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What You Need To Know About Cycling Mirrors

  • Cycling mirrors are one of those subjects that bring on arguments almost as intense as the “Helmet Wars” found in any cycling discussion on the Internet. They come around once every 6 months or so and usually leave a lot of acrimony hanging in the ether.To get more news about ebike mirrors, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.

    Roadies think they are too sexy to use mirrors, mountain bikers don’t need them and break them too often anyway. Since bicycles come without any bike accessory or rear view mirror the roadies think they are not needed. But bicycle commuters and recumbent riders seem to gravitate toward mirrors sooner or later.

    So if you are not disposed to reading the ranting of a mirror advocate it is time to click another link and surf to some area of agreement. This page is for mirror users or those investigating various types of mirrors in anticipation of a purchase.

    “Every helmet or eyeglass mirror wearer I have ever met remarks that they become so used to the mirror being there that they will glance toward the upper left when they hear footsteps behind them while walking down the street.”

    When you are all bundled up with a balaclava, a hood, or if you are using bike helmets, it is somewhat more difficult to turn your head to see what is approaching from behind.

    Further, if you wear eyeglasses, depending on your prescription, you may have to turn your head farther than other cyclists in order to look out of the lens rather than beside it. This is especially true of near-sighted cyclists as the image presented when peeking out beside the lens is often useless.

    In heavy traffic conditions, where lane changes are required, knowledge of traffic conditions to the rear is usually essential. At other times you just want to monitor the motorists behind you to get a little advanced warning about passing cars, turning cars, and bow wave blasts of wind from trucks.
    There have been many days, usually in heavy snow, that I feel far more comfortable keeping my eyes on the road and determining when it was safe to move left with the mirror than taking a risk of hitting a snow rut while trying to do a proper head turn in winter clothing.

    Bike Mirrors
    There are basically 4 different varieties of bar-end mirrors. Cycling mirrors all of which are inexpensive, usually under $20, most under $10. Each type has different characteristics of clarity, mounting, vibration sensitivity, and susceptibility to frost/fog in winter conditionsHandlebar mirrors are designed to fit on the end of your handlebars and stick out further than the widest part of the rider. There are various attachment methods, some simply replace the end-plug of your mountain bike bars, others come with swing-away hinges, etc.

    Pictured is a Rhode Gear mirror that mounts with Velcro. These are appreciated by cyclists who ride the same bike all the time, and/or those who do not wear eyeglasses or helmets suitable for other types of mirrors.

    You can also walk into a store without appearing like a “paranoid dentist”. They may ice up if you leave your bike out in the cold, but you can usually warm them with your hand.

    Although most roadies avoid mirrors, Rhode Gear makes one that fits the hood covers of drop bars. It is probably one of the best for the full tucked position, in that your sight line is often blocked by your shoulders with other mirror types.

    The drawbacks of handlebar mirrors are that you generally have to buy one for each bike you ride, and they do not transfer easily.

    The exception is the Rhode Gear pictured above which attaches with Velcro and is easy for you (or a thief) to move to another bike. Further, when the bike tips over and impacts the ground the handlebar mirror usually hits first. Some have swing away mounting, most just have “break away” mounting.
      December 4, 2022 9:07 PM MST
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