I've looked at several mirrors over the past year, and tried one or two. But I usually ended up riding without a mirror since they were such a pain in the butt. They jiggled around too much to be useful and I was constantly fiddling and adjusting so I could see anything at all. If the mirror is plastic everything is blurry, if it is glass it weighs a ton and pulls your sunglasses down your nose.
But this mirror is about as good as I can imagine a bike mirror being. The acrylic mirror is both lightweight and optically accurate, and is plenty big enough for a wide field of view. If you position it just right, you can see everything behind you with a slight turn of your head.
The attachment mechanism is simple and holds tight. It takes about 30 seconds to move it to another pair of sunglasses and readjust the angles. The springy bits are covered with grippy plastic which keeps the mirror in place and provides less snag points to grab your helmet straps when you put your glasses on or off.
The s steel and brass frame and swivel system is infinitely adjustable, but provides enough resistance that it has never moved out of adjustment, even at high speeds on rough roads.
And, to top it all off, it is less expensive than most of the other mirrors I have looked at. It is a simple, well-thought design, without useless complexity or expense. Beautiful.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
The compact version is a smaller size mirror which is GOOD in theory, because it weighs less and drags less. BUT, the extension wire from the glasses is SHORTER which is BAD if you are older and may not be able to focus as close as you used to. The Original size is FAR better for us older bikers. If you have tried ANY helmet or glasses mount mirror and "couldn't get used to it" then try mounting it farther away from the eye. Even a quarter inch may make a huge difference. I wouldn't ride without this mirror (original size!). PeterBest Deals for Bike Peddler Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror
The folks at The Bike Peddler rock. So do their Take-A-Look bike mirrors.I don't have time to write the long paean of praise they deserve, so here are the facts:
1. My son and I have both used these mirrors for years. My son prefers the Compact version, I prefer the longer reach of the Original. They are equal in quality of craftsmanship, and I'll borrow my son's in a pinch if I can't find mine.
2. This bike mirror has improved my bicycling experience more than any other accessory besides the Xtracycle FreeRadical (if you can call the FreeRad an "accessory"-it's more like a magic catalyst for a metamorphosis from "bicycle" to "long-tail two-passenger load-hauling super-stable single-track Sport Utility Bike"). I would ride without a helmet with no qualms, and if I must ride at night without lights I'm just extra wary, but if I ride without my Take-A-Look mirror, I feel naked and afraid.
3. I have dropped it, sat upon it, stepped on it, and even sent it through the laundry in a shirt pocket, and it has held up fine. If it gets bent, just bend it back into shape and carry on.
4. I have managed to destroy one. I set it on the rear deck of my Xtracycle while loading groceries and forgot about it. It made it all the way onto a major street before slipping off the snapdeck directly into the path of traffic (of course). Didn't notice until I got home and went to put the mirror away... as soon as I could I retraced my route, and found the mirror. Rush hour was over by then. I don't know how many vehicles ran over that thing before I recovered it, but the wire frame was fine, the little rubber thingies fine, the mirror itself unbroken and still firmly attached to the frame... and the mirror surface thoroughly scratched into a perfect matte white finish.
Although the mirror was several years old by that time, I had bought a new one recently for my son, and remembered seeing a 100% guarantee. So I mailed the mirror back to them and asked if it was still under warranty, or that I'd be happy to buy a new one.
Two weeks later a free replacement mirror arrived, and a thank-you note for sending them the old one. No charge for the replacement, no charge even for shipping (except when I mailed them the old one in a letter, which at the time was 39 cents).
Now THAT is customer service.
If only I could do the same with my old iPod... ;-)
Honest reviews on Bike Peddler Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror
This mirror is great! It is easy to attach to glasses and is very durable. As it is somewhat larger than other mirrors it provides a very good field of view. It was very easy to get used to and now I wouldn't ride in traffic without it. One turn of the head and I can scan everything behind me much more confidently than turning my head.The mirror is VERY durable. It fell out of my pocket while attached to sunglasses and was run over by a car. The glasses were ruined and the mirror was unscathed and I'm using it a year later.
No comments:
Post a Comment