Helmet mirror or handlebar mirror?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Which is better?
I don't want anything on my prescription glasses, so that's out.
I'm going to have taped drop bars on my road bike- are there mirrors made for drop bars, or does that not work well? I have no clue about mirrors. Are there good and bad helmet mirrors?
Advice from you experienced riders out there please...

[tulip]

I had a handlebar mirror on my commuting bike (flat bars), but I found two problems with it: it widened my bars to the point of making it difficult to negotiate tight traffic, which I must do in the streets of DC, and it kindof got me off balance. I decided that I was safer without a mirror, that I am better off paying attention to what is going on in front of me.

I can't use one of those helmet mirrors because I am blind in my left eye and the mirror wouldn't do much good on the right side! Plus, it would block my good eye, and then we'd all be in trouble.

But you'll have to decide for yourself what is just right for you.

[Kano]

There are handlebar mirrors for drop bars -- I saw several styles today. Bought one -- mine aren't drop bars, but I put it in the end of my "flat" bars. I haven't tried DH's eyeglass/helmet mirror, but the placement looks to me like it would drive me nuts! That and his glasses, which are old and loose to begin with, keep falling off him when he's using it. (can't convince him it's time for new glasses, though...)

I had one on my handlebars before, and it worked out pretty well for me. The one I picked up today will fold back onto the handlebar when I need it to, which is an improvement over the one I had on my old bike until my kids decided it wasn't "cool" and chucked it.

Karen in Boise

[mimitabby]

some of us just can't get used to helmet mirrors!! i just bought the coolest little mirror at Freerange cycle for my tandem. i like it so much that i am going to buy one for my single bike too.

[Fredwina]

i;m going to be weird and admit that I prefer a helmet mirror. By twisting your head, you do get a lot more visibility.

[Kano]

i;m going to be weird and admit that I prefer a helmet mirror. By twisting your head, you do get a lot more visibility.

I love the idea of these things -- MY problem with it is that I'd fixate on it, since it's right there... I'd probably get over that eventually, but I'm concerned about what sort of trouble I could get into in the mean time!

Karen in Boise (who's looking forward to being able to see backward with the new mirror!)

[tomgrrrl]

I think it's just a personal preference. I tried the helmet mirror, but hated it....some I know love it. I have a nice round mirror on the drops (left side) that works well and doesn't stick out much.....it's probably about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and is adjustable, but doesn't stick out like the one on my mtb.

I think a mirror, either way, is a must for road riding safety.....

[salsabike]

I have handlebar mirrors on drops on both road bike and tandem. Wouldn't want to be without them.

[witeowl]

I love the idea of these things -- MY problem with it is that I'd fixate on it, since it's right there...

I just put on my brand-new mirror for the first time today and loved it! Based on the recommendation of someone in the LBC (and seeing that everyone with a mirror in the group has it) I got the take-a-look mirror (available at teamestrogen here). Most people atach it to glasses, but it comes with an adaptor to attach it to a helmet if you want.

I was also afraid that I'd fixate and/or it would block out part of my line of sight. Surprisingly, I totally forgot it was there except when I was using it. (I forgot about it so much I even forgot to take advantage of it a couple of times!) It's frameless, too, so that probably helps.

I was warned that handlebar mirrors shake and wiggle a lot, but I can't speak from experience on that.

Oh, and I'm sure it goes without saying, but even with a mirror, be sure to still look over your shoulder before changing lanes or making a similar move... just like you do when driving your car.

[Blueberry]

I use a handlebar mirror which plugs into the drops. Before that, I tried one that mounted on the hood, but it caused problems with flightdeck operation.

Only problem with it: it vibrates on rough roads. It doesn't knock itself out of alignment, but it makes it hard to see. I still double check by turning my head, but I generally like to know what's coming behind me as a defensive biking measure

[SR500]

We use this one on a couple of our bikes:



http://cgi.ebay.com/Italian-ROAD-BIK...QQcmdZViewItem

Works great.

[Nanci]

I had the Take A Look mirror on my helmet, and I loved it, except it looked stupid in pictures- it would alwys be right over my eye, but a few weeks ago the helmet mounting plastic thing broke. (Less than 6 months old) So now it's on my glasses, but it makes the bow bend in and push really hard on my temple. I'm in the market for a new mirror now- maybe handle bar...

Nanci

[SouthernBelle]

I had a helmet mirror for a short while but lost it pretty quickly. But while I had it, it was aggravating. You get it adjusted, then change your hand position and it's wrong.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You guys are great! Now I feel like I have "some" knowledge when I go to get my bike tomorrow and pick up a mirror. More opinions and preferences are still welcome on this subject....

One type mirror I can rule out though--
I will have bar end shifters like this:
http://cyclofiend.com/cc/images/cc02...0009%20(2).jpg
so those little mirrors that fit into the bar ends won't work for me.

[Nokomis]

Nanci - does the Take a Look mirror stay in a fixed position?

I have a flexible mirror on my helmet now, but feel like I have to buy a new one frequently because the pivot joint becomes so loose that it'll be out of adjustment on a quick decent or a breezy day. I like it - on days I can get it positioned correctly. But I did have a LONG learning curve when I first bought it - some days I'd get it positioned correctly right away, the next I'd be fighting it the entire ride trying to get it adjusted.