BICYCLE MIRRORS
When sharing the road with 4,000 pound vehicles traveling upwards of 70 mph, it is important to stay as safe as possible. When it comes to bike safety, many people think of reflective clothing, lights, and a helmet. Another accessory that can provide additional safety is a bicycle mirror. Bicycle rear view mirrors allow you to have a better field of vision without taking your eyes off the road in front of you. If you must turn your head and body to look behind you, you can’t react as quickly if something occurs in front of you. Looking into a bike mirror only requires slight head movement and no body movement. If you use a bicycle helmet mirror, no head movement is even required.
Rearview mirrors for bikes come many different mirror designs. Some mirrors are designed for road bikes, some are designed for mountain bikes, and many mirrors have different mounting systems. There are mirrors with oval shapes and square shapes. A helmet mirror can either attach to your helmet or a pair of glasses. A helmet mirror usually has a much smaller glass mirrored surface than a handlebar mirror, but when angled correctly, can provide the essential rearward vision you need to ride safely. A helmet mirror can also be used with any bike if you use the same helmet. Some mirrors, like the CycleAware Reflex, are highly adjustable and have 360 rotation. A handlebar mirror is usually semi-permanently attached to a single bike.
Some cyclists dislike having a small mirror hanging off their helmet disrupting their prereferral vision. A handlebar mirror doesn’t obstruct your vision and typically has a much larger mirrored surface. The mirror can either attach around the handlebar itself, or can be installed into the end of the handlebar where a bar plug is usually located. Bar end mounted mirrors are typically a bit sturdier because they are secured inside the handlebar. When installing a mirror on a bike, it should be placed on the left side of the handlebar so when you are riding with traffic you can see cars coming up behind you.
If you have any questions about bicycle mirrors or bicycle safety, hop on a call or a chat with one of our expert Gear Advisors today at 888-880-3811. They are always happy to help you with any questions you may have.
