RecumBum

Mirrors are one of those cycling topics that everyone seems to have an opinion on, regardless of whether or not they’ve actually used one or not. There are arguments to be made on both sides, but personally I find a mirror to be essential.

On a recumbent, it’s very difficult to look behind you. You can’t just look over your shoulder, as you can on an upright bike, because on a recumbent you’re usually in a reclined position, and your head just doesn’t turn that way.

You can either use a handlebar-mounted mirror, or a mirror that attaches to your helmet or sunglasses. I opted for the latter.

I purchased a Third Eye Eyeglass Mirror shortly after getting my first recumbent. In the beginning, I wasn’t particularly pleased with it. Eyeglass mirrors in general are a bit finicky to set up, and take some getting used to. That was certainly the case with me, but after a few rides I began to grow accustomed to it, and now it’s second nature. In fact, if I forget the mirror, I feel quite vulnerable.

After several years of use, the clip that attaches to the eyeglass arm broke (click image for larger view). Of course, this happened just days before my Katy Trail Ride, so I had to scramble to replace it.

I checked out the Take A Look mirror, which is a similar design, except made of metal instead of plastic, and I also considered a variety of helmet-mounted mirrors. In the end, I purchased another Third Eye Eyeglass Mirror. It was the least expensive of the bunch ($11 compared to $15 for the Take A Look), and I was comfortable with it. I didn’t know if a new mirror would require some acclimation time or not, so I decided to stick with what I knew, despite the product having failed on me.

However, during the Katy Trail Ride, the new mirror broke as well. I was letting me nephew use it, and his sunglasses had larger arms, which may have had something to do with it, but the mirror failed in exactly the same way as the first one.

Since Third Eye offers replacement parts, I sent the two damaged pieces back to the manufacturer (along with $8 for the parts plus shipping), and am now awaiting their response.

Pros:

• Highly adjustable, both vertically and horizontally
• Very stable view (little or no road vibration transferred to the mirror)
• Mirror is very clear and distortion-free
• Wide-angle view requires only small movement of head
• Repairs are available

Cons:

• The eyeglass clip is the weak point (two failures in a short period of time)
• Fits skinny eyeglass arms better than thick eyeglass arms
• Easy to accidentally knock out of alignment
• Repairs, though available, are not cheap (over 50% of purchase price)
• No product warranty is offered

Bottom line: I give the Third Eye Eyeglass Mirror a qualified recommendation. It has worked very well for me, despite having failed twice within a short period of time. I wish it were a bit more rugged, but other than that it’s a very useful product.