I’ve never before ridden with a rear view mirror but recently thought I’d give it a try. I went with one of the eye glass/ helmet mount mirrors. I have too many bikes I ride regularly to mount a mirror on each bike. I mounted the mirror to one of the several pairs of sunglasses I wear.
My first impression after wearing it for a few of days is that the benefit may not be worth the hassle for me. I’m surprised I didn’t run into something in front of me while trying to see what’s behind me. It takes some time for my eyes to orientate and focus when looking at it. I have an issue with my left eye that probably doesn’t help matters. I’ve yet to figure out whether it’s best to adjust the mirror so I move my eyes to view it or adjust it to where I move my head to view it. I know it will take some getting used to and maybe a while to get the position of the mirror dialed in.
We were riding in the city and things move faster than what I could comprehend via the mirror. Being on and off the bike and in and out of places it was just kind of a hassle and awkward and required taking it off and putting it back on and adjusting many times. I also realized it would need adjusting for each bike I ride or glasses that I mount it to. I’m sure some of the issues could be solved by mounting it to a helmet but I don’t often wear one.
I could see the mirror being more practical and less of a hassle on a ride out of the city and with longer periods in the saddle. Where it might benefit me most is on the gravel roads we ride here where we position ourselves in the less sandy center of the road and there is a headwind and we can’t hear vehicles approaching us from behind. That’s the scenario where I normally find myself looking over my shoulder the most.
As for the mirror itself it was the Bike Peddler – Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror in the original size. It appears to be both well thought out and built.
I’d like to hear your experience with this style of mirror and any tips for using it.