UPDATE 05/12/2021: Nobody currently sells these mirrors in New Zealand. Go to Take a Look Active | takealookactive.com to buy direct (from US) or if in NZ I have imported a few as constantly being asked about them while riding.
I knocked mine off, batting away an insect at 50km/h, and cracked the acrylic of my original mirror. It was replaced by Take A Look after 17 years of use. A truly lifetime warranty!
I currently have the 'Original' size (125mm stem, 35x28mm mirror) and one of the smaller shorter "Compact"(82mm stem, 35x17mm mirror) for nz$35 (+ delivery if applicable) and parts to honour the lifetime repair warranty locally. Email me at [email protected]
Note: Mine is their original mirror set up for New Zealand's Left-Hand Drive/Cycling, which is why I used it upside down in the San Francisco shot.
If anyone looked at the current banner, or full image below, they may wonder about the strange looking fellow with even stranger attire. I call the white thing by my glasses "The Bas" as purchased it in 2004 from "Bas the guide" on an Adventure South West Coast trip. Since then, it's become an essential cycling accessory.
It's not just a rear-view mirror, it's the best cycle rear view mirror I've ever used. Sturdy all metal construction and spectacle mount mean there is no vibration. It's also easy to adjust and far less likely to be damaged than a helmet or bar mount mirror. The mirror isn't that big, so doesn't dominate forward view but moving your head slightly scans the road behind better than any fixed mirror.
You may wonder why this excitement over a bit of wire and acrylic mirror but on several occasions this thing has literally saved my life. In both cases I was on a busy road, keeping left, and watched large trucks graze by, one eye on the curb the other in the mirror, within centimetres of my shoulder. I suspect in one case it was just ignorance, the other because they were squeezed by traffic in the lane beside them. I'm certain in both cases a normal glance behind would have meant a real possibility of going under the wheels. Having the mirror allowed me to see what was happening, do what I could to avoid it and stay on the bike.
For me, cycling without it would be like cycling naked. As for the rest of the attire, I'll let Karl du Fresne defend that!
Karl du Fresne: In defence of lycra and other unspeakable cycling clobber
Being a cyclist myself, I naturally bridled at this. But it’s not the first time I’ve heard a non-cyclist ridicule the strange outfits bike riders wear, so I’ve taken it upon myself to offer some sort of explanation....
