suitable wing mirrors

[sjpt]

Any wing mirrors that don't stick out won't give a good view of what is behind. What matters for a good view is what position the mirrors are at, it doesn't make any difference how they are mounted to get them to that position. (The mount does make a difference to how stable the view is.)

One solution is a kind of periscope that gets its view from somewhere behind the rider and transfers it to in front of the rider. A webcam and small screen could do it.

 

[ovatsus]

I'm using this, it's not great, but it gives a decent enough view to be usable:

https://thebeam-europe.com/products/corky-urban

 

[flecc]

I know I have now fitted wing mirrors what guerney suggested. But god they like aerials lol stick out so far plus makes bike wider now at handlebars I mean they reach out further than handle bars.

That's good Billy, it stops drivers coming too close when overtaking, or if one does get too close it will only clip the mirror, an added safety feature.
.

 

[billyboya]

I'm using this, it's not great, but it gives a decent enough view to be usable:

https://thebeam-europe.com/products/corky-urban

I can’t have those as I have a throttle on right side

 

[billyboya]

How's the visibility using those mirrors? Should be quite a good view, because they're sticking out beyond the handlebar ends. End-bar mirrors also stick out, would make your bike wider.



If they haven't been damaged and you've kept the packaging, they can be returned for a refund if you're quick.

I will see how it goes with the mirrors but I have to keep folding them in as too wide to go into my shed door then I have to position them each time I ride bike. I suppose I could slide them a bit inwards the arms I mean so they don’t stick out too far

I couldn’t return these as I did the 1st pair what was to fit in ends of handlebars so can’t do another return to same seller lol, I will keep messing with them practise makes perfect.

 

[billyboya]

That's good Billy, it stops drivers coming too close when overtaking, or if one does get too close it will only clip the mirror, an added safety feature.
.

once you get the mirrors set up ok the view is good but saying that I thought this car in my right mirror was a fare way back but obviously it was closer than I thought as I was trying to get to right hand lane so got the normal blast of his horn lol I just wave back as if I know the person they hate that

 

[slowcoach]

once you get the mirrors set up ok the view is good but saying that I thought this car in my right mirror was a fare way back but obviously it was closer than I thought as I was trying to get to right hand lane so got the normal blast of his horn lol I just wave back as if I know the person they hate that

It can be difficult judging distance with concave mirrors, in fact many come with a warning about that. Given time you will be more capable of interpreting what you are seeing. The important thing is, you know if there is something behind you, even if you are not sure of the distance.

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

It's hard to spot other cyclists, even with good mirrors. On this occasion I was watching out for cars but didn't see these bikes, as I was riding middle lane downhill, intending to turn right at the intersection ahead. With Zefal Doobacks either side, I couldn't see these funsters. They may have closed in too fast on their illegal ebikes. It's a good thing I didn't change my mind, and positioned myself to turn left instead of right -

 

[guerney]

I will see how it goes with the mirrors but I have to keep folding them in as too wide to go into my shed door then I have to position them each time I ride bike. I suppose I could slide them a bit inwards the arms I mean so they don’t stick out too far

You could widen your shed doorway? Or saw a bit off the ends the mirrors? Seriously though, adjusting the Zefal Cyclop end-bar mirror after folding is something I've become used to, but agree it's a bit of a pain. The Zefal Dooback on the left simply clicks back into it's perfect position, but I can't have a Dooback on the right because it'd just break like the last one did (although breaking it did take a huge effort on my part doh - if it wasn't for Araldite holding on a big plastic reflector to it's front, that break might not have happened), because of how my bike folds. It's all swings and roundabouts/tradeoffs, but what's important is that your new mirrors fulfil their function well on the road. You could have kept one easy click-into-position Dooback for the left, and installed one long Zefal antenna mirror on the right.

I couldn’t return these as I did the 1st pair what was to fit in ends of handlebars so can’t do another return to same seller lol, I will keep messing with them practise makes perfect.

Ebay doesn't care if you're returning products to the same seller for a refund. You could really p*ss him off by returning the left antenna Zefal and buying a Dooback back, for the left, which would halve your adjustment time, as the left Dooback would simply click and fold inwards to get your bike into the shed more easily, then click back into correct position when you take your bike out... but then your bike might look like an injured insect, with just one antenna

 

[guerney]

I'm using this, it's not great, but it gives a decent enough view to be usable:

https://thebeam-europe.com/products/corky-urban

Boy that's diddy! My old and damaged eyes very likely would see nothing at all in those, I'm shocked that you can.

 

[guerney]

One solution is a kind of periscope that gets its view from somewhere behind the rider and transfers it to in front of the rider.

A mirror at 45 degrees at the handlebar end, and a half-mirror at 45 degrees in the middle of the handlebars, for a see-through projection? Sadly, nothing would be visible during the day, and without a lot of light from behind the bike, nothing at night.

A webcam and small screen could do it.

Many webcams will connect via USB to phones, and many action cameras have a built-in webcam function, particularly the cheap ones - my GoPro Hero 7 Black connects to the phone app wirelessly, and my cheapo Crosstour 4k functions as a webcan at 720p via USB. But phone and tablet screens are too dim in bright sunlight, and run hot when bright... which doesn't do their batteries any good. Perhaps a very small computer such as one of the Raspberry Pis, connected to a suitably bright display? Connecting via HDMI, very bright displays are expensive (especially when also waterproof), so it's probably not worth bothering. I had "The Brightest LCD display in the world" Solarism in 2002: 800 nits:

Solarism LM1503 review: Solarism LM1503

Solarism LM1503

www.cnet.com

I managed to get someone to bring it over by plane as hand luggage. It didn't last long (a Sony Trinitron CRT bought at the same time, still works) but was visible on the brightest days, when I actually had to turn it's brightness down. 10% brightness was too much at night. Of course, there are much brighter available now. Displays intended for cine cameras are usually both waterproof and bright (as well as colour correct), for silly money.

 

[billyboya]

You could widen your shed doorway? Or saw a bit off the ends the mirrors? Seriously though, adjusting the Zefal Cyclop end-bar mirror after folding is something I've become used to, but agree it's a bit of a pain. The Zefal Dooback on the left simply clicks back into it's perfect position, but I can't have a Dooback on the right because it'd just break like the last one did (although breaking it did take a huge effort on my part doh - if it wasn't for Araldite holding on a big plastic reflector to it's front, that break might not have happened), because of how my bike folds. It's all swings and roundabouts/tradeoffs, but what's important is that your new mirrors fulfil their function well on the road. You could have kept one easy click-into-position Dooback for the left, and installed one long Zefal antenna mirror on the right.




Ebay doesn't care if you're returning products to the same seller for a refund. You could really p*ss him off by returning the left antenna Zefal and buying a Dooback back, for the left, which would halve your adjustment time, as the left Dooback would simply click and fold inwards to get your bike into the shed more easily, then click back into correct position when you take your bike out... but then your bike might look like an injured insect, with just one antenna

I wont widen shed door as not worth all the hassle, I am going to try to see if they can move the arms closer inwards, as bike was fine going into shed before. its just that the mirrors extend out further than handlebars, so its a good job then i never got the ones what fits into ends as it would have been far too wide then.

 

[guerney]

I wont widen shed door as not worth all the hassle, I am going to try to see if they can move the arms closer inwards, as bike was fine going into shed before. its just that the mirrors extend out further than handlebars, so its a good job then i never got the ones what fits into ends as it would have been far too wide then.

If your front wheel is quick release, you could remove it and turn the handlebar to get it through the shed doorway, without having to change mirror angles?

 

[sjpt]

We've got similar ones to the ones billyboya references in the very first post. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225340653950
They are very easy to tuck away and then reset. As we lean the tandem against the garage wall to park we need to tuck the right mirror away after every ride (2 seconds) and then push it back for the next ride (5 seconds).

 

[guerney]

We've got similar ones to the ones billyboya references in the very first post. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225340653950
They are very easy to tuck away and then reset. As we lean the tandem against the garage wall to park we need to tuck the right mirror away after every ride (2 seconds) and then push it back for the next ride (5 seconds).

Do those wobble? I tried similar (but much cheaper) mirrors and they wobbled out of position on rough roads, vibrated too much for a clear view, so I ceased trying mirrors with flexible stems. But my bike has no suspension.

 

[sjpt]

Ours were https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B087BT4HQP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1, £13.99 a pair (we only use one)

They wobble a bit, but not as much as I feared before buying them. I think it's the length of the stem rather than the flexibility that gives the wobble. It would have to be a very rigid stem that long to prevent wobble. I've not had them wobble out of position.

The main downsize is that it is too convex making it difficult to judge distance, but that does help reduce the effect of wobble.

We've got no suspension on the tandem either. Most of our riding is on relatively good roads, though even those have lots of potholes to try to avoid. We do a little off road on bridleways in summer; but don't really need the mirror for that.

They were awkward to fit because we have riser slightly swept back bars, so we had to mount them on a bent bit.

 

[guerney]

Ours were https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B087BT4HQP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1, £13.99 a pair (we only use one)

They wobble a bit, but not as much as I feared before buying them. I think it's the length of the stem rather than the flexibility that gives the wobble. It would have to be a very rigid stem that long to prevent wobble. I've not had them wobble out of position.

The main downsize is that it is too convex making it difficult to judge distance, but that does help reduce the effect of wobble.

We've got no suspension on the tandem either. Most of our riding is on relatively good roads, though even those have lots of potholes to try to avoid. We do a little off road on bridleways in summer; but don't really need the mirror for that.

They were awkward to fit because we have riser slightly swept back bars, so we had to mount them on a bent bit.

I tried these Dunlops but with longer stems, which were awful. I didn't expect so much wobble - perhaps a ploy by Dunlop to increase sales of wider tyres. I bought Schwalbe.

 

[Oldie]

I use fully folding back bar end mirros that use proper flat glass and not convex plastic.
Serach on ebay or amazon for Briskmore Mirrors far better and better then cateye or any other mirror on the market. I got mine for £14 a pair but think that are some 50% dearer now.

Thanks for the recommendation. Ordered a pair from Amazon (£17.99) and used them yesterday. Really good quality and a breeze to fit.

 

[Nealh]

Thanks for the recommendation. Ordered a pair from Amazon (£17.99) and used them yesterday. Really good quality and a breeze to fit.

They give a pretty good undistorted view of whats behind and not like some inferior views where a vehicle looks far way but is actually on top of you.
I find adjusting them occasionally when cars are behind they can see the mirror and are more consious they have been noticed , more then often the driving is more considerate.

 

[Oldie]

Noticed that these are down to £12.74 today.