones in a spinoff on the thread, "Afraid of the dark.":

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones (Post 16260934)

I have driven vehicles ranging from motorcycles, sports cars, station wagons and several million miles worth of big trucks. Every last one of them has had a blind spot. It is a fool that make a maneuver trusting only his mirrors…

I don't use a mirror on a bike because I'm gonna turn and look anyway. There's no way that I would trust a mirror to move myself and bike into what at a minimum would be 10 to 15 times bigger than me and moving two to five time faster. I'll look.

Use a mirror if you care.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston (Post 16260557)

Any mirror is …better than none at all requiring a head and shoulder turn and complete loss of forward vision…

Besides just offensively monitoring the upcoming traffic, a mirror can save split seconds when you have to defensively avoid unexpected obstacles and evade approaching traffic, while still maintaining near-continuous forward vision.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston (Post 16262577)

IMO, the use of a mirror is a matter of choice, but I dispute the categorical assertion that it is foolish to make a maneuver trusting only a mirror.

As I mentioned above, as a conscientious cyclist who wears right and left eyeglass mirrors I regularly though not excessively monitor the traffic behind me and I’m usually aware of the situation, including my usual blind spot with the mirror. I determine that blind spot to be about, say 8 feet wide and about 20 feet long, to my immediate left and behind.

Just this morning on a quiet road, I did a head and shoulder turn to assess this area. Even using my peripheral vision, which is less sensitive than direct vision, I had to turn significantly to completely visualize this area, taking my forward vision totally away for a brief period. Furthermore, it seems to me that perhaps the act of twisting my upper body may slightly deviate my forward direction of travel. In my mind to turn and look, with this brief loss of forward vision and control is risky, especially if I have preemptively been checking my surroundings. I may travel at least several feet at usual speed under these circumstances while perhaps simutaneously approaching a nearby obstacle.

I think these disputes that so often arise on BF may occur because the subscribers only relate to their own cycling circumstances. I can understand why someone riding rural, lightly-traveled and perhaps well-paved roads might not feel the need for a mirror, and rely on their hearing and rearward glances. On my urban commute where auto traffic may be heavy, bike lanes narrow, and hazards frequent and sudden, my mirror is the best bet.

Even on a quiet country road though, one rearward hazard I have encountered is that when a car passes, I can never be absolutely sure that another car is not immediately behind, and briefly the road noise sounds only like one car passing. Watching in the mirror as one or two cars approach and pass makes the situation perfectly clear.

Jim’s Law of the Road: “No matter how well-paved or lightly-traveled the Road, a vehicle is likely to pass on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right.”

I also wrote to this thread, "How Do You Check the Traffic Behind You?":

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston (Post 16394142)

Also in winter, my head and neck are so swathed in neck and face wear that turning around becomes more limited, and hearing is diminished, making the mirrors even more useful.

BTW, In June of 2012 I was hit from behind (while wearing a mirror) and was in the hospital for six weeks. I did not see it coming in my mirror, perhaps because I was on a wide, lightly traveled, low-speed-limit residential road. Perhaps I may have been able to bail out, but If I had seen it, I surely would be traumatized with PTSD. Maybe I might have stiffened up and suffered more damage.

I have confidently resumed my commuting because, even as before the acccident, I am much more secure with my rearview mirrors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones (Post 16519789)

Even if I had a mirror I still believe that I would "check my blind spot".

sounds reasonable, because I also drive, use my rearview mirror and if I have to move over in a lane I have to "check my blind spot"...
a rearview mirror is useful in a car and also useful while biking, in my opinion.

1. Yes. I use this http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/m5.htm. They call it the "german mirror"; it's made by D + D Oberlauda. Neither of my bikes can use a bar-end mirror; one has bar-end shifters and the other has rubber grips.

The "german mirror" can be mounted anywhere on a handlebar, on any handlebar, and even on the fork, rack, or frame. It has a huge mirror that shows a lot of what's behind you. It looks super dorky, like any mirror.

I don't like helmet mirrors because they're too small, get whacked out of alignment too easily, and I couldn't find one that doesn't vibrate itself out of alignment after a couple miles. I don't wear glasses and change out my sunglasses often, so glasses-mounted doesn't work for me either.

2. An arm-mounted mirror just sounds really sweaty to me. Gross. Plus it doesn't look like it's really in the field of view without turning your head.

I wear a mirror 24 x 7 so I can see what's going on behind my back. You'd be amazed if you knew what kind of crazy antics are happening all around you all the time.

A mirror is one of the best additions I ever made to my riding kit. Feel naked or something if I don't have it. I actually just rigged up a telescopic engine inspection mirror I had in my toolbox to my helmet. It really works great being able to see what's coming up behind me so I can be proactive, or have more time to react or whatever. I can also monitor people riding behind me.

One of these days I'm going to get a TRUE helmet-mounted mirror, just haven't gotten around to it.

I also like the idea of that one that mounts to the frame by the head tube so that you basically look down to see between your leg and the frame behind you. But having a mirror on my helmet allows me to see a much wider area with very little head movement. I can even see the area to my right rear if I turn my head left just a bit more.

Looks like this without the red part. I just zip-tied it to one of the vent slots on the left side of my helmet.

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znet...25195/image/4/

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan s (Post 16522851)

I wear a mirror 24 x 7 so I can see what's going on behind my back. You'd be amazed if you knew what kind of crazy antics are happening all around you all the time.

A few BF correspondents have posted that when walking, sometimes they glance at a "phantom" rearview mirror; I have done so too.

Once while in biking gear I was chatting with a radio talk show host doing an an outdoor remote broadcast. As I was facing him. he mentioned to his sidekick about a couple of cute girls standing behind me, and I just pointed to my rearview mirror. :innocent: :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston (Post 16523008)

A few BF correspondents have posted that when walking, sometimes they glance at a "phantom" rearview mirror; I have done so too.

Me, too......

I always ride with a helmet-mounted mirror. I like being able to check for the next wave of traffic; if it looks particularly bad on a busy stretch of road, I can pull over and wait. And since I have some neck issues, I don't like turning my head around just to see what's behind me. Like Jim from Boston, I feel like I drift slightly if I turn my neck too far, and I like the option of doing a quick mirror-check.

Seriously, until they develop an on-bike radar system, whatever works for you is fine. I like a mirror, but I also like lights, bike computers, a place to put my phone, etc. If you feel better riding with a mirror, figure out if you want a bike-mounted one or a helmet or glass-mounted version. See how you like it.

I once wore the Bell Metro helmet which had all kinds of great accessories, one of which was a mirror. I have to say that I loved that thing although it was a bit fragile. I had two, when the first one broke they replaced it no cost to me. When the second one broke I didn't even call, as they stopped making the helmet. Anyways, I just bought a new drop bar mount mirror and I think the helmet mount provided a much better view of what was behind you. It may be a case of just getting used to it, but my opinion now is go with the helmet mounted mirror.

Take-A-Look mirror on the helmet. Invaluable.

Eyeglass and mirror on both bikes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12EyzRuPlZA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston (Post 16523008)

A few BF correspondents have posted that when walking, sometimes they glance at a "phantom" rearview mirror; I have done so too.

Me too, and I also suffer from ringxiety.

I'm a fan of helmet mount. I used to use Take-A-Look until I kissed pavement one day and the rigid rod went into my face and the sharp edge on the mirror gouged my nose open about an inch. Now I wonder why I thought it was a good idea having a very rigid metal rod an inch from my eye.

I'm now using a Cycleaware Reflex. The mirror edges are protected and the holder is "gumby" wire.

I heard a similar story, which is why I went with the third eye mirror... mirror has plastic edges, has plastic arm that can pop out of the joint so no real risk of it gouging your face.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItsJustMe (Post 16532484)

I'm a fan of helmet mount. I used to use Take-A-Look until I kissed pavement one day and the rigid rod went into my face and the sharp edge on the mirror gouged my nose open about an inch. Now I wonder why I thought it was a good idea having a very rigid metal rod an inch from my eye.

I'm now using a Cycleaware Reflex. The mirror edges are protected and the holder is "gumby" wire.

I'm currently a satisfied Take-a-Look eyeglass-mounted mirror user (I wear prescription eyeglasses) and right and left mirrors. However I avoided a Take-a-Look for years with that fear in mind, long before I joined BF and heard IJM's story. I kept dislodging helmet mirrors and broke handlebar mirrors, so I went with eyeglass-mounted. I think I broke a couple plastic Third-Eye mirrors and eventually settled on the Take-a-Look.

I've gone down on about four serious falls without injuries from the mirror. I looked up Cyclewear Reflex and found they make a plastic eyeglass mounted mirror, so I'll "take a look" for one, or a similar alternative.

I juxt had the take-a-look mirror arrive ordered from Amazon. Can't wit to try it if it ever warms up.