Do you need cycling mirrors for your bike commute? Testing 4 types of bike mirrors 

thankyou, i must reflect on this

More and more electric cars makes the mirror even more of a serious asset.

As a motorcyclist I've never understood why mirrors aren't standard on bikes...especially for commuting.

I ride recreationally on bike paths a lot, and my wife tends to ride behind me. I find that having a mirror is really helpful to make sure she isn't having a problem or if wants me to stop.

As a motorcycle commuter I was used to mirrors and at first tried to do without them on bicycle commuting, using my hearing to decipher traffic. I did not like it when an on coming car would block the sound of an overtaking one. So I installed a small mirror on the right of the handle bar and loved it. This was in the 70s. I am now 74 and a mirror is mandatory due to loss of hearing. Love your show, especially the ones that show how some foreign cities manage people movement. Wished it were that way in North America.

As I get older, I'm 72, I find I appreciate a single traffic side mirror more and more. I find looking behind less easy as I get older (stiff neck) and my balance is not so sharp as in earlier years either . A quick regular glance in the mirror gives me an idea of what is coming up behind without risking a wobble. Of course, if executing a turn I always look physically behind. More general awareness of traffic behind using the mirror helps better plan ahead when you can carry out a crosslane turn safely.

I cannot count the number of times that having a rear view has saved me from injury or death. I cannot imagine riding anywhere without one. I personally prefer the helmet mounted variety.

I have used mirrors on my bikes for close to 50 years. They have saved me from injuries countless times, they have saved me from certain death 3 times.I am hard of hearing so mirrors are very important. Over the years mirrors have greatly improved. Mirrors today are generally very good. If you do not use mirrors I can usually tell when I come up behind you because you do not hear me on my bike. That is dangerous for everyone. Please use mirrors. You only need 1 good mirror to save you life or maybe another riders life.

A mirror is a game changer and i highly recommend that all cyclists have one fitted on your offside / overtake side (left side of the handlebars in most countries / right side in the UK, Ireland, Australia etc). Being able to keep tabs on what is behind you keeps you safe, allows you to be more courteous and reduces anxiety.

I have two bikes. One with mirror and one without. I feel safer and more confident on my bike that has a mirror because of it. I use a bar end mirror which I don't have to adjust for every ride.

Tom, I am a long-time user of the take a look mirror that was the last one you reviewed. I noticed that you set up the mirror in a portrait orientation. You would probably find it better in a landscape orientation, so you can monitor more of the road beside you. You were reviewed a number of mirrors that mount to the bike. That's fine if you only own one bike, but a mirror on your glasses can go with you from one bike to another. One week with that mirror is really not Long enough For it to become part of you. I got so used to mine that I find myself looking in that spot even when I am out running or skiing or doing other activities where I don't have the mirror. It truly is like having another eye in the back of your head. Another advantage of the mirror on your glasses is that you don't have to turn your head at all or look down in order to see a mirror. If you're riding in an urban environment where are you can be hit by someone opening the door of a parked car, you don't want to be looking down at your handle bar instead of looking ahead at the parked cars. Once you get used to the mirror on your glasses, you'll find your brain can look forward and backward at the same time. This allows you to monitor drivers approaching from some distance back; very handy for noticing aggressive or rude drivers approaching. I notice that most Road bike riders do not use mirrors at all. This is a grave mistake if you are riding on the highway as being struck from behind is usually fatal. If I have to choose between wearing a helmet or wearing a rear-view mirror clipped to my glasses, I will go with the latter every time. And shouldn't we all be riding with eye protection anyway? Lastly , Another advantage of mirrors, any mirror, is that they enable you to ride with confidence in the center of the lane at least some of the time (not in rush-hour, of course) and away from the door zone. As a driver approaches, with a look in the mirror you can see if they have noticed you yet, and then move over slightly. If you are hugging the parked cars on the other hand, the driver may not pay attention to you at all and not be ready to react if a car door opens on you.

Coming from car driving to bike commuting the first thing I missed was my mirror. So I bought one & haven't ever looked back (excuse the pun). My preferred style is the handlebar set up, but so that my mirror is a good way out further than my handlebars. I just have a better view or the road behind. The main issue is getting it tight enough that it doesn't need constant correcting.

In some places drivers simply don't know that it's life threatening to do a close overtake. So a mirror is also useful to communicate with drivers while they're relatively far away. I often see cars and trucks from hundreds of meters away, and when I notice they don't intend to change lanes to overtake me, I use my hand to ask them for space during the overtake. It usually works, specially with trucks. They approach giving me just a few centimeters and when I ask for more space they change lane when possible.

I wear glasses, so looking over my shoulder doesn't give much information. Having a bad mirror is better than none.

I think it's worth mentioning that mirrors are good for supplementing a shoulder check, rather than to replace a shoulder check. I used one when I first started commuting in London then as I gained confidence in my other senses I found I didn't need it so much.

Regarding the Mamil mirror, I think you're supposed to rotate it 90 degrees so you have the width of the mirror horizontal. Cheers!

I got into accidents from trying to look behind especially if there is things ahead to keep eyes on somewhat.

I love the take-a-look mirror on my glasses. I wear glasses all the time, so I always have a "mount" for it. It's easy to pop on and off before and after a ride. I love that I can keep my eyes on the road and behind me at the same time. I like that the slightest movement of my head will also broaden my field of view with the mirror because it travels with my head. So, despite being so tiny, simple, and light, it does a LOT of work. Wearing one of these, I have absolutely no blind spots.

I see so many bikers that think 'turning your head' is okay, when it is the most unsafe or unreliable way to maneuver on the road. The use of a mirror increases your safety, confident and efficiency in getting to your destination. The best mirror is the "EVT Safe Zone Mirror". This mirror has the largest undistorted field of view and allows you to keep your eyes aimed forward and not looking down. You simply move you eyeballs slightly to the left while you can still keep you head point forward. This beat having to move your head and trying to view things in those tiny mirrors. Oh, if you turn your head slightly you can pan your rear-view too, so cool. This provides a much larger field of view that no other mirror has. The mirror is 2.25 inch diameter flat, positioned ~5 inches in front of my head and ~3 inches to the left of helmet. Wish the mirror was 3 inches diameter for more field of view. Since it is on your helmet, you are ready to jump on any bike to ride in safety. If you don't like this helmet mirror due to its size, just remember that your safety is worth more that 'how it may look'!!

I am a casual cyclist from India. My suggestion specially for Indian cyclists is to go for bike mirror kind of setup. Because here motor vehicles pass you from both left and right. There are hardly any dedicated bicycle paths. Bike mirrors are tough to steal/break. So that's my go to option. If you put any other type of mirror, you won't see them the next day! I wish bicycle manufacturers provided mirrors, like they do when you buy motorbikes.

I use them for years. Never without

I find a mirror really useful for commuting in to Halifax along the Bedford Highway. It is a very busy stretch of road, with cars going fast (60kmh posted, you know...) wHere the mirror really helps is when I have to dart into the road to get around the holes and obstacles along the edge of the road. The mirror lets me take a first check of whether I can move left before double checking over my shoulder. The traffic is too much, usually, to rely on sound. I also prefer a mirror that fits at the end of my handlebar.

I love my mirror. It's great peace of mind to be able to see what's behind me at a glance, to see how many cars are approaching, how far back they are, how quickly they are approaching, to see whether they are driving erratically/aggressively etc.

I have an e bike, and was using it on public roads that mostly don’t have bike lanes, they are shared lanes. I installed bar end mirrors and feel way safer. Highly recommend especially if you are a commuter that goes in shared lanes with cars.

I use the right side mirror and I 10000% recommend it, you do your car "mirror signal manuvoure" with it and makes my riding more confident and ensures no electric car catches me off guard!

I've used both helmet mirrors and bar end. I liked the helmet mirror , it allows me to see behind me without tilting my head, and acts as a precursor to full head check. It does create a blind spot looking forward, but it hasn't significantly affected my vision. Another cons would be that it doesn't fold up easily and you have to adjust it every time you use it. I have bar end mirrors on my ebike, least amount of adjustment and easier to adjust on the fly.

I used to use the bar end ones when commuting through the busy CBD of sydney australia years back before bike lanes as I felt I could pretty much look forwards and backwards at the same time :) great videos .. thank you

Im new to bike commuting and I absolutely love your approach to how a commute should be. Your advice on whatever makes you feel the safest or most comfortable was very helpful and so I will be keeping my rear-view mirror. Great videos!

I enjoyed your video and the comments that followed. I am a nervous lady cyclist and since being introduced to a bike mirror 10 years ago have always used one. It is another very useful tool to know what is going on around you. I have always used a handle bar mirror but I don't always feel comfortable taking my eyes off the road to glance in the mirror. I will purchase a Take A Look mirror and give that a try. Many thanks.

Great video! In my opinion, if you are a commuter and use public roads shared with other vehicles and are a person who cares about your own safety and comfort of others, mirrors on your bike are absolutely invaluable! With mirrors you are more in control of the road situation and you can ride in more predictable trajectory so that those behind you didn't worry about your unexpected moves. Honestly, I would equip every single commuter bicycle with at least one mirror. So many crashes could be avoided if all bike commuters had a mirror.

You’re channel continues to add value for the cycling community. Kudos and thank you for providing the service.

Last one is probably the safest option. Hands on the handlebars, eyes forward.

After getting my motorcycle license, I got used to looking in mirrors attached to handle bars, to the point where not having them on my bicycle felt wrong :)

Good video. I use the Take a Look mirror on my glasses. Once you get used to it you feel weird without one. Riding next to close traffic its unsafe to physically look behind you too long as you might swerve or hit something. This mirror lets me take a good long look safely. BTW, you need to rotate the mirror 90 degrees outward to increase the field of view.

I use a bar end mirror for the side of the road I’m cutting out into. Feels abit dorky initially but I think it’s a way better option than not having one if you’re sharing roads with vehicles

My personal favorite is the Mirrycle. I use the Hafny mirror on my touring bike because I have grips with metal ends that prevent me from using a Mirrycle. I find them useful for judging how soon an approaching car will pass me and with how much space, or if the car is driving erratically and I should get off the road to let it pass.

I think the Myclops is the worst idea, especially for long rides, since you're constantly shifting your hands on the handlebar to relieve the pressure.

That was a very interesting video thank you. I’ve never used a mirror on a bicycle although recently I’ve encountered a reason to try one. I have started leading weekend cycle rides, really easy going leisure ones, here in Brighton UK. It is nice to know that all the other riders are still there and safe and so I am looking over my shoulder a lot. I’d actually seen that wrist watch like one online and I’d considered it. For me it would either be that one or the glasses one because I wouldn’t like the mirrors on the bars. I think I’d keep banging them into thinks when I am leaning the bike up against a wall and that kind of thing.

Love having a small bar end mirror on my slower commuter/ upright bikes. Super handy while riding with small kids who are on their own bike behind me so I can see where they are.

I Bought the Hafny mirrors based on this video, and I love them! I’m 60 and a newbie to urban cycling and these give me a lot more confidence :)

I live in England and our roads are much narrower than yours. Especially in the old medieval towns. We have something called "defensive driving" (techniques). What that means is, if the road is too narrow or a traffic island (a sort of median) is coming up you move over to the middle of the lane so vehicles can't overtake you, they have to slow right down. It really pisses some drivers off but it is usually those drivers who will make a 'close pass' and need to be controlled. I love mirrors because you can see the car coming and if it looks like you need to take action you can. I quite often pull out into the lane further than I need to and once the vehicle is closing in I move over towards the curb to gain more space. Although if I have an option I won't drive on such busy roads I take the back streets because it makes the cycling experience more pleasant. Just for refference vehicles are supposed to give 1.5 meters about 5 feet when overtaking (they seldom do).

Useful for scooters, when you look behind you naturally shift weight, which on a bike will only shift you a small amount. But on a scooter it can drastically affect your bearings.

dear mister shifter, i have been using handlebar mirrors for the last 2 years on my bicycle !! i i blame you for showing me the little mirrors that go on your helmet or glasses, since i saw you video on them i was forced to buy a set off a unnamed online store ! and today they arrived, holy cow !! what a game changer !!! the glasses/ helmet mounted mirror made a massive different, i can now see cars and other traffic more clearly in my mirror, when i cant even see them on my handlebar mirrors !, i am now forced to say " thank you " for showing me the way to a better and safer cycling !

Great editing, helpful content 🙂

If you don't want those big bulky mirrors on your handlebars I'll take them on as they fit on my big fat giant handlebars

I’m not too sure why you installed a pair of the first type. I have one of them installed on the traffic side which does the job and is obviously half the ‘clutter’.

Thanks for bringing up that corky. Perfect solution for my folder which has the unfortunate design of sandwiching the bars between the wheels when folded. I did get the neon green one tho as i installed it on the left and i figured my carward wingtip being high vis was good.

Hi just had to find you on you tube after reading your review via google. Best review I have found . Keep doing this great stuff Thank you

Thanks for your videos. Maybe you could make one about cycling helmets for urban riding.

By the way the first mirrors on your bike try taking the right one and mounting it on the left side so its under your handlebars...thats a little trick motorcyclists use to keep your shoulders out of the way for a better view.

I used to have a tiny mirror attached to my helmet when I was a kid, but I haven't used one since. Thanks for bringing up this topic.

"MAMIL" = Middle Aged Men In Lycra. OMG! That's so funny! My favorite mirror is the Corky Urban. It's very stealthy and can be totally invisible. Love it.

Just found your channel a week ago. Good job on making contents for urban commuting ideas and discussion 👍👍

If your route doesn't have cycling infrastructure, mirrors are an absolute must. I ride on fast traffic and I would have died several times already if I didn't use mirrors. I ride with the confidence of someone who knows what's happening behind me without sacrificing front visibility by looking behind. I use motorbike mirrors, they're great, don't vibrate and are always adjusted. Here in Brazil (we ride on the right side of the road) a left mirror is mandatory by law, although most people don't use it.

Thank you! I got at pretty long commute so I got a recumbent bike and it's quite difficult to turn your head to get visibility behind you on it. So I got one of those smaller ones you put on the bar end. And it's really great I miss having a mirror when using the regular bike. Even if you can turn the head easily it feels like a mirrors adds something.

Thanks so much for this. I got the Corky and it's fantastic! I love that it just sits on the end of my handlebar, and I can pull it out when I need it.

Mirrors are to keep track of traffic behind you & watch for gaps for turning etc.

Great video as always! I've tried all types of mirrors and I also found that I prefer ones that strap to your wrist. Mirrors that attach to a handle bar tend to be shaky as you ride and it's awkward sometimes having to "aim" the handlebars to move the mirror to see something behind you. Wrist mirrors are steady and allow you to move it around freely to see anything behind you and when you stick your arm out to the side you can use it to inspect the entire bike while riding. I use that to double check that my rear lights are blinking. I always ride with my mirror and it saves me from having to turn my head around constantly.

Hi Tom, thanks for this great video. I love your philosophy: make commuting as simple and clutter free as possible. I haven't tried the Corky, but I also use a handlebar mirror for the same reasons you mentioned here.

When I was a kid I rode all over the place on my ten-speed and never considered I might get hit by a car. Now, in my 50's I started biking again and experience has damned me into thinking about it all the time. I absolutely need a mirror. One I can quickly check to see what's coming up behind me on the rode and to ensure I'm to the side if a bike wants to pass me on a bike path. The fact that almost none of the mirrors are wide angle is shocking to me. Every car I ever had used wide angle mirrors (objects in mirror are closer than they appear). And the mirrors were huge by comparison. I ended up buying a wide angle stick on mirror to put over the helmet mounted mirror I had purchased. I might try the handle bar end mirror you show though. So I don't have to wear my helmet for a quick trip to the store. Good info!

I love my one small mirror on my bike and feel much safer. 🙂

Use it to plan ahead when to take the lane.

Great video Tom! I cannot agree with you more. Mirrors are useful but not essential for my particular commute. I can easily rely on my senses although in heavy traffic mirror can be a lifesaver. If I have to use one of these I would like the bar end ones - very convenient and don't clutter your handlebar.

I just saw this on a random RU-vid feed. Liked and subscribed. Good work.

Nice video and good review. I have been using a Busch & Muller Cycle Star Bar End Mirror (6 cm. I have an 8 cm as well.) for about a year now (other brands are available). I wouldn't go cycling without one on my bikes now. I'm glad I made the discovery.

at 7:30, I was surprised at this comment "pretty safe infrastructure" as the reason for not wearing a helmet. The skull is a pretty fragile body part and well worth protecting when exposed to whatever may pop up at any given split second. I appreciated the great mirror review though!

I notice that in Calgary you have lots of lovely off-road cycle paths to use so traffic is less of a threat. Here in London (UK) even if there is a cycle lane it’s usually shared with buses, taxis and motorcycles, and it will disappear at every junction, plus you also need to cross the car, van and lorry traffic to turn right. A wing mirror is definitely an additional help. I have one of the hafney ones on the offside but it does get knocked all the time, you have to move your arm in to see anything, and it’s a pain to transfer between two bikes or to remove before folding a bike. So thank you for showing the corky one which I will buy next - anything that might help safety has to be worth trying.

Great video, and the Corky Urban looks like a winner to me. I’m 65 and have biked all of my life and it wasn’t until just a few years ago that I started using a mirror. It was a real game changer and I wonder how I ever got along without one.

I have been a road cyclist for as long as i can remember and it always terrified me in that i had no clue what was behind me till it flew past me at a dangerously stupid moment and looking around would always case me to have less control over the bike, when i started road commuting to work i invested in a right side bar end mirror ( right side as i am in the UK ) and it is low profile as to not stand out and look overly stupid but also lets me see who is coming up behind me, it is amazing how you can pretty much judge the driver and their potential actions by just the way they drive, in the UK we have islands in the middle of some roads so they narrow and they are used for pedestrians to cross but it creates a danger point as ignorant brainless drivers will slam the foot down to to try and get to the island before you, and i have had this happen many a time just as i reach the island and i get squeezed to the side, but with a mirror i can see with aflick of the eye where rhey are and how far away and i can judge if i need to slow down or if i have time to continue, so for me mirrors might look silly but they are utterly needed

The handlebar grip mirrors are the most practical. Utilizing glasses with a protruding obstacle that ironically blinds your vision ahead of you is 😒

I've recently mounted mirrors on my bike (the first type, which can be also used in mortorcycles). I like them, because while they don't let you see as much as turning your head, you can look forward and know what's approaching. Very good, makes it easier to ride in straight line, allows to see how many cars (or trucks) will pass you and so on.

I've been using a mirror for 20+ years on my bikes. I had them on all of my motorcycles, so when I started riding bikes it just seemed like a good idea. I only use one on the left side, I'm in the USA. My favorite is a handlebar end installed Cat Eye round mirror. They are about 3"(~76 mm) diameter, and give a good rear view of directly behind and to the left. On recumbents I like the Mirricle mirrors which go into the handle bar end, and has two adjustable arms in an "L" shape.

I'm too much of a THICK BOY. Unless I put them on the very ends of my bars, they reflect nothing but ME.

The round ones are better. Less geeky☺️

I’ve been using the handle bar side mirror for years. Simple, always on the bike , easy to adjust. The ones that mount on your glasses would have been very handy when I was teaching school lol

I was thinking about a bike mirror, but didn't see one Iiked until I saw your video & found the Corky to be the one I liked the best. Thank you.🙂

most importantly, you need a helmet, everywhere and always. that said, i've used a helmet since the mid '80's. on group rides, i would occasionally have folk come beside with cute comments about the mirror. the best moment is a climb of consequence, when i can look in my mirror and observe this individual.

What's your experience with bike mirrors?

Thanks for your video. I'm ordering the Corky Urban...

I use a large towing mirror that I strap to my left handlebar. I love that the mirror is large and gives me a large field of view but I also like that it extends out a foot or more so it provides incentive for vehicles to give me more space as they pass me or they risk scratching their paint.

Use spidy senses

Head mounted mirrors are really effective, if a bit goofy.

Thank you for this. I watched 10 million bike mirror videos and sites and Amazon and Ebay.... found what I was looking for here. Thank you.

Copenhagener here. I got the Hafney mirror (just one), and that was definitely in order to see other cyclists, especially electric cargo bikes, not cars. I’m pretty happy with it. Makes me feel a lot safer that I have a constant idea of what’s going on behind me.

Thanks so much for testing mirrors! I'm grateful I live in Germany where cycling infrastructure is quite usable (but very lacking compared to Copenhagen or anywhere in the Netherlands). I have been commuting by bicycle all my life and a mirror has never crossed my mind to be honest. However, please bear in mind that mirrors attached to your helmet or glasses (i.e. close to your eyes) will be a safety issue if you do crash!

How about a bike helmet mirror? That way you would remember to wear your helmet!

I am getting a new bicycle this week, and I am definitely installing both left and right mirrors. I'm over 50 years old, now, and turning my head around to check behind me isn't as easy as it once was. I bought my first motorcycle at age 19, and it had two mirrors. I immediately appreciated the utility of having them.

Great video. You read my mind. I needed this. Thanks.

When your head hits the good infrastructure, you need a helmet.

Concerned about safety, but don’t use a helmet?

Just added one to the commuter and very excited to give it a go

I once bought a high quality bar-end mirror from a well-known bike accessory brand. it was expensive but well built, solid, stable and it provided a perfect rear view. It lasted three days before someone pulled it out of my bike's handlebar and made it his own.

wearing a helmet is even more safer

After 40yrs of cycling with mirrors i think you did a great video. Being deaf in left ear was hard to isolate traffic. I used the take a look and never saw them on Mamil bikers rides. As for the bike community who uses them the most. Recumbents. BTW the Hafney brand mirrors both round and the style you have are the best. A 5mm key is the only tool required for solid adjustment.

I love having handle bar mirrors. I've the ones that plug into the end of the bars and rotate out of the way for tight spaces. They're great for urban riding with reflective tape on them. The more visible the better. Without them I would definitely be dead or seriously injured in my first couple weeks of work commuting. It's an area that is extremely bike hostile. I wish there were good turn signals! Please do a signals/indicator light video, maybe your videos would inspire a company to come up with a

Got the two mirror set coming for my 2.0. Don't think I've ever had two mirrors on a bike but I'm glad I ordered them.😎

A good, informative video, thanks.

Shifter, this is so useful. Thank you.

Love my Take a Look. I only ride HWY’s in NW KS. So, it is essential. Depending on the wind, I can’t always hear the vehicles coming up behind me, and this is perfect for checking every 30-45 seconds or so

I use a bar-end mirror on my Brompton and wouldn't be without it. In fact, I've already bought another one for my soon-to-be-purchased electric Brompton. I really notice the difference on the odd occasion I'm cycling on the opposite side of the road (one-way streets) and the mirror is hence on the wrong side of the bike, but thankfully that's rare. Regarding your comment about using your hearing as an additional aide, I agree 100%. One of the reasons I don't feel cycling whilst wearing headphones is a good idea.