I haven't been turning left across mutliple lanes, no.

Mostly, just hanging out on the internet, posting false dichotomies to feel good about how superior I am.

See what I did there?

not one con

The problem with fixed mirrors is vibration. While some are better than others at reducing vibration, the problem is always there. The problem I found with helmet and eye glass mirrors (I've used them both) is rider position. They're great at seeing what's approaching behind you if you never turn your head or change position. Every mirror I've tried have two major flaws; limited viewing area and depth of field.

I'm 74, have limited mobility, and ride on the roads a lot. I do several charity rides each year and an annual cross state ride that use busy highways. I also use my aerobars, pretty often, on long rides to take pressure off my shoulders. The biggest problem with helmet and eye glass mirrors is that they become totally useless when riding in the drops or on aerobars since your head position, and the view behind you, is completely changed. Bar end mirrors on a road bike don't change your view if you change from riding the hoods to riding the drops but can become obstructed by your arm when riding on aerobars.

My wife gave me a Varia Radar for a birthday present shortly before my last cross state ride. Until you use one, you don't know just how much of a game changer they are. I have Sprintech bar end mirrors on both my road bikes that have become a backup to my radar. The radar will detect and alert you of approaching vehicles at 153 yards (one and a half football fields) away; farther than you can see with any mirror. it also tells you how many cars are approaching and their relative distance behind you. You can also gauge the speed at which they are approaching and when they approach at very high speeds, you are warned by both visual and audio alerts. Since having the radar, other than an occasional glance, I seldom use my mirror unless I'm on a multilane road and I need to know what lane the approaching car(s) are in. The radar frees me from having to concentrate less on what's behind me and more on what's around me. If the cost of a good cycling kit and that kind of safety warning requires me charging it, I'll do it every day.

I started with various handlebar-mounted mirrors, some very large. Though they were easy to check, too often, the mirror wasn't pointing where I needed it.

Then I tried a Take-A-Look, it seems to be what's in all the bike shops. It worked, but the one I had was short, and felt like I had to strain my eyeball to look into it.

Then I discovered the DIY spoke+bottlecap+mirror style -- as long as you want, and easy to bend and adjust on the fly. I never did make my own though -- https://www.etsy.com/listing/1774192...ew-mirror-bike for $12, it wasn't worth trying to cut the mirror, bend the spoke, and find the little rubber cover that protects the arm of the sunglasses. More stylish than take-a-look too. If I'm on my lower-road bike, I bend the spoke up a bit to see over my shoulder; if I'm upright on the mountain bike, a little tug down fixes the mirror.

I use Mirrycle. I often read about vibrations as a turnoff of handlebar mirrors, but I haven't experienced it with Mirrycle. Maybe there is some shaking but not enough for me to notice? I only look in the mirror for a second. I also don't need it to be a perfect picture--I just need to know there's something/someone behind me.

Inserting a help question here. I have a new bike and I'd like to mount the Mirrcyle on it. It's the model where the mount goes into the end of the handlebar. On the 3 previous bikes, I just had to pop off the ends from the handlebar grips. The new bike's handlebar grips are a one piece. Do I just go ahead and gouge an opening in the grip? Or get new handlebar grips? If gouging, my toolset is limited. Would a boxcutter, kitchen knife and screwdriver do the job?

vibrations?
I'd love a crisp image but I don't really need to make out the car plate number or hood emblem.
I just need to be able to see an oncoming vehicle. Even color is irrelevant.

Bought similar mirror. It absolutely works. Less vibration than the bar-end mirrors that came before it and actually almost none. More secure than it would suggest.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...502ec69e8c.jpg
This is the one I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089ZNTWQ2...t_b_asin_title

I bought the same ones. Just sent then back for a refund.
The slightest bump or even wind would cause them to loose the setting requiring readjustment.
Also made it a little more difficult to apply brakes having the mirror in the same place as your picture.
I also found that they had too much convex and distorted distances so you could not detect vehicles until it was too close.
I went back to my flat mirror mounted on my glasses. Still a problem when down on the bars of my road bike.
I am forced to lift my head high to get the mirror past the shoulders. Not a problem on the hybrid with a more upright position.

I am almost always on the hoods. I did tighten the mirror slightly on the 1st ride. Perhaps it will loosen up overtime. I still rely on my glasses mounted mirror as my main mirror . I just like having a secondary mirror on the handlebars . If I run into problems I will report them here.

Don't those mirrors mounted in the drops affect your ability to be down there yourself?

they come loose intentionally

so you can freely set up your preferred angle

then you tight the bolt with a flat had screw driver

mine are on the vertical part of the drops and don't get in my way

There is a swivel that has a screw. That one is okay. There is not a screw that connects the mirror to the strap that goes around the handlebar.
This is where the movement occurs making the mirror unstable.

Unfortunately It's due to an eye condition that makes it difficult to look from far to close quickly. Not a true focus problem.

I've tried mirrors but found a problem that I start to concentrate on them not on the road. I've never drive a car so I'm not used to this multiple visible areas thing. So for now I stick with good old head rotating :)

I agree - I don't think a small mirror will replace a good look over your shoulder, and if I'm doing any left turn maneuver, or preparing to move over toward the center lane for a left turn, I'll sit up and take a good look over my shoulder. I use my "Sprint Tech" bar-end mirror for maintaining situational awareness, pretty much like when I drive - I keep tabs on what's going on around me - including behind me - by taking a glance in the rearview every few seconds. Even in the car, with three decent-sized rearviews, I glance over my shoulder before pulling over

[MENTION=42719]BikeLite[/MENTION]
That and a small remnant of Amblyopia from yoot.

I've tried a number of mirrors over the years and like the Take-A-Look the best. It clips to my sunglasses, is adjustable and is pretty durable as well. The big advantage of these over, say handle bar mounted mirrors is I can swivel my head around and see everything behind me, not just what is directly behind me. Plus, no matter where I am looking I can still see what is behind me. With handle bar mounted mirrors they don't do that as well for me.

FYI, I have found that I don't need to look over my shoulder much any more and rarely do. This mirror let's me swivel around and see everything behind and to the adjacent side of me without losing sight of what is in FRONT of me. That alone has saved my bacon a few times over the years.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...25ec501f9f.jpg

This thread combined with the seatpost review prompted me to think: I'm not at all confident that I can make good use of a mirror, but I can (apparently) steer with great precision (go, me).

Which reminded me of something that I already know, but don't think on much: riding in traffic is a processing gig. You're going to have to pick and choose your input channels and stimuli / data volume, and act accordingly. In other words, it's dangerous AF and safety will always involve some measure of personal choice, taste and strategy. If it works - good.

I started this thread and can't believe how much response it has created and how this thread has legs.
In summary it shows the diversity that exist in the cycling community. The pros and cons are out there.
Some people don't have the ability to turn around and look. Where you ride comes into play. Trails are much different than busy urban areas.
Some people use high cost technology like radar. Nice if you have the money and trust technology.
Mirrors come in all types; helmet mounted, glasses mounted, bar mounted, convex, round, rectangular ...etc
The type of bike, how many you have and how you feel about the look of the bike is important.
Riding solo is much more different than riding in a group. Is the ride just around the block or is for many miles?
Let's all enjoy our bikes and do whatever works for you to keep safe. It's a personal thing.
At 70 yrs of age, I can at least say I got there. Keep riding.

For flat bars, I like this Hafny FR02. It slings underneath the grip so the bike can fall over and not break it, and it doesn't make the bike wider. They are hard to find - I had to order from aliexpress.
https://www.hafnycomponents.com/fr02

I've got a helmet mounted mirror. It's not perfect by any means, but it definitely helps to be able to keep an eye on what's behind me without having to do shoulder checks. It's also far less prone to vibration than a bar mounted mirror, which I've also used in the past.

No idea for hybrid, but for roadies, Blackburn or similar hood mounted mirror. Excellent view of road from drops, hoods, or top bar if in correct position. Con is it can rattle out of position if going fast on rough gravel or if you hit a pothole at speed. This can be minimized by wrapping a few times with a 1/2" wide strip of inner tube at moderate tension, end secured with electrical tape, before putting on the retainer strap that comes with the mirror. And crank the adjustment ring quite tight.

Sounds like some of these mirrors require the user to concentrate or position their head just right in order to see.

If I were to go back to using a mirror, I would use the "Italian Road Bike Mirror" (IRBM) as it has crystal clear image and unmatched FOV for it's size. No vibrations and it stays in place once mounted. Although there are other brands that look like "Italian Road Bike Mirror"....do not make the mistake by thinking the ones that look the same are the same. The IRBM is in another league and similar mirrors by other brands are junk in comparison. The catch is it is not adjustable after you mount it. It is mounted and positioned based on your position that you spend the most time in on your bike (ie. drops or hoods). Now you can still see in either position, but the image is optimized based on the position you set it for (drops or hoods).