Mirrors

[Bikefayre]

Personally cannot rate mirrors highly enough.
My Zefal Spin Mirror as it's far superior to those horrible Mickey Mouse ear types. It is not that big yet gives me enough to see and to react and signal.

A Doctor on LEJOG sponsored ride told me this mirror, donated and fitted by me, saved his life many times on his charity ride.

[John1054]

I'm much happier with a mirror. Yes, I shoulder check before a lane change or a turn that could carry me in front of traffic, but I much prefer a mirror to keep track of what's coming up behind me. (On our tandem, Mrs. M. has a little Zefal Spy on the stoker's bar — she doesn't like surprises either.) I ride with dropped bars on my solo and tandem bikes and have tried all manner of mirrors, but I find that the bar-end jobbies require me to take my eyes too far off the road — I deal with some appalling surfaces on a regular basis — and off the traffic in front of me. The D&D Oberlauder Ultralight mirror http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/m5.htm, distributed by Ortlieb in North America, has turned out to be the best solution for me. Surprisingly it doesn't interfere with my hand position or with using Campy 'brifters', my arm doesn't obstruct a clear view through the mirror, and it's in a perfect "corner of the eye" position that doesn't require me to take my eyes off the view ahead for even an instant.

(And with a bit of bar tape and care it can be mounted much more prettily than in the Rivbike link, though that positioning is perfect for me.)

+1 for this. Just had one sent over from U.S.A. Wondering why the Ortlieb importers aren't bringing this mirror into U.K. Also couldn't find it for sale on any of the German web-sites. Looking forward to fitting it to a pair of butterfly bars early next year. Both my drop bar bikes have Rhode Gear hood mirrors - great if you've got any neck problems.

[beardy]

A Doctor on LEJOG sponsored ride told me this mirror, donated and fitted by me, saved his life many times on his charity ride.

Several times on one ride! Yet I have never had the need of one yet.

He must do something to attract them or possibly be mistaking planned close passes for murder attempts, I doubt that I could tell the difference until I was actually hit. Which is why I dont bother with a mirror.

[shouldbeinbed]

I have a bad neck and some limited rotational movement, I do use a head turn to communicate with other drivers but it is more for show than actually being capable of making eye contact, its the precursor to a good timely indication of direction change or little wave to let them know I know they are there.

Through this I am a bit of a mirror pedant & I'm astonished at the comment on P1 about Zefal mirrors not being able to show anything but yourself/luggage & can only assume minimal time and effort was put into fitting them properly and using them right. I've tried out dozens of different mirrors of all makes and types & I am a huge fan of Zefal products, primarily the Dooback, Spin & Spy.

Dooback & Spy are direct plug into the bars & Spy vey good short universal band mount. In decades I have never yet found a mirror on an arm or those cup and velcro affairs that gives the stability of view that I demand.The ball joint on the cateye bm300 is simply not up to standard either, the mirror is too unwieldy for its small ball & socket connector and easily knocked or jolted & buffeted out of true. I ride all weathers, some rough country lanes and off road trails and have absolute faith in all the Zefal mirrors I've mentioned.

The dooback is ideal for flat or cowhorn bars, it has the size to be a genuine you only need this to see backwards mirror, is on a ratchet that holds it in position in even the strongest of winds and I've yet to break on in various tumbles or dropped the bike against a wall a bit hard episodes. its drawback is the ratchet means that for moustache bars it is not nearly as positionable to see all you would need to.

The spin is great for anything but butterfly bars it is infinitely adjustable, tightly fitted together so once in place it stay there, it is small enough not to flap about in any bad weather and the several I have all have a consistent field of vision. If I have a niggle it would be that it is maybe a fraction too narrow - I'm spoiled with the dooback but I'd like a touch more vertical view as well as horizontal from it - that said this is a quibble that doesn't put me off it compared to the failings of other types.

The Spy is a true go anywhere on any bar mirror, again infinitely adjustable and with its more terry schocolate orange segment appearance gives a slightly more intuitive all round field of vision than the spin. I have had occasion to take one back once because it was a bit too convex for my liking and gave a magnified view of the surroundings but that is only one out of many I've had.

The only reason I change these mirrors is again my pernicketty nature. I'll clean and polish out the usual day to day use minor abrasions that they all pick up but choose to change them once every 18 months or so to give myself a perfect new surface to look into even though the existing mirrors are still entirely serviceable, I have a couple of these retired ones stashed away just in case & for checking into the engine bay in the car and top shelf of the shed.

Another honourable mention for drop bars should go to the Sprintech bar end bar plug mirror - my niggle with these is that I feel the need to put a bit of duck tape round them, once set, to solidly fix them against parking knocks as their ball and socket connection is the weak spot, necessary for the design of the mirror but a niggle when parked up amongst other bikes as the mirror is the most pernickety to get angled and tilted just right, they do look the part n drop bars though, sitting in line with the bars, I guess a narrow bar may mean you see a bit too much knee but not a problem I've encountered on 44cm bars - I am plenty happy enough with Zefals again tho: A Spy on the hoods or bar end or Spin plugged in the bar end, as these are more forgiving in their need to be fine tuned into perfect position and would negate the narrow bar worry as they sit out to the side not in line with the bar.

[Brucey]

zefal spin



as the name suggests the whole thing can turn out of the way.

zefal spy



dooback



left and right versions available.

cheers

[foxyrider]

+1 for this. Just had one sent over from U.S.A. Wondering why the Ortlieb importers aren't bringing this mirror into U.K. Also couldn't find it for sale on any of the German web-sites.

Probably because its not an Ortlieb line!

[Audax67]

Swivelling your head to look back when riding in a group in the dark can be perilous. I started using mirrors on both sides after one alarming night ride in a UAF peloton where a bloke kept trying to edge up on the nearside when I was only a foot out from the edge of the tarmac. I'd tut-tut until he fell back but he kept edging forward again.

Anyway, I've got a mildly convex Zefal one on the left (i.e. offside) and a very convex little ball-jointed one on the right. Not very good, that one, but I can see other folks' lights in it so that's OK.

[andrew_s]

I'm astonished at the comment on P1 about Zefal mirrors not being able to show anything but yourself/luggage & can only assume minimal time and effort was put into fitting them properly and using them right.

That was a comment on the specific image used by Cyclestore.co.uk to illustrate the Zefal Spy mirror, which I would assume was taken from Zefal (almost all web stores use the manufacturer's images, copy & paste the specs etc).
I challenge you to see anything useful behind you with a mirror mounted on flat bars between the brake lever and the stem.

[iandriver]

That zefal spin one looks like it might work with bar ends for my touring tandem. Finding a mirror that works with flat bars and bar ends has been surprisingly difficult.

I use the b&m ones on my dropped bar bikes. Can't speak highly enough of them.

[Bikefayre]

A doctor doing the LEJOG was frightened of the traffic so asked me about using a mirror. Have fitted on all four bikes of mine and his road bike with a Zefal Spin Mirror. He thanked me not only for the sponsorship but also the mirror, he felt a lot safer. Like how it fits both drop and straight bikes plus is not one of those horrible Mickey Mouse ear types. It's enough for seeing behind in time to react and to signal. My bikes are very old and slow so need one! For drop bars it has to stick straight out [the arm with the bolt] not up or down as the arm doesn't give enough reach, mine is also horizontal. Have you had a look at the BIKEYE mirror?

[shouldbeinbed]

I'm astonished at the comment on P1 about Zefal mirrors not being able to show anything but yourself/luggage & can only assume minimal time and effort was put into fitting them properly and using them right.

That was a comment on the specific image used by Cyclestore.co.uk to illustrate the Zefal Spy mirror, which I would assume was taken from Zefal (almost all web stores use the manufacturer's images, copy & paste the specs etc).
I challenge you to see anything useful behind you with a mirror mounted on flat bars between the brake lever and the stem.

fair do's the link isn't opening on my computer, but TBH application of common sense needs to kick in somewhere? it is clear even to someone never having seen one in the flesh from every description I've ever seen of the spy and any pic you may want to google that its fit is absolutely universal and while there is the odd pic of it stem-wards, the vast majority of images show it in a sensible place where it does work well.

no need to challenge me to do this I'm in total agreement with you that it would be an idiotic place to put a mirror.

Apropos of that comment: if anyone has a bike-eye mirror that mounts onto the frame, I'd be interested to hear if it works and what exactly you can see with it- Whenever I've looked at them and thought about giving them a go for experimentation sake, the logic of where it mounts on the frame has defeated my inquisitiveness and I've put it back on the shelf. I've always wondered how they can possibly work with legs and rack / bags in the way

[[XAP]Bob]

Panniers are an issue but they "see" inside the legs

[andrew_s]

Panniers are an issue but they "see" inside the legs

Unless you use a saddlebag or rackpack.
Even just habitually pedaling with your knees brushing the top tube makes them less useful, as by the time you pause in the pedaling and move your knees wide, you may as well just look round.

[[XAP]Bob]

Panniers are an issue but they "see" inside the legs

Unless you use a saddlebag or rackpack.
Even just habitually pedaling with your knees brushing the top tube makes them less useful, as by the time you pause in the pedaling and move your knees wide, you may as well just look round.

Why pause, why not just lean the knee out at TDC once in a while.
They're not great for those with luggage, but that's a minority of cyclists round here - they'd be find on a brompton, although a nice mirror on the rear of a Front bag...