bike mirrors?

squeaker · Post by **squeaker** » 13 Apr 2007, 8:47am

B&M cyclestars on my recumbent bikes - a zip tie around the stem and a convenient brake cable helps minimise vibration.
Mirrorcycle on the Trice (standard fitment) - your hands on the bars provide the necessary damping.
Cateye bar end mirror (Halfords) on the missus' MTB - earned a few brownie points for me :wink:

PW · Post by PW » 14 Apr 2007, 9:37pm

The Busch & Muller bar end mirrors aren't bad, if a trifle on the small side.

Mrs Tortoise · Post by **Mrs Tortoise** » 15 Apr 2007, 12:04am

I've had to use a Blackburn velcro mirror, my mtb handle bars are too narrow a bore to allow a mirror that fits inside such as the cat's eye and I have bar ends, so I wrapped the velcro around one of those and use the mirror vertically. It works.

Georgiecycle · Post by **Georgiecycle** » 16 Apr 2007, 7:01pm

Mansfield Marauder wrote:I have always found that the vibration on a bike makes mirrors all but useless

Try a helmet mirror - it only shakes when you do!!

Georgiecycle · Post by **Georgiecycle** » 16 Apr 2007, 7:05pm

Helmet mirrors are great! They only wobble if you do :lol:

Tractorboy · Post by **Tractorboy** » 22 Apr 2007, 9:59pm

I too am searching for a 'good' mirror. All my bikes have road bars. I frequently have panniers attached. I don't always wear a helmet.
Until recently I've been very happy using the original Mirrycle design http://www.mirrycle.com/originalmirrycle.htm It's a round convex glass mirror that fits onto the top of an 'old fashioned' brake lever, with the brake cable threaded through the mirror's mounting stalk. I have one on my tandem and one on my wife's tandem. We like them because they are easy to adjust, fairly vibration free, give a good field of view and don't require you to significantly re-focus or take your eyes of the road. And they are robust. Recently my wife changed her solo bike to sti levers, and of course the mirror had to go. Now I've followed suit and also find myself mirrorless. My discarded one is 22 years old!
I bought a bike-eye and tested it last week amd over the weekend. It's not nearly so 'good' because: the tube mounting bracket seems to be designed for tubes larger than 'normal' road bike 531 - so a good tight fit using the cable ties isn't possible; the mirror is flat, so the field of view is restricted; full panniers obscure the view; significant head movement is required to look in the mirror and you must freewheel with your right thigh horizontal otherwise the view is obscured by your leg.
I've done extensive rersearch on the net but I'm none the wiser about a suitable alternative. It seems many reviewers are unaware of the significant differences in riding position between straight and drop bars, and happily suggest bar-end mirrors as the solution. No one seems to say if the Blackburn road mirror is compatible with Campag ergopower levers. Most sites selling mirrors simply reprint the manufacturers' blurb and photos.
So... any ideas boys and girls?

reohn2 · Post by **reohn2** » 23 Apr 2007, 11:17am

Tractorboy
Cateye "racing" mirror fits drops or straights costs £5.99 folds out of the way when not in use.
The only problem I've found with it is that on uneven roads it can vibrate a little but otherwise very good.

KEELIEDW · Post by **KEELIEDW** » 23 Apr 2007, 1:03pm

I use a mirror bought from Halfords many years ago. It's a cheap, chromed steel design, possibly for mopeds, quite heavy, with a basic band-on handlebar fixing, and a large, almost car style mirror. It's the only cycle mirror I've ever seen which gives a vibration-free image on a par with a car rear-view mirror. I miss it badly when I ride my lightweight bike, which has a Cateye.
If anyone knows if these mirrors are still obtainable, please let me know!

horizon · Post by **horizon** » 23 Apr 2007, 1:11pm

tractorboy: I always recommend the Blackburn drops mirror for its versatility. I use it on drops that have bar end levers but my daughter has STIs and uses one so I don't see why it wouldn't fit. They do vibrate (more so than the MTB version) but at least do attach and can be taken off for other bikes, cycling on the right etc. My main (only?) complaint is that they are easily broken if the bike falls over. Otherwise I think they are not only a life saver but make for much more relaxing cycling and don't know how people manage without them.

Mrs Tortoise · Post by **Mrs Tortoise** » 23 Apr 2007, 10:56pm

I have blackburn on both my road bike and my mtb, they work fine. Can you have bar ends on drop handlebars?

horizon · Post by **horizon** » 23 Apr 2007, 10:59pm

bar ends as in bar end gear shifters! :lol:

Interesting idea though.

vandjq · Post by **vandjq** » 16 May 2007, 11:49am

I have a problem with looking over my shoulder because I injured my right eye in an accident. I tried the Blackburn strap-on mirror, but it vibrated too much. I then tried a Take A Look mirror, which fits to your glasses or helmet, but I felt like that bloke in Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Now I use a MirrCycle, which is very good, but was difficult to fit on my Specialized Globe Sport. I had to tap it in with a hammer, so there is no room for adjustment. It does not vibrate at all and I think it's probably the best available. I wouldn't be without it on my 15 mile commute, but the other day I passed a group of small boys; one of them shouted "I like your mirror!"; but another one said under his breath "Mirrors are for girls". (I live in the North East and they're pretty tough round here)

Mrs Tortoise · Post by **Mrs Tortoise** » 17 May 2007, 9:15pm

Don't confuse tough with rough. Tough men do things like ride in the Tour, rough ones make stupid comments about mirrors. :roll:

KEELIEDW · Post by **KEELIEDW** » 18 May 2007, 9:15am

I have an old handlebar fitting mirror which gives a car-quality image, no shake & a wide field of view, see attached.
It's branded "S/Napoleon/7", I've had it for years, it may have been aimed at the moped market. It's heavy & it's not pretty, but I wish I could find another one, my lightweight road bike has a modern bar end mirror which is dismal by comparison.
Later edit: Ref background of photo, I just realised how badly my rainwater down-pipes need painting!

diapason · Post by **diapason** » 18 May 2007, 11:15am

I had a Mirrcycle on my old bike and it was very good. I've now got butterfly bars. Any ideas of a mirror which I can use?

N