Killer accessory recommendation

[Smaug]

It’s this great quality helmet-mounted mirror.

I’ve had a couple different bike mounted mirrors. The Mirrcycle one is very good, but easily gets banged in the garage and at bike racks. (US-made, too) All the other bike-mounted mirrors were junk.

I have the compact Bike Peddler Take a Look mirror that clips onto one’s glasses. It’s OK, but fiddly and too close to the eyes. The original might be worth a look, if you really don’t want a mirror permanently attached to your helmet.

This is the one I like best so far. It too is Made in America. Unlike other helmet-mounted mirrors, this one doesn’t use adhesive patches, but either zip ties or Velcro straps. The articulated stalk holds its shape well and doesn’t vibrate. It’s called the EVT Safe Zone Bicycle Helmet Mirror on Amazon, and I bet you can buy it direct from the mfr. too.

The packaging says it’ll work on any helmet, but it won’t worm on my ski helmet unless I drill a couple more holes for another zip tie.

I paid $40 on Amazon; might be cheaper direct from the Mfr.

Great product; no affiliation with the seller.

 

[Pinhead]

I may have used one if it didn't make me look a burk

 

[Smaug]

I don't know what a "burk" is, but if it means "unfashionable" then I think it's too late for that. Most of us here look unfashionable and we don't care any more.

One other thing I like about it, is that I can move from bike to bike and still have the same mirror. Only when I change helmets do I need to worry about a mirror.

 

[Pinhead]

I don't know what a "burk" is, but if it means "unfashionable" then I think it's too late for that. Most of us here look unfashionable and we don't care any more.

One other thing I like about it, is that I can move from bike to bike and still have the same mirror. Only when I change helmets do I need to worry about a mirror.

Sorry Berk not burk
berk
/bəːk/
noun INFORMAL • BRITISH
noun: burk
a stupid person.

 

[pagheca]

@Smaug : This post is incredibly timely for me: just TODAY I was looking for a helmet or sunglass mirror.

I used to have a very simple and effective one, similar to this https://www.amazon.es/Alomejor-Ciclismo-Bicicleta-Ajustable-Trasera/dp/B07ZRHRLBD/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1IGR7PVOBAWFP&keywords=espejo+para+casco+bicicleta&qid=1699969244&sprefix=espejo+para+casco+,aps,183&sr=8-7, and probably to your "Bike Peddler Take a Look" mirror, but unfortunately I lost it during my last removal. (EDIT: I think that actually was exactly the Bike Peddler Take a Look, at least from the pictures I found online).

It worked well, but at the time I was an "on-road" cyclist. The advantage was that it was very light.

 

[pagheca]

S**t! The EVT is sold at 99.05€ on amazon.es!!!

p.s. I like the product. I ordered it at amazon.com, as this was the cheapest option including shipping. Let's see if it will ever arrive... thanks for the hint!

 

[Smaug]

S**t! The EVT is sold at 99.05€ on amazon.es!!!

p.s. I like the product. I ordered it at amazon.com, as this was the cheapest option including shipping. Let's see if it will ever arrive... thanks for the hint!

Did you check if EVT would sell to you directly? Ouch, that is expensive. I guess it's part of the cost of living on a fantasy island.

Since you ride a mountain bike, I guess you're not super-concerned with weight or aerodynamics. I think you will love it.

Do follow their tip to mount it as far down and forward as you can. It gets the mirror further away from the eye and makes it easier to focus on.

One other tip: This isn't in the instructions, but if you have a couple spare pieces of thin rubber strip that comes with those clamp-on headlights and phone handlebar mounts, consider putting them between the base and the helmet to keep it from slipping around. I just made the zip ties really tight, but it still moves just a bit. If I had put some rubber stripping under the base, the zip ties wouldn't need to be so tight that they dent the helmet foam and the base wouldn't move at all.

 

[pagheca]

Did you check if EVT would sell to you directly? Ouch, that is expensive. I guess it's part of the cost of living on a fantasy island.

yes I have tried. The total price with EVT, between product and shipping, was slightly higher. Plus I hate to say it, but with Amazon every time there is a problem, last time YESTERDAY , I got an instant refund. With other suppliers I had to discuss.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll do what you said. What about using some velcro like the one used for small frames, so that I can adjust the position?

 

[Smaug]

yes I have tried. The total price with EVT, between product and shipping, was slightly higher. Plus I hate to say it, but with Amazon every time there is a problem, last time YESTERDAY , I got an instant refund. With other suppliers I had to discuss.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll do what you said. What about using some velcro like the one used for small frames, so that I can adjust the position?

The Velcro will not hold; zip ties are much stronger.
The rubber strip I suggested is not affixed with adhesive; it is just there to create friction, so there is not plastic sliding against plastic.

 

[pagheca]

The Velcro will not hold; zip ties are much stronger.
The rubber strip I suggested is not affixed with adhesive; it is just there to create friction, so there is not plastic sliding against plastic.

I meant Velcro + zip rather than adesive + cable ties... In this way one can easily readjust the mirror position using only new cable ties.

 

[Smaug]

I meant Velcro + zip rather than adesive + cable ties... In this way one can easily readjust the mirror position using only new cable ties.

I see.

My recommendation was not for adhesive though. Just rubber strips to create surface friction between the glossy plastic helmet and slippery plastic of the mounting foot.

 

[m@Robertson]

Just as an aside, I use that Take A Look mirror you mentioned, but on my helmets. I tie it down onto the visor. Years ago I used black duct tape but the little velcro ties work just as well without any adhesive residue. The mirror looks like its at a funky angle cuz the helmet angles downward when you are wearing it.

Fitting it to the end of the visor like this addresses the issue of it being close to your face. The ties make it stable no matter your speed or the wind. Its far enough to the side you have a wide screen TV showing the whole road behind you, at a glance. I'd be lost without it.

 

[Smaug]

Just as an aside, I use that Take A Look mirror you mentioned, but on my helmets. I tie it down onto the visor. Years ago I used black duct tape but the little velcro ties work just as well without any adhesive residue. The mirror looks like its at a funky angle cuz the helmet angles downward when you are wearing it.

Fitting it to the end of the visor like this addresses the issue of it being close to your face. The ties make it stable no matter your speed or the wind. Its far enough to the side you have a wide screen TV showing the whole road behind you, at a glance. I'd be lost without it.

View attachment 12101

Could you flip it around so it protrudes out to your left a bit more, so you wouldn't have to turn your head to see behind you?

That looks like the Original Take a Look mirror. Mine's the Compact. I don't recommend it.

Amazon uses the same image for all of them, so that's not helpful, but some of the reviews were helpful:

 

[m@Robertson]

It is actually pointing directly to the left and no, I don't have to turn my head at all. The camera angle doesn't make that clear, but it is straight horizontal left. That is somewhat key to getting it out of your direct eyesight. I can just move my eyes up and to the left out of my direct forward field of view, and I can see the entire road behind me, and the velcro that holds the boom to the visor makes the view rock-solid stable with no vibration.

Here's a funny sort of image from a few years ago. Different helmet, using tape not velcro, but same orientation of the mirror. You can see how its completely out of my line of sight unless i want to glance up at it (the one on the white helmet is oriented differently to get the same effect).

This was back when you wore masks not for public health reasons but to keep the bugs out of your teeth in the springtime in Central California. Thats what the wraparound glasses do too... no bugs in the eyes or thru an open nosebridge.

 

[pagheca]

It is actually pointing directly to the left and no, I don't have to turn my head at all. The camera angle doesn't make that clear, but it is straight horizontal left. That is somewhat key to getting it out of your direct eyesight. I can just move my eyes up and to the left out of my direct forward field of view, and I can see the entire road behind me, and the velcro that holds the boom to the visor makes the view rock-solid stable with no vibration.

Here's a funny sort of image from a few years ago. Different helmet, using tape not velcro, but same orientation of the mirror. You can see how its completely out of my line of sight unless i want to glance up at it (the one on the white helmet is oriented differently to get the same effect).

This was back when you wore masks not for public health reasons but to keep the bugs out of your teeth in the springtime in Central California. Thats what the wraparound glasses do too... no bugs in the eyes or thru an open nosebridge.

View attachment 12116

By the way, how do you get along with these integral helmets (I don't know what they are called exactly)?

I've always used simple bicycle helmets, the kind that are open on the mouth, but since I'm now doing more technically complicated routes, I was thinking I should wear more protections.

But I wonder if these hinder movement uphill and where you have to pedal for a long time.

 

[Smaug]

By the way, how do you get along with these integral helmets (I don't know what they are called exactly)?

I've always used simple bicycle helmets, the kind that are open on the mouth, but since I'm now doing more technically complicated routes, I was thinking I should wear more protections.

But I wonder if these hinder movement uphill and where you have to pedal for a long time.

I am looking at these too, partly because M@ makes a good case for them and partly because my wife is now worried that I'll be traveling at scooter speeds, not bike speeds.

This one is under $100 in the USA:

...but I can get a used motorcycle helmet for about 1/4 that cost, which will be better for winter.

It's a shame these helmets don't have integral lighting. Open faced bike helmets are now available with it.

Motorcycle helmets aren't wide available with lighting either, and where they are, they are not the comfortable name brands.

 

[munirider]

I have to try one of these helmet mirrors I have been using these cheap bar end mirrors and like them ok, some of the cheaper ones aren't convex just flat and are useless so you have to make sure they are convex. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092QKJNPM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also like the glass ones they sometimes get broken but are cheap enough to just replace when they do. The acrylic ones get all scratched up and it makes it hard to see after a while.

I saw a helmet mirror something like @Smaug has above in a youtube video and it seems like it would be really great, I also ride unicycles, and I ride my 36" unicycle on the road so having a good rearview mirror for that would be nice. I have tried the little mirrors that clip onto your glasses and I just couldn't get the hang of them. They are just too close to my face and I don't know but only looking with one eye it seems that you wouldn't have the same depth perception. I see people using them so they work for people I guess.

I have the same problem with my ski helmet, I think you could use those removeable 3M command strips that are used for mounting hooks and such. You can buy the replacement strips without the hooks and they come in different sizes.

 

[Smaug]

Edit: I wound up buying a used HJC from ebay. See later in the thread.

I think I'm going to try this one:

When I was a motorcyclist, I liked Shoei, something mid-range. They're $400 now, and since I'm not going to spend all day in the saddle at 75 mph any more, I think I can get a cheaper one that's certified.

The reduced ventilation on an eMoped shouldn't be a problem in late fall, winter and early spring here in Wisconsin.

Maybe add the downhill MTB helmet in late spring?

 

[Smaug]

I have to try one of these helmet mirrors I have been using these cheap bar end mirrors and like them ok, some of the cheaper ones aren't convex just flat and are useless so you have to make sure they are convex. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092QKJNPM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Well, not useless, but they have to be aimed correctly.

I also like the glass ones they sometimes get broken but are cheap enough to just replace when they do. The acrylic ones get all scratched up and it makes it hard to see after a while.

[...] I have tried the little mirrors that clip onto your glasses and I just couldn't get the hang of them. They are just too close to my face and I don't know but only looking with one eye it seems that you wouldn't have the same depth perception. I see people using them so they work for people I guess.[...]

You get used to it. The left eye becomes trained to be favored whenever one looks, but they're still fiddly. Depth perception is by the environment, rather than true depth perception. That's how one-eyed people can drive.

I have the same problem with my ski helmet, I think you could use those removeable 3M command strips that are used for mounting hooks and such. You can buy the replacement strips without the hooks and they come in different sizes.

That's not a bad idea, but I'm not sure it would stick to the complex curved surface of the helmet nor the slick plastic of the mounting foot.

 

[m@Robertson]

...but I can get a used motorcycle helmet for about 1/4 that cost, which will be better for winter.

A motorcycle helmet is only a usable fit on an ebike if you ride it in temperate weather and you don't pedal. Otherwise, you are creating a melon cooker. The difference in comfort between even a poorly vented bicycle helmet and a well ventilated one is enormous if riding in the heat. I had a Bell urban helmet that was minimally vented and when I went to the red Super3R while riding in 100+ degree weather the difference was like I had discovered some sort of miracle. I knew all about the need for ventilation, but I had not realized just how BAD the poorly ventilated helmet was for me until I switched.

For winter, I just use painter's tape to cover the vents. In the following spring, the painter's tape comes off easily and without residue. Then I wear a thin balaclava and I am good down below freezing. WAY below freezing if I wear a USGI nomex tanker balaclava. To get the balaclava to fit with the added bulk of the balaclava you just enlarge the dial-in fit ring in the helmet. For just cool temps, there are thin lycra skullcaps you can get on Amazon. For a step up past that, a thin tacticool fleece 'watch cap'. Or use a thin (auto) racing helmet liner which has no elastic and just kind of flops over your ears.

By the way, how do you get along with these integral helmets (I don't know what they are called exactly)?

Officially, its called a 'chin guard' and not a full face helmet. For bicycles, it hangs a little lower which lets you for example get a water bottle nozzle into your mouth on the ride. Helmets like this are primarily meant for downhilling and intense mtb trails. But they work *extremely* well in protecting your face as it skids along the pavement after a crash. That pic above is dated in November of 2018, which means it was my second Super3R helmet. What happened to the first one? In December 2017 it destroyed itself around my head, which only got a small divot where the cracked helmet cut me just a little. You can imagine what an impact like that would have done to a skull. But more to your question, what good did it do for my face? Well, look at the glasses I was wearing:

What you are seeing is the result of me sliding forward on my face for a short distance on pavement, where said face was not allowed to contact the ground thanks to the chin guard taking the hit for me. But my face was close enough to scrape my eyeglass lens. That I was wearing. That would have been my eye socket and cheek if I hadn't decided I wanted the extra protection and screw what other people think of me wearing the big helmet.

But I wonder if these hinder movement uphill and where you have to pedal for a long time.

More helmet equals a little more sweat and a little less comfort. The chin guard is removable for the uphill. You hang it around your neck or something I suppose. But its specifically meant to be removable for the uphill ride and you put it back on again for the downhill when you could rearrange your face on a rock at 30 mph.

I never, ever take mine off. Learned the hard way not to.