Lanceoldstrong

I used a Take a Look for years, loved it.
A year ago, I switched to the Take a Look Compact, and I love it even more.
There is not as much hardware out in front of my sunglasses, and the field of view is slightly wider.

Kevindale

I'e used both successfully, but the answer depends on what kind of riding, and personal preferences. Had a Take-A-Look mirror for years when I commuted and rode around Santa Monica. Worked great, though far from fool proof. I found that though I could see behind with a quick gaze redirection, it required some focus to attend to the tiny image. It was somewhat like taking on a cell phone while driving -- you can see ahead, but you're not fully attending to what's ahead. My reaction time was worse, though it was much better than constantly looking over my shoulder. I learned to only use it when I was on a straight, and no obstacles/intersections were looming. You can't see when you're about to be doored when you're looking in that little mirror.

More recently I got an Italian Road Bike Mirror, and love it. The glance down to the mirror is about as big as a glance down to look at a cycling computer, it's intuitive, and with the wide-angle I can see my fiends in the paceline and any cars overtaking us. My riding now is on long country roads. I did have an adjustable handlebar mirror, which was nice, but it got knocked off and lost when a friend mounted his bike on my car rack without much thought.

I have another road bike I was going to fit a handlebar mirror on, but these particular bars are oriented so that I will have very limited vision. That's two of the disadvantages to these type of mirrors: (1) you need a separate mirror for each bike, and (2) they don't work well with all bar types.

I recently tried a helmet mounted Take-A-Look style mirror when a friend lent me his helmet for a few weeks. I could never see anything with it, and I realized it was dangerous trying to use it. I'm not sure why it was so completely unsuccessful this time.

When I tried a friends helmet with a Take-A-Look type mirror mounted on the helmet, I could not get back into the groove. However, if I start doing more city riding and more upright riding, I'll try the Take-A-Look again, with it mounted on my glasses.

coffeesnob

those are pretty neat but expensive/

Hardrock23

I use a CatEye Road Mirror (bar end, drop bar. I used it on my flat bar bike too). I can see really far back in it, the view is wide enough for my uses, and it doesn't vibrate or move unless I want to move it. And I can swing it back in when not in use so its not in the way.

52telecaster

+1 except i fasten it to my helmet.

FrenchFit 

-1 on Take a Look. Never could get into it, a constant distraction having something hanging a couple of inches from your left eye, like a constant blind spot.

Funny thing about a decent mirror though, once you've ridden serious miles with a good mirror set-up (any type you like) you feel sorta naked without one.

CasualInSoCal

I bought a Take a Look mirror but couldn't get use to it. I always see double images when I focus the eye on the mirror. Although seeing how some people here are taking weeks/months to get use to it maybe I should give it another go.

HerrKaLeun

Does any of you have experience with both the compact and original TAL mirror? and if so, which one is better? I realize this may depend on taste, eyes, etc. Also say if you had it helmet or glass mounted.
Using the helmet may be better if you don't have regular glasses and during night time don't have sunglasses to attach it to. Or am I missing something?

Cptimagine

I've been using them 25+ years on all of mine . Pretty much bomb proof, even on roof racks at highway speed .

EnjoyinTheRide

I use a handlebar mirror. My only drawback is it doesnt feel the same when you grip the handle compared to the other than does not have it on. But they work well and add to the safety factor.

JanMM

I've used the original Take a Look attached to the visor of my last two helmets.

JanMM

Its distance focusing, not close focusing - you're looking at image in the mirror, not the mirror surface.

canklecat

I can understand the adjustment to a handlebar mirror -- I felt that way about the helmet mirror for almost a month.

I don't use the handlebar mirror and helmet mirror the same way. Instead of redundant mirrors, I adjust the handlebar mirror outward quite a bit to see cars or faster cyclists in what would be my blind spot when I'm wearing any kind of glasses where the earpiece stem or frame might block my peripheral vision slightly.

Also, I have very limited neck mobility due to a permanent C2 injury. So I prefer the mirrors over checking over my shoulder. Some days if I try to quickly check over my shoulder I get a piercing pain in my neck, head and eyes that can be disorienting and dizzying. So I'm more comfortable with mirrors.

The Mirrycle is a wide angle type, so it's not really useful to see a car 100 yards or so behind me -- everything is too tiny. I use the Take-A-Look mirror for that.

But the Mirrycle picks up cars immediately to my left and just over my shoulder, so I don't need to glance back. Same with faster cyclists who overtake me without calling out, or call out as they're overtaking (happens too often on the MUP, which some wannabe roadies regard as their personal racetrack rather than a shared resource).

Granted, the handlebar mirror used this way can also be a distraction -- it's a bit disconcerting at first to see mostly the side and tail end of a vehicle in the mirror just as it's nose is overtaking me. But I'm accustomed to riding in traffic and like to know what's going on around me.

I don't really even look down at the mirror. It's mostly picked up in my peripheral vision, just a reminder that a vehicle or cyclist is really, really close and overtaking me.

Granted, that might seem like way too much visual stimuli for some folks. But it suits me in congested areas.

reppans

Post 17 and 26 above.

Western Flyer 

I use both a
Cateye bar end mirror and the Take a Look glasses mounted mirror posted above. Around town I use the bar end mirror because it’s always on the bike - I often can’t find where I put the Take a Look. In five 5 week+ week tours I’ve lost or broken 6 Cateye mirrors. So now on tour I use the Take a Look, which never comes off my glasses for the duration and hence never gets lost or misplace. I can state they both give a clear vision of the road behind.

BobbyG

Why do mirror threads on bikeforums seem to be themost civil? Not the threads about mirrors versus no mirrors, but the discussions about what type of mirrors. Perhaps mirror users are more circumspect.

cyccommute 

Well that's a novel...and bogus...argument. I've heard "you'll poke your eye out" with helmet mirrors...another bogus argument...but never that you'd have to unfocus your eyes.

If you are staring at your mirror for long enough to take your eyes out of focus, you are staring too much And I don't know about you but my eyes can go from short range to long range to medium range to short range (etc) focus pretty much instantaneously.

On the other hand, the few times I've used a handlebar mirror, I find it hard to see anything because the mirror is experiencing high frequency vibrations that my eyes aren't. Helmet mirrors don't have the same problem.

Additionally, helmet mirrors are on a pretty sophisticated gimbal that allows for a wide range of motions and allows me to even see things on my right hand side if necessary. A handlebar mirror can't do that...two gets closer but most people don't bother with the second one on a bicycle.

rumrunn6

hey thanks! road riding is coming back to MA for me. just wish the street sweepers came before June

kevindsingleton 

I had to take a "defensive driving course", once, to erase a traffic citation, and the instructor advised the class to "look in the mirror for one second out of every five". That's right: she was recommending that we spend 20% of our driving time watching what's behind us.

As you get older, your eyes don't change focus as quickly as they used to. Maybe that's what Rydabent was thinking of. I've begun to notice this happening, and I'm not old, at all. Am I?

Shimagnolo

There is no refocusing when looking in a rear-view mirror.
If that was true then a nearsighted person could take off their glasses, and see everything in the mirror in focus, despite needing the glasses when looking forward.

TKJava

I also agree regarding the Take-a-look mirror. I got one last season and I have to say I really like it. It took some getting used to however. For me the first couple of rides it was hard to find the focus in the mirror. I would sort of look past it so to speak. Once you get used to it however and get it adjusted right it provides a real good view of what's behind you and coming up on your left. It just takes a second to get a view and then your back to looking at what's in front of you. It stays in place really well once you get it set.

TKJava

I had the same issue at first but it really was only about 2-3 rides with it and you can get the hang of it. Also kind of dumb on my part I didn't realize the mirror pivots on 2 axis. You can get get a great view of along side and behind with it. One word of caution sit still while you get it adjusted.

Milton Keynes

I just bought this one which you can find all over amazon:


It's not a bad mirror (don't know why they have it facing upwards in that picture) and sticks out far enough that it's not right in front of your face. I've gotten so used to using it that one afternoon not too long ago I was walking with my daughter down the street to the park, and before getting ready to cross the street instead of turning my head to look I caught myself looking up and to the left to see if any traffic was coming.

I will say that when I first got it it took me a while to remember not to bump it with my hand. I must have accidentally bumped it out of position a dozen times the first ride I used it.

mrodgers

Yeah, this is a downfall of using a helmet mount mirror. In the midst of prime riding weather in the summer, I find myself doing this all the time when off the bike.