Helmet mirror or handlebar mirror?

[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.

[Nanci]

It's very adjustable. (Take a look) The mirror is on a jointed wire thing, which hooks under plastic/velcro, which broke. Adjustment, even on the fly, was simple.

[Clare]

Thought I'd chime in on this thread. I've gone through just about every kind of helmet mirror that I can find. Some I've lost because they fell off, or they have broken. The best one yet that I have used and am using now is this one:http://www.kijkom.nl/docs/reflex-e.htm. It is so super adjustable that you can adjust it so that you almost don't have to turn your head to get the rear-view that you want. It is removeable for pictures. I guess what I like best about it, though, is the fact that it is so adjustable. With the others, I was constantly turning my head, or adjusting it, to get a good view of whats coming up behind me. This mirror has a bendable arm that really helps in its mobility and functioin.

Clare
p.s. I didn't buy it from this site. My LBS ordered it for me, and I think it cost me about fifteen dollars.

[HillSlugger]

I tried the glasses mirror but the field of view is so small that I spent too much time trying to figure out what I was seeing and it was preventing me from keeping my eye on the road. I've now got a mirror on the end of my flat bar, but I don't like the extra width. If anyone has another idea I'd love to hear it!

[eclectic]

I've used a handle bar mirror for a couple of years first on a leisure bike and now on my road bike.

I had the ones that velcroed on and don't care at all for them, I can never get them on tight enough and they seem always to shift, also it gets in the way when I go down in the drops. I am constantly adjusting it due to road chatter.

Advantage: wide range of vision when adjusted correctly, easy to look at

Bought a helmet mirror on Monday.

I am like the guy that wears both a belt and suspenders. I still have my handlebar mirror on until I get used to the helmet mirror

I think I will like the helmet mirror better in the long run because I'll have it no matter which bike I am on (I don't have a mirror on my old mtn bike and the road one doesn't fit), it is easy to adjust and stays in place

[mary9761]

This is the mirror I use and I'd be lost without it. I got it at my LBS, but they're made by an older gentleman in Ohio from used spokes. It's not in my way for line of sight, I can adjust it and it pretty much stays adjusted unless I bump it and I don't get a lot of jostle while I'm riding. I don't have the guy's name with me right now since I'm not at home, but I LOVE mine. It's even strong enough to pick your helmet up with (though I try not to do that) sorry about the size of the photo, I don't know how to adjust the size in this forum.

[Bike Goddess]

I used to have a glasses mirror, but then when I saw one of our elite riders in my club with a mirror on the drops, I decided to try that.

I now have these mirrors on both of my bikes. What I like is I can see behind me for probably 1/4 mile or more, so I know when traffic is coming. It's specially nice when they have their lights on!

When I am going to move into another lane to turn left, for example, I always look over my shoulder (as I do when I drive as well). It's easy to adjust which I will often do on the road.