# Best mirror to use for commuting?



## phelan (Aug 30, 2007)

Looking for a good mirror that'll actually stay on the bars while i'm riding. What do you guys use for your road setups?


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

I really like the Mirrycle Road Mirror. It's designed specifically for STI. Won't work on others.










Just peel back the front of the hood, and it mounts on the lever housing. The hood then attaches to the mirror.

It's exactly where I want a mirror, yet it's completely out of the way.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*I like these*

















https://www.biketiresdirect.com/mrsp/sprintech_mirrors/products.htm


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## Scott B (Dec 1, 2004)

No pictures, but far and away the best mirror I have ever used is a helmet mirror made by Efficient Velo Tools. Brett is a custom tool maker who also sells the best helmet mirror ever. Super durable, adjustable and has a huge mirror so you have a great field of view. In the right spot you can see the entire road behind you. If a local shop doesn't sell them Brett will sell direct. At $40 it isn't cheap, but they are awesome. 

http://www.biketoolmaker.com/Site/Safe-Zone_Helmet_Mirror.html


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

I could definitely see a bar-mounted mirror in the future for my commuter. I've always been a little leery, though, of helmet mirrors. I can't get past the thought of where the pieces might go in a crash. Probably an irrational fear, but there it is.


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## Scott B (Dec 1, 2004)

Opus51569 said:


> I could definitely see a bar-mounted mirror in the future for my commuter. I've always been a little leery, though, of helmet mirrors. I can't get past the thought of where the pieces might go in a crash. Probably an irrational fear, but there it is.


I've worried about that too a little bit, the EVT mirror is cool in that if you bump it hard enough it just pops off. I'm not too worried about it.

Bar mirrors can get blocked by panniers depending on the set up which I find annoying. It's a personal thing I guess.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*It's all about tradeoffs*



Scott B said:


> I've worried about that too a little bit, the EVT mirror is cool in that if you bump it hard enough it just pops off. I'm not too worried about it.
> 
> Bar mirrors can get blocked by panniers depending on the set up which I find annoying. It's a personal thing I guess.


The bar-end mirrors I posted are not the ideal location, I'll concede. Helmet mirrors undoubtedly provide the best field of view with the least distraction from looking forward, but not everyone can get the hang of them. I never could make them work for me, maybe because of distortion from my specs (pretty darn nearsighted). I think opus's concern about crashes is probably excessive.

The lever mirror that Bruce posted looks like a great idea, if you run those levers (I don't). The ones I use are a long way down from the forward view, and it takes a little practice to use them effectively and safely. I don't find the the pannier block to be a problem in practice. I can always see enough road.

I guess my advice is to try the helmet mirror first, and only go for the others if you can't make that work.


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## NJgreyhead (Jun 27, 2009)

*The geek look*

"I guess my advice is to try the helmet mirror first, and only go for the others if you can't make that work."

Definitely. A helmet mirror.
You can instantly change the view of the helmet mirror by simply moving your head.
And you can watch the road ahead at the same time as the road behind.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I tried a helmet mirror and found it very distracting. First it was always getting out of adjustment. Then it was hard to see the image without focusing on it, moving my head, etc. I concluded that it just wasn't safe because I was taking my eyes off the road in front of me too much.

I have had much better experience with various bar-end mirrors. Currently using the ones JCavilia linked to a Biketiresdirect.com. They are a good compromise between seeing what's behind you while not distracting you.

The problem I'm having is that my commuter bike has bar-end shifters, and another bike has bullhorn bars with bar-end brakes, so there is nowhere to mount a bar-end mirror. I've seen someone with a mirror that will strap onto any point on your handlebars, but I'm not sure who makes or sells them.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

I use the Mirrycle mountain mirror as a bar end mirror on my bike (drop bars). It's working well and durable.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 20, 2007)

If I didn`t have bar end shifters on both the bikes that I ever want mirrors for, I think I`d like the bar end mirrors.

I used to use a Third Eye on my glasses- it worked allright, but was a real PITA to get adjusted and then it seemed to get knocked out of whack every time I stopped and took off my glasses and helmet. It`s doing "spare duty" in the closet since I got a different style glasses frame mirror (doesn`t say what brand and I don`t remember) that`s got only one pivot instead of two and has a bigger oval shaped mirror. It`s a lot easier to adjust and seems to stay put better than the Third Eye. Never tried any helmet mounts.


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## longhorn31 (Jan 6, 2005)

I'm currently trying the Sprintech...have used a Take A Look for years -

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/ptlegm/take_a_look_cyclist_mirror/pp.htm

The Sprintech is good for checking immediately behind you, but not for much further back because the image gets too small. For example, if you want to cross a lane to turn left, don't think about it with the Sprintech. I know what you're going to say, you should never rely on a mirror for that....and I usually don't, but sometimes do. With the Take A Look, it's easy. Also, mounting a mirror on your glasses like the Take A Look means that they stay adjusted...unlike a helmet mount. I've used the Third Eye mirror that mounts on your glasses, but the plastic gets fatigued and breaks (the part that mounts on the temples of your glasses). 

A problem that I have with the Sprintech is that I am very near sighted and wear bifocals (Old, too). With the Sprintech, I have to dip my head down quite a bit to see it through the top part of my glasses. This takes extra time. However, the Sprintech has a lower "geek factor...."


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

I, too, have tried the Sprintechs and found them impossible to keep in position. Every little bump in the road forced me to readjust them. They were one of the coolest looking and most useless pieces of equipment I have tried. 

I actually tried to give them away and one of my riding buddies returned them after two weeks.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

JCavilia said:


> https://www.biketiresdirect.com/mrsp/sprintech_mirrors/products.htm


How well do the ball-and-socket joints on those mirrors stay in place over road bumps? Do you find you need to readjust often or are they pretty solid?

I have to say I like the aesthetics of those mirrors more than most I have seen.


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## H.Bicycletus (Apr 16, 2006)

*+ 1 for take-a-look*

. . .helmet mounted mirror, very durable (metal, not plastic), easy to scan behind you with a slight head move. . .some folks may not be able to adjust to the "up and left" glance, but for those who can, it's superb. . .


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## TiCruiser (Feb 21, 2009)

Opus51569 said:


> How well do the ball-and-socket joints on those mirrors stay in place over road bumps? Do you find you need to readjust often or are they pretty solid?
> 
> I have to say I like the aesthetics of those mirrors more than most I have seen.


I have this mirror on my bike occasionally, mostly for large organized rides to see who's behind me. It tends to get bumped/moved around when they bike is not being ridden. I usually have to adjust it when I first get going but mine grips in the socket well enough it stays in place while riding.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

TiCruiser said:


> I usually have to adjust it when I first get going but mine grips in the socket well enough it stays in place while riding.


Same experience after one month with this mirror. Stayed in place, even on rough surfaces. But I knock it out of alignment a lot when handling the bike, like putting it up or hauling it somewhere—no big deal, though. Reports of that mirror popping off during a ride undoubtedly came from people who didn't push it into its socket deep enough to begin with.

Second the caution about using it to see if the road is clear for a U-turn or left turn: don't ever. When you see a car in this mirror, it's not just closer than you think, but much closer than you think. But I suppose that's true of all convex bike mirrors.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

Good to know. Thanks TiCruiser and wim.


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## aking legs 2 (Sep 30, 2009)

*Third eye*

Very simple & secure. 

Works well on both straight & drop bars. You can find these at most bike shops. 

Third one down (What a coincidence!!)

http://www.3rd-eye.com/


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## CaliforniaPI (Sep 25, 2005)

I use a 3rd eye plastic glasses mirror. I removed the 3 pronged mounting thingy and got some electrical shrink-wrap tubing from Radio Shack. 1 minute under a heat gun and I've got a permanent mirror attached to my riding glasses. It doesn't move around, my helmet doesn't bump it and it is always in position. I use interchangable lens eyewear from Performance so I can wear what I need to see (depending on the conditions) and my mirror is always there. Best solution I found even if I had to invent it myself. It helps for evaluating traffic, but I always look over my shoulder to confirm.


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