ItsJustAHill

Yes, but I suspect that's due to the flimsy stalks many helmet-mount mirrors use (like the Blackburn). I think the TAL with helmet mount would be less shaky.

Banded Krait

I experience very little shake with the Safety Zone mirror. This is because it uses a very thick plastic stalk.

IL Coke Addict

I'm sure glad to see this thread bumped, since after reading a bunch of Amazon reviews I ordered a TAL on Monday. I'm looking forward to trying it out!

Bob Ross

So did my wife...until she was involved in an accident last year, went over the bars, landed on her face, and had her Take-A-Look mirror driven through her cheek so far that it also ripped open her gums. Plastic surgeon had to sew up the mirror-induced hole in her face in six separate layers.

Now she doesn't wear a mirror.

alicestrong

I've heard of two other people with big (18 stitches) gashes to the forehead after falling on their Take-a-Look. I switched to one of those round plastic ones...

The field of view is better on the TAL. Just don't crash on it...

teachme

Wow! Ouch!! Sorry about that. I hope she's alright. That makes me consider another option. Its not that I'm totally sold on the Take-a-look, I just like the concept of being able to see behind me at all times. I've seen other style in th LBS that I will try.

JohnJ80

Doesn't really matter - anything you put in front of your face can get pushed into it/onto it/through it in a serious enough fall. Glasses of any kind will do a number on your face in a big hurry.

J.

esther-L

I got enough shake when I used a helmet-mounted mirror that I looked for an eyeglasses mounted mirror.
I'm on my 2nd or 3rd Take a Look mirror. Previous ones have gotten lost when stored with helmet on a bike tour. Now I store the mirror either in a shoe, or inside a bag on the bike.

One problem I have found with adjusting mirrors is that my husband switches between recumbent and diamond frame road bike. He rides behind me (otherwise he goes too fast for me to catch up), and sometimes I have to seriously adjust my mirror to see him behind me.

I embrace looking geeky off the bike. I'm wearing my eyeglass mirror in my facebook photo :-)

jim hughes

Helmet mounted mirrors never did much for me - too much vibration. The Take A Look is the only one I've found that really works.

downtube42

You know you're a cyclist when you take your cycling mirror when selecting eyeglasses.

JohnJ80

You know you're a cycling geek when you take your cycling mirror when selecting eyeglasses.

J.

Groundhog1248

So I googled the "Take a look" mirror and found this:

https://www.cycleaware.com/index.php?...&products_id=3

Has anyone tried one of these? Looks very interesting but curious how well it works.

Phil85207

yes I have tried that one and yes it does work to a point. Not nearly as well as the Look and is a little fussy where you put it and adjusting is so so. I had it come loose a few times and had to reapply the tape, then the whole thing of where to put it and adjusting in came into play again. The field of vision is smaller too, but it does work.

seeker333

I've used a CycleAware mirror for years. Works pretty good.

I considered the TAL mirror years ago, but decided I didn't want any metal near my face. A few years later I read reports and saw a pic of someone who crashed and ended up with a TAL protruding from their face. So, I feel my mild safety-paranoia was justified. For similar reasons, I don't attach flashlights (or other hard metal objects) to my helmet.

The Cycle Aware mirror arm does have a wire in it, but it's covered with thick rubber. Similar to the construction of the Gumby toy from the 60s.

I see CA makes more than one mirror - I've used the reflex only:

https://www.cycleaware.com/index.php?...pfj51buqei9fc4

Only downside to this mirror (compared to a TAL) is the adhesive mount can come loose sitting in a hot garage. Hit it with a drop of Krazy Glue and problem solved.

jfvogel

The mirror shaking is only a problem when I'm on some particularly
rough asphalt, and this is rare for me, mostly the thing is a joy.

And, yes, I can see that in the wrong place and circumstances the
mirror could be a danger... on the other hand, going down a narrow
road and trying to look behind you for traffic can be a danger too..

Everyone can make up their own minds, mine is tie-wrapped on the
helmet, so its very stable, and the rear view without any change
in balance is wonderful in my book, I wouldn't do without one any
more.

TromboneAl

I've used the cycleaware reflex for years, but since it was damaged in a crash, I'm considering a change. Here are my issues:

1. I'm blind in one eye, so I refuse to have any metal rods near my one working eye.

2. Snot rockets can be problematic. I always had to raise the reflex before discharging on the left side.

3. I live where the freeway turns into a normal four-lane, so I frequently need to turn left across the 65 MPH traffic. It's not as bad as it sounds, because there aren't many cars here. However, I need to see back a few hundred yards to make sure no one is coming. My helmet mirror worked fine for that, but I'm not sure that a convex Sprintech is going to work in that situation (I always glance back to confirm).

4. My helmet mirror never worked well when I was in the drops, since I'd have to bend my neck back a lot.

5. The helmet mirror seems to need frequent adjustments, even though I modified it to stay put.

6. I hope I'm not influenced by looking dorky with a helmet mirror.

IMG_4903.jpg

rosinante25

a question about the sprintech or italian mirrors (they seem the same): is the image as big as the handlebar mounted mirrors commonly seen on hybrids that stick out in a boom like fashion (ala the robotic arm on the shuttle)? and do they move out of position with vibration from bumps on the road?

JohnJ80

Probably not and they both are convex mirrors so "objects are closer than they appear"

No. The Italian mirror is pretty much locked in place. The Sprintech is too but has a ball and socket mechanism that will go out of place if you bump it but it is easy to adjust on the bike.

J.