I need a rear view mirror that attaches to the handlebar. It has to be strongly convex for a wide field of view, and its position should be ajustable. I tried a couple of models from Amazon, but none was sufficiently convex, and adjustment range was not sufficient to extend it slightly beyond the end of the hadlebar. Would you be so kind as to suggest a specific model ?

Although I don’t like them, my wife uses Zefal Dooback mirrors. They insert into the end of a handlebar. You can see the mirror in this picture. The mirror folds in to get out of the way but can be adjusted quite well. This one is actually the right hand version because it hangs down below the handlebar. It’s out of the way there. When I mounted the “proper” side, it stuck up too far for using the barends and the handlebars.


Personally, I use the EVT Safe zone helmet mirror.

So do I. I have two, one for each helmet.

How can you exist with so few helmets? Got 6 myself. Need to match that color.

I have never used a mirror, but decided maybe it's time I tried one out in conjunction with my Garmin Varia. Gonna try out two options: A Zefal Spy that seems to have a lot of location options; also ordered a Clearview Micro Helmet Mirror. I liked the smaller form factor of the Clearview vs other helmet mirrors. The Clearview hasn't come in yet so I can't say much about it function-wise, but it gets good reviews.

Mirrycle

It's a struggle

If you get a mirror, be sure to actually use it. I come up behind bikes with mirrors on cycling courses, and sometimes have trouble getting around because these riders don't hear me (pretty much all of them are wearing earbuds), and NEVER look in their mirrors. I use my ears and my neck, which, fortunately, still work pretty well. I can tell by the sound when a vehicle is coming up behind me, if it is going faster or slower, and how far to the side it is (the closer a car gets to the side of the the road, the more debris its tires hit). Get in the habit of turning your head to look behind you while riding. It is cheaper and easier than installing a mirror, and works remarkably well.

I’m pretty happy with the Sprintech bar-end mirror - convex, reasonably adjustable and not expensive

Guys, thanks for all your kind replies.

A bar-end mirror would probably solve all the problems I mentioned, but I am a little bit wary of bar-end mirrors: I always feel that I'll be running them into obstacles :-) Maybe it is not that bad ?

A small mirror that attaches to a top tube also sounds like a good idea, except that I have a step-thru bicycle.

WRT to a helmet mirror that cyccomute mentioned: is it stable enough in terms of vibrations ?

If you want a handlebar mirror, please specify if you have drop "road" bars or straight bars? It matters.

I'm liking the mirrors I sourced from Spurcycle the last year or so. They have models for both drop and straight bars; one I have is for flat but it's working fine on the drops on my road bike. Theirs may not be as convex as you prefer though, I favor using mirrors just a little bit convex.

With my Varia or Carback giving me a sense of rearward traffic I find having a 'bar end mirror a comfortable alternative to turning my head far enough around to glimpse what's back their with my own eyes.

I've tried a few other brands, too often found the engineering or materials used for the mounts a bit of a disappointment.

Maybe so, but the arthritis in my neck makes it painful to repeatedly turn my head to look behind me, so I prefer to use a mirror.

It's not, but obviously you need to exercise a little attention to its placement.

That's always bothered me too, kept me from exploring what one might provide. This thread gave me the motivation to order up one; I'll report back what I learn from using one shortly....

Stable enough to be used while mountain biking. Very early on, I tried handlebar mirrors and found them to be impossible to use because of the vibration from the road. A helmet mirror simply doesn’t vibrate because you head doesn’t usually vibrate all that much. The other advantage of a helmet mirror is that I can easily turn my head to increase the field of view behind me which isn’t something that is easy to do with a handlebar mirror and even less easy to do with a mirror mounted further in on the bike.

MikeElBike I have used Take-a-Look glasses-mount mirrors for 30 years. Actually only 2...they're brass and metal and that sturdy. No vibration. I've tried a plastic one and it broke. I also tried another brass and metal one from another company, but the shape was sub optimal.

With the Take-a-look glasses-mount mirror there is no shake. It is as natural to use as the inside rear-view mirror in the car. And by turning your head you can see behind you from curb-to-curb, a wider field than any convex mirror....all while keeping your eyes on the road ahead.

The take-a-look is also very sturdy. A few years ago on a windy fall afternoon a tree branch fell and hit my helmet and knocked the mirror off my glasses. I found the mirror the next day under the leaves by the curb. It had been run over, but I wiped the mirror part, put it back on and am still using it.

I had also put handle bar mirrors on my bikes, but have removed them all a couple of years ago because I never use them. They vibrate and the image is too small, especially when too convex.

I suppose a helmet mount mirror would have all these advantages, but I went with the glasses mount variety and "never looked back."

I've been using a Hafny bar-end mirror and a Varia radar unit for a number of years and have been extremely happy. Some may thing a mirror and radar unit are overkill, but I have no issue going overboard with safety. The Hafny bar-end mirror is super easy to install and stays in place even after going on a rough road. The Varia radar unit is something that I will not ride without.
Hafny Bike End Bike Mirror, Adjustable Convex Rear View Mirror for Bicycle, Clear HD Glass Lens, 360° Rotatable, Fits MTB Road E-Bike Scooter, HF-M951-FR03 (1pc Silver Glass, 62mm Dia) https://a.co/d/0f3M9Mhh

the mirror you get will depend on the size and shape of the handlebar to some extent. Should we assume it's an E-bike or something else ?

Mirrycle is the way to go cheap reliable and you can get replacement mirrors easily and they still make old mirrors that they made back in the 70s if you need to (which I did after cracking a mirror while replacing some cables on an old non-aero lever) for helmets EVT Safe Zone is the way to go 100%. However I don't know that I could do 6 helmets though I have a bunch some are retired but I have expensive tastes in helmets because I value a helmet that weighs little and has lots of ventilation and my favorite is around $300 Lazer Z1 Kineticore.

I don't need no convex mirror. I've been using these BIG scooter mirrors for 10 years. They have 50 kinds at BikeINN in Spain.
Slow delivery but good service. I'm looking in them LOTS watching hundreds of truck coming from behind on 90 mile highway rides.
But the problem is I had to make several mounts before I finally found a more unbreakable way.
But then the mirror post has a stupidly short 5/8" thread needing a half inch nylock nut. I needed 1" with a half inch thick mount made from a briffter.
I had to JB weld a bolt in this sleeve threaded and tapped 10 mm.

Technically that would mean you do need a convex mirror. Just FYI.

This approach may not detect an extended side mirror as may be found on school buses and trucks.
The "Rides of Silence" program was started as a response to Larry Schwartz getting decapitated by the mirror of a school bus (STORY).
No one knows if he had a rear-view mirror, but it's possible that he didn't and couldn't hear the extra wide mirror.

fwiw, when I road ride, I prefer both a mirror on the left drop bar & another on my glasses. they each have diff. features & benefits that compliment each other nicely. they each have weaknesses, so using both is helpful for me. apologies for closeups of my dumb face













blind spot hazard

my bar end mirror is on a flexible joint, so if it gets moved, like if my knee hits it, it's easy to move back into place
eyeglass mirrors at stable & easy to adjust. I'm guessing helmet mirrors are as well

no bike mirror is gonna be like car mirrors

fwiw - this is how I attach my glasses mirror. when done riding I hang them on the side of a plastic box in my basement, ready to go next time. glasses mirrors take some getting used to, adjusting & looking thru, but they are invaluable for a quick glance & they follow your head so they can be "pointed" in varying directions while riding. I imagine helmet mirrors are just as good, in that respect