User submitted reviews
Review by NYC Commuter
I bought one of these several years ago, and in a short time decided it was indispensable. I have since bought several of them, and installed on different helmets. I absolutely avoid riding without some kind of mirror, and this one suits me fine: adjustable, out of the way, and gives a panoramic view (since its mounted to the helmet). I don't see what is not to like about this mirror -with the major exception of the sticky base. Read on.
Now for the con: The sticky stuff for the mount doesn't last, and sometimes fails (peels off incorrectly) right out of the box. So you will need some good glue, or (I recommend) some epoxy cement. Once you get the base cemented, you'll have no further trouble.
Review by philw
My wife & I have Cycle Aware mirrors on all of our helmets and we have come to rely on them constantly. All of our riding is on the road and having the mirror is like having an extra "eye" facing rearward. I had to borrow a helmet for a ride last year and it didn't have a mirror attached and I was very uncomfortable (& vulnerable) for the entire ride. The Cycle Aware units don't last forever, however, so I usually have extra units or replacement parts readily available. While many riders refuse to use these because they look "geeky", the safety they provide is well worth the appearance. I think they're GREAT!
Review by WICrazyGuyOnABike
My first helmet rear view mirror so somewhat of a rookie with this type of product. I bought this to navigate a 600 mile trip around the north half of Lake Michigan where route limitations forced riding long distances on high speed (65 mph) highways in Michigan. This product performed very well and now I find I cannot ride without a helmet mirror anymore!
As others have stated, the mirror tends to move around a bit during general handling, but seemed to hold its position once manipulated after attaching the helmet. I set mine to be slightly outside of my normal field of view, so I glance at it by turning my eyes slightly - just as you would while driving a car. After only using for two weeks I cannot comment on long term durability.
Review by Anonymous
I like this Mirror. I feel a lot safer to be able to see incoming traffic from back when I am riding my bike on the road.
Review by descallyjr
Craning your neck to see what's behind you can throw off one's balance a lot more than you may think...UNTIL you wipe out from doing so. Having full S.A. (Situational Awareness) of surroundings at all times is crucial for me. This product fills a niche part of a cyclists' surroundings ... what's behind you! Again, after my initial getting used to it, i've never ridden without it since - but note, I do NOT use this during competition...the closed course detail ensures I don't have a killer automobile on my backside with bad intent(s).
Review by das451
Nothing to dislike. It is fully adjustable so just a sneak peak shows me what is approaching from the rear.
Review by Stuart Stoloff
As a cyclist riding with a lot of car traffic it is very important to see vehicles coming behind me on the rides I take. This mirror provides a substantial viewing area. It is easy to install and position properly.
Review by Anonymous
Do not get on the bike without it.In my late 60s and the neck is no longer like an owl.Mount it securely and just tweak as needed.Always good to know what is going on behind you!
Review by Anonymous
This mounts to my helmet so it is always with me when I am riding. The clip on type got left at home occasionally.
Review by LanceB
This is an OK mirror. The mirror detaches easily from the stem, presumably so it doesn't get broken, but it comes off very easily, and it can be really hard to find in your trunk. Would be nice if it came tethered to the stem with a piece of thread. (Not hard to do this yourself, but still...)
I would prefer if the mirror was slightly larger. I think there are larger ones in the company's catalog, but this vendor doesn't carry all the options.
I have it stuck to my helmet's visor. Seems stuck on pretty good. I've only used it for a month or so, but it seems like it will stay on for the forseeable future.
Overall it works ok, and you can see what's coming up behind you. That's the main thing.
(FWIW, I mainly use this when riding my unicycle.)
Review by LJ
I barely touched the adjustment bar and it broke off in my hand, too bad because the mirror seemed of good quality. Had to return for refund. PROMPTLY refunded by BTD and NO questions asked!
Review by huntaik
I have always had a helmet mirror. The base for this one actually sticks as it should, and well enough that you can snap the mirror off the base so you can safely store the helmet. The mirror is easily adjusted and has not fatigued in 2 years. I did have to reglue the base after months.
Review by taterhed
Doesn't fit all helmets...requires some fiddling to get it right. It works well enough, but like all mirrors, if it's not connected to you (glasses) then it shakes.
I think I prefer the glasses attached mirrors.
Review by Dice
I used this mirror for at least 6 years, maybe 8. I broke one or two, but it was definitely worth replacing with the same. In order to mount it on my old helmet, I shaved a little bit of the styro off to give me a FLAT surface for mounting.
The new helmet just doesn't have enough styro to meet the diameter of the mount. I sure wish it did. I LOVE this mirror.
I have a very creative mind Upon occasion, from having moved the little mirror around and re-angling it and doing so again & again so many times, it would be loose and not stay in position. I did not want to use glue, as then I wouldn't be able to adjust it any more at all. So...how did I solve the problem? I thought about it, and it became so easy! Take some nail polish and put a single coat on the ball of the mirror. Wait for at least 5-15 minutes, or until you know that it's completely dry, and snap it back into the socket. You now have a nice secure mirror which is going to stay in place! In fact, for a slight period of time, it is actually going to be a bit tight to move around..which is a PLUS. Also, after a while, if the base comes off, you can re-secure it with super glue. I did, and it worked well.
If anybody has the slightest idea how I can mount this mirror where there isn't very much styro on the side, and the way the vents are, also with almost NO flat surface space for mounting it, does anyone have any suggestions? I thought about possibly mounting it on the visor. Have to re-evaluate that.
I just got my newest bike and helmet 3 days ago. Wow!! Never had a bike so great, carbon frame and all, so light! Haven't ridden for 2 years as I was in a hit 'n' run and ended up in a bunch of pieces! Retired because of age, but more because I really couldn't return & do my usual...cooking, not cheffing..big difference.
If anybody has some suggestions for mounting the mirror, please send it my way.
Review by MJCYCLE
Fell apart on me on a ride. Pay a bit more money and get a good one. Where I ride it is important to see rear traffic approaching. This mirror, when it stayed on the helmet was OK. I think there may be better mirrors available.
Review by DailyCommuter
I've been using one of these mirrors on pretty much every ride I do for over 2 years.
You can't tell from the picture, but there are three major pieces in the mirror assembly - the mirror and plastic holder, which has a little ball on the end, a flexible arm with a socket on one end for the mirror and a socket on the other, and the helmet mount. The helmet mount is attached to your helmet with double sided tape. The arm pops off of the helmet mount with ease. You can also rotate the arm along one axis while it is in the mount, and you can rotate the mirror itself in any direction.
What does this mean? If you are riding along and the sun is suddenly directly behind you in the mirror, you can just rotate the arm at it's base, and the mirror (and sun, or whatever) is no longer blinding you. You can adjust the mirror itself while riding, but it is a bit tricky to get right until you've gotten used to it.
At first it does take a bit of adaptation to use the mirror effectively (I suspect this applies to any helmet mirror), but once you get used to it and have it positioned in the right placeat the right angle, it works extremely well. If I've been doing a lot of bike riding, and I'm just walking around doing something later near a road, I might actually feel confused that I can't see behind me. Once you are used to having it, being without it is like driving without mirrors. Who would do that?
Because I have this mirror, I can very fluidly move in and out of traffic when I need to avoid an obstacle blocking the bike lane, when I need to find a gap in traffic to move to the left to turn, etc. It's also helpful when waiting at an intersection for the light to change. If I see a car coming up behind me in my mirror, I can get out of the way to allow them to turn right. When riding along I can see if there is a car behind me waiting to turn right and move to the left to give it room. I can see if there is a big truck coming up behind me. Basically, I don't have to look over my shoulder very much, and I know what is going on behind me a lot better than someone who would have to look over their shoulder to see anything.
I used it when riding along the freeway with a large group of other riders as part of a charity ride. This allowed me to warn the other people around me when there was a vehicle about to pass us, so that they could be prepared for the gust of wind and not be startled.
It also comes in handy in a pinch. Once I got a bug in my eye when I was riding. I popped off my helmet mirror and used it to look at my eye, allowing me to easily pull out the bug. You can also use it to fix your helmet hair before that important meeting (or hot date?).
Some people think these look geeky. If you get a chan
Review by Josh Rogers
The best mirror I have ever used.
Review by escow39
I bike 50-75 miles a day in all sorts of traffic and weather conditions. This is the second of these I have had they fit great on my Giro helmets. I have had other mirrors over the years and they tend to fade over time and need to be replaced. I have one these that is just like the day I bought it and is over 15 years old and still in use. I just recently bought a new helmet and added one of these to it.
Review by lschwarz60
The whole set-up is great. The only thing that is not great is the mirror flying off. This is the 3rd reflex Ive had. I will not be buying anymore even though I love it . I dont like losing mirrors on all 3 in a little over a month. Solve that problem and Ill go back.
Review by Anonymous
Product performs as advertised. Its the only mirror that adjusts for maximum visibility that I have found