Rode for the first time today with this configuration. No difference in how well it worked and much less dorky looking. :innocent:

Well said!!

I've never found a mirror I like. I find them distracting, and always hear traffic coming before it see it. Not for me.

Excellent! Just like Phil85207 and Jim from Boston have posted as well.

I am afraid the same people making excuses for not learning how to use and adjust a rear view mirror correctly will possibly be making post about hopefully just near accidents. Rear view mirrors are just to important a safety item for bicyclists to ignore.

not to be difficult... but when you say that you hear cars before you see them.. without a mirror, the only way you can see a car coming up behind you is when it passes you. Clearly, there are times when you can hear a car some distance behind you. I can't think of any cases where you can hear further than you can see, and can think of many windy days where I couldn't hear anything behind me.

I've had a friend say that he doesn't use mirrors because it distracts him. My only response was to ask if the mirror in his car distracted him too. He's using a mirror now. Seems to have adapted to it.


Steve

Mirrors
 

Disagree. I hear them coming well before the pass me.

Yes, I just had that installed and it's great for back roads as well. I love the beep and the way it displays the vehicle as it gains on you and then turns green as it passes.

I use ‘Italian Road Bike Mirror’ – it’s tiny & fits discretely onto the end of your bars. I helps me when riding solo in traffic, or when using the whole lane during a twisty mountain descent. Also – when out kicking around with friends, a quick glance will let me know if I need to wait up for them On faster group rides or races it’s of no value to me. It’s not pro-looking by any measure, but so what.
I also use a rear blinky with camera, almost always (Cycliq Fly6). Also not pro, but I found that cars give a little more room with the flashing light. The camera can be my witness if someone hits me from behind.

The camera is optional, but I highly recommend a mirror and flashing light.

I suggest riding blind folded; biker gone full bat. Seeing is way overrated.

hey, my uncle tried that. He placed a paper bag over his head and rode....right into an oak tree, has a scar now.

Mirrors
 

There are lots of opinions re., bike safety. Some people don't clip in, others do; some people use lights, others don't; in some places helmets are mandatory, in some countries helmets are rare. Let's enjoy our freedom to make our preferred choices.

Second that one...I find it to be just perfect also...and it's so aerodynamic I was thinking about getting another for the other side.

Wow, I don't like seeing others get hurt but the image of your uncle riding the bike with a bag over his head:thumb:

Makes me wonder about the events leading up to that...

I have used an eyeglass mirror since 2004.

Just bought a classic Take a Look, still getting used to it. On my neighborhood weekend ride, learned how to adjust it, and consciously practiced finding the road behind me (typically not a lot of cars).

This morning, I was surprised by a couple of cyclists who overtook me; clearly it takes more that a few rides to build in a new habit. I think I am going to like it, but ask me in 30 days.

Very few riders use mirrors here. In fact, there is only one rider I see using a end bar mirror.
I tried using a eyeglass mounted mirror, but could get use to it. Then I used an end bar mirror for a while and gave that up too.
Now I listen well -no earphones- and turn my head quite often. Listening gets harder with a headwind.
I think it all comes down to personal preference.

My guess is that beer was prominently featured.

I always use a mirror and can’t imagine riding without one, any more than I’d drive a car without one. I glance at it several times a minute and feel sure it gives me a better idea of what’s behind me and how fast they’re approaching. Also I do a lot of day and night group rides and it helps me see the bikes behind me, which of course can’t be heard. When I ride with my wife, I always know exactly where she is behind me. I use a Third Eye type which is a convex drop bar mirror. It seems to have the right amount of convexity (?) for me and doesn’t vibrate, unlike many others I tried. Construction isn’t the most rugged, but I have found a few mods to solidly fasten it. It’s like riding with a motorcycle mirror. (I might try some of the other types mentioned here.)

I feel that it’s better than turning my head because doing that takes a half second to a second (times 2), during which time your attention isn’t really focused on anything. I feel that I can use my peripheral vision to be aware of the reflection in the mirror while still keeping some focus on the road ahead. Also, I probably look at it more often than I would turning my head, if I had no mirror. In city traffic there are often many cars behind you constantly, so listening doesn’t really tell you much.

I tried a Take A Look but couldn’t adapt to it. The problem might be that I wear progressive glasses, and so my focus range was quite limited. Also, I always wear a headband with my helmet and glasses, and I felt that with it, having 4 things attached to my head was one too many.

People on this forum often talk about close calls or worse with passing cars. Seems like (knock on wood) like that never happens to me, and I wonder of some of those situations could’ve been avoided if the rider had been using a mirror.

I never ride without my Take-A-Look mirror. Yes it creates a small blind spot where I can't see that bird in the tree but I can see 360 degrees where I am. In today's society with cell phones, texting and other distraction I think it's foolish to ride on the road without a mirror of some kind.

And yes, there were distractions "back in the day" before cell phones but that was nothing compared to today.

As far as Take-A-Look mirrors, I found that bending the mirror wire out a ways gives me a better angle to see what's behind me with little to no head movement.


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I use take a look on my prescription glasses (left side). I can see cars approaching on my left and can tell from their right side tire placement how close they will pass me. I like the original, as the compact seems too small for me. I ordered both and returned the compact.

As I have stated in earlier post I personally could not feel safe without Take a look mirror. It does take so time to get use to it and to get it adjusted correctly but once you do it only takes a second to have it adjusted.

But I would also like to add the importance of eyewear. I have had several rocks kicked up and hit my glasses with some pretty good force. The rocks would have certainly have hit me in the eye which would have probably resulted in a crash. So I am a proponent of using eyewear while cycling. I have clear lens for night and low light conditions and darker uv blocking lens glasses for cycling in sunlight. My Take a Look is mounted to my eyewear and I get a good level of protection from small kicked up rocks and the mirror gives me a good sense of awareness.

Beep? I've missed something, which is easy to do with Garmin. Do tell!