question about mirrors
 

I need a mirror, but can't put one on the bike anywhere. How well do the ones work that go on helmits? Would it make any difference if you wore glasses? Desperate! Thanks!

Tried the helmet mounts, and it was a mistake with prescription glasses, it was all distorted.

What kind of bike/ handle bar do you have? Might be able to give some better direction.

I wear glasses with a pretty warped vision thru the extreme edges, and a very stong astigmatism prescription. I have never had any trouble with either eyeglass mounted or helmet mounted mirrors. What you must do is get an arm on the lens attachment which is LONG enough so that the mirror is in your normal field of vision when you look straight ahead. What these manufacturers do is make a very short extender; and they try and compensate for this by making the lebs very big; some even make it convex to enable you to see a wider image. WRONG!

You should have the mirror about 2 or 3 inches in front of your left lens. Get a small mirror that will be light enough to sit on a extender that long. When ya need to look behin you you can jiggle your head a little bit and get the whole view you need. I can't recall the brand name but one sticks on to your helmet by popping into two holes that are on a plastic base that stays on your helmet permanently.The extender and mirror can be detached if you wish.

I don't like handlebar mirrors. At the very moment you need them the most--when you are making a turn or shifting left/right-- they are not showing the area directly behind you. They are so for from your eye they must be big and heavy; and the attachment to the bike gobbles up precious handlebar space.

There are also mirrors that attach to your left wrist using a elastic band and plastic mirror. Same problem...to use it you must take your hand off the bar.

Go with the helmet mirror, even if it means you might have to change the size of the lenses on your glasses. But mine are small, so I am not sure what your problem is.

Focus and center the mirror by facing a wall mirror and placing the helmet mirror in your upper left field of vision, until it reflects the exact same thing you saw in the former space occupied by the mirror on the wall. You should see over your shoulder and maybe just graze your left ear.


roughstuff

I'm new to helmet mirrors but intially found it easier to use by looking into it with one eye and momentarily closing the other. After a while I didn't need to but it helped get used to changing focus.

Richard

I wear glasses (and wearing eye protection when riding is always a good idea anyway) and I use an eyeglass-mount mirror (the "Take-a-look'). I wouldn't ride without it.

It requires some practice to master the partial head-turn that lines up the mkirror with the road behind you, but this quickly becomes second nature.

It's not a substitute for turning your head. But it's invaluable for merging leftwards (or rightwards if you're UKish), and for doing a quick check-six whenever approaching a place where a car coming up behind you might be about to pass you and turn right.

I tried a helmet-mounted mirror and didn't like it nearly as well. The field of view was smaller, the mirror jiggled more, and it seemed harder to line up.

RichC

Eyeglass mounted Third Eye mirror. I like it alot. It took a day or two to get use to it, but it is a definite improvement over vibrating bar-end mirrors.

I use a Delta InSight Mirror.Mounts on the top tube close to the stem.Seems like a strange place to put a mirror,but it works great...KC

Thanks to all for the tips! I'll check them out.

carry around a handheld mirror in your pocket, and pull it out when you need it. or try what i do, it works great and is inexpensive: turn your head and torso around to look directly behind you.

Yea I've tried that head turning bit. If I look to the left my bike goes to the left and if I look to the right my bike goes to the right. If I rode in the traffic most of you ride in I'd be dead in a week.