Do you use a mirror?
 

I was looking at the hybrid pics thread and barely saw any bikes with mirrors on them. I'm curious of how many folks use one? I bought a Mirrycle mirror for my bike to help give me some visibility around me and to also help with keeping track of my wife who rides behind me at times. I got tired of straining my neck constantly turning around to see if she's still there. :lol:

Yes, but I would never put one one my handlebars. Real estate for my hands is way too important. Plus mirrors there are very vulnerable to damage. I use a mirror that mounts on my helmet. Pluses: light, excellent range of visibility and I need one for my helmet, not 5 for my 5 bikes. Also the look away from straight ahead is very quick.

Ben

No.

Yes. I'm a huge fan of the Bike Peddler Take-A-Look (glasses-mounted). I'd recommend it to any cyclist.

I second the glasses mounted "Take-A-Look" mirror. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but after about 4 rides I was used to the way it works. No need to turn your head, you just glance into it with your eyes. I'd never take a ride in vehicle traffic without it. Invaluable little piece of gear that is small and affordable.

I smacked my Take-a-Look on Saturday with my hand wiping the sweat off above my eyes and it was gone. I looked and couldn't find it. On the way back at the restaurant for lunch, the one guy that always lags behind showed up and handed my mirror to me in 2 pieces. It was an event on the trail and was probably run over hundreds of times. I don't know how he found it on the way back after 50 miles.

I now need another one. I can barely ride without it out on the road. As College3.0 said, it's an invaluable piece of equipment.

Hell Yeah.


I was surprised by how more pleasant riding was for me with my Mirrycle mirror as I frequently ride around where traffic can be coming from multiple directions, so I don't want to rely on just sound to try and pick the direction the traffic is coming from.


Also I regularly get passed by other cyclists up hills, so I like to see when they are near so that I don't change my line and cause a potential crash.

Another 'no'.

Thanks for the replies,

Anyone ever try the CatEye BM-45? It looks good too. I'm going to stick with my Mirrycle mirror for now. I don't think I could get used to the helmet/glasses mounted mirrors.

I've ridden with a mirrycle mirror but have moved on to a "Bike Peddler Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror". A better solution for me. I get a much wider, more useful, more stabile rear view with much less vibration. If I need more view, I just turn my head a little. I can survey a much wider area and it doesn't have that goofy mirrycle wide angle that annoys the heck out of me. It does add a bit of a blind spot to one peripheral vision that I had to get used to. It doesn't get knocked around as much as the mirrycle, and adds no handlebar width to get caught in brush. :)

There are a wide variety of eyeglass and helmet mirror, this one is a nice rectangular shape, no wasted space. And at $15, you could easily afford several if one has several riding glasses. Some like the handlebar mirror, but I could never get used to it. By the time my eyes focused and interpreted what I was seeing on that mirror, I was riding off in the brush :) But then that just may be me, handle bar mirrors have always had blind spots for me, and had to much vibration over crushed stone trails to be useful.

I've ridden with a Mirrycle for a year. Feels nekkid without it. Now that I have two hybrids I'm getting another Mirrycle so I don't need to keep swapping the one mirror between two bikes.

And it's tough. I've fallen twice (slow speeds) and dropped the bike at least once on the mirror. It barely has a scuff on the edge. The mirror itself is undamaged. Besides being of very tough material, the design ensures it pivots out of the way. It uses a series of washers and tight fitting bolts to provide just the right amount of tension to keep it in place while riding, even on harsh roads, while still pivoting out of harm's way when I smack into a door jamb or drop the bike.

Also, in group rides, I've tangled with nearby riders on my left twice. In fact, the same guy, twice. Good thing we're friends. The Mirrycle just pivots out of the way.

But to reduce the chance of this happening again, I've removed the horizontal extension arm that extends the mirror beyond the periphery of the handlebar. Turns out I only need the handlebar pivot point (where the wedge lock is) and the mirror itself to get the desired angle and coverage. No compromises in visibility, and I can still adjust the mirror for side-to-side coverage as I'm riding. And now the Mirrycle has much less extension and is less likely to snag anyone or anything. I usually felt a bit nervous approaching bollards on the MUP bridges, but now there's plenty of clearance.

Keep in mind the Mirrycle is a wide angle view, so you'll need to get accustomed to guesstimating distance and approach speed. Easily done if you have similar mirrors on your car.

Very highly recommended if you want a functional handlebar mounted mirror for a flat bar or riser bar.

If I had it to do over again, I'd have bought a spectacle or helmet mounted mirror, if only so I could turn my bicycle upside down and rest it on the handlebars and seat while working on the lower parts of the bike.

That said, the motor-scooter-style mirror I have mounted on my bicycle works fine for me. I hate those curved mirrors that make things look smaller/further than they appear.

I agree about not relying on sound, especially at my age, where hearing is no longer the most fine-tuned of my senses. I've often had cars get right up behind me before I can even hear them at all.

Regarding the Take-A-Look mirror, I've found it demands much more adjustment and getting used to. I've had one for 10 days and swore for the first week, every time I used it, I hated the thing and was going to return it.

I tried it on my glasses and helmet and found it most useful on the helmet, because I switch between sunglasses on sunny days and clear safety glasses on overcast days or at night. I rigged up a mount to hold it at the desired angle.

Just the past couple of days I've begun to get accustomed to it. I rode a couple of hours in traffic Monday just to get a better feel for it, and finally found it useful as a supplement to the Mirrycle handlebar mirror.

Because it's a 1:1 mirror, not a wide angle view, the adjustment angle is critical and demands a lot of head turning to get a full view of the road behind. For me, half the mirror is taken up with a reflection of my own eye. But that's the only angle I found allowed a quick glance at the road directly behind me without swiveling my head around like a bobble head doll.

The Mirrycle required no time to get accustomed. It's as intuitive as any vehicle mirror. I never really found anything lacking with it.

I'll want to use the Take-A-Look mirror for a full month before I'd consider it a substitute for a handlebar mirror. And I'd still use it only as a supplement, not a replacement. It is handy for getting a better sense of distance and speed.

The Mirrycle pivots out of the way for flipping the bike upside down. You can either leave the locking wedge just loose enough to pivot it (with some force), or carry the right hex wrench and loosen it as needed. I carry the hex wrench in the same bag as my multi-tool, tire levers and patch kit. If the main mounting arm (with the locking wedge) is snug against a grippy rubber handlebar grip, that will provide enough friction to keep the mirror from pivoting loose on most roads, so it may not be necessary to lock the wedge tightly.

I like this idea and am going to give it a try. That's why I was looking at the CatEye as it didn't have the long arm.

Edit: I just ordered the CatEye. Curiosity got me to see which will be less obtrusive. :foo:

i don't use a mirror but it depends on where you ride. my neighborhood 4.5 mile loop has barely any car traffic so i can get away without using a mirror. if you are in an urban environment / busy bike path, then it would save your neck getting one :)

I am getting one. At my age, I cannot comfortably turn my head or upper body enough to see traffic behind me. When I ride in town, I have to cross a busy 4 lane road to turn around and I either have to stop or hope I have seen what I think I have seen....or not seen.

I have one on the end of the handle bar, I could not ride comfortably without it

I'm with you on that. At my age, it strains my neck and back a good deal trying to turn around all the time. We usually ride in a group of 2-5 people on a fairly busy bike trail so it's a lot easier getting quick looks in the mirror. Again, from the hybrid pics thread, I'm surprised more folks don't have them considering the types of bikes we have and most likely the type of riding we do.

Yes, I use a mirror. Nearing 60 years old my neck doesn't turn like it used to and seeing behind me can be difficult. I was using a Third Eye mirror that mounted on the end of my handlbar, but after switching to a more swept back style bar that mirror just didn't work. Switched to a something with an arm that clamps to the handlebar (Magic Mirror, I think it's called). Just mounted it yesterday and haven't had a chance to test out, but it looks promising.
Tried helmet and eyeglass mounts and they didn't work well for me.

A mirror is a an essential safety device. It makes your riding safer and less stressful. Use which kind works best for you, but use one please.

no. I did have one and it was a PITA to have.

I have a Take-A-Look mirror which mounts to either glasses or the helmet. I have mine mounted on my helmet. I find it very helpful and worth having for my daily commutes in Phoenix. Many, years ago I had handlebar mounted mirrors and hated them.

I use the EVT Safe Zone helmet mirror. Kinda big but doesn't block my view and totally stays in place. I cannot even imagine riding in traffic without it. Worth every penny of the $40 I paid.

PS - I'm 50 years old so the dork factor doesn't bother me either. Lol.

Nope, never found one that worked very well for me. I have a couple of the Garmin Varia rear radar units - still sitting in their boxes since last winter. Someday I may actually get around to trying them out.