Barend rear view mirrors

redderekthelampshade

Saw one on a bike today.. Can't decide if its a useful addition or not.. Any of you chaps / chappettes use one ? :-)

Lovely day today up in Yorkshire, dragged the kids around the park in the bike trailer and then had a new rear dérailleur installed as the old one apart from being crap to start with had gotten to the point where the jockey wheels were toothless :-)

Not a bad fathers day all in all..

corshamjim

I have a Blackburn bar-end rear-view mirror on all three of my bikes. There are times when nothing less than a good look behind will do but for everything else I really like having a mirror. Most of my cycling is on quiet rural roads. In a busy urban environment I expect I'd be looking over my shoulder properly instead.

The Rookie

The downtube RVM's work very well, look a bit less naff (subjective personal opinion...) and less added drag, also less likley to be damaged so would get my vote instead.

shouldbeinbed

Yes, zefal dooback on all my bikes.

desweller

Sprintech on mine; works well, easy to set and use. They look a bit more stylish too IMO.

corshamjim

DesWeller wrote:

Sprintech on mine; works well, easy to set and use. They look a bit more stylish too IMO.

I'll try one of those myself. They do look neater than the Blackburn one.

shouldbeinbed

corshamjim wrote:

DesWeller wrote:

Sprintech on mine; works well, easy to set and use. They look a bit more stylish too IMO.

I'll try one of those myself. They do look neater than the Blackburn one.

I've used them on drop bars, they are well worth it.

The best (least vibration) mirrors are the ones without any sort of arm, the Sprintech & Dooback plug into the bar end directly and for image quality leave the Blackburn ones miles behind.

Zefal Spy mirrors are very good too, a tad small but definitely usable and they are a removable, fit anywhere and any bar type option.

beverick

I use Zefal spin mirrors. They're smaller than the "Spy" mirrors but still give a good rear view.

They work equally well on both flat bar and drops. As they screw in to the bar end they're less likely to fall out or spin around and they don't suffer from vibration either. They also have the benefit of bending out of the way if the bike falls over.

I wouldn't be without them for the daily commute. They're a bit like toe clips or panniers. You can't really see the point until you use them and then you can't imagine being without them.

Bob

shouldbeinbed

beverick wrote:

I use Zefal spin mirrors. They're smaller than the "Spy" mirrors but still give a good rear view.

They work equally well on both flat bar and drops. As they screw in to the bar end they're less likely to fall out or spin around and they don't suffer from vibration either. They also have the benefit of bending out of the way if the bike falls over.

I wouldn't be without them for the daily commute. They're a bit like toe clips or panniers. You can't really see the point until you use them and then you can't imagine being without them.

Bob

The pics of it look bigger than the spy mirror. the glass diameter of the spy is nabout an inch and a half at the widest and barely an inch at max height.

how big is the fore and aft adjustment at the mirror-to-arm joint and how does it stay in place? My only issue with the dooback is that because of the ratchet mechanism, its better suited to flat or MTB style bars, it can be fettled but doesn't sit perfectly in moustache bars, which I'd like to put back on my Ute bike for the full Miss Marple effect, but I'm with you, I can't imagine riding without a mirror.

beverick

The 'spin' mirror is about 1 1/4" long and about 3/4" high.

The mirror will rotate 360 degrees along two axis so it's possible to get it in more or less any position you need on either flat or drop bars. It stays pretty much where you put it and there's a screw to can tighten the adjustment. The only issue is that, as they're wider than the bar end they do tend to get knocked on the inevitable 'A' frame, overhanging shrubbery or other obstacles. You can fold them in if you need to but the the benefit of then extending wider than the bar is that the field of vision behind you is better - especially on drops.

BTW, I noted these at SJS

:http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/winkku-safety-bar-end-mirror-with-lights-and-indicator-prod20137/

I may invest in a set for the 'hack' when the dark evenings approach.

Bob

redderekthelampshade

Well.. I bought one and I've just put it on the bike - quite looking forward to seeing how it goes on the way home tonight!! I'll update you all later with how I get on!! thats as long as I don't fall asleep on the sofa all evening like I did last night! ha

redderekthelampshade

works really well.. didnt vibrate too much, good field of view and looks ok.. - suppose you cant argue with that!

Moodyman

My personal opinion - stick to using your eyes and ears.

Mirrors are just one more thing to go wrong. In a busy urban environment, nothing replaces frequent shoulder checks and using your ears.

On rural roads, you should be able to hear traffic long before it gets near to be seen by a mirror.

Also, reduces cockpit clutter

corshamjim

Moodyman, you evidently find looking behind without a mirror easier and quicker than I do!

shouldbeinbed

Moodyman wrote:

My personal opinion - stick to using your eyes and ears.

Mirrors are just one more thing to go wrong. In a busy urban environment, nothing replaces frequent shoulder checks and using your ears.

On rural roads, you should be able to hear traffic long before it gets near to be seen by a mirror.

Also, reduces cockpit clutter

Easier said than done with a pretty hefty neck problem. What can possibly "go wrong " with a reflective surface? & cockpit clutter, have another think where they go!

I seem to cope happily in deepest darkest Derbyshire & commuting in Manchester city centre.

Edit: could you let us know how extensive your experience of trying & using bike mirrors is to be so sure about their ineffectiveness?

redderekthelampshade

Day two with mine and it's great..

Moodyman

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Edit: could you let us know how extensive your experience of trying & using bike mirrors is to be so sure about their ineffectiveness?

I did say personal opinion. But I'm fortunate not to have a a bad neck/back.

I used bar end mirrors for about two months in 2009. I found them more of a hindrance than an aide. Like my kickstand and bike computer, they were another things that could rattle, interfere, need lubing to quieten, get in the way, etc. So I removed them all.

I can see the attraction of mirrors for people with ailemets, but unless I missed it...I didn't think the OP implied that s/he had any.

corshamjim

For what it's worth I find propstands indispensable too! 8) There's nowhere convenient to prop my bike up outside the garage while I open the garage door, so the propstand is used every day. I'd fit one to my road bike if I didn't think it would crush the tinfoil frame.

I do hope your dislike of things that rattle, interfere, need lubing etc, extends to derailleurs too - awful things! :twisted:

redderekthelampshade

Nope, I have no problems turning - I do like the thought of quickly seeing roughly what's behind me.. Of course nothing can beat a look over your shoulder, I'm just all about doing things that make my life easier.. The more I think about it mirrors are a great idea - I wouldn't drive my car without them so I suppose I shouldn't ride my bike without one.

The caveat to everything is that it's individual.. Mirrors work for me, I love the cycle computer - perhaps I just like a gadget.

Prop stands.. I have one that I keep meaning to pop on my bike.. Reason being I use a bike trailer for my children and it's always a pig trying to balance the bike and get the kids out.

:-) hope the weather gives us some respite tomorrow , my boy keeps asking if I'll take him out in the trailer..