Mirrors - Pros and cons?
 

Being a 70 yr old senior I find it difficult to turn my head and check for traffic especially on my road bike when on the down bars.
I've tried bar end mirrors on my hybrid and road but found they vibrate and the position is not ideal. Not a good look on the bike and I have 4 bikes.
The other bar clamp type mirrors were worse. The vibration is just to great. Become a problem when you need to do tlc on the bike.

I have used a round mirror on my helmet. Takes a while to get used to and the mirrors are quite small but work okay.
Works better on my hybrid because of more erect seat position.
Have a mirror that clips to glasses. It is a wider, somewhat rectangular, giving a broader view of traffic. I like this one better than the helmet round mirror. It is a little extra weight on the glasses but not a problem.
Still get some vibrations and the location of the mirror when on the down bars on the road bike causes my shoulder to blocks part of the view. I need to raise my neck and shoulders by lifting one hand of the handlebar to make it work. Still better than no mirror but takes an effort.

So I'm open to any suggestions. What works for you?

TAKE A LOOK attached to glasses :thumb: don't leave home without it :)

It doesn't matter if you can turn your head to look, a proper mirror is much quicker, offering more timely info which can be helpful in many situations.

Third Eye on my helmet for me. I also have an eyeglass mounted model of unknown brand that works even better because it is larger... for when I'm not wearing a helmet.

I have the round mirror attached to my helmet and I like it okay. I don't love it.
The game changer for me though was getting a Garmin Varia tail light with radar. It works with my Garmin bike computer, or you can download an app for it on your smart phone. Alerts you to cars approaching from behind, shows how close they are getting, and shows you how many. It's the single best bike accessory I've ever bought.

Several years ago I bought a Take A Look compact mirror and could not get used to using it so I returned it. A year or so later I gave the Take A Look original a shot and couldn't get used it to either, so I bought a Mirrycle and liked it. When I got my MTB (used for street riding) last year I went to install the Mirrycle on it and was unable to so I dug out the Take A Look mirror to give it another go. Im glad I kept the take A Look mirror. I really like it now. I would much rather look slightly up to my left compared to down to my left to get a look of whats coming behind me. I also feel like the Take A Look mirror glasses style mount gives me easier precision sweeping.

Third Eye Pro helmet mirror has worked for me for decades. It’s very stable and easy to use. I have an EVT Safe Zone mirror as well. It has a bit bigger mirror than the Third Eye but the price is pretty steep. I wouldn’t say it that much better value than the Third Eye. I’d feel a whole lot worse if the EVT got broken than it the Third Eye did.

I have a cruiser style mirror on my handlebar, and love it. I don't have too much vibration, not sure why you do. Mind you, I can't read license plates, but that's fine, I just want to know what's coming. I tried a glasses-mount mirror, but couldn't get used to it, and I'm a little twitchy about blocking my field of vision; now my glasses are too flimsy to support a mirror. The only downside is it occasionally gets bumped and I have to re-adjust it.

Bar end mirror on my commuter left side. Just glance down, and there's a good field of vision behind.

Handlebar mounted Zefal mirror beneath my left brake lever (in the hook) on my tourer. Not quite as wide field, but good enough to monitor approaching cars.

On a racing bike, I don't use a mirror. I turn my head and use my hearing as well. It's not nearly as good, but ...

I've never used a helmet mirror, so can't comment.

I just switched my helmet mirror onto my new helmet yesterday. I've used handlebar end mirrors and I never liked their limited view. A helmet mirror, by contrast, looks backward wherever you need to look - just move your head. This is by far the biggest plus in my book. Plus, handlebar mirrors can break. My wife's broke on a bicycle tour in France. I still remember the day her bike tipped over right in front of Notre Dame and the mirror shattered. That was it for bar mirrors for me/us. But it's a great memory nonetheless!

I rode with a mirror on my Skid Lid in the late '70's and '80s but then went without for about a decade thereafter. Not that my collegiate teammates would have let me survive riding with a mirror way back when! But then I realized I should resume using a mirror about 20 years ago and "haven't looked back!" (Boy, talk about wrong choice of phrase there!)

A helmet mirror is so convenient and a quick look back is fast and effortless. Sure, there are times when it's angled wrong or my glasses conceal my view. But that's easily corrected. And being attached to my helmet means it's always where I need it when I'm going for a ride. When you're regularly riding four or five bikes, having one mirror on the helmet is the obvious solution for all the bike options. Geeky? Perhaps. But even mountain biking, it's so easy to keep tabs on the kids in back and people wanting to pass. I find it really hard to ride without.

I like my helmet-mounted mirror. All I have to do is glance up and to the left and I can see any & all traffic behind me. It did jiggle around a bit when I first got it but I modified the arm by shortening it, and that not only cut down on some of the jiggle but having the mirror closer gave me a wider field of view.

I have sprintech mirrors on both sides at the ends of my drop bars. Convenient to look down. Also great to make sure a group is all together when riding with the family (though I prefer to have the tail duty when doing that).

I went with a glasses mount mirror

tried a mirror mounted to the handlebar, but found it to shake too much no matter how I affixed it. Also, the dirt/mist/debris that floats around made it another thing to clean often. I just use bright lights, better judgement, bicycle mount recording device & peripheral vision.

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I use one of these. Works perfectly. No vibration. Just like this style did 40 years ago on my previous bikes. Clamp does occasionally need to be snugged up. I am quite capable of turning my head to check traffic, But a mirror brings peace of mind that no amount of head turning will ever bring. And yes, I still turn my head when I deem it best.

I have it mounted 6" from the post, I don't know if it will work with a drop style handlebar considering my handlebar grips are 8" above the seat on my comfort bike.

Tossing my recommendation in for the Take A Look mirror, which I attach to the visor of my helmet, doubly securing with some small cable ties. Mirror swings back up under the visor when not in use, and less fiddly than when mounted to eyeglass frames. Also less likely to lose the mirror this way. Yes, have to have a good sized visor, but I always use MTB helmets for the extra rear coverage and visor (especially good for blocking bright lights/strobes).

i like this (learned of it here on BF)...

https://www.amazon.com/IRBM-Italian-...91770987&psc=1

small, stealthy, and effective...except when on aero bars as i have recently just learned.

I've always just looked over my shoulder, even at 56yrs.
Recently purchased the compact sized Bike Peddler Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror and been out on 2-3 rides with it.
I have it mounted to my glasses.

I am very surprised how quickly I've got used to being able to peek behind me.

Barry

This. I don't feel comfortable without it anymore.

+1 Both are very good mirrors and work very well. I use the 3rd Eye. Only gripe is that the clamp to the helmet visor is just OK, but I started making custom brackets for them years ago and now the mount is first class. (And much stronger than the mirror, so when the mirror snags something, it's just new mirror time. Brackets last until I go to a different style helmet and have to make another. I use the 3rd Eye with the screw clamp. Haven't tried any of their others.)

I've bought 2 EVTs, both at the week long Cycle Oregon when I've broken my 3rd Eye. (Last year, we had 4 straight days of rain. Much more than usual came inside the tent. There were a couple of accidents!). Field of view and usability are almost identical between the 3rd Eye and the EVT.

Edit: I;ve had enough bike crashes that I cannot turn my neck fully. I have to twist my upper body to take a look behind. Good mirrors are a huge asset.

Ben

Mirrors - Pros and cons
 

To the topic - professionals don't use mirrors. The cons take them off as soon as they get that stolen bike home.

I use a mirror by sprintech that replaces plug on my drop bars and it has a ball socket so it's adjustable. I get on my fixie without a mirror and feel naked without it now.

I've been using the Italian Road Bike mirrors. They are glass...they are unobtrusive...they work well. I'm good

I use a round Mirrycle on my left bar end. I love it and when I switched to a new bike really felt nervous the couple of times I rode the new bike without the mirror. I kept looking for it as I rode. It may look goofy to some but it provides a large view behind me so no surprises.

72 yo starting back again after twenty years and 4 back operations. Found out real quick that I cannot do my racing bars. Installing flat bar tomorrow.
MY POINT- I have seen several riders use a rectangular mirror attached to the backside of their left hand. can't find commercially so I think they're hand made?
Any thoughts????