A good cycling mirror saves you the shoulder check: one glance, and you know what is behind you. Where you mount it decides how well it works. There are three places: the handlebar, the helmet and your glasses.
Handlebar mirrors stay on the bike and give a steady picture. The view is fixed, though, and the field of vision is small. You see what the mirror points at, and only that.
Helmet mirrors move with your head. A small movement shows you a different part of the road behind you. The helmet has to fit well and not wobble, otherwise the picture shakes.
Glasses-mounted mirrors also move with your head and sit close to your eye. They suit anyone who wears glasses on the bike, with or without a prescription.
| Handlebar | Helmet | Glasses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| View follows your head | No | Yes | Yes |
| Stays on the bike when you park | Yes | No | No |
| Needs a helmet | No | Yes | No |
| Needs glasses | No | No | Yes |
How to choose
- You ride several bikes or rent bikes: pick a mirror that travels with you, so helmet or glasses.
- You wear cycling glasses on every ride: a glasses mirror is the shortest way to a rear view.
- You prefer the helmet: use a mirror that clips or sticks to the helmet shell.
Where Head-Zup fits
The Head-Zup mirror fits either way. Clip it to your glasses, or to your helmet with the Head-Zup Helmet Adapter. Fitting and removal take seconds. It weighs under 9 grammes, the mirror is optically flat polycarbonate, and it detaches at the slightest impact. You adjust the wire structure once, and afterwards only the three mirror pivots before each ride.
See the Head-Zup Cycling Mirror or read the FAQ.