Rear Vier Mirror

[dancingcyclist]

I've done most my riding without using a mirror but with starting to get into touring I was thinking of using one.

I've tried the glasses mounted style a few years ago and had an impossible time adjusting and using it. Not to mention every time I bumped the glasses I had to readjust it, and getting the head tilted just right. I gave up when I lost my glasses and have gone back to riding without a mirror.

Many people in my bike club use them, like them, and refuse to ride without one, but I'm not impressed for when riding around locally. One of my planned trips is the west coast and I know from driving it that it can be dangerous with the number of vehicles on it.

I was thinking of the bar end style mirror but remember my motorcycle days of the vibrations which made them next to useless at times.

Any opinions?

[whittierider]

There shouldn't be much difference between helmet-mounted and glasses-mounted, but my own helmet, although quite comfortable, has always shifted around too much for a mirror.

Glasses-mount do require that the bow have a shape that will hold the mirror in place, ie, not round, as round lets it rotate around.  My first one had kind of a ball joint with rubber, and it had to be adjusted frequently because it didn't stay put, and finally the rubber rotted out.  What I and my family use now is the "Beer-View" mirror which is made with a spoke or similar wire epoxied into a metal bottle cap with a mirror embedded down in it.  It may take 20 minutes to get it adjusted right to fit your glasses and get the angle right; but once it is adjusted, you won't have to adjust it again unless you get new glasses, sit on it, or something like that.

Just to jump the gun and answer objections people tend to raise:  It is nearly impossible to break, so if anyone is afraid of broken glass complicating an accident, the bottle-cap mirror would be the least likely to do that.  Besides, the whole purpose of the mirror is to prevent accidents in the first place, something a helmet cannot do.  (Saying the mirror adds danger is like not wanting to wear a seat belt because you think you might be trapped in a burning or sinking car, unable to get out.)  I can tell you that I have, several times, when I was getting ready to go out for a ride, forgotten just how far the mirror sticks out there, and hit it on things like doors and cupboard doors, and it always either rotates away from my eyes, or it takes my glasses off and away from my face. The way my mirror is made, I don't see any way in the world that it can go toward my eyes.

[FredHiltz]

Any opinions?

Lots of them on file here http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=4822.0
and here http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=4938.0

A search will turn up a few more.

Fred

[fiddler4060]

I've also tried the glasses mounted and helmet mounted mirrors and never got used to them. Constant adjusting was a pain in the neck (literally) as well. Bar mounted mirrors always seemed to loosen up and were very prone to road vibrations. My favorite mirror now is the Blackburn Road Mirror that fits over the brake hoods. It's very easy to attach or detach and since I have multiple bikes it's a snap to change it from one bike to another. It doesn't seem to be as prone to vibrations as other mirrors I've tried. If I'm on a particularly bumpy patch of road I can minimize vibration by placing my hand over the brake hood... a natural riding position. It's on Nashbar.

[mcparsons]

I swear by my Take-a-Look eyeglass mirror - at least the full size one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html?a=B000AO7ETQ
It stays where you put it both on your glasses and in its adjustment.   It took a couple of days of riding to get used to and to figure out how I wanted it adjusted but it quickly became second nature and now I'm very uncomfortable without it. You can quickly clear your baffles with a glance and a slight head turn.

Cons:
1. It bends the earpiece on my glasses.
2. I have to wear a strap to keep my glasses in position especially when sweaty.
3. My wife thinks it looks dorky.

[JimF]

I second the Take a Look mirror. My wife and I have used them for years. It is quality-made. It is easily adjusted to fit different glasses and is so light as to not be noticed. As to its usefulness, I can attest to a few off-road maneuvers to avoid a possible "brush" by a wide vehicle on a narrow, shoulder-less road.

[bktourer1]

Check out  the Zefal "SPY" & from a co. in Germany ( rei & Ortlieb has it) the Ultralight

[John Nettles]

What I and my family use now is the "Beer-View" mirror which is made with a spoke or similar wire epoxied into a metal bottle cap with a mirror embedded down in it.  It may take 20 minutes to get it adjusted right to fit your glasses and get the angle right; but once it is adjusted, you won't have to adjust it again unless you get new glasses, sit on it, or something like that.

+1 for these mirrors.  Once you get them adjusted, leave it and forget it.  I strongly prefer eyeglass models as, to me, they vibrate much less than any other style, and you can easily turn your head to see what is behind you where ever it is located, i.e. is the !@#$% dog now behind you and to your right.

In 30+ years I have tried them all but only use the "beer view" now.  If you buy one, do not be tempted to get too large a mirror as the weight can cause it slide down if it is large (bigger than 3/4" square).

[johnsondasw]

I have used the bar end Third Eye mirror for years and find it works best for me.  I use electrical tape to seal it in better after cinching it up by screwing it in.  I won't ride at all without a mirror and have been using one for over 40 years.